we turn most of our attention to developments off the fiel

Coming off another loss Jonathan Lucroy Jersey ,d."That series sweep we’ve been waiting for? Keep waiting.The Marlins (59-93) have sole possession of the third-worst record in Major League Baseball after dropping Thursday’s series opener to the Reds, 4-2. These are desperate times.Positives? Jeff Brigham is gradually improving. The rookie right-hander was charged with two earned runs when Scooter Gennett lifted a high fly ball just out of the reach of Austin Dean in left-center field. But Brigham was more efficient than usual (86 pitches in five innings) and probably would’ve went out for the sixth under different circumstances.Also, hometown slugger Peter O’Brien stays hot, slashing .333/.417/.733 since his call-up. Regardless of what happens over the final week-and-a-half, he’ll probably report to spring training in 2019 as the favorite for the everyday first base job.Derek Jeter speaksThe club’s CEO and future Hall of Famer is famously skilled at addressing the media without revealing much. Here are a few of the responses that actually had some substance:A lukewarm endorsement of Don Mattingly’s future as manager: “He’s under contract, right?” (h/t Andre Fernandez, The Athletic)Insistent that “J.T. [Realmuto] and his representatives are very aware of how we feel about him as a player” (h/t Joe Frisaro, MLB.com). But is the interest mutual? Doesn’t sound like there’s been significant progress toward a contract extension.The Marlins plan to construct a new baseball academy in the Dominican Republic (“a big area of growth for us”).New “Swings and Mishes” episodeRHP Tommy Eveld delivering a pitch for the Jacksonville Jumbo ShrimpPhoto by John Fountain (h/t @teveld/Twitter)Craig Mish interviews minor league reliever TommyEveld on the new episode of the Swings and Mishes podcast (part of the Five Reasons Sports Network) . The Marlins acquired Eveld in exchange for BradZiegler prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He immediately thrived with Double-A Jacksonville (9.2 IP, 0.93 ERA, 14 K). At age 24, he’s now preparing for a critical step in his career: the Arizona Fall League.“The biggest thing I’m excited for is the level of competition,” Eveld says.Mish also reports on a shake-up within the Marlins front office:Fish Stripes conducted an interview with Eveld recently, too. It’ll be published sometime before the AFL season gets underway.Another addition to AFL roster A footnote in Joe Frisaro’s Jeter summary http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-bettis-jersey , right-hander Kyle Keller is joining Eveld in the desert next month. That’s seven Marlins farmhands in total who will be participating.Working exclusively out of the bullpen, the 25-year-old Keller posted a 3.08 earned run average this season with a dazzling 36.4 percent strikeout rate. He held opponents scoreless in 17 of his final 20 appearances, bolting all the way up to Triple-A New Orleans by the end of the summer.The former 18th-round draft pick has consistently missed bats at every level of competition. It would be a big victory for Marlins player development if he were to become a legitimate major league contributor down the road.Keeping his secrets close to the vestAlready known to be a great all-around player, Christian Yelich has made the leap to superstardom in his first season with the Brewers. Slashing .319/.385/.569 and ranking among the league leaders with a 154 wRC+ and 6.1 fWAR, Yelich could win the NL MVP award.Robert Murray of The Athletic had to rely on testimonies from his manager and teammates, because Yelich continues to deflect all questions about his individual production.Though it is several years premature to judge how well the Marlins did with the return they received in January, from the Brewers’ perspective, the trade is already a smashing success. Yelich’s breakout is about to secure them a postseason berth for first time since 2011.Highlight of the seasonPhoto by Eric Espada/Getty ImagesMany thanks to Sam Miller for consulting me for the Marlins passage in his latest ESPN article, a team-by-team look at the best moments of the 2018 season.Let me know if we got it right!Slater ScoopsThroughout the past year, there have been suspicions that DerekJeter would take the necessary steps to get rid of the vibrant home run sculpture. But Andy Slater reports that there are a few complications between the Marlins and city of Miami. For the moment, they still cannot move the massive art piece from its center-field spot.Clarifying these tweets, Slater told me that the mayor’s office is not yet onboard with the suggestion of relocating to the exterior of the ballpark. “We will see if any of that changes.”On a new episode of his podcast, Slater spent an hour speaking with “Marlins Man” Laurence Leavy. The former season ticket holder visited Marlins Park this past Monday for the first time in 2018 DJ LeMahieu Jersey , reportedly bringing more than 1,000 of his closest friends with him. Leavy reflects on how his relationship with the team and its player has evolved through the years.Also, a hat tip to Slater for drawing our attention to the “Swing for Your Seats” Marlins membership event. With the players out of town next Saturday (Sept. 29), you can RSVP for the Open House. It’s the latest effort by the team to entice fans to buy 2019 season ticket plans. The fun twist is that those who commit to a plan are invited on the field for an abbreviate home run derby; you get up to three pitches to hit a ball over the fence, and if you succeed, the Marlins will provide a credit covering up to $10,000 of your purchase. Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesStarting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu reportedly accepted the Los Angeles Dodgers' one-year qualifying offer Monday.Jon Heyman of Fancred and MLB Network reported the news, while Mark Feinsand of MLB.com noted Ryu had until Monday's 5 p.m. ET deadline to accept the $17.9 million offer.Ryu is a terrific rotation option when healthy. The 31-year-old South Korea native showcased that in 2018 as he posted a microscopic 1.97 ERA to go along with a 1.01 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 82.1 innings across 15 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Injuries have been a consistent part of his story since signing with L.A. in December 2012, though.After making 30 starts in his debut MLB season, he's failed to reach that threshold in any of the past five years. That includes missing the entire 2015 campaign and making just a single start in 2016 while dealing with back, shoulder and elbow problems.In May, after suffering a groin injury that ended up keeping him on the disabled list until mid-August, he expressed his exasperation with the latest in a series of setbacks."It doesn't feel good http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-bettis-jersey ," Ryu told reporters through an interpreter. "This seems to be worse than the ones in the past. Definitely very disappointed. I came into the season very healthy and had very good performances in the season. At this point, I'm very frustrated and very disappointed."While the 2008 Olympic gold medalist shined upon his return, posting a 1.88 ERA in nine starts during the stretch run of the regular season, he struggled during the playoffs. He compiled a 5.21 ERA in four postseason outings, including four earned runs in 4.2 innings in Game 2 of the 2018 World Series.His overall track record is strong, however, and the main concern is obviously the health woes, not his performance in last season's playoffs.Ryu's choice to return gives the Dodgers six starters with Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda and Alex Wood also in the rotation mix. It will be intriguing to see whether the team uses them all or jettisons one to the bullpen until an injury arises.An extra day off between starts could help the veteran left-hander in his quest to remain healthy.