Marlins issues that need clarity — Cabrera, Rogers, Schumaker (and a Spoelstra connection)

As the 33-63 Marlins prepare to open their post All-Star break schedule at home on Friday against the Mets, we’re examining six issues that need clarity.

We touched on the trade deadline, players to build around and minor-leaguers who could warrant a promotion here in Part 1.

Addressing some other issues in Part 2:

▪ Will Skip Schumaker return next season in the wake of his request last winter that owner Bruce Sherman void the club option on his contract in 2025? Sherman accommodated that request, which has led to the perception that Schumaker will move to a contender if offered a managerial job elsewhere this winter.

Schumaker told “Foul Territory” this past week that: “I’m a free agent [after the season] just like there are player free agents. Time will tell what’s going to happen. There are no hard feelings. It never got personal. This was my first year getting this job as a manager.

“Bruce Sherman has been fantastic to me. It was never about me not wanting to be here or contracts fell apart or that type of stuff. More than anything, there [was] a new president coming in [Peter Bendix] and we have to build a relationship and figure out if we can do this together.

“Peter has been really great to me. Bruce and his family have always been really great to me…. If I’m not doing my job, they won’t want me back anyway. [Former MLB manager] Tony LaRussa told me a long time ago that he took one-year deals all the time because he didn’t want to feel like the club was handcuffed and he wanted the club to want him back as well.”

After guiding the Marlins to a wild-card berth in his first season, Schumaker has been dealt an unenviable hand, with a roster sorely lacking in offense and a pitching staff devastated by injuries.

Schumaker reminds us of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra in some ways, because of several commonalities expressed by players: sharp minds, the attention to detail in game preparation, their emphasis on player development and an unwillingness to accept players giving less than full effort.

While Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has forged a neat relationship with Spoelstra, Schumaker is hoping he can cultivate something similar with the Heat’s coach. The two met at a Heat game in January in Los Angeles, where Schumaker spends the offseason.

“Unfortunately I’ve only met with him one time,” Schumaker said earlier this season. “If it was up to me, I would meet with him every day. I know he doesn’t think the same. So we’ve still got some work to do on the relationship on my side.”

Schumaker admires “the culture he sets, the tone he sets. No one feels sorry for them when someone is hurt [with the Heat] or with us. I really believe in each guy in that clubhouse and I really feel he believes in each guy in his clubhouse to produce and help us win. That’s maybe the only common thing I can think of.”

There are actually a few others we’ve noticed:

Both emphasize player development and preparing players diligently for any game situation. The latter was mentioned by several Marlins position players, unprompted, last season, especially as it pertained to the new way the staff preps players for every pitcher on an opposing staff.

Schumaker was struck by the Heat coaching staff during that Heat-Clippers game that he witnessed in person.

“Watching their coaches coach is real,” Schumaker said. “They weren’t just sitting on the bench and talking to guys about what they did last night. They were coaching for two hours when I was there before the game started. I saw the strength and conditioning guys coach for two hours.”

Their fixation with player development is similar. “Our job as coaches is to try to get the best version,” Schumaker said. “We’re obsessed with trying to get our guys better. Even if you’re in the majors, you don’t stop developing no matter where you’re at in your career, rookie or 11-year vet.” Spoelstra has made almost identical comments in the past.

Discussing the topic of Spoelstra and coaching with an edge, Schumaker added: “For whatever reason, coaches are afraid to coach hard nowadays. There is maybe fear of losing their job because players make so much money, and if you rub a guy the wrong way, you can get fired. Luckily, I don’t have that stuff. I know Spo doesn’t have that stuff.”

Spoelstra and Schumaker both try to forge bonds with their players.

Spoelstra has visited players out of town during the summer and took Tyler Herro to lunch last September, after an offseason of trade rumors.

Marlins third baseman Jake Burger said Schumaker “sat me down in spring training and showed me a highlight reel” of Burger’s strong play for the Marlins last season after his acquisition from the White Sox.

“Skip said, ‘You’re a great player and keep doing that.’” Burger emerged feeling very good about himself.

The Marlins’ decision to embark on yet another rebuilding program could mean a departure for Schumaker after just two seasons here. That would be unfortunate, because he seems part of the solution, not the problem.

▪ Will Trevor Rogers or Edward Cabrera convince the Marlins they’re long-term members of the rotation?

That’s dubious. With a 1-9 record and 4.72 ERA in 13 starts, Rogers ranks 27th on MLBtraderumors.com’s midseason trade candidate list, with this comment:

“Rogers’ stock has diminished a great deal since his sensational 2021 campaign. He dealt with some horrific, harrowing family issues and multiple serious injuries along the way — including a lat strain, left biceps strain that required a 60-day IL stint, and back spasms.

“Rogers’ fastball is now down about two miles per hour from his breakout showing. His strikeout rate has dipped 10 percentage points, from 28.5 percent to 18.3 percent. His current 10 percent walk rate is a career high. But.. he’s still only 26 years old.... A team with a knack for maximizing pitching performance might view Rogers as an affordable buy-low candidate based on his pedigree.”

Rogers is under team control through 2026; he’s making $1.5 million this season.

Cabrera, once again, cannot seem to stay healthy. And the results haven’t been good when he has been healthy: an 8.26 ERA in seven starts, with 45 baserunners in 28 ⅓ innings. Though his arsenal can be electric when he’s dialed in, control has been an issue throughout his career (15 walks this season).

He yielded nine runs in seven innings in his two July starts so far. He’s making $761,000 and is under team control through 2028.

▪ If closer Tanner Scott is traded, will Andrew Nardi cut it as a closer?

The Marlins have precious few leads to protect, but Nardi would have a chance to make his case if Scott is dealt. (A.J. Puk might, too.)

Nardi hasn’t been as good as expected this season, with a 5.30 ERA in 44 games. On the plus side, he has 45 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings. He was much more effective last season: 8-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 63 innings.

For his career, he has 142 strikeouts in 107 ⅔ innings. Seeing whether Nardi can handle the job would be a positive if the Marlins can extract a good prospect for Scott, who’s an impending free agent.

Don’t rule out Puk getting a chance in the closer’s role if Scott is dealt.

After four disastrous starts early in the season, Puk moved back to the bullpen and has a 2.39 ERA in 26 1/3 innings as a reliever. Puk is earning $1.8 million and under team control through 2026; it’s not out of the question the Marlins could consider dealing him if approached with a good offer.