Since Kim Ng departed the organization, the Miami Marlins have been looking for her replacement to run their baseball operations. Many people were expecting owner Bruce Sherman to hire someone who Bruce Sherman recognized. The Marlins looked up I-75 north and hired Peter Bendix away from the Rays to be their president of baseball operations. Bendix had been serving as Tampa’s general manager under Erik Neander for the past two seasons. I believe the Miami Marlins got this hire right.
Bendix Was A Big Part of The Tampa Bay Rays Success
Embed from Getty ImagesBendix had been a part of the Tampa Bay Rays since 2009 first as an intern. He has since served in various roles in the organization including as general manager for the past two years. Since Bendix has been in the front office, Tampa has had a lot of success. Since then, the Rays have won three AL East titles, appeared in the postseason eight times, and have advanced to the World Series twice. The Rays have also appeared in the postseason five consecutive years. Tampa Bay has also had players earn Rookie of the Year three times, two Cy Young awards, and one Comeback Player of the Year honor. Even their managers have earned Manager of the Year honors three times.
He Knows How To Have Success On A Budget
Like the Marlins, the Rays operate their teams on a very limited budget. Every year Tampa often must trade or let their best players leave as free agents. However, they’ve been able to quickly develop replacements by having a strong pipeline of players in the minor leagues. With this hire, Bruce Sherman wants his team to operate like the in-state rival Tampa Bay Rays. This means having success on a limited spending budget.
The Marlins Farm System Needs Retooling
The farm system greatly contributed to Miami’s surprising wild card spot this season. Homegrown players Jazz Chisholm Jr., Braxton Garrett, and Eury Perez were a big part of Miami’s success this season. However, Bendix is going to have some work to do. To help their playoff chances, Kim Ng dealt away top prospects in pitcher Jake Eder and Marco Vargas to add Jake Burger and David Robertson. This dropped the Marlins farm system down from 18th all the way down to 24th. Although it still has pitcher Noble Meyer who is ranked 59th among baseball’s top 100 prospects. For the Marlins to attempt to operate like the Rays, Miami must consistently have a strong farm system every year. Rebuilding the farm system should be his first priority when Bendix arrives in Miami.
The Marlins Landed The Perfect Hire
With the skills he brings to the organization, Peter Bendix was a “home run” hire for the Miami Marlins. He knows how to successfully operate a team that doesn’t spend a lot of money. Bendix also knows how to build, develop, and maintain a strong farm system. Miami is in a similar position that the Rays were in after their World Series appearance in 2008. Given that he contributed to the Rays retooling efforts after 2008, the transition to the Marlins job should be seamless.
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