Deadline duo makes dynamic first impression

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The season may be four months old, but Wednesday felt like the first day of school for Jake Burger and Josh Bell.

Acquired ahead of Tuesday's Trade Deadline, they made quite the first impression by combining to go 6-for-9 with three runs, two walks, one hit-by-pitch, one homer and two RBIs in Wednesday night's 9-8 walk-off win in 12 innings over the Phillies.

Manager Skip Schumaker didn't need that long to be won over by the pair. After the deals were made, he reached out to friends in the industry to get an idea of what the ballclub was receiving. The consensus was high-character guys with production. Schumaker witnessed that firsthand when Bell and Burger arrived early to loanDepot park and went straight to work despite being traded the day before and then waking up early for flights to Miami.

"It's no surprise when you see production out of players when they don't just walk in and take a bat and go take BP," said Schumaker, who ate a burger for lunch in his new third baseman's honor. "It was a fun night and fun day just to meet all the guys and for them to do that the first game.

"They can take the pressure off, deep breath. 'I'm part of this group. Here we go.' That first hit, that first play, all of that stuff. The first outing, a score list, whatever it is, you can take a deep breath when that happens. I've been traded. You just want to get the first hit. And after that, you can go. And they did that in a hurry, and it was pretty cool to watch."

Burger, who had never been dealt before, said coming to a contender fired him up. During and after Wednesday's game, he felt butterflies, which showed how much he cares.

"I was talking to [first-base/outfield coach] Jon Jay a little bit and he's like, 'Hey, just be you. Don't try and do too much,'" said Burger, who will also play some first base. "It felt like my first two at-bats, I was trying to do a little too much. I kind of settled in after those first two."

Bell was dealt from the Nationals to the Padres last August, so he is no stranger to the balance of making an immediate impact but also not pressing. Bell was pumped for his return to the National League East, where he hoped a change of scenery would change his 2023 fortune.

"Obviously, you want to perform, you want to play well, and I think it did help having so many at-bats here just in my past," said Bell, who will see time at first base and designated hitter. "I'm comfortable in this division. I've seen these guys for years and years now. There was a bit of newness, but in the same light, kind of felt like I was coming back home, at least to this division. So a bit of both."