Outfielder Tyler Colvin has opted out of his contract with the Marlins and is now a free agent, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (on Twitter).
Formerly the 13th overall pick in the 2006 draft (by the Cubs) and the No. 75 prospect in all of baseball (per Baseball America prior to the ’09 season), Colvin has never developed the way many expected him to, but he’s seen a good chunk of Major League action in each of the past five seasons.
Last year, Colvin totaled 149 plate appearances with the Giants, slashing .223/.268/.381 — again showing plus power but difficulty getting on base. That’s been the story of Colvin’s career, as the outfielder/first baseman boasts an impressive .207 isolated power mark but has managed an overall batting line of .239/.287/.446.
Defensive metrics have never loved Colvin’s work, but he doesn’t rate horribly at any of the three outfield positions per Defensive Runs Saved. Ultimate Zone Rating considers him adequate on the corners and below-average in center (-12.4 per 150 games). Of course, while Colvin has 650 innings or more at all three outfield positions, all of his defensive sample sizes are still small enough that they should still be taken with a grain of salt.
Colvin likely hoped to crack the Marlins’ roster as a fourth outfielder and part-time first baseman, however when he signed, Miami had yet to add Ichiro Suzuki to its ranks. The Marlins’ outfield picture looks to be a difficult one to crack, so the 29-year-old Colvin will presumably hope to find a new Minor League deal with a team that presents a clearer path to a Major League roster spot.
