The Marlins have designated southpaw Craig Breslow for assignment, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro first reported on Twitter. His roster spot will go to right-hander Dustin McGowan, whose contract was selected from Triple-A.
Breslow, 35, has provided 14 innings to the Miami pen thus far, allowing seven earned runs on 21 hits and four walks while retiring seven batters via strikeout. But Breslow has had several rough outings in which he’s given up multiple runs, including his most recent. And with his 45-day advance consent clause soon due, the Fish obviously decided not to keep his salary on the books for the rest of the season.
As for the 34-year-old McGowan, a fellow minor league signee over the winter, this will represent his second run of the year with the Marlins. He was previously outrighted after 5 1/3 innings. Though he allowed just two earned runs on six hits, McGowan managed only a pair of strikeouts to go with two walks.
Again, why on earth did they keep Breslow, McGowan, and Narveson out of spring training and DFA and lose Brad Hand for nothing? Hand isn’t a world beater, but he’s a young, cost controlled, versatile, left hander. The other three are minor league depth guys at best. This is just a horrendously assembled bullpen.
Jose Urena has been just awful in a pen role too. Marlins need to be much much more active on the waiver front. Basically any pitcher with a pulse and 92 mph heater should be claimed and given a look at this point.