The Marlins have agreed to a one-year contract with right-hander Brandon Kintzler, ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers reports. The deal will pay Kintzler $3.25MM in guaranteed money — $3MM in 2020 salary, and a $250K buyout of a $4MM club option for the 2021 season. In the event of a trade before the 2020 season is out, the 2021 club option increases to $5MM with a $500K buyout. Kintzler is represented by Kevin Kohler.
Miami has been linked to the 35-year-old Kintzler for the last few weeks, with MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reporting earlier today that the two sides were “working on a deal.” With Kintzler now in the fold, it would seemingly put an end to the Marlins’ pursuit of Pedro Strop, another former Cubs reliever Miami was also considering as a ninth-inning option.
Now, Kintzler will step back into a closer’s role for the first time since the 2017 season. Kintzler has spent the bulk of his career outside of save situations, though he did total 46 saves with the Twins and Nationals over the 2016-17 seasons. 2018, however, was a rougher ride for Kintzler, who struggled to a 7.00 ERA over 18 innings with the Cubs after the Nationals dealt him at the trade deadline.
After working to “simplify my mechanics” last Spring Training, Kintzler bounced back in impressive fashion, posting a 2.68 ERA, 3.69 K/BB rate, 7.6 K/9, and 54.7% grounder rate over 57 innings out of the Chicago bullpen in 2019. Despite being in the bottom eighth percentile of hard-hit ball rate, opposing batters couldn’t do much with that hard contact, as Kintzler also posted a low exit velocity (19th percentile) and limited batters to a .265 wOBA that was only slightly lower than his .286 xwOBA.
Kintzler brings some closing experience and, with 10 MLB seasons to his name, simply some experience overall to a mostly-young Marlins bullpen. With Kintzler looking like the favorite to handle the ninth inning, Miami can deploy Jose Urena, Ryne Stanek, Drew Steckenrider, or any other potential closer candidates in other high-leverage roles to gauge their readiness for any save situations. Since the Marlins are still rebuilding, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kintzler shopped at the trade deadline if the right-hander is pitching well, and the extra control offered by the 2021 club option could increase his trade value over pure rental pitchers.
The Kinz…
Pack it up pack it in. Let me begin.
I actually was jumping around when this bulletin hit my phone
Word to ya moms, Kinz came to give up bombs
Like this deal for my marlins. Get a veteran arm in the 8th/9th inning whichever they decide to use and hopefully the low cost arm provides a decently strong closing arm
Good for the Marlins
Getting traded at the deadline
He hopes. Isn’t signing with the Marlins the last shot you get before being out of baseball?
that’s Pittsburgh
Getting traded at the deadline
and….?
Pretty sure both sides would prefer that to happen. The Marlin’s will get a prospect and Kinz will get to play for a contender.
We heard you the first time. Thank you captain obvious
Every rebuilding club should make these type of moves. Almost a guarantee to flip for a lotto ticket or a slapdick prospect or two
The problem is, teams like the Marlins, that are virtually in the same position year-in-and-year-out. They’re never the team that is looking to acquire MLB talent at the deadline, rather they’re the team that’s always flipping players like Kintzler and get marginal prospects at best.
Agreed, the Marlins never spent from their horrible farm system in the late Loria years to acquire terrible MLB players as a last ditch attempt to be anything more than a mid 70s team.
Your second point is spot on too, trading an unknown player like Nick Anderson, a former lottery ticket in Zac Gallen, and a bounceback candidate in Sergio Romo for marginal prospects like Jesus Sanchez, Jazz Chisholm, and Lewin Diaz is correct.
Nice sign. Not long ago teams lined up to trade for him! It could happen again, this is how teams turn money into prospects.
No, not for old relievers they don’t. They may trade him but for nothing worth while
Nice move especially considering how Marlins Park is going to likely play more hitter friendly with the fences moved in a few feet.
Orioles Marlins Tigers Mariners Giants should all be buying up as many 1 year deadline pieces ad they can
Banulos Swarzek Erlin Cashner Strop McHugh Cingrani Buchter Tomlin Vieira
Should look to sign some cheap pen pieces hoping to flip one during the deadline.
I am not on the Marlins bandwagon, as I think they have a very small chance to take the division, but I still think they made a lot of moves to improve without sacrificing the future. Got to give them props.
They arnt there yet. Let’s face it, they got a steep hill to climb with 4 other teams in the division that are legit contenders. But, that being said I think they will be better then last year for sure and I like the fact the fish have added some pieces this off season. They have picked up some bounce back candidates and other pieces that they can either flip for prospects at the trade deadline or if they like what they see they can try to extend some of the players after the season in attempt to build a core of guys. I can respect that
They’ll be better, but I think they finish 4th at best. Last year, they were 40 games out of 1st, and dead last by 24 games. Phillies got better, Braves continue to reap the rewards of their great farm system, and the Mets and Nats didn’t exactly have fire sales, even if they’re not as strong as last year. Marlins won’t be in the cellar forever, but probably an 80%+ chance they’re there again this year.
no way. rest of the division is too goodm
I think the Marlins are having a very very good off season. I know they’re not going to be good, nor does anyone else, but they’re doing what a rebuilding club should be doing. Bringing in low price veterans that will have value come deadline time.
The Marlins , where careers go to die, just like ‘dancing with the stars’
It’s nice being able to celebrate two titles in under 30 years though. Better than most teams have it, Sum
Quietly building a decent little team down in Miami, their 20 fans should be very impressed
At least those 20 fans can say they’ve seen their team get past the NLDS
When was the last time the Braves won anything significant?
Winning the division is significant. That was … hmm… last year.
Lol right? The division is pretty solid. Look, marlins have like 5 years with a winning record since the franchise was created. I’ll take my Braves playing winning baseball in the same time period with 1 World Series, than the marlins playing losing baseball and only 2 World Series. To put this in comparison… Braves have only had 6 sub .500 season, none below .400 in the same time period. Marlins can’t even say they never feel below .400 multiple times. The franchise is an embarrassment to baseball year after year… take the compliments in the rare times you get them
Last season Marlins pitching was 20th overall and the bullpen was 29th. They’ve had a good off season and should be much more competitive this year. as the rebuild continues
Does the deam include a clause that he’ll be traded by the deadline? Its not even a matter of if. It’s when will it happen
This man is not a closer. Seventh inning man at best. What’s his conversion rate?
Could see the Marlins finishing 4th ahead of the Mets this year.
LOL. Mets finished with 86 wins last season. 29 games ahead of the rotting Fish a team that lost 105 games.
The Mets will be fighting for 1st while the Fish will be trying to stay under 102 losses give or take.
People who don’t know much about baseball just like to follow a stupid narrative. If the Mets bullpen is just acceptable they will win the the division.
What you see must be wrong a lot
Here’s what I see.
The Marlins are very likely going to be in last again this year. However, this year, I’m not 100% sold on it. They have many prospects that will be debuting at various points of this season. This rebuild, like past rebuilds we’ve had, is going to bear the fruit at some point. It could be this year. However, 4th is likely the best that they can surprise anyone to achieve this year. And for that, it’ll depend on one of the other four teams to falter. Part of the reason why I’m not 100% sold on the Marlins finishing in last again this year is due to there being a higher possibility of that this year in the division. This is how I see that potentially happening:
The Braves are the least likely because they are a top notch team, and the class of the division. It would take a bunch of down years and injuries for them to finish in last, and a sort of miraculous occurrences of events for the Marlins to finish ahead of them.
The Nats made the key re-sign with Strasburg. With Strasburg and Scherzer, they most likely are in second again and winning 90+ again. It would take both Starsburg and Scherzer having bad years or going down for some significant time, and their lineup to falter, for the Marlins to even sniff a chance of them falling to last.
Now with both the Mets and Phillies, both of these teams have highly implosive situations. These are the two that I can see imploding into a last place finish without much surprise. If one (which is a very good bet) implodes, the Marlins can pass that team in the standings this year. If both of these two teams implode (which is also a good bet), the Marlins, with some good strides, can pass both for a 3rd place finish, but still a sub .500 season.
That’s how I see it. I know Mets and Phillies fans can’t see it, but those two teams are highly fragile with some serious implosion possibilities.