3:15pm: Duvall will earn $2MM in 2021, while there’s a mutual option for $7MM or a $3MM buyout in 2022, per Mish.
2:44pm: The Marlins are “extremely close” to wrapping up a deal with free-agent outfielder Adam Duvall, SportsGrid’s Craig Mish reports (via Twitter). MLB Network’s Jon Heyman initially connected the two sides, noting that the Fish might need to “stretch” an already light $60MM payroll in order to accommodate what should be a modestly priced deal for the CAA client.
The 32-year-old Duvall was one of the majors’ most prolific home run hitters a season ago in Atlanta, where he slashed .237/.301/.532 with 16 homers in 209 plate appearances. It was the latest high-powered campaign for Duvall, a former Giant and Red who has twice smacked 30-plus HRs in a season.
As a Brave from 2019-20, Duvall hit a well-above-average .248/.307/.545 (117 wRC+) and totaled 26 homers in 339 trips to the plate. Duvall has also been a significant plus in the outfield, where he has combined for 42 Defensive Runs Saved and a 14.8 Ultimate Zone Rating across 4,000-plus innings in the majors. Nevertheless, the Braves still moved on from Duvall earlier in the offseason, choosing to non-tender him instead of giving him a projected $4MM in arbitration.
The Marlins, meanwhile, earned a surprise playoff berth in 2020, but they haven’t done much to upgrade their offense so far this winter. The right-handed Duvall may be able to help their cause in left field, where he could share time with the lefty-swinging Corey Dickerson. Starling Marte, Garrett Cooper, Magneuris Sierra, Lewis Brinson, Harold Ramirez and Monte Harrison are among the other outfielders on the Marlins’ 40-man roster.
The lack of a DH killed the chances of Adam coming back to the Braves. That’s too bad.
They had to pick him or Ozuna. I think they made the right choice.
For an extra lousy 2 mil, why couldn’t they have both? He poked 16 hrs last year, Marlins got a steal.
Curly, with the buyout, it’s $5M guaranteed. Not a lot of money, but not pocket change, either.
Article states the buyout is for 2022 making 2 mil for 2021 – am I reading this wrong?
He’s guarenteed at least $5 million but could make $9 million. $2 million in 2021 and either his $3 million 2022 buyout or his $7 million option.
It’s essentially a 1 year – 5M deal or a 2 year – 9M deal. If he’s terrible that team option gets declined, if he’s awesome he declines the player portion of the option, if he’s average Duvall it likely is picked up by both parties.
Umm, do you know he went to high school with Chris Smith, right?
Realistically, his inability to be consistent and hit RHP consistently is the factor.
Career vs. RHP: .229/.284/.747 – and that’s while playing in 2 HR-heavy parks mostly (Great American (CIN), SunTruist (ATL)). His 2020 numbers would look a lot differently without his (franchise-record tying) 11 Sept HR.
Good glove, good guy, but not a starter for a team with sights set on a World Series in a division with deGrom, Carrasco, Stroman, Nola, Wheeler, Scherzer, Strasburg, Soroka, Morton, Ian Anderson, etc.
RunDMC, I assume that third number in the triple slash is his OPS and not his SLG. I’m used to seeing the latter.
And you can’t discount those 11 September home runs too much because they did happen.
Yes, OPS.
Sure, but it was an illustration of how inconsistent he is. For the first 2 months of the season (two-thirds) he had about a .210 AVG with 5 HR striking out 31% of the time. Considering he was demoted in 2019 for much of the season, people need to understand how polarizing of a hitter he really is.
Too bad? He is absolute garbage!
As the old saying goes: “If you hit three home runs including a Grand Slam against them, join ‘em”
And also join them if they are stupid enough to give you a bigs contract when you are a minor league player.
Duvall might not be quite as productive not getting to hit Marlins pitching, then. =}
Very nice signing… but I do wonder who out of Brinson, Sierra and Ramirez will be the odd man out.. I really hope they keep Sierra. I love the speed he brings to the lineup. I’d say keep Brinson (hope he becomes at least a .250, 20 homer guy) and trade Ramirez.
Sounds like Cooper could be the odd guy out, with no DH now. They at least could probably get some value for him though
Great deal, I’ll reference something I said a while back about this very move, here:
Well since the site isn’t letting me edit my last post for some reason, here’s what I said a few months ago about Duvall to Miami: “Duvall is a great fit for the Marlins. He’s been a budget beast for the few games he’s played with ATL the past 2 years, and he won’t cost much for Miami either. In a lineup starved for some pop, the Marlins’ highest slugging player on the team last season was Garrett Cooper at a flat .500. Duvall would’ve been the highest slugging player on the Marlins last season with the .532 he put up in ATL. Duvall might not hit for the highest average, and unlike Turner, he refuses to walk and constantly strikes out, but you get him in that Miami lineup where there’s always somebody on base and I think he could do some damage. He’s also not a brick on the base-paths, so when he does get on it’s not an immediate call to a pinch-runner. The only thing I wouldn’t like about this move is the fact that Duvall is right-handed and the only lefties on the Marlins in 2020 were Matt Joyce and Corey Dickerson (Joyce is a free agent now too). In light of that, I still think this would be a really good move by the bottom feeders.”
Well the Marlins do have Sierra. Plus a boatload of the top prospects hit lefty. Bleday, Lewin Diaz, Jesus Sanchez etc.
That only helps the cause. Good move.
Do you keep a record of all of your posts for quick and convenient self quoting?
He is writing a memoir of his time in the comment section of MLBTR. Gunna be a best seller.
Lolll
You laugh, but it is already half finished. I already got publishers begging for me to use them. Yes, they beg me, not the other way around. Hey, this is what happens when you hit it big time.
He’s like 13 or something, so…
LOL you’re giving him too much credit.
Anything over 1 year $5 million is dum.
It’ll probably be a two year deal worth around 8-10 million guaranteed. Not too shabby of a number for a guy with good power and who plays solid defense.
This is one of the best signings so far. Underrated player.
How? He SUCKS!
Fantastic defender in LF. Hits 30+ home runs consistently. 117 wRC+, .297 ISO and .853 OPS in his last 339 plate appearances.
Holy small sample size, Batman! Did you have a look at his 81 wRC+ in the 1500 plate appearances before that?
Also he is a career negative value defender.
According to FanGraphs defensive rating, which is notoriously harsh on non-defensive positions. Only 58 left fielders since 1960 are seen as positive value defenders since 1960 according to the measurement. Duvall has +47 DRS, 6.5 UZR.150, 12.8 range runs above average, 8.3 outfield arm runs above average out in left field throughout his career. I am looking at a small sample size, but he was a league average batter during his time with the Reds. I don’t know where you’re getting an 84 wRC+ from though. From 2014-2018, he had a 92 wRC+ and has a career mark of 96.
Roughly league average with the Reds*
Meant 91 not 81. Schwarber has a 5.3 UZR/150 and a 11.9 ARM. He isn’t as bad of a defender as you think. I’d take a .060 bump in obp for the defensive hit you take with schwarber.
There’s still a very big difference in DRS, -12 to +47. He’s also a much better base runner/is faster.
Doesn’t suck. No, not a superstar, but gives you power and rbi production, and doesn’t hurt you in the field.
Best signings so far for the Marlins? perhaps.
This should have been the guy the Nats went after over Kyle Schwarber, especially if he gets a deal close or much less than Schwarb. He doesn’t get on base as frequently as Schwarber, but he hits just as many home runs, is a much better fielder and is much more athletic/faster.
Yes, exactly.
OBP is king and Adam Duvall is no Schwarber in that department.
I’d sacrifice some OBP if it means he’s a better player in almost every other facet of the game.
Brad Pitt would like a word with you.
I love OBP, but if it means a .03-.06 difference to get a better defender and base runner, I’m going to give it up.
Nats really wanted Schwarber’s left handed bat. Probably because they were adding Ryan Zimmerman’s right handed bat to the bench.
@MarlinsFanBase does this put you ahead of Mets or Nats
No but our pitching might. If not this year, next year when Edward Cabrera and Max Meyer make it to the bigs ;)
The post is not about the Mets or a chance to take a cheap shot at a former prospect so he won’t bother to read it.
@Luc2
I’m surprised that this is who they signed. I’m not sure why the MLB deal. They needed to leave room for their young OFs to win a job. I think the Marlins may be setting up for a trade because there are too many guys out there – Dickerson, Marte, Harold Ramirez, Cooper, Brinson, Sierra, Harrison and now Duvall. And this is before the possibility that Sanchez may be ready this year.
As for Duvall as a piece, the Marlins are an odd team that is truly hard to predict this year. They aren’t a team you can expect to win, but they aren’t pushovers. They play a different style of game from everyone else – more of a small ball team with some guys that can knock a ball out of the park. Duvall looks like he’ll blend into what they do with really just the responsibility of knocking the ball out of the park when the rabbits are on base. The Marlins are the odd team in the NL East that’s hard to determine.
We’ll see how this move works. Something has got to give with so many OFs now.
Fangraphs predicted them-
fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds
4th worst team in baseball with about a 1% chance in making the playoffs….
Yeah, we will ignore what will happen during the season and just go with fangraphs.
What next? Are we going to just let fangraphs decide everything? The game is played by players – not by computers.
Luc, you may wanna check those standings. The Marlins were already ahead of the Mets and Nationals.
Hope he hits a ton against the Braves.
Good for him, put up some decent numbers when he played everyday in cinci. Marlins should have more playing time for him compared to Atlanta.
Duuuuuuvallllll
Suuuuuuucks!
Please explain
That WAS his explanation. D0m doesn’t go deeper than that. Expecting more is like trying to go deep sea diving in a tea spoon of water.
@Dom: You think you’re funny, but you really aren’t. And you contribute nothing to the conversation.
D0m, that’s five negative comments (so far) about Duvall in this post. Did he steal your lunch money when you were a kid or something?
Best comment lol
Every kid did.
No! I got welfare lunch.
I would have loved to see a Pederson/Duvall platoon in left field. Or, he could have been Marcel’s defensive replacement in late innings.
Good guy. I wish him the best.
Marlins budget: $60 million
Bauer’s salary: $40 million
There are like 8 other teams that have the same or about the same payroll as the Marlins… what’s your point?
Uh, I think that there is an uneven playing field, and the contrasts are stark.
Sorry if I was too subtle.
Regarding the uneven playing field: A salary cap won’t make owners who don’t want to spend suddenly spend. I’d rather see a salary floor. Not talking about the Marlins here btw. I like what they’re doing.
They suspended revenue sharing last year, which affected the small market teams. Instead of a cap, I’d like to see increased revenue sharing. I’m not typically a socialist, but MLB’s model is already broken, so why not?
I prefer a Cap&Floor system. It balances things out on the top end, and it separates the men from the boy on the bottom end of owners to the point that you can’t get into the game unless you can pay to field a respectable MLB caliber roster.
This move told Harrison, Ramirez and Brinson they are not trusted RH commodities to face LHP in-place of Dickerson. Assuming Cooper starts and Bleday is in AAA.
1 yr/2 million
He was a solid but unspectacular player for ATL. He’s a good guy but his lack of consistent contact was extremely frustrating.
I was thinking Oakland would be a great spot after the A’s moved Khris Davis.
Good d, good power, very decent player. I’ve always had his back thru the minors with ATL and he just deserves an every day shot somewhere. Good luck Dudevall but not against my bravos.
Adam Duvall hit 16 HR in 190 AB for the Braves in ’20 with 33 RBI, 34 runs, and an .833 OPS. Nice numbers but when you peel back the layers on this onion, maybe it tells a different story. He had an insane 8 game stretch from Sept 2-9 when he hit 8 HR in 29 AB, and added 13 runs and 16 RBI. Duvall was only 2 for 20 in the postseason with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 11 K’s. So I would have to assume that the Braves didn’t think Duvall was worth the $4M he would get in arbitration. His lifetime OBP is .293 so you’re right, he’s no Kyle Schwarber. And I’m not saying that this doesn’t work out for the Marlins, I am cautioning, “be careful what you wish for!”
Watch Duval have a fine season, they need his power and if he gets 500 ab he will hit 25 to 30 homers and get left alone to just play.
Love Duvall…just wish the platoon split went the other way.
Lol “stretch” the $60 million budget.
Nice, low-cost addition. Kind of funny/sad that they had to stretch such a small budget. If money’s really that tight, maybe they should relocate to Vegas or Nashville.
Moving costs would be sky high!
Good power. Fish could have some thump with Duvall, Aguilar, and Dickerson
How did you forget Bryan Anderson?
“I like Anderson”
“No you don’t, nobody likes him”
“I don’t even know why I’m doing this..but let’s just do it ok? Venafro for Mickelson…Anderson see I don’t even know his name! Think about it and call me back!”
This should tip them just above the Mets for second place in the division.
I think this is a very solid sign. He is setup to easily outperform that contract. For a small market team, the marlins did very well here.
Great budget friendly signing by the White Sox. ^finger guns^
So, as of today, the likely Marlins main lineup is as follows, which can change in any direction:
LF-Dickerson
CF-Marte
3B-Anderson
1B-Aguilar/Cooper
RF-Duvall/Ramirez/Cooper
C-Alfaro
2B-I. Diaz/Chisholm
SS-Rojas
P-blah blah blah (we need a DH)
Of course, there’ll be variations that can incorporate Berti, Sierra, Brinson and Harrison.
The thing that makes the Marlins a good team is their lineup versatility. They can win in many different ways and let me you, they have some studs on the way. That system is ripe with talent!
Wonder if we should revisit all the people who claimed that Jeter was going to destroy the Marlins.. Not looking too shabby right about now. I’d say they’ve got a nice lineup there.
Line-up isn’t bad, but their rotation is such a strength. 4 pitchers who were really good in 2020 and they’re all 26 or younger.
Everyone’s talking Mets and Phillies. Don’t sleep on the Marlins.
NL without a dh is way too archaic, get with the times Manfred!
Best signing of the offseason. Duvall was a beast last year.