The Marlins announced a handful of roster moves before this evening’s game against the Nationals. As expected, infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (left shoulder contusion) and corner outfielder/first baseman Garrett Cooper (left elbow sprain) have landed on the 10-day injured list. To take their places on the active roster, outfielder Lewis Brinson has been recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville, while Miami selected the contract of reliever Andrew Bellatti. Miami already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was needed in that regard.
Bellatti is now in position to make his first major league appearance in six years. The right-hander tossed 23 1/3 innings of 2.31 ERA ball for the Rays in 2015 but hasn’t been in the big leagues since. Bellatti pitched in the high minors of the Tampa Bay system in 2016. He signed a minor league deal with the Orioles in 2017 but missed the entire season due to injury. Bellatti didn’t return to action until 2019 on a minors pact with the Yankees before spending some time in independent ball.
The 29-year-old hooked on with the Marlins on a minor league deal over the offseason. He’s earned a second big league call with 13 1/3 innings of 2.03 ERA ball between Double-A and Triple-A. Bellatti has struck out sixteen batters while walking only five and has allowed just a single home run.
Bellatti with a belated return to the majors. Good for him.
Bellatti was effective in 2015, seems to have pitched briefly in 2016 in the minors, but looks like he missed about 2 1/2 seasons, from some point in 2016 through 2019, then there was the lost 2020 due to Covid. What was his injury, or injuries that took him out for so long?
He elected free agency after 2016 and signed with the Orioles for 2017 but didn’t appear in a game because of some unnamed injury. He was just out of baseball in 2018 but signed in the independent leagues for 2019. The Yankees plucked him from the Sugar Land Skeeters and he pitched in the minors there too. He signed back with the Skeeters for 2020, but obviously that didn’t happen.
He also has a pretty wild backstory. From Wikipedia: “In November 2010 he was sentenced to jail for a fatal car crash that he was involved with in January 2010. He had collided head on with an oncoming driver after illegally crossing a double-yellow line and speeding, killing the other driver and injuring the drivers passenger and the passenger in the car with Bellatti. He had been sentenced to eight months, but was released after less than 90 days due to a plea agreement and time served.”
sleeper prospect?
Brinson gets a chance to improve on that .549 career OPS, and -3.3 WAR. Been a tough go for that kid. The Marlins got 4 pieces for Yelich, and not one is going to make even a small impact on that team.
When that trade happened Brewers fans were flipping out on this site. It was hilarious. I still think Monte Harrison can be something but obviously no where near enough to justify anything.
Heck I remember the Tigers fans losing their minds with what they gave up for Miggy and the DTrain.
Free Zach Pop
Donny has no idea how to use Pop, or a bullpen. Some guys he has the shortest memory and trots them right back out. Other guys will make seven appearances and be lights out in 6 of them and give up 3ER in the other. Suddenly that guy is immediately demoted and never sees work. He got relegated to mop up duty so fast while he just kept pumping Bass, Blier, Cimber and such out there. Same thing with Bender. One day he’s pitching the 5th inning the next the 7th and then he’s asked to get a save , blows it, and is relegated back down. In the meantime Bass and Garcia are competing over who can cost them the most losses.
I can’t wait till Pop does get freed and goes on a tear with some team.