8:51pm: Wendle and the Marlins settled at $4.55MM, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (on Twitter). He’d also receive a $75K buyout if the team declines its end of next season’s mutual option. That brings the total guarantee to $4.625MM, the midpoint between the parties’ filings in arbitration. The infielder’s camp had filed at $4.9MM, while the team countered at $4.35MM.
5:13pm: The Marlins and Joey Wendle have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2023, reports Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. The terms have not been disclosed.
Wendle qualified for arbitration for the first time last year as a member of the Rays, earning a salary of $2.25MM. He had been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a modest raise to $4MM this year. Due to the lockout, the salary negotiation process was put on hold and delayed substantially, with hearings now set to take place in season. That creates the potential for awkward situations where a team lays out a player’s flaws in front of an arbiter in order to argue against the player’s salary request, but then expects the player to go out and produce on the field after. Wendle and the Marlins can now avoid such a fate, after agreeing on terms for 2022.
Acquired from the Rays in an offseason trade, Wendle has between four and five years of MLB service time. That means he’s currently lined up to reach free agency after the 2023 season. This deal won’t affect that timeline, but will merely provide a bit of cost certainty, at least for this year. Wendle is off to a great start as a Marlin, hitting .323/.382/.419 in his first ten games.
The Marlins recently reached a similar deal with Jesus Aguilar, although that situation is slightly different in that Aguilar is one year closer to free agency. If the mutual option is not triggered by both parties, he will become a free agent. In Wendle’s case, he could still be controlled by Miami for 2023 via arbitration.
At least the Marlins got some cost certainty. They’ll need it when planning their annual Summer Clearance Sale this July.
I hope the Mets pick up Anthony Bass for their bullpen; he is one of he best and versatile in his role!
Here, have a dollar
In fact, no brotherman here, have two
Mr. Wendle waits for free agency
Here in 2022
We’d like to announce that we’ve agreed with Joey Wendle on a one-year contract to avoid arbitration! The agreement contains a mutual option for 2023.
We’re also announcing that we’ve teamed up with AARP for a 95/5 Raffle! Fans can purchase raffle tickets at all Marlins home games at loanDepot park or online for a chance to win 5 percent of the net proceeds. The remaining proceeds benefit the Miami Marlins 2023 Payroll Foundation. Get your tickets now!
This troll is actually funny. He’s not like that dimwitted troll @rockoflove??? or whatever his name was.
A mutual option for the final year of arbitration?
Mutual options are never exercised. Does that mean if it’s not exercised then it’s basically back to arbitration?
Will be interesting to see the details when they are disclosed.
Marlins will still control him via arbitration if either side declines. You’re right, though – mutual options are almost never exercised. They must do it to provide themselves and the player with some false sense of potential security
Worth every penny plus some. Wendell can flat-out play.
He’ll be worth more on a real team once Miami trades him for a bag of balls and a Giancarlo Stanton helmet filled with garlic fries.
Garlic fries?! Last time we only got regular fries. Yes! Coming up in the world!!!
And those garlic fries are a better than the return they got for Yelich!
Man, the Marlins pitching has looked sick the last two nights. Granted they were facing a team that has Jeff Albert for a hitting coach, but you can’t argue with Alcantara’s effortless high nineties velocity or Lopez’ movement and control. This team could be very dangerous.
Yeah except that only two guys are hitting and all the ones who are supposed to be carrying the offense are doing very very poorly. Plus Rogers will have some sophomore moments, E Hernandez has no place in a rotation and Luzardo has a lot to prove. They won’t bring up Max Meyer for …..reasons? And then Edward Cabrera needs “more time to get ready” so yeah.
The FO and Mattingly will mess this up. Not that I’m saying they were WS favorites but they definitely should be competing.
Refreshing to see an objective take on here about the Marlins. I applaud you my friend.
@ludafish
Normally you know I’ll give Mattingly some benefit of the doubt, but I’ve been really bothered by him batting Soler leadoff for so many games this season. Too many games with Jazz getting his first AB in the 3rd inning. I know its not just Mattingly’s decision that goes into lineup order, but he’s got to tell Ng and Co. in the front office that you don’t put an All-or-nothing guy in the leadoff spot. Jazz is our most toolsy guy in the lineup. With this roster, he should be leading off.
As for the front office will mess this up, well don’t you think that them not getting a legit Closer is them already having messed up before the season even started? I’m seriously annoyed by that and feel that this season is lost again because we can’t hold late-inning leads…so forget about the tied games.
Overall, I’ll enjoy the season, but that’s because I now don’t expect much with a faulty bullpen. I pretty much expect the same as last season of having compellingly close games, handing leads to our bullpen, and them proving that there’s no lead safe with them….especially Bass.