The Marlins have selected the contract of lefty Devin Smeltzer from Triple-A Jacksonville, tweets David Wilson of the Miami Herald. Noah Berger of Fish On First had previously pointed out the Smeltzer was in the team’s clubhouse this morning. The Marlins optioned right-hander Edward Cabrera earlier this week, and he’d been slated to start one of their games in Texas this weekend, so Smeltzer could potentially step into that spot (if he’s not used in long relief prior to that point). The Marlins optioned right-hander Huascar Brazoban to open a spot for Smeltzer on the active roster. They already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster. Smeltzer’s addition brings them to capacity in that regard.
Smeltzer, 27, has had a couple of stints with Miami this season already, pitching 15 2/3 innings with a 6.89 ERA and a 10-to-4 K/BB ratio in that small sample. The southpaw spent the four prior season in Minnesota, pitching to a 3.99 ERA in 140 innings between the Twins’ rotation and bullpen, fanning a well below-average 16.6% of his opponents against a strong 6.4% walk rate.
Things haven’t gone much better for Smeltzer in Jacksonville this year. He’s pitched 65 innings for the Jumbo Shrimp but been tagged for a 5.95 ERA, thanks in no small part to an uncharacteristic 12.6% walk rate. He’s had better run-prevention numbers of late, working to a 3.58 ERA in his past six Triple-A starts, but the improvement in ERA comes despite an ugly 15.5% walk rate in that time.
It could be a short stay on the roster for Smeltzer once again. The Marlins have selected him to the big league roster twice this season but designated him for assignment twice as well. Smeltzer has accepted an outright assignment to Jacksonville on both occasions, despite the fact that he has the right to reject an assignment in favor of free agency. Smeltzer is out of minor league options, so if the Fish want to send him back down at any point, he’ll need to be designated for assignment for the third time this season alone.
The new Tommy Milone. The lefty junker who will AAAA for ten years
I’d rather not order Smeltzer on the rocks, and certainly not with a Burger
Whomever Smeltz it dealt it
Devin reminds me that I haven’t had smelt since the pandemic started. I like smelt, and therefore shall do something about that.
Whatever happened to Fishman?
They gave Fishman the hook.
This is the guy that they demoted Cabrera for?
Lame. The Marlins are lame.
Marlins need more pitching depth, they aren’t “lame” I think they are making some very questionable decisions.
Young guy, protecting his arm for long-term, not enough depth.
@ K of C
They demoted Cabrera because Edward is a pathetic shadow of the pitcher he could be. Personally I’m frustrated with watching him squander his talent. Get 2 strikes then don’t go anywhere near the strike zone until you have a full count, does not get good hitters out.
Go down, learn how to attack hitters within the zone and come back capable of being the pitcher he can be.
No they demoted him so they could keep him from being a super 2
Yea, absolutely nothing to do with the 52 walks hes allowed in 77 innings, or the fact that their bullpen is completely shot because hes gone a whopping 10 inning in his last 3 starts. Or that in those 10 innings hes thrown 203 pitches and managed to get only 111 over for strikes. It surely can only be service time manipulation, no other reason. (Thats sarcasm btw)
That’s how iron was discovered. Someone smelt it.
He who dealt it.
When Smeltzer was a kid he had cancer. Big Philly fan. As a sick kid his hero Utley got to meet. Was a huge inspiration to him.
Got healthy. Made it as a prospect to dodgers camp. Who was there. Chase still with dodgers. Met again.
Heard that story today.
Great human interest story and why we love baseball.
Guys like Smeltzer are the price you have to pay with the modern rotation. We have Luzardo and Alcantara logging serious innings and Garrett doing moderately well, better now Skip is trusting him to go a little deeper into games, but with Cabrera unwilling to attack the strike zone, we need to be overworking our core relievers and using risky come and go guys.
Devin was good tonight and I, for one am grateful
Good thing they didn’t trade Smeltzer. I could see the cynics: he who smelt her dealt her