Left-hander Jonathan Bermúdez has been sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. He has the right to elect free agency though it’s not yet clear if he has chosen to do so.
Bermúdez, 28, has been on and off the Marlins’ roster over the past few weeks. He was first selected to the Miami 40-man on August 25, but was designated for assignment a few days later. He passed through waivers in early September and accepted an outright assignment to Jacksonville, getting selected back to the roster a few days later. His second stint on the roster, like the first, resulted in him being designated for assignment after a few days.
Around those transactions, Bermúdez has been able to make his major league debut, though in limited fashion. He has tossed 6 2/3 innings over three appearances, allowing six earned runs via 11 hits, including two home runs. He has also given out two walks and hit two batters while striking out four.
When not in the majors, he has thrown 74 2/3 innings at the Double-A level over 14 starts, putting up a strong 2.53 ERA there. He has also thrown 23 2/3 Triple-A innings but with a 6.46 ERA, that coming across three starts and three long relief outings.
All players with three years of service time or a previous career outright have the ability to elect free agency rather than accepting another outright assignment. Bermúdez spent some time on the 40-man rosters of the Astros and Giants in 2021-22. Though he didn’t make his major league debut back then, he did get outrighted by the Giants and earn the right to reject future outright assignments. But he accepted an outright with the Marlins just a few weeks ago and could perhaps do so again.
The Marlins would likely be happy if he does indeed accept again. Their pitching staff has been shattered by injuries this year, with ten hurlers currently on the injured list. The Fish are not in contention but still have two weeks of the season to get through and might need Bermúdez on the roster again before the offseason arrives.
You might say he’s in the Bermudez Triangle.