Marlins right-hander Cal Quantrill is currently on outright waivers, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Outright waivers are a 48-hour process, with priority determined based on a worst-to-first look at the leaguewide standings. The Rockies have Major League Baseball’s worst record and thus have first priority, while the blistering-hot Brewers have the lowest priority at the moment.
Quantrill, 30, signed a one-year, $3.5MM contract with the Marlins over winter and will be a free agent at season’s end. As of this writing, there’s about $753K yet to be paid out on that salary (although Quantrill’s contract does contain a modest $500K worth of total incentives). Any team that claims him would be required to take on the remainder of that contract.
Overall, Quantrill’s 5.50 ERA and rate stats aren’t much to look at. He’s fanned only 17.4% of his opponents, and his 34.2% ground-ball rate is a career-low. Quantrill’s 6.4% walk rate is his best since 2022, but he’s served up 1.40 homers per nine innings — tied for the worst mark of his career. Opponents have averaged 90.4 mph off the bat with an 11.6% barrel rate and 43.9% hard-hit rate. All are career-worsts.
Nearly all of Quantrill’s struggles, however, were back in April and in his three August starts thus far. From May 6 through July 30, Quantrill tossed 71 innings with a 3.55 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate. That sort of production would be a bargain, particularly at Quantrill’s price point.
Few, if any, contending clubs are going to look at Quantrill and view him as a postseason-caliber starter. Playoff contenders who’ve run into some poor injury luck recently and simply need back-of-the-rotation innings could consider placing a claim.
Quantrill has never been an ace or a particularly hard thrower, but he’s a former No. 8 overall draft pick with a lifetime 4.26 ERA in 828 2/3 innings as a big leaguer. Most of that success came with the Guardians in 2021-22, however. Quantrill has just a 5.21 ERA dating back to 2023, though that previously mentioned May through July stretch stands as one of the strongest of his career. This year, he’s sitting 93.6 mph on his four-seamer, which is just one of six different pitches he’s thrown at at least an 8.7% clip. He’s also used a cutter, splitter, sinker, slider and curveball to try to keep opponents off balance.
Notably, Quantrill has struggled against right-handed opponents but overwhelmed lefties. Opposing left-handed hitters have posted an awful .209/.275/.335 slash in 209 plate appearances against Quantrill this season. He has more even splits for his career at large, but this year’s changes to his pitch selection — career-high four-seam usage, career-low sinker usage and the reintroduction of a slider he scrapped in early 2021 — have produced a pronounced preference for facing southpaw hitters. Opposing righties have torched Quantrill for a .337/.379/.605 batting line.
If Quantrill passes through waivers unclaimed, the Marlins can choose to assign him outright to a minor league affiliate but are not obligated to do so. They can simply return him to the active roster and continue playing out the season with him on the staff. Quantrill has enough service time to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency and still retain the remainder of his guarantee. As of right now, he’s scheduled to start Friday’s game against the Blue Jays and the returning Shane Bieber.
Can’t see anyone picking up for the stretch run as any contending team has to have better internal options
Not *always* true… plus depth is an eternal and universal concern. I suppose I could even see my Pads take him back, with a possible DFA before Oct.
He’ll get signed by a team that’s running out the string, at the very least.
Is he anything like his Father? If he is, he’s probably worth a shot for someone.
Maybe he’s just like his father, too bold
Maybe he’s just like his mother
She’s never satisfied (she’s never satisfied!)
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When Cal cries.
“So this is what it feels like when doves cry.” – Father and son after swapping DFA’d stories
He’ll save some crummy team’s young arms.
Quantrill has failed to make it to the 5th inning in his last two starts and didn’t make it out of the 5th in the start before that. Even at $750k that’s kind of expensive for a depth piece you hope you can stash in the minors
Come home to Cleveland
Hard pass. CLE shipped him to the Rockies for a reason, and his results since then speak for themselves.
How are incentives handled if another club claims him? Are any incentives he earns pro-rated like the salary, or is the claiming club on the hook for any incentive he meets after the claim?
A claimant would procure the rest of his contract plus incentives. A DFA would mean the Marlins would be on the hook for everything sans prorated salary (once claimed.) If he clears Waivers and the Marlins intend to send him down to the farm, Cal has enough vested time to reject that assignment and the Marlins would have to DFA him at that time. That help, Rox?
Not an appealing option for most clubs. The only team who might be interested is ATL. His numbers aren’t pretty ESPECIALLY when you consider he’s playing in a pitcher’s park.
Once again Cal is available everyone
Blue Jays!
Come home to Canada. Re unite with Bieber and Shapirio and pitch where Dad pitched.
Could see it as an excellent change of scenery landing spot
They should give Snelling a cup of coffee.
He’s looked really good recently, too! Watched his 11K performance about a week ago…
Reminds me a little of Cliff Lee
Last stop end of the line on a career, that’s the conductor hitting him upside the head telling him he’s gotta get off the train