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Marlins Acquire Luke Williams From Giants

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The Marlins announced they’ve acquired utilityman Luke Williams from the Giants for minor league infielder Hayden Cantrelle. San Francisco had designated Williams for assignment last week.

Williams returns to the NL East, where he began his career as a third-round pick of the Phillies. He reached the majors for the first time last season, getting into 58 games and hitting .245/.315/.316. Williams showed solid plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills, but he collected just five extra-base hits in 108 plate appearances. It was a similar story at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he posted a .270/.329/.341 line through 143 trips to the dish.

The Phils designated Williams for assignment in Spring Training, and the Giants brought him in for minor league third baseman Will Toffey. His stint in the Bay Area was brief, as the 25-year-old got into just eight MLB games and made ten appearances with their top affiliate in Sacramento. The Giants later acquired a pair of infielders — Kevin Padlo and Donovan Walton — from the Mariners, and they’d seemingly surpassed Williams on the depth chart.

Miami picks up a versatile infield option for manager Don Mattingly. Williams has played all over the diamond in the minor leagues, with the bulk of his action coming at third base. He still has all three option years remaining, so the right-handed hitter can bounce between the majors and Triple-A Jacksonville for the foreseeable future if the Fish keep him on the 40-man roster.

Miami already has a fair bit of infield depth, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Miguel Rojas comprising the everyday middle infield. Offseason trade pickup Joey Wendle has been the primary third baseman, though he’s been on the injured list for two weeks because of a hamstring strain. That’s left Brian Anderson to step back third base from his corner outfield role, although Wendle is currently on a rehab assignment with Low-A Jupiter and should be back before long. Out-of-options utilityman Erik González is on the active roster as a depth player.

Cantrelle, like Williams, spent less than two months with the club that traded him today. The Marlins landed the 23-year-old as one of two players in the Spring Training deal that sent catcher Alex Jackson to Milwaukee. Cantrelle was a fairly recent fifth-round pick of the Brew Crew. A good runner who’s primarily a second baseman, he has struggled offensively during his pro career. Cantrelle is hitting .185/.312/.337 through 110 plate appearances with Double-A Pensacola. The University of Louisiana product has drawn plenty of walks in the minors, but he’s also struggled quite a bit with strikeouts.

Marlins Place Anthony Bender On 15-Day IL, Select Willians Astudillo

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The Marlins have placed right Anthony Bender on the 15-day injured list due to back stiffness, with the placement retroactive to May 23.  In the corresponding move, utilityman Willians Astudillo has joined the active roster after his contract was selected from Triple-A.

Bender has recorded six of Miami’s nine total saves this year, getting the bulk of ninth-inning work while Dylan Floro was on the injured list.  While Floro has struggled since returning to action, Bender also hasn’t done much to fully cement his hold on the closer’s job.  Over 14 innings, Bender has a 4.50 ERA and strikeout/walk rates that are slightly below league average, and he has given up three home runs.  However, Bender has has also been hurt by a .359 BABIP, which is particularly damaging for a pitcher who relies so much on grounders.

The Marlins could turn to any or all of Cole Sulser, Tanner Scott, Louis Head, or Anthony Bass for saves while Bender is out.  Manager Don Mattingly said during Spring Training that the team was more likely to adopt a committee approach unless a pitcher emerged as the clear best choice for save situations, so it could be that the Marlins simply keep rolling without a true closer.

Astudillo signed a minor league contract with Miami soon after the lockout ended, and he has hit .286/.326/.464 with four home runs for Triple-A Jacksonville over 89 plate appearances.  A veteran of four MLB seasons with the Twins, Astudillo was a fan favorite in Minnesota, and his ability to play almost anywhere on the field got him into 167 games at every position except shortstop.

While “La Tortuga” only occasionally hit well, this extreme versatility gives Miami an interesting new depth piece on what is now a 14-man position player mix.  One would imagine another move could be forthcoming to add another arm to the bullpen.  Jazz Chisholm Jr. has missed the last couple of games with hamstring tightness, but in a positive step, Chisholm was participating in close to full baseball activity today.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. Leaves Game Due To Hamstring Tightness

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  • Jazz Chisholm Jr. was replaced at second base prior to the third inning of the Marlins’ 4-3 win over the Braves, and the Miami side announced that Chisholm was dealing with left hamstring tightness.  Chisholm walked and later scored during his only plate appearance, and MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola noted that Chisholm was running the bases much slower than usual, hinting at his hamstring issue.  In Saturday’s game, Chisholm was spiked in that same left leg by Ozzie Albies when Albies was trying to steal second base, though tests didn’t reveal anything that kept Chisholm from today’s lineup.  The Marlins infielder has been great thus far in 2022, hitting .290/.341/.581 with seven homers over 139 PA.

Marlins Win Arbitration Hearing Against Pablo Lopez

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The Marlins have won their arbitration hearing against right-hander Pablo Lopez, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter).  Lopez had been seeking a $3MM salary in his first year of arbitration eligibility, but the arbiter ruled in favor of the $2.45MM salary figure submitted by the club.

One of the many intriguing young arms in Miami’s organization, Lopez could be in the midst of a breakout season, with an outstanding 1.57 ERA, 27% strikeout rate, and 6.2% walk rate over his first 46 innings of the 2022 campaign.  Statcast and fielding-independent metrics are also loving his work, though after shoulder problems limited Lopez in both 2019 and 2021, the biggest question down the stretch could be whether or not Lopez can last something close to a full season of work.

It could be that Lopez’s limited track record hampered his arbitration case, as he tossed only 102 2/3 innings last year due to a rotator cuff strain that sidelined him for virtually the entire second half.  Needless to say, he’ll be lined up for a big raise in his second arb year if he stays healthy and effective.  Since there is still some question about how much the Marlins are able or willing to spend on payroll, it’s possible that Lopez’s rising price tag might make him more of a trade chip, yet Miami didn’t have any interest in moving Lopez last winter despite plenty of interest from opposing teams.

With Lopez’s case completed, the Marlins are still slated for a hearing with Jacob Stallings unless they can reach an agreement to avoid arbitration.  You can monitor all of the completed and still-pending arb situations around baseball via MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.

Joe Panik Retires

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Former All-Star infielder Joe Panik has decided to retire, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. That concludes an eight-year MLB career for the Yonkers native.

Panik went to St. John’s University and was a first-round pick of the Giants in 2011. A contact-oriented second baseman with good strike zone awareness but limited power, Panik was seen as a solid but not top-tier prospect. He hit his way up the minor league ladder quickly, reaching the majors midway through the 2014 campaign.

The lefty-hitting Panik staked a claim to the regular second base job in San Francisco almost out of the gate. He made a brief debut in May, returned to the minors for a month, then was called up for good in late June. From that point forward, he played regularly at the keystone. Panik hit .305/.343/.368 through his first 73 games. He continued his regular role into the postseason for a San Francisco club that won its third World Series title in five years.

Panik remained the Giants second baseman for the next few seasons. He followed up his rookie showing with an excellent .312/.378/.455 campaign. Paired with sure-handed defense, he earned an All-Star nod that year. Panik’s offense took a step back in 2016 but he continued to play well on the other side of the ball, picking up the National League Gold Glove award for second basemen.

After another solid season in 2017, his offensive production dipped as he dealt with injuries (including repeated concussion issues). Panik became more of a veteran role player than a true regular from that point forward, still offering a high-contact bat but without great results on balls in play. The Giants designated him for assignment in August 2019, ending his eight-year tenure in the organization. He hooked on with the Mets for the stretch run and performed fairly well.

Panik signed successive minor league contracts with the Blue Jays heading into 2020 and ’21. He made the Opening Day roster both times, but the Jays dealt him to the Marlins last July to offset some salary in the deal that landed Adam Cimber and Corey Dickerson in Toronto. Panik finished out the season with the Fish, appearing in 53 games.

At just 31 years old, it seems likely Panik could’ve found another minor league deal had he wished to continue playing. He left the Miami organization late last season to attend the birth of his daughter, though, and Heyman writes that he’s now “enjoying family life.” Panik steps aside having appeared in 818 big league games and tallied more than 3000 trips to the plate.

All told, he was a .264/.328/.372 hitter. He only hit 42 home runs, never more than ten in a season, but he also had a minuscule 10.1% strikeout rate that’s less than half the MLB average. Panik also tallied 136 doubles, 19 triples, scored 340 runs and drove in 258. He has the aforementioned Gold Glove and All-Star selection and was a regular on a World Series winner. MLBTR congratulates Panik on an excellent career and wishes him the best in his post-playing days.

Marlins Notes: Poteet, Meyer, Sanchez

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The Marlins’ rotation took a hit over the weekend when left-hander Jesús Luzardo landed on the injured list due to a forearm strain. That leaves a vacancy alongside the top four of Pablo López, Sandy Alcantara, Trevor Rogers and Elieser Hernández, and the long-term plans still appear to be up in the air.

The team announced yesterday that long reliever Cody Poteet would step into Luzardo’s spot for tomorrow’s game against the Nationals. General manager Kim Ng didn’t commit to the righty making more than one start, however, noting only that the team “will be flexible after that” (via Daniel Álvarez Montes of El Extrabase). Poteet started seven games for the Fish last season, so he could probably handle a rotation spot with Luzardo out, but that’d thin the bullpen mix.

Of course, Miami’s organizational strength is their controllable pitching, and the Fish have some young arms whom they hope will be rotation stalwarts over the long-term. 2020 #3 overall pick Max Meyer reached Triple-A Jacksonville at the end of his first full professional season, and he opened this year there as well. The right-hander has overpowered opponents, pitching to a 2.97 ERA with excellent peripherals in seven starts. Meyer has a lofty 29.5% strikeout rate, has only walked 6.8% of batters faced and has induced grounders on over half the batted balls against him.

That’s a continuation of very strong high minors work for Meyer, who was equally dominant in 101 Double-A innings last year. As he’s continued to tear up the minors, there’s been speculation the University of Minnesota product could be on the radar for a big league call. The Luzardo injury won’t be the immediate catalyst for his first MLB promotion; Craig Mish of SportsGrid tweeted this afternoon that Meyer will start for Jacksonville on Tuesday.

Still, Ng’s nebulous statement about being “flexible” with the vacant rotation spot long-term doesn’t figure to quell any speculation among the fanbase about the possibility of Meyer heading to Miami at some point in the relatively near future. Mish and Barry Jackson at the Miami Herald wrote earlier this month there’d been some “internal discussion” about whether to promote Meyer for relief work before Luzardo’s injury. Meanwhile, Hernández’s continued struggles with home runs may eventually put him in jeopardy of losing his hold on a rotation spot.

Another of Miami’s exciting young arms, Sixto Sánchez, reached the big leagues for the first time in 2020. The fireballing righty made seven strong starts as a 22-year-old, but he missed all of last season battling shoulder concerns. Sánchez landed back on the injured list to start this year, but the team informed reporters he’s progressed to throwing from 90 feet (via Jordan McPherson of the Herald). There’s obviously still a long way to go in his rehab process, but that he’s throwing is a promising development. Sánchez spent the first few weeks of the season in a shutdown period after he battled continued soreness during the spring.

Marlins Place Jesus Luzardo On Injured List With Forearm Strain

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The Marlins have placed lefty Jesus Luzardo on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain, reports Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The move is retroactive to May 12. Lewin Diaz has been recalled in a corresponding move.

This is a worrisome development for both Luzardo and the club as forearm strains are often a precursor to Tommy John surgery. However, no further details have been released about the severity of Luzardo’s injury or what the next steps will be in terms of diagnosis or treatment. Those looking for optimism can turn to the starter himself, who spoke to De Nicola, characterizing the move as precautionary and saying that it doesn’t feel the same as before he had Tommy John in high school.

Luzardo was a much-hyped prospect as he approached the majors while with the Athletics, with Baseball America considering him to be one of the top 10 prospects in the league in both 2019 and 2020. However, he struggled to live up to all of that hype in his first tastes of MLB action. Last year, he had a 6.87 ERA with the A’s and got himself demoted to Triple-A, before being sent to the Marlins in the Starling Marte trade.

This year, the 24-year-old had been showing signs of improvement, putting up an ERA of 4.03 over six starts. His 13.4% walk rate is certainly on the high side, but he’s paired that with an excellent 34.5% strikeout rate.

Regardless of how long Luzardo is out, the Marlins will have to reach into their pitching depth to shore up their rotation. De Nicola relays that Cody Poteet will move from the bullpen to cover Luzardo’s scheduled start tomorrow. He made seven starts for the club last year with a 4.99 ERA, but has a miniscule 0.55 ERA over eight relief appearances so far this season. It will be difficult for him to maintain that going forward, however, as he currently has a .214 BABIP, 93.8% strand rate and 0% HR/FB rate, all numbers that are sure to regress towards the mean.

The club has options on the 40-man roster that could be recalled for the next turn through the rotation, including Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett and Jordan Holloway. Sixto Sanchez is also on the roster but not currently a realistic option. He missed the entirety of 2021 due to a shoulder injury that he’s still trying to work back from. Another option would be Max Meyer, considered by many to be the team’s best prospect and one of the top 100 in the league. He’s off to a great start this year, throwing 36 1/3 innings in Triple-A with a 2.97 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, 6.8% walk rate and 53.4% ground ball rate. He’s not currently on the 40-man roster and would require a corresponding move.

Grant Dayton To Opt Out Of Minors Deal With Marlins

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Marlins left-hander Grant Dayton is planning to exercise his minor league contract’s opt-out clause on Sunday, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (via Twitter).  As per the usual structure of minors deals, the Marlins could retain Dayton by selecting his contract to the Major League roster, but it doesn’t appear as though the club is willing to make that move.

Dayton has a 3.43 ERA over 102 1/3 career innings in the majors, and left-handed hitters haven’t had much success (.169/.256/.331) against Dayton’s offerings.  However, Dayton has been plagued by a 13.6% career home run rate, as well as multiple injuries.  A Tommy John surgery cost him all of the 2018 season, and Dayton also missed substantial time in 2019 (foot fracture) and 2021 (shoulder inflammation) campaigns.  That latter injury limited Dayton to only 13 innings last year for the World Series champion Braves.

As Triple-A Jacksonville this year, Dayton helped his case for a call-up by posting a 2.51 ERA, 8.5% walk rate, and a huge 37.3% strikeout rate over 14 1/3 innings.  However, it seems like Miami is satisfied with the left-handed relief depth they already have in Tanner Scott, Steven Okert, and (currently on the COVID-IL) Richard Bleier.  As Murray notes, Dayton figures to generate interest as a free agent, and could find a quicker path back to the majors on a team in more dire need of some left-handed help

Rays Acquire Josh Roberson To Complete Louis Head Trade

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The Rays announced to members of the media, including team broadcaster Neil Solondz, that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Josh Roberson as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Louis Head to the Marlins.

Roberson, 26, was selected by the Marlins in the 12th round of the 2017 draft, despite having had Tommy John surgery before the draft. As he’s climbed up the minor league ladder, he’s racked up huge strikeout numbers but also a fair share of walks. Last year, across four different levels of the minors, he threw 45 innings with a 6.40 ERA, 31.2% strikeout rate and 13.2% walk rate. So far this year, between A-ball and Double-A, he’s thrown 6 2/3 innings with a 6.75 ERA, ten Ks but also eight walks and a couple of wild pitches. A year ago, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Roberson the 33rd-best prospect in the Miami system, highlighting his “very nasty” breaking ball. (FanGraphs hasn’t yet released their Marlins prospect list for this year.) The Rays will try to sprinkle some of their magic dust on him in order to try to improve that control and turn him into another weapon for their pitching staff.

As for Head, he’s had good results for the Marlins so far this year, despite concerning peripherals. In a small sample of ten innings on the year, his ERA is a tidy 1.80. Last year’s 23.9% strikeout rate has dropped to 16.3% this year, with his walk rate jumping from 6.7% to 11.6%. He has been getting more worm burners, though, with his ground ball rate jumping from 31.1% to 40%.

Injured List Placements: Naylor, Wendle, Mountcastle

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Catching up on some recent injury news…

  • The Guardians made a handful of roster moves on Friday, with Josh Naylor going onto the COVID-related injury list, per Mandy Bell of MLB.com. Headed in the other direction was Yu Chang, who landed on the COVID IL a month ago. The club also recalled Richie Palacios and optioned Kirk McCarty. On Wednesday, the Guardians had their game against the White Sox postponed after multiple positive tests among their coaching staff. The next day, seven staff members were placed in COVID protocol in relation to this outbreak. It seems that this has extended to Naylor, though it’s unclear if he has been shelved due to a positive test, showing symptoms or contact tracing. The first baseman/outfielder has been excellent so far this year, hitting .347/.377/.611 for a wRC+ of 191 through 20 games. With Naylor absent last night, the club slid Owen Miller from second to first and used Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario up the middle.
  • The Marlins placed Joey Wendle on the 10-day injured list yesterday with a right hamstring strain, retroactive to May 12, per their transactions tracker at MLB.com. In a corresponding move, Brian Anderson was activated off the COVID IL. The 40-man roster had a couple of vacancies and is now at 39, though Jon Berti and Richard Bleier remain on the COVID list and will need roster spots when they return. Losing Wendle is certainly a hit for the Marlins, as he has started this season hot. Through 25 games, he’s hitting .304/.368/.456, 140 wRC+. He’s also added four steals and good defense to accumulate 1.2 wins above replacement already, according to FanGraphs. However, it’s possible that the return of Anderson can make it close to a wash, as he was hitting .262/.385/.385 before landing on the IL, producing a wRC+ of 131.
  • The Orioles announced yesterday that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist forearm strain, retroactive to May 11. Jorge Lopez returned from the bereavement list in a corresponding move. Mountcastle’s production is down a few ticks relative to last year, but still above league average. In 2021, he hit .255/.309/.487 for a wRC+ of 111. This year, he’s moved to .268/.299/.402, wRC+ of 104. He seems to be taking a more contact-oriented approach, at least in this small sample of 28 games. His swing percentage is up on pitches inside and outside the zone, but his contact rates have also gone up in both cases. As a result, his walk and strikeout rates are both down relative to previous years. That’s led to a drop in slugging, though that’s also been a trend across the league so far this year. With Mountcastle out, Trey Mancini and Tyler Nevin will likely cover first base for him.
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