Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Marlins Rumors

Blue Jays Acquire Adam Cimber, Corey Dickerson

By | at

In one of the first deals of the summer trade season, the Blue Jays announced they’ve right-handed reliever Adam Cimber and left-handed-hitting outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Marlins in exchange for infielder Joe Panik and minor league righty Andrew McInvale. The swap comes barely a week after Toronto GM Ross Atkins acknowledged a desire to add bullpen help (and after the team was reported to be seeking left-handed bats on the trade market).

It’s a bit of a surprise move on a number of levels. Dickerson is presently on the 10-day IL with a foot injury, and it’s unclear when he’ll return to the field (although he’s eligible at any time having already spent more than 10 days on the shelf). Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets that Dickerson is still in a walking boot but feeling good as he progresses through rehab. Meanwhile, it’s a bit unexpected to see the Fish taking back a struggling veteran infielder such as Panik, but Miami does have a pair of infielders (Brian Anderson, Jose Devers) on the injured list at the moment.

Corey Dickerson

What’s not surprising, from a broader perspective, is that the Marlins would be seeking a trade partner for Dickerson. The 32-year-old has been a roughly league-average bat since signing a two-year, $17.5MM deal with Miami in the 2019-20 offseason and is hitting .263/.324/.380 through 225 trips to the plate in 2021. But the Marlins have multiple young outfielders they’d like the chance to evaluate for the remainder of the 2021 season, including Jesus Sanchez, who now figures to get the bulk of the time in left field. The 23-year-old decimated Triple-A pitching, slashing .349/.400/.643 with nine homers, five doubles and three triples through 140 plate appearances prior to his promotion. He now has a clearer path to everyday at-bats in Miami than he would’ve with a healthy Dickerson eventually returning from the injured list.

For the Blue Jays, Dickerson figures to slide into a part-time outfield role. Toronto currently has Lourdes Gurriel Jr., George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk in the mix for outfield and DH at-bats, but all four bat right-handed. Dickerson’s left-handed bat makes for a nice fit, particularly given his longstanding platoon splits. He’s held his own against lefties in his career, hitting .268/.305/.408, but has thrived against right-handers with a .287/.333/.514 output.

While Dickerson is the more recognizable name of the two going back to the Jays in this deal, Cimber is perhaps the key piece of this trade for the Blue Jays. The 30-year-old sidearmer has pitched in 34 1/3 innings so far with the Marlins and notched a 2.88 ERA — albeit primarily in low-leverage situations.

Adam Cimber

Cimber doesn’t miss many bats, but that’s often the case with sidearm and submarine pitchers. He’s posted just a 15.9 percent strikeout rate so far in 2021 — about nine percent lower than league-average — but also sports better-than-average walk and ground-ball percentages (7.9 and 49.5, respectively). He rarely gives up premium contact, sitting in the 81st percentile of MLB pitchers in terms of opponents’ average exit velocity and the 96th percentile in terms of opponents’ barrel rate, per Statcast.

For his career, Cimber has been far more effective against righties than lefties, but he’s been an absolute nightmare for left-handed opponents so far in 2021. It’s a sample of just 55 plate appearances, so the small-sample caveat certainly applies, but left-handed opponents have posted just a .196/.327/.283 slash against him. Right-handers, meanwhile, are slashing .269/.329/.333 against him.

Dickerson is a free agent at season’s end, so he’s a pure rental for the Blue Jays whenever he’s able to return to the field. Cimber, on the other hand, is controllable via arbitration through the 2024 season. He’s playing the current year on a $925K salary after avoiding arbitration as a Super Two player over the winter and will have three more trips through the arb process before he qualifies as a free agent. His inclusion in the deal gives the Jays a reliever with a career 3.69 ERA and 4.01 SIERA both for the remainder of the 2021 season and perhaps for multiple years to come.

Looking at the Marlins’ end of the swap, Panik will give them an experienced bench option and help provide some cover for those injuries and any others that may arise. (Both Miguel Rojas and Jazz Chisholm have already spent time on the IL in 2021.) He could also see increased time at third base, freeing versatile Jon Berti up to bounce around the diamond as he has in seasons past. Panik was productive in the first couple years of his career with the Giants, but he’s settled in as something of a journeyman utility player. Dating back to 2018, the former first-round pick is batting .246/.313/.332 — including a .246/.293/.351 hitter in 123 plate appearances so far in 2021.

Panik’s inclusion in the deal also serves as something of a financial counterweight to the Blue Jays’ additions of Dickerson and Cimber. The Marlins are also sending the Jays about $2.65MM as part of the trade. Overall, the Jays are adding about $4.4MM of Dickerson’s remaining salary and $482K of Cimber’s remaining salary, but shedding the remaining $982K on Panik’s deal and getting this $2.65MM in cash considerations. That leaves about a $1.3MM sum remaining to be added to the Toronto payroll.

As for the 24-year-old McInvale, he’ll add another arm to the upper levels of the Miami system. Although he was one of the Blue Jays’ final picks in 2019 (37th round and No. 1107 overall), McInvale has risen to Double-A and fared quite well this season. He’s pitched 20 2/3 innings out of the bullpen an impressive 31.8 percent strikeout rate and a massive 63.6 percent ground-ball rate. Command has been an issue, however, as McInvale has walked 13 batters (14.8 BB%), hit another pair and tossed three wild pitches.

McInvale didn’t rank among the Jays’ best prospects, as one would expect for a recent 37th-rounder who didn’t pitch in 2020. However, the Marlins are parting with an outfielder they’ve deemed superfluous and a right-hander they acquired from the Indians this past winter in exchange for cash ($100K, to be exact). Saving some of Dickerson’s salary and adding a pitcher who’s performed well at the Double-A level seems like a solid outcome to the whole gambit for them. As for the Jays, they’re effectively purchasing an experienced righty and rolling the dice on a veteran hitter with a strong track record against right-handed pitching. It’s not the flashiest of trades we’ll see this summer, but it’s one that ultimately feels fairly sensible for both clubs — even if it looks a little odd at first glance.

Craig Mish of the Miami Herald first reported that Dickerson was being traded to the Blue Jays and that the Marlins were sending some cash (all Twitter links). MLB Network’s Jon Heyman then added that Cimber, Panik and a Jays minor league pitcher were in the swap. The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath first reported McInvale’s inclusion. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported (via Twitter) the Marlins’ inclusion of salary.

Ng: Marlins Have Begun Extension Talks With Starling Marte

By | at

The Marlins have been in talks with outfielder Starling Marté about a potential contract extension, general manager Kim Ng told reporters (including Craig Mish of SportsGrid) this afternoon. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t elaborate on how far along those discussions were or handicap their odds of ultimately resulting in a deal.

Nevertheless, the presence of any midseason talks with Marté are notable, given Ng’s prior comments. Earlier this month, she told reporters the team hadn’t approached the star outfielder about a potential long-term deal. Marté suggested then that his preference was to come to an agreement with the Marlins on a contract that took him through the end of his career. It seems the front office and his representatives at Rep 1 Baseball have now at least opened those talks.

Marté is on track to hit free agency at the end of the season, and he’s presently amidst a career year at the plate. He’s hitting .293/.402/.473 with six home runs across 179 plate appearances. The resulting 148 wRC+ is the best mark of his nine-plus seasons. Excepting 2017, Marté has been an above-average hitter in every year of his career, but he’s getting on base at an unprecedented level this season.

Before 2021, Marté had never drawn walks in more than 6.1% of his plate appearances. This year, he’s bumped his walk rate to a stellar 13.4%. That seems to reflect a deliberate decision to be more patient, as the right-handed hitter is swinging at a career-low 46.5% of pitches he sees. (He’s also swinging less often than ever at pitches outside the strike zone). That increased selectiveness hasn’t resulted in any sort of uptick in strikeouts or impacted his power potential.

Marté presents something of a tricky evaluation for the Marlins (or potential free agent suitors). He’s always been productive, but he looks to have revamped his approach nearly a decade into his career. Whether he’ll continue to be this patient after such a long run of being a highly-aggressive hitter is unknown.

There’s also the matter of Marté’s age to consider. He turns 33 years old in October, which could give Miami some pause. He hasn’t shown much sign of slowing down, though. Marté’s not quite as fast as he was in his 20’s, but he still has 86th-percentile peak speed, according to Statcast. His defensive metrics in center field remain positive. And his rate of hard hit balls (those that leave the bat over 95 MPH) is at 36.2%, right in line with his career mark. A handful of mishits have brought down his average exit velocity to a career-worst 85.6 MPH, but there’s no indication he’s suffered any sort of drop in bat speed or raw power.

If Marté and the Marlins don’t make progress on an extension in the coming weeks, he’d be one of the more obvious trade chips on the market. At 33-44, the Marlins don’t look likely to contend in 2021. They’re planning to move some of their impending free agents, a process they began this morning by sending outfielder Corey Dickerson (along with controllable reliever Adam Cimber) to the Blue Jays. As perhaps the premier center fielder who could be available, Marté would draw no shortage of interest, especially since he’s only due the balance of an affordable $12.5MM salary for the remainder of the season. The Marlins could offer Marté a qualifying offer if they hold onto him until the end of the year but don’t agree on an extension, but the value of a midseason trade package seems likely to exceed that of a compensatory draft pick.

Shortstop Miguel Rojas would also draw plenty of interest from contenders if made available, but it doesn’t seem the Marlins are particularly eager to move him. Ng suggested (via Mish) that Rojas was more likely than not to remain in Miami past the July 30 trade deadline. His contract contains a $5.5MM option for 2022 that vests if he accrues 500 plate appearances this season. He’ll need a manageable 271 trips to the plate over Miami’s final 85 games (3.19 PA per game) to lock in that money, although it seems likely the Marlins would exercise the option even if it doesn’t vest.

Rojas is a beloved member of the clubhouse who’s amidst a third consecutive productive season. The 32-year-old is hitting a league average .256/.328/.406 this year while playing quality defense at shortstop. That’s valuable enough even before considering his off-field importance to the organization.

Marlins To Select Steven Okert

By | at

The Marlins are selecting the contract of reliever Steven Okert, general manager Kim Ng told reporters (including Craig Mish of SportsGrid). The club has vacancies on both the active and 40-man rosters following today’s trade of Corey Dickerson and Adam Cimber to the Blue Jays.

When he takes the mound, Okert will be making his first major league appearance in three years. The left-hander pitched for the Giants between 2016-18, tossing 48 1/3 innings of 4.28 ERA/4.01 SIERA ball. San Francisco outrighted him off the 40-man roster just before the start of the 2019 season, though, and he spent the entire year at Triple-A Sacramento. Okert elected minor league free agency after 2019 but didn’t sign anywhere during last year’s COVID-19 impacted campaign.

Okert returned to affiliated ball on a minors deal with the Marlins in February. He’s earned his way back to the highest level with a stellar 20 innings at Triple-A Jacksonville. The 29-year-old has pitched to a pristine 1.80 ERA with the Jumbo Shrimp, striking out an elite 38.2% of batters faced while walking a minuscule 5.3% of opponents.

The Marlins’ Trade Deadline Outlook

By | at

At 33-42, the Marlins have dropped nine games back of the division-leading Mets in the National League East. They’re even further behind in the Wild Card picture, and they’d also need to jump each of the Nationals, Braves and Phillies to make a run at the division. That’s decidedly unlikely, with FanGraphs’ updated playoff odds giving the Fish just a 0.2% chance of making the postseason. With their hopes of competing in 2021 all but dashed, the Marlins look to be one of a few teams (the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Pirates, Rangers, Tigers and Orioles are among the others) who are virtually certain to move players off the big league roster before the July 30 trade deadline.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem the Miami front office is inclined to relaunch a full teardown. The Marlins are expected to hold onto their young, controllable starting pitchers this summer, reports Joe Frisaro of Man On Second Baseball (Twitter link). Instead, the team is more likely to trade position players on expiring contracts and relievers.

That’s not a particularly surprising development. The Marlins have been amidst a rebuild for the past few seasons, and they’ve started to see the fruits of that effort at the major league level. Miami made last year’s expanded playoff, although they never looked especially likely to compete for the division title over the course of a 162-game season. Still, the development of the controllable young pitching gives plenty of hope for 2022 and beyond.

Each of Pablo López, Trevor Rogers and Sandy Alcantara have had fantastic campaigns to date; López and Alcantara are controllable through 2024, Rogers through 2026. Shoulder troubles have kept Sixto Sánchez from making his season debut, but the Marlins were surely never considering moving the promising 22-year-old even before his series of injuries.

Even without Sánchez, Miami’s rotation has been one of the league’s better units. Marlins starters rank sixth in ERA (3.37) and groundball rate (45.1%), eleventh in SIERA (3.92) and twelfth in strikeout/walk rate differential (15.7 percentage points). Obviously, that hasn’t been reflected in the standings, but the team has been more competitive than its .434 winning percentage would suggest.

Miami has outscored their opponents by 21 runs over the course of the season (which is tied with New York for the fifth-best run differential in the NL). A 6-16 record in one-run games has tanked their postseason chances, but their Pythagorean record (essentially a team’s estimated place in the standings based on run differential) is a much better 41-35. That’s largely a moot point this year, but the encouraging underlying numbers lend additional support to the front office’s apparent belief that they needn’t move core players under long-term control.

Turning to players the Marlins do look likely to move in the coming weeks, none stands out more than star center fielder Starling Marté. A left rib fracture sidelined Marté for a few weeks in April and May, but he’s been stellar when healthy. The 32-year-old is hitting .301/.411/.486 with six home runs across 175 plate appearances this season. Marté has been a productive player for years, but his current offensive output is the best of his career. Most notably, he’s chasing pitches outside the strike zone less than ever, helping to drive a 13.7% walk rate that’s far and away his best mark.

Marté is in the final year of his contract, still due the balance of a $12.5MM salary that’s a bargain relative to his current level of production. Earlier this month, he expressed an interest in signing an extension that would keep him in Miami for the remainder of his career. General manager Kim Ng said there’d been no extension talks to date, though, and it’s certainly possible the Marlins prefer to move Marté for young talent rather than offer a player his age a long-term deal. The M’s could theoretically hold onto Marté through the end of the season and make him a qualifying offer, but they’ll likely be offered a midseason prospect return more valuable than the compensatory draft choice they’d receive if Marté rejects a QO.

Few of the Marlins other realistic trade candidates figure to bring back as much as Marté would, but there’s a handful of players who could attract interest. Corner outfielders Corey Dickerson and Adam Duvall are having passable seasons. The shape of their production differs (Dickerson’s hitting for average and getting on base but not hitting for much power, Duvall has slugged sixteen homers but has a lowly .266 OBP), but they’ve both been average offensive players in aggregate.

Dickerson’s due the remainder of a $9.5MM salary, while Duvall is making $5MM this year (including a $3MM buyout of a 2022 mutual option). The Marlins might have to pay down some of that respective money to facilitate trades, but each player could hold modest appeal to an outfield-needy club. (Dickerson is currently on the IL with a left foot contusion). First baseman Jesús Aguilar is having a solid season, hitting .260/.321/.453. He’s controllable through 2022 via arbitration, but Miami could move him, particularly if they’d be disinclined to offer him a raise on his current $4.3MM salary next year.

The Marlins also have a host of affordable relievers who could hold appeal to other clubs. Dylan Floro and Richard Bleier are veteran ground-ball specialists. Ross Detwiler and John Curtiss are missing bats at above-average rates. Yimi García and Anthony Bass have had fine, if unexciting, seasons.

Perhaps most interestingly, rookie Anthony Bender has been a revelation. The 26-year-old hasn’t allowed an earned run over his first 21 1/3 MLB innings. He’s averaging 97.5 MPH on his sinker, missing bats (29.9% strikeout rate), inducing tons of grounders (53.2%) and avoiding walks (6.5%). Miami controls the righty for six-plus seasons, so they could certainly elect to hang onto him in hopes that he cements himself as one of the sport’s top relievers. His breakout isn’t all that dissimilar from Nick Anderson’s in 2019, though, and the Marlins elected to move Anderson at the deadline that year. (Notably, that was under previous general manager Michael Hill, not Ng).

Even if the Marlins don’t listen to offers on their cornerstone rotation pieces, contending teams figure to be in touch with Ng and her front office in the coming weeks. The Marlins have plenty of complementary veterans and quality relievers who could help contenders down the stretch.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/22/21

By | at

The latest minor moves from around baseball:

  • The Diamondbacks announced that utilityman Ildemaro Vargas has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Reno. The 29-year-old has bounced around the league a bit in recent seasons, suiting up for Arizona, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and the Cubs. Through 55 MLB plate appearances in 2021, Vargas has hit just .137/.200/.176. As a player who has previously been outrighted in his career, Vargas has the right to elect free agency.
  • Marlins infielder Deven Marrero has apparently cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment, as he was in tonight’s lineup with Triple-A Jacksonville. Miami designated Marrero for assignment over the weekend. The former Red Sox utilityman only appeared in one MLB game with the Marlins before being removed from the 40-man roster, going hitless in three plate appearances.
  • The Phillies have signed utilityman Jake Elmore to a minor league contract, notes Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. He has been assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 34-year-old has appeared in parts of six MLB seasons, most recently with the 2019 Pirates. Elmore has a .215/.292/.275 mark in 527 major league plate appearances.
  • The Athletics recently released right-hander Tanner Anderson, Hilburn-Trenkle relays. Also a former Pirate, Anderson pitched in the big leagues between 2018-19. The 28-year-old has worked to a 6.15 ERA/4.88 SIERA over 33 2/3 MLB frames. He’d managed a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings with Triple-A Las Vegas this year, but Anderson only struck out three batters in that time while walking twelve.

Marlins Designate Deven Marrero, Select Luis Marte

By | at

The Marlins announced that infielder Deven Marrero has been designated for assignment.  Taking Marrero’s place on the roster is infielder Luis Marte, who is back in the majors after his contract was selected from Triple-A Jacksonville.

Marrero had his contract selected back on Wednesday, and the 30-year-old started at third base that day for his lone appearance in this brief stint with Miami.  It marked Marrero’s first Major League game since 2019, when he played in five games for the Marlins.  (Incidentally, Marrero is 0-for-8 plate appearances in those six games, so Marrero is still looking for his first hit since the 2018 season.)  Now a veteran of parts of six MLB seasons, Marrero returned to the Marlins on a minor league contract back in May.

Marte has also made just one appearance in 2021, making his MLB debut on June 1 in a game against the Blue Jays.  He was DFA’ed and then outrighted following that cup of coffee in the big leagues.  Marte is a veteran of 10 minor league seasons with the Rangers, Braves, and Marlins organizations, and he has a .213/.228/.360 slash line over 79 PA at Triple-A this season.

Marlins Designate Luis Madero, Select Deven Marrero

By | at

The Marlins have selected the contract of infielder Deven Marrero from Triple-A, and Marrero will be the starting third baseman for Miami’s game with the Cardinals this afternoon.  To create roster space, the Marlins designed righty Luis Madero for assignment, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald tweets.

Marrero is set for his first MLB game since August 13, 2019, also as a member of the Marlins.  After being let go by the Fish following the 2019 season, Marrero didn’t sign a contract for 2020 and was seemingly lined up to join a Mexican League team in April before rejoining the Marlins on a new minor league deal in May.

Selected 24th overall by the Red Sox in the 2012 draft, Marrero will get another crack at the big leagues after hitting .194/.246/.279 over 348 career plate appearances with Boston, Arizona, and Miami.  Marrero has played at third base, second base, and shortstop at the MLB level, and he’ll give the Marlins some extra depth with Jose Devers and Brian Anderson both on the injured list.  Isan Diaz and Jon Berti figure to get the bulk of time at second and third base, with Marrero now perhaps in line for utility infield duty.

Madero is headed back to Triple-A after just two days on Miami’s roster, without any more game action.  The righty made his Major League debut in May, posting a 15.00 ERA over three innings in two appearances.  This is the second time Madero has been DFA’ed this season, as the Marlins designated him shortly after that second outing.  Assuming he clears DFA waivers, Madero has the right to reject an outright assignment and become a free agent, if he so chooses.

Corey Dickerson Placed On IL For Foot Contusion

By | at

Marlins left fielder Corey Dickerson is headed to the IL, manager Don Mattingly told reporters today.  Mattingly said Dickerson had an MRI and it’s “not very promising,” according to SportsGrid’s Craig Mish.  The team later described Dickerson’s injury as a “left foot contusion.”  Earlier today, we learned that the Marlins are calling up prospect Jesus Sanchez from Triple-A.  Sanchez is batting fifth against the Cardinals’ Kwang Hyun Kim, who came off the IL today.

With 45 days until the trade deadline, it appears the last-place Marlins may have missed their chance to recoup some value on Dickerson.  The 32-year-old wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire with a 102 wRC+, the Marlins may have been able to unload the $2.8MM that will remain on Dickerson’s contract come July 30th.  Dickerson had signed a two-year, $17.5MM free agent deal with the Marlins in January 2020.  Dickerson’s contract still marks by far the largest free agent signing of the Bruce Sherman/Derek Jeter era, with no one else topping $5MM.

The Marlins still have a solid trade chip in center fielder Starling Marte, who owns a 174 wRC+ on the season.  Shortstop Miguel Rojas may also generate interest, though the club holds a $5.5M club option for 2022 that will become guaranteed if he reaches 500 plate appearances.  Though controlled through 2022, first baseman Jesus Aguilar may also be available.  Adam Duvall, also controlled through ’22, has had a rough year so far.  On the pitching side, top reliever Yimi Garcia is slated for free agency and should be popular on the trade market.

Marlins To Recall Jesus Sanchez

By | at

The Marlins are planning to recall outfield prospect Jesús Sánchez from Triple-A Jacksonville, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid (Twitter link). The 23-year-old is in line for his first opportunity at the major league level in 2021.

Sánchez originally signed with the Rays and posted huge numbers at the minors’ lowest levels. He entered the 2018 season as one of the game’s top 50 prospects, in the estimation of Baseball America, and remained among the sport’s top 100 minor league talents for the following two seasons. Miami acquired Sánchez alongside reliever Ryne Stanek in advance of the 2019 trade deadline, sending righties Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards to Tampa Bay in return.

The left-handed hitting Sánchez scuffled in his first crack at Triple-A down the stretch that season, and the lack of minor league ball in 2020 meant he spent much of last year at the alternate training site. Sánchez did make a very brief MLB debut last season, struggling over 29 plate appearances.

That 2019-20 downturn in production diminished Sánchez’s status a bit. He fell off top 100 prospects lists entering 2021- although he still checked in eighth among Marlins farmhands at both Baseball America and the Athletic, and tenth in the system at FanGraphs. Sánchez has since gotten off to a fantastic start in Jacksonville, hitting .349/.400/.643 with nine homers in 140 plate appearances. That showing has earned him another look at the big league level.

Sánchez, who fits best in a corner outfield spot, draws praise for big raw power and electric bat speed. Public prospect rankers have expressed concern with his approach at the plate for a while, though, and Sánchez has continued to be highly aggressive. His 6.4% walk rate in Triple-A this year matches his career mark in the minors. Sánchez clearly has offensive upside, and he’s generally kept his strikeouts in check (career 18.3% minor league rate), but it remains to be seen if he’ll prove patient enough to cement himself as a quality everyday player.

Corey Dickerson, the Marlins regular left fielder, left Sunday’s game agains the Braves with foot soreness. He didn’t play last night, and it’s unclear if Sánchez’s promotion is related to Dickerson’s health status. The veteran outfielder has hit an average .263/.324/.380 over his first 225 plate appearances.

Marlins Move Brian Anderson To 60-Day IL, Select Luis Madero

By | at

=The Marlins are set to select the contract of right-hander Luis Madero from Triple-A Jacksonville and transfer third baseman Brian Anderson to the 60-day injured list to create space on the 40-man roster, reports Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Miami will also place infielder Jose Devers on the 10-day injured list due to a right shoulder injury.

It’s a tough blow for a Marlins club that has been reeling in recent weeks, due in no small part to the loss of Anderson. On the day Anderson made an early exit due to what was eventually revealed to be a left shoulder subluxation, the Marlins were 23-24. They’ve gone 6-12 in the 18 games since, and while the absence of Anderson obviously isn’t the only reason, it’s a primary factor. The 28-year-old got out to a slow start in 2021 but has long been one of the Marlins’ top bats and was one of the hottest hitters in the NL at the time of his injury.

The move to the 60-day injured list means that Anderson will now be ineligible to return before late July. (The 60-day term of the stint refers to his initial placement on the IL — not the date on which the player is transferred to the 60-day list.) A timeline in that range has begun to look increasingly likely, particularly after MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola tweeted earlier today that Anderson has still not been cleared to begin hitting after three weeks on the the injured list.

Miami’s primary options at the hot corner in Anderson’s absence have been Jon Berti and Isan Diaz, and that pairing will likely continue to hold down the fort on a banged-up Marlins club that effectively has an entire infield — Anderson, Miguel Rojas, Devers and Garrett Cooper — on the injured list. They’re thin on additional options in the upper minors, though both Luis Marte and Eddy Alvarez have gotten quick looks from the Marlins over the past year. (Either would need to be added back to the 40-man roster.)

Madero, 24, made his big league debut with the Fish earlier this season but has already gone unclaimed on waivers once, which removed him from the 40-man roster at the time (hence today’s need for a 40-man transaction).

Madero at one point ranked within the top 20 prospects in the Angels organization, per both Baseball America and FanGraphs, but his stock has tumbled since that time. That’s due largely to being rocked for a 5.72 ERA in 89 1/3 frames of a pitcher-friendly Double-A environment back in ’19, but Madero’s work in Triple-A with the Marlins this year has been sharp: 23 2/3 innings of 2.28 ERA ball, albeit with fairly pedestrian strikeout (23.6) and walk (9.2) percentages.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top