Marlins Rumors

Latest On Marlins’ Local Television Deal

By Anthony Franco | April 9, 2021 at 10:53am CDT

In late March, the Marlins and Sinclair Broadcast Group announced a multi-year local television rights contract. The specific terms and length of the agreement weren’t disclosed at the time, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald now reports it’s a seven-year deal that pays just over $50MM annually. The parties’ previous agreement averaged in the neighborhood of $18MM, Jackson notes, paying the Marlins a league-low $20MM last season.

While the $50+MM average annual value represents a significant increase over the prior contract’s, it’s not an unexpected figure. Craig Mish of SportsGrid reported last month the new local rights deal paid “substantially more than double” the annual salary of its predecessor over a six-plus year term. In January 2020, Jackson reported the Marlins turned down a 2017 offer from Sinclair that would’ve paid more than $50MM annually. The Marlins had hoped to secure around $60MM per season on the new contract, Jackson reports, but the intervening COVID-19 pandemic seems to have made that goal unattainable.

It isn’t clear when or to what extent the new TV deal will affect the Marlins’ payroll. Importantly, there is also no indication of the specific payment breakdown. TV rights deals are often backloaded. It wouldn’t be surprising if that’s the case here, particularly with the pandemic as a backdrop in negotiations. The Marlins have scaled back player payroll quite a bit in recent years, opening 2021 with an estimated $56.9MM outlay that ranks 28th leaguewide, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

East Notes: Springer, Phillies, E-Rod, Marlins

By Connor Byrne | April 6, 2021 at 8:17pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the majors’ East divisions:

Blue Jays center fielder George Springer took live batting practice Tuesday and seems to be on track to make his season debut Thursday, Scott Mitchell of TSN tweets. The Jays signed the former Astros star to a six-year, $150MM contract in the offseason, but they have been without Springer so far because of a Grade 2 oblique strain. Toronto nonetheless entered Tuesday with a 3-1 record, though, and has received tremendous production from center field fill-in Randal Grichuk in the early going.
The Phillies re-signed Didi Gregorius to a two-year, $28MM contract in free agency, but he wasn’t the team’s preferred option at the position. Rather, the Phillies were hoping to sign Andrelton Simmons, and they believed in January that they had a legitimate chance to bring him aboard, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Simmons wound up signing a one-year, $10.5MM pact with the Twins late that month – just a few days before Gregorius agreed to remain in Philadelphia. While Gregorius is the more threatening hitter, the Phillies were interested in switching to Simmons because he’s the better defender, according to Rosenthal.
Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will make his first start since 2019 on Thursday in a matchup against Baltimore, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. Elbow inflammation forced Rodriguez to the injured list to begin this season, which was especially disappointing after he missed all of last year because of issues relating to COVID-19 and myocarditis. Fortunately, it looks as if Rodriguez dodged a significant injury. This will be an important season for Rodriguez, 27, as he’s due to become a free agent next winter. During his most recent action, he posted a 3.81 ERA with a solid 24.8 percent strikeout rate in 203 1/3 innings.
Marlins righty Elieser Hernandez will undergo an MRI on Tuesday evening, manager Don Mattingly said (via Christina De Nicola of MLB.com). It seems to be a precautionary measure on the Marlins’ part, as Mattingly suggested Hernandez is making progress since he went on the IL on Monday with right biceps inflammation. Hernandez performed brilliantly during an abbreviated 2020, helping the Marlins to the playoffs with a 3.16 ERA/3.17 SIERA and elite strikeout (32.1) and walk (4.7) percentages across 25 2/3 frames, but had a more difficult time in his first start of this year last Saturday. In a win over the Rays, Hernandez gave up two earned runs in 2 1/3 innings before exiting.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/5/21

By Connor Byrne | April 5, 2021 at 9:32pm CDT

The latest minor moves from around the game…

The Nationals have re-signed first baseman/outfielder Yasmany Tomas and southpaw reliever T.J. McFarland to minor league contracts, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post relays. The team originally signed the pair of veterans to minors pacts during the offseason, but it released them shortly before the 2021 campaign began. Still just 30, Tomas was a star in his native Cuba, which led the Diamondbacks to sign him to a six-year, $68.5MM deal heading into 2015. However, Tomas had a rough time in Arizona, where he combined an underwhelming line of .266/.306/.459 (97 wRC+) in 1,175 plate appearances with poor defense, and hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2019. McFarland, another ex-Diamondback, spent last year as a member of the Athletics, with whom he registered a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old has induced grounders at a tremendous 62.8 percent clip and notched a 4.08 ERA/3.83 SIERA during his 401-inning run in the majors among Arizona, Oakland and Baltimore, though he has only recorded a strikeout percentage of 13.6.
The Marlins have brought back lefty Brandon Leibrandt on a minors deal, Craig Mish of SportsGrid tweets. The 28-year-old Leibrandt picked up his first MLB experience with the Marlins last season and tossed nine innings of two-run, three-hit ball, but he succeeded in spite of issuing seven walks against three strikeouts. The Marlins outrighted him after the season. He’ll report to their alternate site, according to Mish.

Marlins Place Elieser Hernandez, Garrett Cooper On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | April 5, 2021 at 2:24pm CDT

The Marlins have placed right-hander Elieser Hernandez and first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper on the 10-day injured list, the team announced. (Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald was among those to report the details.) Hernandez was placed on the standard 10-day IL while Cooper is on the COVID-related injury list. Right-handers Nick Neidert and Jordan Holloway will fill the two open spots on the active roster.

Cooper was placed on the IL due to an adverse reaction after receiving a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a fairly common side effect for some vaccinated patients. Because there is no 10-day minimum attached to the COVID list, Cooper could be back in action as early as Tuesday if he is feeling better, though the Marlins chose to sideline him.

Hernandez’s injury could be much more of a long-term problem, as his outing on Saturday was cut short in the third inning due to inflammation in his right biceps area. More will be known about his status once Hernandez completes a doctor visit later today.

The 25-year-old had a 3.16 ERA/3.17 SIERA and a very impressive 32.7% strikeout rate and 4.7% walk rate over 25 2/3 innings and six starts in 2020, and the Marlins were looking forward to seeing what Hernandez could do over a longer stretch of innings as a member of their rotation this season. That progress will now be set back for at least a little while, however, as Hernandez joins Sixto Sanchez and Edward Cabrera as Miami rotation candidates dealing with injuries.

This has created an opportunity for Neidert, who has a 3.20 ERA and 22.15% strikeout rate over 460 2/3 minor league innings in the Seattle and Miami farm systems. A second-round pick for the Mariners in the 2015 draft, Neidert was dealt to the Marlins as part of the trade that sent Dee Strange-Gordon to Seattle in December 2017. Neidert made his big league debut in 2020 with 8 1/3 relief innings over four games (posting a 5.40 ERA), and might have gotten more playing time had it not been for a stint on the COVID-19 injured list that cost him over a month of the season.

Holloway might also factor into the Marlins’ rotation plans depending on how the club opts to address its starting pitching situation, though he could also be a short-term addition if Cooper is able to make a quick return. Holloway has worked almost exclusively as a starter throughout his seven pro seasons, delivering a 4.64 ERA over 304 1/3 innings since the Marlins selected him in the 20th round of the 2014 draft. Like Neidert, Holloway spent much of the season on the COVID-related injury list, limiting his first big league season to just a single game (four batters faced over a third of an inning of work).

Injury Notes: Elieser, Brantley, Bracho, Senzel

By Mark Polishuk | April 3, 2021 at 11:04pm CDT

Marlins righty Elieser Hernandez left today’s start in the third inning due to what the team described as “inflammation in his right biceps tendon.” Hernandez experienced a big velocity drop after his previous two innings of work, and manager Don Mattingly told reporters (including MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola) that he initially thought it could be a recurrence of the blister problem that has bothered Hernandez in the past. Mattingly didn’t have any updates about Hernandez’s status after the game, other than to say “obviously, it’s something that we’ll have to be careful with.”

After posting a 3.16 ERA over the small sample size of 25 2/3 innings in 2020, Hernandez was being eyed by the Marlins as a candidate for a much more extended breakout this year. However, with Hernandez now possibly sidelined and Sixto Sanchez and prospect Edward Cabrera already nursing injuries, Miami already finds itself short on pitching depth. The Marlins have a bit of flexibility due to off-days both tomorrow and on April 9, but with Hernandez possibly facing an IL stint, De Nicola suggests the club could again look to acquire some veteran starting depth to replace the recently-retired Gio Gonzalez.

More injury updates from around baseball…

X-rays were negative on Michael Brantley’s right wrist after the Astros slugger was hit by a pitch from Oakland’s Cole Irvin today. Brantley remained in the game to play left field in the bottom half of the inning, but was replaced by pinch-hitter Chas McCormick the next inning when it was Brantley’s next turn at the plate. Manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com’s Alyson Footer and other reporters that the team initially feared a much worse injury: “I went out to talk to Michael, he couldn’t feel his fingers….He’ll probably be sore for a couple days. He couldn’t turn the bat head over so he’s day to day until then.” McCormick was playing in just his second career big league game today, though on a Houston club that was already lacking in outfield depth, McCormick looks to be the top fill-in option if Brantley has to miss a significant amount of time.
Right-hander Silvino Bracho suffered a left oblique strain in his final spring outing, Giants manager Gabe Kapler told Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group and other reporters. Bracho is back playing catch but he will kept off a mound for the next 7-10 days. The oblique problem represents yet another health setback for Bracho, who missed all of 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery and then pitched only a single inning in 2020 due to both a setback in his TJ recovery and then a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. With 89 2/3 total MLB innings on his resume, Bracho had spent his entire pro career in the Diamondbacks organization before signing a minor league deal with the Giants during the offseason.
Nick Senzel left the Reds’ first game of the season due to a shoulder injury, but the outfielder returned to action today as a midgame defensive substitution. He also received one plate appearance in the Reds’ 9-6 victory over the Cardinals. There was certainly reason to fear the worst given Senzel’s lengthy injury history, though manager David Bell told reporters (including the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith) that Senzel’s issue was “nothing serious” and that Senzel could be “back in the lineup in a matter of a day or two.”

Sixto Sanchez Dealing With Mild Shoulder Inflammation

By Steve Adams | April 2, 2021 at 3:05pm CDT

April 2, 3:05pm: Sanchez has mild inflammation in the back of his shoulder and will rest for a few days, De Nicola tweets. The Marlins don’t have a timetable for his return, but it should be a slow process, per Mish (Twitter link).

10:50am: Sanchez will undergo an MRI, tweets Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.

April 1: Prized Marlins righty Sixto Sanchez cut his most recent throwing session short due to what the Marlins termed “slight discomfort” in his right shoulder, tweets Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. He’ll be evaluated over the coming days as the Marlins determine a course of action. MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola adds that Sanchez had been slated to throw around five “innings” and 75 pitches in a simulated game but cut things short after just the second frame, at which point he informed the team of the discomfort.

While the decision is being tabbed as a precaution at the moment, there’s some obvious concerning when any pitcher complains of shoulder pain. Sanchez was optioned to the the Marlins alternate site earlier this week, but that decision was only made because he was behind in his throwing after being in Covid-19 protocol earlier in camp. He’d thrown just eight innings during Grapefruit League play, and the Marlins hoped to get him built back up at their alternate site, with an eye toward a mid-month debut in the rotation. The shoulder issue, however, could obviously impact that timeline.

Sanchez made his big league debut in 2020 and impressed through seven starts, pitching to a 3.46 ERA with a 20.9 percent strikeout rate, a 7.0 percent walk rate and a massive 58.0 percent ground-ball rate. He’s considered one of the 10 to 20 best prospects in all of baseball and is viewed by the Marlins as a future linchpin of the rotation. He accrued 103 days of Major League service time in 2020, so there’s no real service-related benefit for the Marlins keeping him down at this time; he’d need to be in the minors through late July in order for his path to free agency to be pushed back another year.

NL East Notes: Mets, Conforto, Phillies, Marlins

By Mark Polishuk,Connor Byrne and Anthony Franco | March 30, 2021 at 9:11pm CDT

With the Mets still engaged in extension talks with Francisco Lindor, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets that the team is waiting to resolve things with Lindor before continuing negotiations with their other major extension candidate, Michael Conforto. Lindor has made it clear that he wants to reach a new deal by Opening Day, whereas Conforto and agent Scott Boras have each expressed a bit more flexibility to talk during the season, though Conforto has said he would “ideally” prefer to also have a potential new contract finalized before games get underway.

Marlins To Option Sixto Sanchez

By Steve Adams | March 29, 2021 at 10:59pm CDT

The Marlins will option prized pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez to their alternate site/Triple-A to begin the season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports (Twitter links). They’ll open the year with a four-man rotation.

While the first reaction of many fans will be to assume this is a decision driven by service time, that’s not the case in this instance. Sanchez racked up 103 days of service in 2020, meaning he only needs 69 days of service this season to reach a full year. The Marlins would need to keep Sanchez in the minors for at least 118 days in order to delay his free agency by another season at this point, and there’s no plausible scenario where that happens — barring an unfortunate and untimely injury while continuing to ramp up at the team’s alternate site.

In all likelihood, Sanchez will be up in the big leagues within the first few weeks of the season. Sanchez has been behind in camp after being in Covid-19 protocols early on, and he didn’t make his Grapefruit League debut until March 15. He’s still appeared in only three games and tallied just eight innings of work, so it’s understandable that the Marlins don’t want to drop him right into the big league rotation before he is sufficiently stretched out. In the meantime, they’ll be able to carry an extra reliever or an extra bench player, and early off-days will give them the luxury of skipping the fifth spot of the rotation until mid-month (when Sanchez will presumably be ready for his ’21 debut).

The Herald’s Craig Mish tweets that the Marlins are eyeing an innings target of about 150 to 160 for Sanchez in what will be his first full season at the MLB level. The 22-year-old flamethrower debuted last summer and hurled 39 innings of 3.46 ERA ball with a huge 58 percent ground-ball rate, a 20.9 percent strikeout rate and a 7.0 percent walk rate. Once he’s built up a bit more, Sanchez will step into the rotation behind Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Elieser Hernandez and Trevor Rogers.

Angels Acquire James Hoyt From Marlins

By Connor Byrne | March 29, 2021 at 8:41pm CDT

The Angels have acquired right-handed reliever James Hoyt from the Marlins for cash considerations, the two teams announced.

The Angels will be the fifth major league organization for the 34-year-old Hoyt, who spent last season in Miami after it acquired him from Cleveland. Hoyt ended up performing quite well over 14 2/3 innings in the Marlins’ bullpen with a 1.23 ERA and a 32.3 percent strikeout rate. On the other hand, Hoyt’s 3.71 SIERA and 12.9 percent walk rate were much less impressive, and he also saw his average fastball velocity fall from the 93-94 mph range to slightly below 89.

Overall, Hoyt has pitched to a 3.71 ERA/3.05 SIERA in 94 2/3 big league frames with strikeout and walk percentages of 31.1 and 8.5, respectively. That type of production would be useful out of any team’s bullpen, and with another minor league option left, he’ll at least give the Angels more depth.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/28/21

By TC Zencka | March 28, 2021 at 9:35pm CDT

The latest minor moves around the league…

Latest

The A’s announced a pair of roster moves, optioning Vimael Machin and Seth Brown to Triple-A. That means Rule 5 selection Ka’ai Tom is likely to make the roster as a reserve outfielder, notes Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle. Tom didn’t get a full spring because of an oblique injury, but he apparently showed enough for the A’s to keep him on the active roster. He’ll need to stay there for the entire season or else be returned to the Indians. Machin spent some of last season standing in for Matt Chapman at third before Jake Lamb arrived, but a relatively punchless .206/.296/.238 across 71 plate appearances likely returns the difficult-to-strikeout left-handed hitter to an emergency fill-in role. Brown, 28, contributed 0.7 fWAR in a highly-productive 26-game sample in 2019, but he logged only five plate appearances across seven games in 2020.

Earlier Updates

The Rangers released Nick Vincent yesterday, but today they announced that he will stay with the organization on a minor league contract. We’ll see this pattern with a number of players between now and opening day. The 34-year-old Vincent has seen action in every season going back to 2012 when he debuted with the Padres. He has appeared in 405 games over his nine-year career with exactly matching 3.38 ERA/FIP marks while suiting up for the Pads, Mariners, Giants, Phillies, and Marlins.
16-year-old Cuban outfielder Luis Mario Piño has agreed to sign with the Cardinals for $767K, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (Twitter links). Pino had multiple offers both for this signing period and next, but he ultimately has decided to join the Cardinals’ 2021-22 class of international signees. The White Sox, A’s, and Red Sox were among the teams who were said to be interested in Pino.

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