Monte Harrison Changes Representation
Marlins outfielder Monte Harrison has changed agencies and hired MVP Sports Group as representation, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. MLBTR has made a note of it in our Agency Database.
Harrison, who turned 25 in August, became a pro when the Brewers chose him in the second round of the 2014 draft. He eventually turned into a top 100 prospect, ranking as Baseball America’s 75th-best farmhand in 2018, though the Brewers traded Harrison to the Marlins in January of that year in part of a deal that delivered outfielder Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. Yelich has since made two All-Star appearances and won an MVP, while the Marlins haven’t gotten much major league value from Harrison or any of the other players they received in the deal.
In fairness to Harrison, this is just his first season at baseball’s top level, so it’s far too soon to determine whether he’ll evolve into a capable major leaguer. He hasn’t produced across his first 47 plate appearances this season, though, having batted .140/.213/.233 with one home run and 24 strikeouts.
Marlins Designate Brett Eibner For Assignment
The Marlins have designated right-hander Brett Eibner for assignment and reinstated lefty Stephen Tarpley from the 60-day injured list, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com tweets.
This is the second time this season Miami has designated Eibner, a former Royals, Athletics and Dodgers outfielder from 2015-17 who has reinvented himself as a pitcher in the past couple years. The Marlins signed Eibner to a minor league contract in early August, at which point the team was dealing with serious coronavirus concerns.
To his credit, the 31-year-old Eibner has been successful enough as a hurler to get back to the majors in 2020. But Eibner has struggled across 3 1/3 innings as a member of the playoff-contending Marlins, with whom he has yielded five earned runs on seven hits, including two homers, with four walks and four strikeouts.
Marlins Outright Sean Rodriguez
SEPT. 22: The Marlins announced that Rodriguez has been outrighted to their alternate site after clearing waivers.
SEPT. 20: The Marlins have designated utilityman Sean Rodriguez for assignment, the team announced. Utilityman Jon Berti has been activated from the 10-day injured list to take the open roster spot, while southpaw Braxton Garrett has also been added to the roster as the extra 29th player for today’s doubleheader with the Nationals.
Rodriguez was only activated from the injured list last Tuesday, as he had spent the rest of the season out of action for unspecified medical reasons. Rodriguez appeared in four games for the Marlins, recording two hits in 13 plate appearances and playing second base and left field. The 35-year-old has now been a part of 13 consecutive Major League seasons, the bulk of which with the Rays and Pirates from 2010-18. Rodriguez inked a minor league contract with Miami last winter.
The club is essentially swapping one multi-purpose bench piece for another in welcoming Berti back into the fold. Berti hit the 10-day IL on September 10 due to a right finger injury, so he’ll return after only a minimal absence. Over two seasons with the Marlins, Berti has already appeared at six different positions, and it seems likely he’ll mostly play second base the rest of the way this season in a semi-platoon with rookie Jazz Chisholm. Beyond his versatility, Berti has also been a useful hitter for the Fish, batting .267/.350/.392 with eight homers over his 401 PA in a Miami uniform.
Mariners Notes: Haniger, Outfield, Sixto, Phillies
The latest from Seattle…
- Though Jarred Kelenic, Taylor Trammell, and Julio Rodriguez are expected to be part of the Mariners’ outfield of the future, Mitch Haniger is still a part of the team’s present. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times looks at Haniger and the broader outfield plan as a whole, noting that Haniger is expected to be ready to participate in Spring Training. It has been a brutal 15 months for Haniger, who hasn’t played since June 2019 due to a ruptured testicle, a torn abductor muscle, and then a herniated disc. It remains to be seen if Haniger can recapture his 2018 All-Star form when he does get back onto the field, though if he plays well and stays healthy, Divish figures Haniger might still hold some trade value, considering that he is under arbitration control through the 2022 season. Since Trammell and Rodriguez aren’t likely to be in the majors until at least 2022, there is also a case for the M’s to keep Haniger, especially if he remains a productive player and if the Mariners start to become regular contenders.
- The Mariners’ 2018-19 offseason was marked by several major trades, including a notable deal that saw Seattle land J.P. Crawford and (the soon-to-be-flipped) Carlos Santana from the Phillies in exchange for Jean Segura, James Pazos, and Juan Nicasio. However, an earlier incarnation of that deal would have seen Segura and Edwin Diaz head to Philly, while Sixto Sanchez would have been part of the trade package coming back to the Mariners, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. It makes for an interesting what-if for Seattle fans, as moving Diaz in that trade would have altered several other future deals, most obviously the blockbuster swap with the Mets that brought Kelenic and Justin Dunn into the organization and sent Diaz and Robinson Cano to New York. Rosenthal adds another interesting detail in noting that the Mariners kept trying to acquire Sanchez even after he had been dealt to the Marlins as part of the J.T. Realmuto trade with the Phils in February 2019. Needless to say, it doesn’t seem like Sanchez is going anywhere for a long time considering how impressive the young righty has looked in his first Major League season.
Wei-Yin Chen Signs With NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines
It’s been nearly a year since veteran left-hander Wei-Yin Chen pitched in a professional game, but the former Orioles and Marlins hurler will be returning to the mound with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. The Marines announced that they’ve signed the 35-year-old southpaw for the remainder of the 2020 season (hat tip to NPB Tracker’s Patrick Newman, on Twitter). He’s currently going through a two-week quarantine before joining the Marines, per Focus Taiwan. He’ll be formally introduced at an Oct. 5 press conference.
Chen had hoped to return to the big leagues in 2020, signing a minor league deal with the Mariners after being released by the Marlins following the 2019 season. Seattle cut him loose in June, however, prior to the return-to-play agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. The Taiwanese lefty wasn’t able to latch on with another MLB organization, so he’ll instead return to NPB, where he starred for the Chunichi Dragons for five seasons prior to his original MLB deal with the Orioles. In five seasons with the Dragons, Chen logged a 2.59 ERA with 7.2 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 0.7 HR/9, totaling 650 2/3 frames along the way.
That strong showing caught the eye of then-Baltimore GM Dan Duquette and his staff, who inked Chen to a three-year deal worth a bit less than $12MM (plus a club option for a fourth year). That investment paid off in spades, as Chen emerged as a fixture in the O’s rotation over the subsequent four years. From 2012-15, Chen turned in 706 2/3 innings of 3.72 ERA ball with a 4.14 FIP. His 7.0 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 marks were near-mirror images of his strikeout and walk rates in NPB. Chen averaged 29 starts and 177 innings per season in his four-year run with the Orioles, adding three postseason starts along the way (two very good ones and one rather poor outing against the Tigers).
Weighted metrics like ERA+ and ERA- painted Chen about 10 percent better than the league average in that time, given his tough home park, and he parlayed that quality run into a hefty five-year, $80MM deal with the Marlins. Miami lived to regret the deal, as the highly durable Chen was sidelined by an elbow sprain by mid-July in the first year of the contract (2016). He was limited to 33 innings in 2017 as he battled a UCL injury that ultimately did not require surgery. Chen returned to the Miami rotation in 2018 but struggled to a 4.79 ERA through 26 starts. He spent the 2019 campaign in the team’s bullpen but posted a 6.59 ERA, which led to an offseason DFA and his eventual release.
That release proved to be a blessing in disguise for Chen and a financial nightmare for the Marlins. Because he was cut loose in November — well before there was any talk of a shortened season — Chen is owed the entirety of his $22MM salary in 2020 rather than the prorated portion of that sum. His new deal with the Marines will tack about $290K onto that sum, per Nikkan Sports.
It’s always possible that Chen could make his way back to the Major Leagues if he’s able to revitalize his career in Japan, although given that he’s now 35 and a half decade removed from MLB success, that seems like a long shot. If Chen’s time as a Major Leaguer is through, he’ll wrap things up with a 59-51 record, a 4.18 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over the life of 1064 2/3 innings in the bigs.
Chen certainly didn’t justify the Marlins’ weighty investment in his left arm, but he was also an overwhelming bargain for the Orioles, who paid him just shy of $15.5MM in his four years there. It wasn’t a strong finish for Chen, but his overall body of work in the big leagues was quite solid — particularly given that half of it was spent in the AL East and pitching his home games at Camden Yards.
Minor MLB Transactions: 9/21/20
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- The Marlins selected right-hander Brett Eibner before their loss to the Braves on Monday, per a team announcement. They also optioned right-hander Robert Dugger and lefty Braxton Garrett. The Marlins signed Eibner, a former outfielder, to a minor league contract at the beginning of August, and he has been on and off their 40-man roster since then. Eibner made two appearances for Miami earlier this season and combined for 1 1/3 innings of three-earned run ball.
Orioles Acquire Isaac De Leon From Marlins
The Orioles announced that they have acquired shortstop Isaac De Leon from the Marlins. De Leon was the player to be named later in the teams’ Aug. 1 trade centering on left-hander Richard Bleier. He’ll join Baltimore’s 60-man player pool.
De Leon, an 18-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, joined the Marlins for $275K as an international free agent in 2018. He made his pro debut last year with 102 plate appearances and a .256/.367/.324 line in 284 plate appearances at the rookie level.
Bleier, 33, has been a useful piece of the bullpen for the surprising Marlins, who hold an NL playoff spot at 25-23. The southpaw has thrown 11 innings and given up four earned runs since he came over from the Orioles. Bleier has only fanned five hitters as a Marlin, but strikeouts have never been his forte, evidenced by a lifetime 4.4 K/9 in 188 1/3 innings.
Marlins Place Isan Diaz On 60-Day IL, Reinstate Sean Rodriguez
The Marlins have placed infielder Isan Diaz on the 60-day injured list due to a left groin strain, according to multiple reporters (including MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro). Infielder Sean Rodriguez has been activated from the injured list to take Diaz’s spot on the active roster.
The IL placement will officially end a very unusual season for Diaz, who ended up appearing in seven games and hitting .182/.182/.182 over 22 plate appearances. Diaz played in two games before deciding to opt out of the 2020 season, and then opted to rejoin the Marlins in September after getting permission from both the league and the MLBPA. All things considered, 2020 is essentially a lost year for the top prospect, though one would think he still projects as a big part of Miami’s future plans.
Diaz had been starting regularly at second base since his return, but the keystone may now be handled by a combination of rookie Jazz Chisholm and Rodriguez, who now seems set to officially begin his Marlins tenure. Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with the Fish prior to the season and made the Opening Day roster, but was placed on the IL along with a dozen teammates in early August. While no official reason was given for Rodriguez’s absence, it is probably safe to assume that it was COVID-related, given the outbreak that hit Miami’s roster around that time.
The 35-year-old Rodriguez is a veteran of 12 MLB seasons, with a .226/.302/.380 slash line over an even 2900 plate appearances. Rodriguez has played all over the field during his career, giving the Marlins a pair of versatile utility pieces in Rodriguez and Jon Berti, once Berti (finger laceration) returns from what is expected to be a minimal injured list stint.
Marlins Select Braxton Garrett
The Marlins selected the contract of left-hander Braxton Garrett and named him the 29th man for today’s doubleheader against the Phillies, per a club announcement. They’ve also activated right-hander Nick Neidert from the injured list, optioning left-hander Dan Castano to open active roster space. To clear space on the 40-man roster for Garrett and Neidert, southpaw Brandon Leibrandt was transferred to the 60-day injured list with left elbow ulnar neuritis and infielder Eddy Alvarez was designated for assignment.
Garrett is the most notable name in today’s swath of moves, having been selected seventh overall in the 2016 draft out of an Alabama high school. An ill-timed Tommy John surgery the following June threw Garrett off track, and his prospect status has never completely bounced back. Nevertheless, he’s still among the most talented arms in the Miami farm system, with Baseball America recently placing him ninth among Marlins prospects thanks to his 92-95 MPH fastball and plus curveball. Garrett was due to be added to the 40-man roster this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The contending Marlins can afford to devote a roster spot to him a few months earlier if they anticipate him helping their playoff push.
Like Garrett, Neidert is one of the Marlins’ better pitching prospects. He was part of Miami’s season-opening roster but pitched in just one game before going on the IL amidst the team’s COVID-19 outbreak. The command artist turned in a 5.05 ERA in 41 Triple-A innings last year (deceptively productive work given the high-octane offensive environment in the Pacific Coast League).
Alvarez, meanwhile, was one of the more remarkable stories in baseball this season. The 30-year-old former Olympic speed skater cracked Miami’s MLB roster in the wake of their COVID outbreak. Unfortunately, he didn’t do nearly enough to hold down a roster spot permanently, hitting just .189/.268/.216 in 41 plate appearances.
Marlins Select Johan Quezada, Release Justin Shafer
The Marlins announced Friday that they’ve selected the contract of righty Johan Quezada from their alternate training site and appointed right-hander Robert Dugger as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader. Miami added that fellow righty Justin Shafer, who was designated for assignment earlier in the week, has cleared waivers and been granted his unconditional release.
Quezada, 26, spent his entire career prior to the 2020 season in the Twins organization but never advanced beyond Class-A Advanced. He spent the 2019 campaign with Minnesota’s Florida State League affiliate in Fort Myers, tossing 52 1/3 innings with a 3.44 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 4.9 BB/9 and a 53.4 percent ground-ball rate.
Listed at an NBA-esque 6’9″, Quezada possesses a powerful fastball but has seen his development arc slowed by shoulder surgery that wiped out his 2017 campaign and by the lack of a minor league season in 2020. He inked a minor league deal with the Fish back in December and clearly did enough at their alternate site to earn a look in the big leagues.
Shafer, 27, was claimed from the Reds earlier this season and tagged for eight runs in 5 2/3 frames out of the Miami ‘pen. He posted a solid 3.75 ERA in parts of two seasons with the Blue Jays from 2018-19, but the 32 walks and two hit batsmen he tallied in 48 innings with Toronto serve to underscore the control problems that have hampered him to this point in his MLB career. Shafer is now a free agent and eligible to sign with any team for the final couple weeks of the season.