Marlins Claim Justin Shafer From Reds
The Marlins have claimed right-handed reliever Justin Shafer off waivers from the Reds, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Cincinnati had designated him for assignment last week.
It’s surely an odd time for Shafer to learn that he’s on his way to the Marlins organization. Miami has had a reported 11 players and two coaches test positive for Covid-19 since Friday — the result of which has been the postponement of two games, an urgent wave of tests in the Phillies organization and undoubtedly some renewed concern among players throughout the league. The Marlins’ sudden shortage of players has likely left them in something of a scramble; MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted earlier today that they’re working to acquire some MLB-caliber depth to fill the roster.
Shafer certainly qualifies as that. While the Reds were the second club to designate him for assignment in the past eight months, he has a solid track record in limited MLB action. In 48 Major League innings, Shafer has pitched to a 3.75 ERA — albeit with an uglier 39-to-25 K/BB ratio. Still, Shafer has been sharp in the upper minors (both Double-A and Triple-A alike) and will give Miami a fresh arm to help soak up some innings in the wake of their team outbreak.
Marlins’ Home Opener Postponed After Team Covid-19 Outbreak
10:30am: Passan tweets that the updated tally is 11 of 33 players who’ve been traveling with the club (i.e. the 30-man roster and three-man taxi squad) and a pair of coaches have tested positive. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald and Sherman hear the same (Twitter links). Mish adds that some of the team’s more notable players are among the positive group.
Major League Baseball has issued the following statement:
Tonight’s scheduled games between the Miami Marlins and the Baltimore Orioles at Marlins Park and the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park have been postponed while Major League Baseball conducts additional COVID-19 testing. The members of the Marlins’ traveling party are self-quarantining in place while awaiting the outcome of those results. Major League Baseball has been coordinating with the Major League Baseball Players Association; the Marlins; the Orioles; the Marlins’ weekend opponent, the Phillies; and Club medical staffs, and will continue to provide updates as appropriate.
8:12am: The Marlins had four players test positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports this morning that an additional eight players and two coaches have since tested positive (Twitter link). Tonight’s scheduled home opener against the Orioles has been canceled, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers tweets that not all of the new cases are asymptomatic.
The Marlins remain in Philadelphia and won’t be traveling back to Miami as had been previously scheduled, per Sportsgrid’s Craig Mish (Twitter links). In the span of one weekend, the Marlins have now seen a dozen players and two coaches test positive. More troubling, perhaps, is that Mish emphasizes that Marlins players and coaching staff have been adhering to the league’s health and safety protocols.
It’s alarming, too, that Rosenthal and colleague Jayson Stark report (subscription link) that yesterday’s Marlins/Phillies game was played after three players tested positive. That brought the Marlins’ total known positive tests to seven, and a day later it appears that figure has doubled. Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas and manager Don Mattingly said that the team was unified in its decision to play. Rosenthal and Stark add that the league conducted contact tracing and tested the remainder of the roster and staff, with all beyond the initial seven coming back negative.
The implications here, of course, are broad-reaching. The Phillies just shared the field with the Marlins for their opening three-game series, which will undoubtedly prompt concerns among Phillies players and staff. The Yankees, meanwhile, had been scheduled to travel to Philadelphia to set up shop in the same visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park that was just home to 14 positive cases. Ramifications beyond the immediate circle of baseball employees exist as well, of course. The Marlins have been staying at a hotel in Philadelphia over the weekend, which means staff on hand there has likely been exposed as well.
The Yankees, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links), aren’t staying at the same hotel the Marlins used. They’ve also brought in their own clubhouse staff rather than work with the Phillies’ visiting clubhouse staff. They might’ve chosen to do so anyway, but The Athletic’s Matt Gelb tweets that the Phillies have quarantined their entire visiting clubhouse staff while awaiting test results. There’s been no definitive word on whether tonight’s game between the Yankees and Phillies will even take place, but it’s certainly possible it’ll be postponed or canceled as well.
Monday’s Game Between Phillies, Yankees Postponed
Tonight’s scheduled game between the Phillies and Yankees at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park has been postponed, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter). The cancellation comes after a dozen Marlins players and two coaches tested positive for COVID-19 after playing in Philadelphia this past weekend. The Marlins’ scheduled home opener against the Orioles has also been called off.
Major League Baseball has yet to offer any official statement on the Marlins’ outbreak or on subsequent measures that will be taken. Phillies players, staff and clubhouse personnel have all surely gone through additional testing already, but the number of negative tests they’ll need to continue — and the period of time in which those tests must occur — isn’t known right now. At the very least, it’s safe to consider both the Marlins/Orioles and Yankees/Phillies series in jeopardy at this time.
ESPN’s Marly Rivera tweets that one potential option could be to push today’s game back to this weekend, when the Phillies are scheduled to be in New York for the Yankees’ home opener. Adding one or more doubleheaders to the two clubs’ remaining schedule this season and/or a makeup game on one of the rare off-days on the schedule could conceivably account for any games lost to the current outbreak, but such measures would obviously become untenable in the event that similar outbreak scenarios occur over the next two months.
The results of the Phillies’ testing will become crucial not only with regard to the resumption or rescheduling of the Yankees series but with regard to the feasibility of the 2020 season itself. The Phillies were the first team to have any type of outbreak, with as many as 12 positive tests among players and personnel back at intake. However, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Phils haven’t had a positive test since intake. Multiple infections now would point to a spread over the weekend series against Miami, which would serve as an even more foreboding red flag than the already ominous Marlins outbreak. Even if the league does continue on, it’s not difficult to imagine renewed apprehension among players and some additional season opt-outs.
Predict The NL East Division Winner
With final roster decisions in the books and the 2020 season underway at long last, it’s time to make some predictions. We’re polling the MLBTR readership on each of the game’s six divisions — though plenty more teams will crack the postseason under the rather inclusive new playoff qualification system. We’ve already surveyed the AL Central and NL Central landscapes, and now we’ll turn to the National League East.
As is the case with the National League more broadly, the NL East looks like it could end up very tightly-packed from start to finish. The Braves have claimed back-to-back division titles and their star young core only figures to get better. Fresh off a World Series win, the Nationals still boast perhaps the game’s top starting rotation. Anthony Rendon’s defection is quite the loss, but the lineup is still chock-full of talent. The Mets, too, have a strong group of bats and an uber-ace in Jacob deGrom. Their defense is questionable and there’s some volatility on the pitching staff, yet there’s no denying the upside. The Phillies have a handful of high-end players but some uncertainty on the mound. It’s a bit more of a long shot in Miami, but the Marlins have built a high-upside young rotation and added a handful of solid veteran position players over the offseason.
Which team do you think is the best of the bunch? (Poll link for app users).
Predict The 2020 N.L. East Division Winner
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Braves 63% (6,603)
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Mets 12% (1,277)
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Nationals 12% (1,266)
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Phillies 8% (790)
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Marlins 5% (485)
Total votes: 10,421
Multiple Marlins Players Reportedly Test Positive For COVID-19
12:30pm: First baseman Garrett Cooper and outfielder Harold Ramirez are also among the Marlins who have tested positive, according to Robert Murray and Jon Heyman of MLB Network. And since these results were discovered on the road, the Marlins find themselves in an unfortunate position; Cooper and the other players will have to quarantine in their Philadelphia hotel for about two weeks and, for the time being, are unable to travel back to Miami with the rest of their team. From a purely baseball perspective, the news represents a considerable blow to the Marlins’ depth: Between Alfaro, Cooper, and Ramirez, they’re losing three regulars, not to mention a key piece of the rotation in Ureña.
11:32 am: “Multiple” Miami players are dealing with COVID-19 issues, tweets Craig Mish of Sportsgrid. Heyman hears the same, tweeting that two of the club’s starting position players have also tested positive for the coronavirus. Catcher Jorge Alfaro was placed on the injured list for an undisclosed reason Friday, although it remains unclear if he is among those who have tested positive.
11:08 am: Marlins right-hander José Ureña was scratched from today’s scheduled start, as noted by various reporters (including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). Ureña tested positive for COIVD-19, tweets Jon Heyman of the MLB Network. Fortunately, Ureña “feels fine,” Heyman adds, but this is simply the latest reminder of the threat the coronavirus continues to pose to players and teams leaguewide.
Even if Ureña remains asymptomatic, he’ll need to twice test negative at least 24 hours apart before he’s permitted to return to the club. Miami has not yet made any roster moves related to the situation, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. With there being no minimum length for stints on the COVID-19 injured list, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Miami decide to place Ureña on the IL, even if they believe he’ll be ready to return in short order.
Ureña is ticketed for a return to the Miami rotation after splitting last year between the starting staff and the bullpen. Right-hander Robert Dugger, who started seven games for Miami down the stretch last season, will take the ball in Ureña’s stead this afternoon against the Phillies.
Marlins Place Jorge Alfaro On IL, Select Sean Rodriguez
The Marlins announced that they’ve placed catcher Jorge Alfaro on the injured list, meaning he’s out of action for Opening Day. A reason was not given for the surprise move.
Replacing him on the active roster will be veteran utilityman Sean Rodriguez, whose contract was selected. The Fish also announced the signing of outfielder Travis Snider to a minor-league pact. He’ll head to the team’s alternate training site.
It’s obviously disappointing to see Alfaro hit the shelf right at the start of the season. The 27-year-old has established himself as a solid MLB backstop, though he’s hoping to take another step forward after posting consecutive 95 OPS+ efforts at the plate. Alfaro is also playing to set himself up for his first run at the arbitration process.
Marlins, Brian Anderson Have Discussed Extension
The Marlins and third baseman/outfielder Brian Anderson have discussed a contract extension in the five-year, $30MM range, Craig Mish of Sports Grid reports. Those talks mostly came before the coronavirus shutdown, per Mish, who adds that the two sides’ negotiations will likely pick up again during the upcoming winter.
Once next offseason rolls around, the 27-year-old Anderson will be on track to make his first of three potential trips through arbitration. Having collected league-minimum salaries since he debuted in 2017, Anderson has been a bargain performer and one of the few bright spots for the Marlins during his short career.
Going back to 2018, Anderson has accounted for 6.5 fWAR, slashed .268/.350/.430 (113 wRC+) with 31 home runs in 1,190 plate appearances, and logged a substantial amount of action at the hot corner and in right field. All things considered, it’s no surprise even a small-budget team like Miami would be interested in locking up Anderson for millions per annum. But if Anderson and the Marlins are unable to find common ground in contract talks over the next couple years, he should carry a solid amount of value on the trade market.
Marlins To Select Contract Of Brad Boxberger
The Marlins will carry Brad Boxberger on their Opening Day roster, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports on Twitter. He’ll have to be added to the 40-man roster.
Boxberger joined the Miami organization on a minor-league deal right at the outset of Spring Training. The veteran reliever impressed in Grapefruit League action, allowing just one earned run and two baserunners while striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings.
This time last year, the 32-year-old Boxberger was pitching in the upper minors after a disappointing early showing led the Royals to cut him loose. He wasn’t able to force his way back up last summer but obviously impressed the Marlins brass this time around. Through 311 total MLB innings over his eight-year career, Boxberger owns a 3.59 ERA and has registered 77 saves.
Alex Vesia, Sterling Sharp Make Marlins’ Roster
Left-handed reliever Alex Vesia and righty Sterling Sharp have made the Marlins’ Opening Day roster, per reports from Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald and Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter links). Vesia is not on the team’s 40-man roster, so his contract will be selected before the season kicks off. The Marlins’ 40-man roster is technically full, but they have a few players who appear to be on the Covid-19 injured list, and those players won’t count against the 40-man until they’re activated. A corresponding move or moves from the club may yet come, depending on other additions Miami wishes to make.
It seems safe to say that the 24-year-old Vesia has exceeded expectations set for him when he was a 17th-round pick just two summers ago. A product of Division-II Cal State East Bay, Vesia skyrocketed across three levels last year, pitching to a combined 1.76 ERA with a ridiculous 100-to-19 K/BB ratio in 66 2/3 innings of relief. He’s a pure bullpen prospect, but Vesia has a career 1.62 ERA since being drafted.
He ranks 21st among Miami prospects, per FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, and checks in 27th at MLB.com. Vesia’s innings in 2020 will obviously be limited, given expanded rosters and the shortened season, but he’ll get his first look at MLB opponents in the near future and could potentially be a piece of the Miami bullpen for years to come.
Sharp spent the first few years of his professional career with the division-rival Nationals, who used a 22nd-round pick on him in 2016. The Marlins plucked Sharp from the Nats with the No. 3 overall selection in last December’s Rule 5 Draft after he turned in a productive season among the rookie, Low-A and Double-A levels in 2019. Sharp totaled 58 2/3 frames of 3.53 ERA pitching and 8.0 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9. FanGraphs (No. 30) and MLB.com (28th) regard the 25-year-old Sharp as a prospect of note in the Marlins’ system, with Longenhagen writing he could turn into a back-end starter in MLB.
Amateur Draft Signings: 7/21/20
Here are the game’s latest draft signings, courtesy of Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter links):
- The Cubs have signed third-round outfielder and No. 88 overall pick Jordan Nwogu for the full slot value of $678,600. Nwogu played college ball at Michigan, where he slashed .334/.430/.545 with 20 home runs in 525 plate appearances. Prior to the draft, Keith Law of The Athletic ranked Nwogu as the 68th-best prospect available, calling him “a plus runner with plus raw power” and declaring he could be a 20-20 type in the majors if everything comes together.
- The Marlins have inked fifth-round right-hander Kyle Hurt for $300K, way down from the $418,200 slot value of the 134th overall selection. Hurt posted uninspiring results at USC, where he pitched to a 5.06 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9 in 172 2/3 innings. But Law rated Hurt as the No. 96 prospect in the draft, thanks to a repertoire that includes a 96 mph fastball, an “above-average changeup” and a “12/6 curveball.”