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Marlins Outright Six Players

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The Marlins announced Friday that right-handers Tyler Cloyd, James Needy and Javy Guerra, left-hander Chris O’Grady, infielder Christopher Bostick and outfielder Rafael Ortega have all been outrighted off the 40-man roster after clearing waivers (O’Grady was first reinstated from the 60-day DL).

Cloyd, 31, allowed 17 runs in 17 2/3 innings for the Fish in his largest slate of big league work since the 2013 campaign with the Phillies. The 32-year-old Guerra (33 on Halloween) was unable to repeat the success he had with the 2017 Marlins, as he was clobbered for a 5.55 ERA in 35 2/3 innings (albeit with a more encouraging 30-to-12 K/BB ratio). O’Grady pitched just seven innings in his second season with the Fish and has a 4.73 ERA with 38 strikeouts against 22 walks in 40 Major League innings. Needy, meanwhile, did not pitch in 2018 after a solid 2017 campaign and also missed the 2016 season due to injury.

As for the position players, the 25-year-old Bostick was acquired from the Pirates for cash in August but saw just 16 plate appearances in the Majors. He’s a .256/.360/.326 hitter in a tiny sample of 50 plate appearances as a big leaguer and a .275/.337/.391 hitter in 1189 Triple-A plate appearances. Ortega, 27, logged 143 plate appearances with the Marlins this season and batted .233/.287/.271. Like Bostick, he has limited MLB experience but a solid track record in Triple-A (.299/.368/.423).

Marlins’ International Pool Nearly Even With Orioles Following Barraclough Trade

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TODAY: The Marlins picked up $1MM of bonus availability in the swap with the Nats, per Spencer (via Twitter). The prior deal with the Reds brought in $750K, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets, meaning that the Miami organization has just over $6MM in spending capacity to work with.

YESTERDAY: The Marlins and Orioles have long been considered the two front-runners to sign top prospect Victor Victor Mesa and his younger brother, Victor Mesa Jr., given the fact that they possess the two largest remaining international bonus pools. At the time of the showcase featuring the Mesa brothers and hard-throwing righty Sandy Gaston, a fellow Cuban prospect of intrigue, Baltimore was reported to have a $6.7MM pool to the Marlins’ $4.3MM allotment.

However, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (via Twitter) that following the weekend trade sending prospect Ryan Lillie to the Reds and this morning’s relatively stunning trade of Kyle Barraclough to the Nationals, the Marlins have “almost as much” international money as the Orioles. The specific amount that the Nationals sent to the Marlins in order to acquire the final three years of club control over Barraclough isn’t clear, but in order for the Marlins to be within striking distance, it’d have to be substantial.

Slot money must be traded in increments of at least $250K, per the collective bargaining agreement, so we know that following this past weekend’s trade of Lillie, the Marlins were up to at least $4.55MM in pool allotments. Based on that number and the fact that Spencer indicates the Marlins are still somewhat shy, it seems reasonable to deduce that the Nats couldn’t have sent more than $2MM to Miami.

Washington opened the 2018-19 signing period with a total pool of $4,983,500 but was also barred from spending more than $300K on any one signing as penalty for significant overages in previous signing periods. Per Baseball America’s Ben Badler, the Nats had already signed three players — Jeremy de la Rosa, Yeuri Amparov and Edwin Mercedes — for their maximum $300K, and the team had made another 15 signings, though the values of those additional signings is not clear.

The Marlins have reportedly been trying to sell the brothers Mesa and Gaston on their proximity to Cuba and the strong Latin American population in the Miami area. The Fish did host the showcase for the three prospects last week, and they reportedly had personalized lockers set up in the clubhouse to help the trio visualize the possibility of playing there in the future.

While the showcase was closed to the media, Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs spoke to a number of scouts who were on hand and provided a breakdown of the overall opinions of the players involved. Victor Victor Mesa’s 60-yard dash time clocked in at 6.5 seconds, placing him at a 65 to 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, per McDaniel and Longenhagen, who pegged a 50-grade (average) on his raw power. Their detailed report, which is free to read and features plenty of detail for those interested in the group, notes that Albert Almora’s name came up as an oft-mentioned comp for the elder Mesa brother.

Gaston, meanwhile, hit 97 mph and showed better feel for his secondary offerings. The younger Mesa brother checked in a bit slower on the 60-yard dash (6.9 seconds) but had an above-average throwing arm and an above-average hit tool. Notably, McDaniel and Longenhagen write that they feel the Marlins are the favorites to land Victor Victor Mesa, which would likely make them the favorites to land Mesa Jr., as the two are said to be considered a package deal.

Nationals Acquire Kyle Barraclough

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The Nationals announced that they have acquired reliever Kyle Barraclough in a trade with the Marlins. $1MM of international bonus availability will head to Miami in the swap, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (via Twitter).

This transaction comes as a surprise, though the timing may well be explained by the Marlins’ well-known efforts to land top Cuban prospect Victor Victor Mesa. This’ll pad the team’s bonus coffers as it pursues Mesa — also a reputed target of the Orioles — and other talented amateur players who hail from outside of North America.

For the Nats, meanwhile, the move slots in a high-powered relief arm at a palatable price. The club was barred from spending more than $300K on the current international market regardless. And Barraclough projects to earn only $1.9MM in his first trip through arbitration.

Of course, there’s a reason that Barraclough was available for a return that doesn’t really sting his new club. The 28-year-old continued to show big velocity and swing-and-miss stuff in 2018 — he owns a career rate of 11.5 strikeouts per nine — but he continued to deal with major control problems and his results plummeted over the course of the season.

Indeed, after he held 170 opposing hitters to a putrid .126/.254/.217 slash to open the season, the next 75 to step in the box against Barraclough battered him to the tune of a .367/.486/.667 batting line. It’s hard to know just what went wrong, though some release-point issues seem to correlate with changes in the movement of his arsenal. This all occurred in the same general mid-season timeframe as Barraclough’s dip in effectiveness and trip to the DL for a shoulder impingement.

For the Nats, then, this move injects a rather volatile piece into the bullpen. There’s certainly some upside, though; indeed, Barraclough has delivered 218 2/3 innings of 3.21 ERA ball in his career despite the fact that he has consistently issued more than five free passes per nine innings. If he pans out, he’ll also be controllable for two additional seasons.

Surely, the Marlins hoped not long ago that they’d be able to get more for a controllable power arm with high-leverage experience. Unfortunately, though, they ultimately decided to cash him in at a moment when there was an opportunity to take a more future-oriented risk. In some regards, that’s not so different from the reasoning that brought Barraclough to Miami in the first place, when he was picked up in a mid-season deal that sent then-struggling closer Steve Cishek to the Cardinals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL Notes: Correa, Arenado, Suzuki, Mattingly

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If you haven’t yet come across this recent profile of former Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa, via SI’s Ben Reiter, then you’ll certainly want to give it a read. The analytical guru ended up in federal prison after impermissibly accessing the computer systems of the Astros. While he’s still mostly remaining silent on details of that stunning episode, Correa offers a fascinating glimpse into his time behind bars.

The latest from the National League:

  • While it’s hard to see the 2018 campaign as anything but a success for the Rockies, the organization faces some tough decisions in the offseason to come. One of those involves franchise cornerstone Nolan Arenado, who is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility. As Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports, extension scenarios have yet to be discussed by team and player. Arenado’s arb salary will force the sides to the bargaining table, but it’s not yet clear whether there’ll be a clear path to a long-term deal. It is certainly possible to imagine a trade scenario, though that’d be a tough call to make for the organization. For his part, Arenado says he loves playing in Colorado and anticipates remaining with the organization, but does acknowledge that “things can get a little iffy because of the business side of it.”
  • As he wraps up his contract with the Braves, backstop Kurt Suzuki tells Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) that he’d like to find a way back into the fold. The Atlanta organization has already struck a deal to retain Tyler Flowers, who has combined with Suzuki to form a solid and cost-effective duo. Continuing that situation surely holds some appeal, though it’s also quite reasonable to expect that the Braves front office will look into the acquisition of a top-tier option behind the dish. [RELATED: 2018-19 Market Snapshot: Catcher]
  • Even as the Marlins make some changes to their coaching staff, they haven’t given indication that they’ll replace skipper Don Mattingly in his post. That said, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that there hasn’t been any effort on the part of the team to extend Mattingly’s contract, which is entering its final season. It’s certainly possible that’ll still come to pass, though it would hardly be surprising if the club preferred instead to maintain the status quo.

Players Electing Free Agency

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Quite a few players will hit the open market this fall, and they’ll do so by way of varying mechanisms. The end of the regular season triggered a recent wave of free agents, consisting of a certain subset of players — namely, those who were outrighted from 40-man rosters during the season and accepted minor-league assignments at that time despite having the right to elect free agency. Players in that situation are entitled instead to hit the open market at season’s end, if they were not added back to the 40-man roster in the meantime.

As conveyed by Matt Eddy of Baseball America, who also covers quite a few other minor moves, these players have now elected free agency:

Athletics: RHP Raul Alcantara, LHP Danny Coulombe

Blue Jays: RHP Mike Hauschild, INF/OF Darnell Sweeney

Braves: LHP Rex Brothers, RHP Miguel Socolovich

Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons

Indians: RHP Evan Marshall, RHP Alexi Ogando

Mariners: RHP Christian Bergman, LHP Ross Detwiler, RHP Mike Morin, INF Zach Vincej

Marlins: OF JB Shuck

Mets: RHP Chris Beck, OF Bryce Brentz, RHP Scott Copeland, OF Matt den Dekker, INF Ty Kelly

Nationals: LHP Tommy Milone, OF Moises Sierra, RHP Carlos Torres

Orioles: RHP Jhan Marinez, INF Luis Sardinas

Padres: OF Matt Szczur

Phillies: INF Trevor Plouffe

Pirates: LHP Buddy Boshers, RHP Casey Sadler, RHP A.J. Schugel

Rangers: C Juan Centeno, LHP Anthony Gose, RHP Drew Hutchison, INF Tommy Joseph, RHP Chris Rowley

Rays: INF Brandon Snyder, RHP Ryan Weber

Reds: C Tim Federowicz, RHP Kevin Quackenbush

Tigers: INF Dixon Machado, RHP Jacob Turner

White Sox: RHP Tyler Danish

Marlins To Make Several Coaching Changes

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The Marlins will not retain pitching coach Juan Nieves, first base coach Perry Hill, assistant hitting coach Frank Menechino or strength and conditioning coach Ty Hill for the 2019 season, reports Joe Frisaro of MLB.com (via Twitter).

Nieves, 53, spent three seasons as the Marlins’ pitching coach after previously spending the 2013-16 seasons as the Red Sox’ pitching coach. Prior to that, Nieves spent five years as the bullpen coach for the White Sox and another nine seasons as a pitching coach in the ChiSox’ farm system. That sizable amount of experience notwithstanding, the Derek Jeter/Bruce Sherman-led Marlins ownership group has apparently decided that a different voice is needed as a large wave of young pitchers graduates from the upper levels of the Marlins’ farm to the big leagues.

The 66-year-old Hill has been a part of the Marlins organization for 12 years and has occupied his the role of infield/first base coach since 2013. He also held that position with the Expos — a note that speaks to his considerable coaching experience in and of itself — and has occupied a variety of coaching and development roles with Miami, Montreal, Detroit and Texas since 1993.

Menechino, 47, spent five years with the organization and is at least somewhat of a known commodity to Jeter and vice president of player development Gary Denbo, having begun his coaching career with the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate back in 2009.

Hill, meanwhile, had been the team’s strength and conditioning coach since Dec. 2012. He’s previously served as a minor league conditioning coordinator with the Pirates and Royals for a combined nine seasons in addition to a combined seven seasons on the Major League staff in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

NL Notes: Rockies, Bader, Cardinals, Marlins

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The Rockies’ Game 3 loss to the Brewers not only bounced them from the 2018 postseason but may also have marked the end of the Colorado tenure for a number of impending free agents, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post writes. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu and setup man Adam Ottavino could land with new cubs this winter, as could outfielders Carlos Gonzalez, Gerardo Parra and Matt Holliday. The 30-year-old LeMahieu said after the loss that he’d like to return, though there’s hardly any certainty that the Rox will make a concerted effort to retain him. Trevor Story has a firm grip on the shortstop role, while the Rockies have top middle-infield prospect Brendan Rodgers also looming in the upper minors and another young option in Garrett Hampson. And, as Newman points out with regard to Ottavino, the bullpen already has three large contracts in Wade Davis, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw, even if each of those three relievers took a step back in 2018 after inking a three-year pact this past offseason. Meanwhile Scott Oberg stepped up as a cost-effective potential replacement for Ottavino.

Here’s more from the NL to kick off the week…

  • Center field has been a position of extreme turnover for the Cardinals in recent seasons, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but Harrison Bader’s exceptional defensive prowess gives hope for some much-needed continuity. The last player to make consecutive Opening Day starts for the Cardinals in center field was Peter Bourjos, Goold notes, and no Cardinal has started 100-plus games in center in consecutive seasons since Jon Jay. “He’s sort of taken that job and run with it,” GM Mike Girsch tells Goold. “The way Harrison plays center field defensively makes it pretty obvious he’s the best defensive center fielder that we have, and he’s hit more than well enough to earn the first shot.” Bader still needs to improve his offensive consistency — specifically, his output against breaking balls — but after after being declared by Girsch as the team’s center fielder moving forward, the 24-year-old should have an extended chance to do so.
  • After acquiring additional international bonus allotments in a weekend trade with the Reds, the Marlins are exploring the trade market for opportunities to further pad their bonus pool, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. It’s not yet clear how much money Miami added to what was already baseball’s second-largest bonus pool ($4.3MM) with their latest move, but they’re still looking up at the Orioles, who carry a reported $6.7MM. Miami and Baltimore have the most money available to sign Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa and both are widely expected to make aggressive pitches to the 22-year-old.

International Notes & Signings: Mesas, Gaston, O’s, Marlins, Dodgers, Gutierrez

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The latest on the international market:

  • Cuban free agents Victor Victor Mesa, Victor Mesa Jr. and Sandy Gaston held a showcase in Miami for all 30 teams on Friday. The Orioles, with the most international spending room available (~$6.7MM), are reportedly the favorites to sign Victor Victor Mesa, an outfielder who’s the No. 1-ranked int’l prospect available. It seems the team that gets him will also land his brother, a fellow outfielder, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes the two “are viewed within the industry as a package deal.” The O’s are indeed interested in the tandem, reports Kubatko, who adds that they also “really like” Gaston – a right-handed pitcher. Financially speaking, the Orioles hold a significant edge over every other team in the league when it comes to signing any of these players, but Kubatko notes that the Marlins’ proximity to Cuba could stand in Baltimore’s way. The Marlins, who have the second-most money to spend ($4.3MM), have made it known that they are trying to use location to their advantage. Further, in their push to sign the Mesas and Gaston, the Marlins set up personalized lockers with uniforms for the players, Kubatko relays. Team CEO and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter also happened to be on hand for their showcase.
  • The Dodgers have signed Cuban righty Osvani Gutierrez to a $600K bonus, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 17-year-old did not rank among the top international prospects available at any of BA, MLB.com or FanGraphs, but Badler writes that Gutierrez is “a solid strike-thrower for his age” who “shows feel for his secondary pitches” and can bring 93 mph heat. The Dodgers entered this year’s international signing period with the standard bonus pool of $4,983,500. As of mid-September, they were down to $2.78MM – still one of the highest sums left.

East Notes: Red Sox, Wright, Marlins, Orioles

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The latest on a few East Coast clubs:

  • After the Red Sox removed the injured Steven Wright from their ALDS roster on Saturday, the knuckleballer lamented (via Christopher Smith of MassLive.com), “This feels like a nightmare to be honest with you.” Wright aggravated his left knee Friday while warming up before Game 1 of the team’s series against the Yankees, Smith details. It’s the same knee on which Wright underwent surgery in May 2017, thereby keeping him out for most of last year and a large portion of this season. Wright added that “what we think is there’s loose bodies in there.” He’ll know more after a Monday visit in New York with Dr. Riley Williams III, the same doctor who performed his surgery 17 months ago. The loss of Wright’s an unfortunate development for Boston’s bullpen, as the 34-year-old pitched to a 1.52 ERA with a .191/.303/.314 batting line against in 29 2/3 innings in relief during the regular season.
  • The Marlins made a trade Saturday, sending right-hander Ryan Lillie to the Reds for international bonus pool money, and there may be more such moves on the way from the Fish. Miami’s “exploring other deals” that would enable it to net more international cash, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com tweets. The Marlins entered Saturday with the second-most international money available ($4.3MM) and are known to be in the market for Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa, MLB.com’s top-ranked int’l prospect.
  • The Orioles – the only team with more international money to spend than the Fish – had five representatives in attendance for the showcase of Victor Victor Mesa, brother Victor Mesa Jr. (also an outfielder) and Cuban pitcher Sandy Gaston on Friday in Miami, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Baltimore sent vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson, senior advisor Joe McIlvaine, special assignment scout John Stockstill and a pair of scouts (Dean Albany and Calvin Maduro), according to Kubatko, who hears that the O’s lack of a GM/manager won’t impact their pursuit of the Mesas. The Orioles said goodbye to both GM Dan Duquette and skipper Buck Showalter earlier this week.

Reds Acquire Ryan Lillie From Marlins For International Spending Capacity

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The Reds have acquired right-hander Ryan Lillie from the Marlins for international bonus money, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic (Twitter link). $750K of availability is going to Miami in the swap, per MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter).

Lillie, 22, was a fifth round pick of the Marlins in the 2017 draft.  Though he showed plus command (1.12 BB/9 for Low-A Greensboro this season) in his initial low-level taste, Lillie seems little more than organizational depth at this point: at season’s end, he didn’t rank in the top thirty for a mid-pack Marlins system in any major publication.  Baseball America (subscription required) does note that he has a chance to be a back-end reliever, lauding his ’above-average’ slider, though the Marlins used him almost exclusively in a starting role.

For the Marlins, the incentive seems clear: stockpile as much international bonus pool money as possible in hopes of luring star free agent Victor Victor Mesa to Miami.  The Fish, who began the day with $4.3MM in pool money, have baseball’s second-highest total in that department and figure to be key players for the 22-year-old when the time comes.

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