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Marlins To Hire Carson Vitale As Bench Coach

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The Marlins are set to hire Carson Vitale away from the Mariners to serve as new manager Clayton McCullough’s bench coach, reports Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Vitale has spent the past seven seasons with Seattle, including five as their major league field coordinator.

Vitale, 36, was Seattle’s minor league field coordinator before joining the big league staff in 2020. Prior to that, he was the Dodgers’ international field coordinator for two seasons (2016-17) and spent several years as a hitting coach and manager in the Angels’ minor league system. The Victoria, British Columbia native was drafted in the 38th round as a catcher out of Creighton University by the Rangers back in 2010 and played parts of two minor league seasons before setting a course down a coaching path.

Miami still has a ways to go in terms of filling out its coaching staff. The Marlins gutted their entire coaching staff after Skip Schumaker’s departure as manager, and McCullough’s hiring has only been official for two weeks. Miami has also reportedly hired former Giants assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero to serve as their new hitting coach, but he and Vitale are the only known hires to date. Both coaches have ties to Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler; Vitale worked with both Kapler and McCullough in Los Angeles, while Guerrero was on Kapler’s coaching staff in San Francisco and in Philadelphia when he managed the Giants and Phillies.

National League Non-Tenders: 11/22/24

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The deadline to tender a contract to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 7pm CT. Here’s a rundown of the players on National League teams that have been non-tendered today. This post will be updated as more decisions are revealed. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all players eligible for arbitration last month. All players who are non-tendered before this evening’s deadline go directly into free agency, where they’re eligible to sign with any of MLB’s 30 clubs.

Onto the transactions…

  • The Braves non-tendered outfielder Ramón Laureano, left-hander Ray Kerr, as well as right-handers Griffin Canning, Huascar Ynoa and Royber Salinas, which you can read more about here.
  • The Brewers parted ways with lefty reliever Hoby Milner, who’d been projected at $2.7MM for his final arbitration season. The typically reliable southpaw was tagged for a 4.73 ERA in 64 2/3 innings this year.
  • The Cardinals have non-tendered right-hander Adam Kloffenstein, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat (Bluesky link). The righty only just made his major league debut in 2024 and was not yet arb-eligible. He immediately becomes a free agent without being exposed to waivers.
  • The Cubs have non-tendered infielder Nick Madrigal, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN (X link). Madrigal has hit .251/.304/.312 for a 76 wRC+ over the last three seasons with the Cubs and was projected for a $1.9MM salary next year. Chicago also announced they non-tendered outfielder Mike Tauchman, which comes as a bit of a surprise after he reached base at a .357 clip this year. Patrick Wisdom, Adbert Alzolay, Brennen Davis and Trey Wingenter — all of whom were designated for assignment earlier this week — were also dropped.
  • The Diamondbacks non-tendered lefty reliever Brandon Hughes, per a club announcement. The 28-year-old southpaw allowed 16 runs over 17 2/3 big league innings this year. He wasn’t eligible for arbitration but would’ve occupied a 40-man roster spot if offered a contract.
  • The Dodgers are non-tendering right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. and left-hander Zach Logue, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (X link). Both pitchers are still in their pre-arbitration years, so this was more about the Dodgers sending them to free agency without exposing them to waivers, as opposed to cost cutting. Perhaps the club will look to re-sign them on minor league deals.
  • The Giants only made two non-tenders, parting with lefty Ethan Small and righty Kai-Wei Teng. Teng had been designated for assignment earlier in the week. Small, who was in his pre-arbitration years, spent the season in the minors or on the injured list.
  • The Marlins had zero non-tenders. They offered contracts to everyone on the 40-man roster.
  • The Mets dropped a trio of players from the 40-man roster: relievers Grant Hartwig and Alex Young and outfield prospect Alex Ramirez. Young was the only member of that group who’d been eligible for arbitration. The southpaw pitched well in a depth role, but the Mets didn’t want to keep him around at a $1.4MM projection. Hartwig made four appearances this year, while the 21-year-old Ramirez (a former top prospect) had a .210/.291/.299 showing in Double-A.
  • The Nationals announced that they have non-tendered right-hander Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey, which you can read more about here.
  • The Padres dropped four players from the roster: righties Luis Patino and Logan Gillaspie, outfielder Bryce Johnson and infielder Mason McCoy. Patino, who underwent Tommy John surgery last summer, was the only member of the group who’d been eligible for arbitration. The other three cuts are simply about roster maintenance. The Padres could try to bring anyone from that group back on minor league deals.
  • The Phillies will not be tendering a contract to outfielder Austin Hays, which MLBTR covered earlier today.
  • The Pirates are expected to non-tender first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, per Alex Stumpf of MLB.com (Bluesky link). They are also non-tendering right-hander Hunter Stratton, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (X link). Joe was projected for a salary of $3.2MM next year and De La Cruz $4MM. Stratton had not yet qualified for arbitration. Joe has been around league average at the plate in his career but doing more damage against lefties. De La Cruz has hit .253/.297/.407 in his career for a wRC+ of 90. Startton had a 3.58 ERA this year but his season was ended by knee surgery, giving him an uncertain path forward.
  • The Reds have non-tendered right-hander Ian Gibaut, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Bluesky link). The righty was projected for a salary of $800K. He spent the vast majority of 2024 on the injured list due to arm trouble and only made two appearances on the season.
  • The Rockies moved on from starter Cal Quantrill and second baseman Brendan Rodgers, which MLBTR covered here.

Marlins To Add Three Players To 40-Man Roster

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The Marlins are going to be selecting three players to their 40-man roster ahead of today’s Rule 5 protection deadline, reports Christina De Nicola of MLB.com on X. They are infielders Deyvison De Los Santos and Jared Serna as well as left-hander Dax Fulton. The 40-man roster will be full when the moves are official.

De Los Santos, 22 in June, just arrived with the Marlins at the trade deadline. He was one of two young players that the Fish received when trading lefty A.J. Puk to the Snakes in July. He went on to hit .240/.284/.459 while striking out in 28.4% of his plate appearances after the deal, leading to an 85 wRC+.

The Marlins are undoubtedly hoping that he can get back to the form he showed prior to the trade. In 87 contests this year ahead to the deal, he produced a robust .325/.376/.635 slash line while launching 28 home runs, leading to a 159 wRC+.

De Los Santos is a divisive prospect because the power is exciting but most of his other tools are considered weak. He has played both infield corners but isn’t well regarded for his glovework. He doesn’t take walks or provide much on the basepaths.

Still, a rebuilding club like the Marlins could give him some at-bats and see if the homers make him valuable regardless. The Fish have guys like Jake Burger, Jonah Bride and Connor Norby in their corner infield rotation but De Los Santos will give them some depth there. He already had 99 games of Triple-A experience and could make his major league debut at any time.

Serna, 23 in June, is also a new Marlin. He was one of three players to come from the Yankees as part of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade from this summer. He has slashed .265/.358/.435 over his four minor league seasons, walking at a solid 10.8% clip while keeping his strikeouts down to a 16.6% level, production leads to a 123 wRC+.

He may be ticketed for a utility role down the line, as he has played shortstop, second base, third base and a bit of right field as well. His shortstop defense isn’t considered especially strong, so he may end up playing those other positions a bit more. Prior to the trade, he had never played above High-A, so a major league debut might not be imminent. The Marlins did put him into 39 Double-A games and 6 Triple-A games after the swap, but he’s probably ticketed for more time in the upper levels of the minors next year.

Fulton, 23, is unlike the other two in that he was actually drafted and developed by the Marlins. A second-round pick from 2020, he has posted some strong numbers but hasn’t pitched since undergoing surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in June of 2023. Prior to that surgery, he posted a 4.27 ERA in 229 2/3 innings across multiple levels from 2021 to 2023. His 10% walk rate was a bit high but he punched out 27.6% of batters faced. He will presumably need some time to get back into game shape after missing all of 2024, but he will eventually provide the Marlins with some pitching depth when he is back to full strength.

Marlins Outright Christian Roa

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The Marlins sent right-hander Christian Roa outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to the MLB.com transaction log. That drops the team’s 40-man roster count to 37. Teams need to decide by Tuesday which prospects they want to add to the 40-man to keep out of the Rule 5 draft.

Miami just grabbed Roa off waivers from the Reds two weeks ago. They presumably did so with the hope of getting him through waivers themselves. They succeeded in that bid and can retain him as non-roster depth (assuming he goes unselected in the Rule 5). Roa had never previously been outrighted and does not have the requisite service time to elect free agency.

Roa was Cincinnati’s second-round pick in 2020. The Texas A&M product has yet to make his major league debut. The Reds selected his contract last offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. They kept him on optional assignment to Triple-A Louisville for most of the season. Roa struggled to a 5.55 earned run average in 48 2/3 innings across 23 appearances. His season ended with a shoulder strain.

That clearly wasn’t a great showing, but Roa ranked among the Reds’ top 30 prospects at Baseball America entering 2024. He’d been a starter for most of his career before moving to the bullpen this year. Prospect evaluators have raised that possibility for a while because of his subpar control. Entering the season, BA credited Roa with a decent four-pitch mix headlined by an above-average slider. He’ll probably get a non-roster invite to big league Spring Training.

Marlins To Hire Pedro Guerrero As Hitting Coach

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The Marlins have hired Pedro Guerrero as their new hitting coach, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo and Andrew Baggarly.  Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase reported earlier tonight that Guerrero and the Marlins were nearing a deal, and Baggarly reported last week that Guerrero was interviewing with Miami about an unspecified position on their coaching staff.

Guerrero comes to the Marlins after three seasons as an assistant hitting coach with the Giants.  Notably, the first two seasons of Guerrero’s tenure in San Francisco continued his association with Gabe Kapler, who was then the Giants’ manager and is now Miami’s assistant general manager.  Before coming to the Giants, Guerrero was also an assistant hitting coach with the Phillies from 2018-21, overlapping Kapler’s time as Philadelphia’s manager during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Miami has basically nowhere to go but up when it comes to hitting, as the 62-100 team naturally ranked near the bottom of the league in most major batting categories.  Former hitting coach John Mabry and assistant hitting coaches Bill Mueller and Jason Hart can’t be entirely blamed for the lack of production, of course, as the Marlins’ rebuild left the roster increasingly gutted of big-league caliber talent as the season developed.  That said, the Fish also didn’t even hit much when they reached the playoffs in 2023, as Miami ranked 26th in the league in runs scored but benefited from an exceptional 33-14 record in one-run games.

Now that Clayton McCullough has been installed as the Marlins’ new manager, Guerrero is the first member of what will be an entirely new set of coaches.  Miami underwent an internal overhaul after the season that saw the club fire not only the whole incumbent coaching staff, but also everyone from the training staffers to clubhouse attendants.  This leaves the Marlins with plenty of positions to fill in the coming weeks and months, and with McCullough now in place as manager, hirings figure to begin quickly.

As for the Giants, they’ve now lost two members of their three-person staff of hitting instructors, between Guerrero’s departure and Justin Viele leaving to become the Rangers’ new hitting coach.  Woo and Baggarly write that the Giants will install just one new hitting coach instead of two, and that sole new hire will team with the returning Pat Burrell as the hitting-coach tandem.

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As Manager

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Nov. 11: The Marlins have now formally announced the hiring.

Nov. 10: The Marlins have hired Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as their new manager, ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reports (X link).  This is the 44-year-old McCullough’s first job as a skipper at the big league level.

It was no secret that the Marlins would be moving on from Skip Schumaker at season’s end, and Miami interviewed such names as McCullough, then-Rangers associate manager Will Venable, Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz, Tigers bench coach George Lombard, and the Marlins’ own former bench coach Luis Urueta (who worked on Schumaker’s staff).  After speaking with over 10 candidates in Zoom interviews, the Marlins then met with Venable and Albernaz for in-person interviews, seemingly establishing the two as finalists.

However, Venable was then hired by the White Sox as their new manager, while Albernaz chose to remain in Cleveland and pulled himself out of the running for the managerial jobs in both Chicago and Miami.  This left the Marlins turning to another candidates, and the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson wrote that the club had an in-person meeting with McCullough this past week in McCullough’s home in Jupiter, Florida.  Since the Marlins hold their Spring Training camp in Jupiter, it makes for something of a homecoming for McCullough as he embarks on his new chapter in his career.

McCullough was a minor league catcher in Cleveland’s farm system from 2002-05 before beginning his coaching career at age 27 as the manager of the Blue Jays’ Gulf Coast League rookie ball affiliate.  McCullough managed in Toronto’s farm system from 2007-14, working his way up the ladder to manage at all three A-level affiliates before leaving the organization to join the Dodgers in 2015.  Initially working as the Dodgers’ minor league field coordinator, McCullough spent a couple of years working with Gabe Kapler (now the Marlins’ assistant GM) when Kapler was Los Angeles’ director of player development.

The move to the big league coaching staff came in 2021, and McCullough has been the L.A. first base coach for the last four seasons.  It wasn’t long before McCullough’s name began to surface in managerial searches around the league, as McCullough was a candidate for vacancies with the Mets, Brewers, Guardians, and Royals in recent years, in addition to the consideration from the White Sox this very offseason.  The Royals’ job was probably McCullough’s closest call, as he was reportedly a finalist two years ago before Kansas City opted to hire Matt Quatraro.

McCullough now faces a tough challenge in his first managerial gig, as the Marlins are coming off a 100-loss season.  Miami’s wild card berth in the 2023 playoffs seems like ages ago now, since the club parted ways with general manager Kim Ng and hired Peter Bendix as the new president of baseball operations.  Bendix’s first assignment has been to reinforce the minor league system and tear down the MLB roster, leaving Miami fans facing yet another rebuild.

There obviously isn’t any pressure on McCullough to win any time soon, as his chief task will be to oversee a pretty inexperienced roster.  Rather than wins or losses, McCullough’s immediate results will be gauged on how the young Marlins (both on the active roster and coming up from the farm) can develop at the big league level.  McCullough’s history as a minor league manager will surely help in this regard, as will his pedigree as a coach with a World Series-winning team.

With the Marlins’ decision now made, the managerial hiring cycle is now complete for the offseason, barring any unexpected firings in the coming weeks or months.  McCullough joins Venable and Reds manager Terry Francona as new bench bosses heading into the 2025 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sixto Sanchez Elects Free Agency

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9:21PM: Sanchez has chosen to become a free agent, Azout reports (X link).

5:26PM: The Marlins have taken Sixto Sánchez off the roster. Miami announced that the former top pitching prospect went unclaimed on waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville. Sánchez has the requisite service time to become a minor league free agent, though the Fish didn’t announce that he has already done so. Miami also outrighted left-hander Josh Simpson and selected the contract of righty Luarbert Arias.

Sánchez was the centerpiece of the J.T. Realmuto trade return. The 6’0″ righty was regarded as perhaps the best pitching prospect in MLB at the time. Sánchez never came close to meeting those lofty expectations. Shoulder injuries have largely derailed his career, as Sánchez has lost huge chunks of time to the IL over the past half-decade. He didn’t throw a single MLB pitch between 2021-23. Sánchez returned to log 35 2/3 innings in a swing role this season, but he surrendered more than six earned runs per nine. Shoulder inflammation ended his season in early June.

Simpson, 27, has yet to make his MLB debut. He had been on the 40-man roster since the end of the 2022 season. Simpson lost most of this season to an ulnar nerve injury that required surgery. He allowed 14 runs (11 earned) across 16 innings between three minor league levels. He’s also likely headed to minor league free agency.

Arias, 23, would have joined them on the open market if the Fish didn’t put him on the 40-man roster. The Venezuelan-born righty had a nice year in a late-inning role for Jacksonville. Arias posted a 3.04 earned run average through 68 innings. He fanned upwards of a quarter of opponents against a 9.3% walk rate. He’s a pure reliever who can compete for a spot in a wide open bullpen as he tries to earn his first big league call.

Isaac Azout of Fish on First first reported that Miami outrighted Sánchez off the roster.

Blue Jays Claim Michael Petersen, Outright Genesis Cabrera

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The Blue Jays announced they’ve claimed reliever Michael Petersen from the Marlins. Toronto outrighted Génesis Cabrera and Luis Frías off the 40-man roster. Both players elected free agency. Toronto also designated righty Emmanuel Ramírez for assignment.

Petersen is on the move for the second time in a few months. Miami grabbed the right-hander off waivers from the Dodgers in September. He allowed four runs across 5 2/3 innings to finish the year. Petersen had made 11 appearances with the Dodgers. He closed his debut campaign with a 5.95 earned run average through 19 2/3 innings.

The 30-year-old Petersen had much better numbers in 33 innings at the Triple-A level. He posted a 1.64 ERA while striking out a massive 35.2% of opponents. The native of the United Kingdom still has a couple options remaining, so he’ll serve as a bullpen depth piece if the Jays keep him on the 40-man roster.

Cabrera’s tenure in Toronto ends after a season and a half. The Jays acquired the southpaw from the Cardinals midway through the ’23 season. Cabrera pitched well down the stretch and returned for a second season. The results were solid enough, as he posted a 3.59 ERA while logging 62 2/3 relief innings. Cabrera had a subpar 18.5% strikeout rate and walked nearly 11% of his opponents, though. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a $2.5MM salary if tendered a contract for his final arbitration year. The Jays evidently weren’t willing to pay that price given Cabrera’s shaky K/BB profile.

Toronto grabbed Frías off waivers from the Diamondbacks late in the year. The 6’3″ righty was blown up for eight runs in 3 1/3 frames. He has a 7.38 ERA over 58 big league appearances. Frías was a reasonably well-regarded prospect who throws in the mid-90s, but he hasn’t shown any kind of strike-throwing consistency in the majors.

Ramírez, 30, was another late-season waiver acquisition. He came over from Miami in early September. Ramírez didn’t make an appearance for the Jays after allowing a near-7.00 ERA over 15 games for the Fish. He’ll presumably find himself on waivers in the next few days.

Phillies Acquire Devin Sweet, Claim John McMillon

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The Phillies announced they acquired reliever Devin Sweet from the Tigers and added him to the 40-man roster. Philadelphia also claimed reliever John McMillon off waivers from the Marlins and selected righty Alan Rangel onto the 40-man. The Phils dropped Kolby Allard, Yunior Marté, Freddy Tarnok, Luis Ortiz and Rodolfo Castro from the roster by running them through outright waivers.

Sweet had not been on Detroit’s 40-man roster. He was set to reach minor league free agency today. While Detroit evidently wasn’t going to select his contract, the Phils were intrigued enough to carry him on the roster. The 28-year-old righty posted big numbers for the Tigers’ top affiliate in Toledo. Sweet struck out almost 34% of Triple-A hitters and posted a 3.91 ERA through 76 innings. He has limited MLB experience, allowing 10 runs in 8 2/3 innings between two teams in 2023.

McMillon changes hands via waivers for the second time in a few months. Miami grabbed the 6’3″ righty from Kansas City in early August. McMillon pitched well over 10 appearances for the Fish but ended the year on the injured list with elbow tightness. The Texas Tech product has an earned run average approaching 5.00 over four seasons in the minors. He averages north of 95 MPH on his fastball, so it’s a low-risk flier on a pitcher with a decent arm and two minor league options remaining.

Rangel, 27, signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia in July. The Mexican-born righty tossed 29 1/3 innings of 4.30 ERA ball in a swing role in Triple-A. He didn’t miss many bats but showed solid control. Rangel, who has yet to make his big league debut, would have been eligible for minor league free agency again this winter.

Of the players coming off the roster, Allard and Marté had the biggest roles this year. The former worked as a depth starter and posted an even 5.00 earned run average through 27 innings. The latter was hit hard to the tune of a 6.92 ERA across 26 frames in a middle relief role. Ortiz made one appearance but missed the majority of the year to ankle and shoulder problems. Castro played in Triple-A, where he tore a thumb ligament in August. Tarnok didn’t pitch in the majors after the Phillies claimed him from the A’s in June.

A’s Claim Anthony Maldonado, Justin Sterner

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The A’s announced they’ve claimed righty relievers Anthony Maldonado from the Marlins and Justin Sterner from the Rays. Both players had quietly landed on waivers last week.

Maldonado and Sterner each made their debuts this past season. Maldonado, 27 in February, has slightly more experience. He pitched in 16 games for Miami and allowed 12 runs across 19 innings. He struck out 11 while issuing seven walks. Maldonado showed better strikeout stuff in the minors, fanning 26.1% of batters faced over 46 1/3 Triple-A frames. While that came with a slightly elevated 10.8% walk rate and a middling 4.66 ERA, the A’s are evidently intrigued by his arsenal. Maldonado leaned most heavily on his mid-80s slider.

Sterner, 28, has all of two games of MLB experience. The BYU product tossed four innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts. He had a strong year with the Rays’ top affiliate in Durham. Sterner turned in a 3.28 earned run average over 46 2/3 innings. He punched out more than 31% of batters faced against an 8.9% walk percentage. Sterner used a fastball-cutter combination during his limited MLB look. Both he and Maldonado sat in the 93-94 MPH range with their heaters.

This was the first option year for both pitchers. The A’s can keep them in Triple-A for the foreseeable future if they stick on the 40-man roster.

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