Marlins, VP Gary Denbo Part Ways
The Marlins and vice president of player development and scouting Gary Denbo are parting ways, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid (Twitter link). The 61-year-old had served as a high-ranking member of the Miami front office for the past five seasons.
Denbo came over the Yankees in October 2017, part of a broader organizational overhaul. He was hired just months after Jeffrey Loria sold the franchise to Bruce Sherman’s and Derek Jeter’s ownership group. Jeter was plenty familiar with Denbo from their overlapping stints in New York, and the latter served as a key piece of the franchise’s rebuild over the past few seasons.
Jeter, of course, left the Miami organization in February. Sherman remains on hand as the principal owner, while general manager Kim Ng was tabbed to head baseball operations during the 2020-21 offseason. Considering Jeter’s role in bringing Denbo aboard in the first place, it’s not especially surprising they departed within a few months of one another. Nevertheless, Denbo stepping down will leave a notable hole to fill in the scouting and player development realms.
Marlins Select Erik Gonzalez, Designate Willians Astudillo
The Marlins announced to reporters, including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, that they have selected the contract of infielder Erik Gonzalez. To make room for him on the active roster, infielder Willians Astudillo has been designated for assignment.
Astudillo, 30, spent the first four years of his career with Minnesota, becoming a fan favorite due to his unusual size and profile. “La Tortuga” played every position on the diamond except for shortstop while with the Twins, including a few stints on the mound. He was also noteworthy for nearly constantly putting the ball in play, very rarely walking or striking out. However, his overall production lacked enough that the Twins designated him for assignment in November of last year.
The Marlins added him on a minor league deal in March, eventually selecting him to the big league team in May. Since then, he’s matched his profile, lining up at multiple positions, striking out just 5.3% of the time and walking just 2.6% of the time. His overall slash line of .270/.289/.351 amounts to a wRC+ of 84.
The Marlins evidently think that they can coax better production out of Gonzalez, based on this transaction. The veteran spent a few weeks with the club earlier this year, when they were dealing with a COVID situation. As such, Gonzalez was designated a “substitute” that could be removed from the 40-man roster without being exposed to waivers. During that time with the big league team, he got into 12 games and hit just .194/.286/.194 for a wRC+ of 49. However, he’s fared much better in Triple-A this year, slashing .339/.376/.431, 119 wRC+. With injuries to Joey Wendle and Brian Anderson, the Marlins have been trying to find infield solutions, including utility types like Astudillo and Jon Berti, with Gonzalez now being swapped in as the latest attempt.
Bullpen Moves: Marlins, Cubs, Guardians
Given the way the game is played these days, bullpens are dynamic entities constantly changing shape. Though longer injured list stints and option limits were intended to somewhat slow this ebb-and-flow of arms moving in and out, the game of musical chairs continues. Let’s check in on some of the changes being made in bullpens around the game today…
- The Marlins have placed Louis Head on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement, recalling Zach Pop from Triple-A, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com (via Twitter). Head’s contributions on the year haven’t necessarily been additive, as the 32-year-old reliever owns a 7.23 ERA/5.29 FIP across 23 appearances totaling 23 2/3 innings. The injury is a bit peculiar as well since it’s not his throwing arm. Pop was a Rule 5 pick from the Orioles by the Diamondbacks, whom the Marlins then acquired via trade. He appeared in 50 games for the Fish last season, pitching to a 4.12 ERA/3.77 FIP across 54 2/3 innings.
- The Cubs have placed veteran southpaw Daniel Norris on the 15-day injured because of a finger strain. To take his roster spot, they have recalled Adrian Sampson from Triple-A, per Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Norris hasn’t had a great season, but if he’s healthy, he made draw some trade interest simply as a veteran southpaw. Currently, however, he owns a 7.24 ERA/5.73 FIP in 24 appearances covering 27 1/3 innings. Sampson has been up and down, designated for assignment, and brought back. Despite his frequent travels, he has tossed just 5 2/3 innings with the Cubs this season without giving up an earned run.
- The Guardians have optioned Anthony Castro to Triple-A and recalled right-hander Yohan Ramirez, per Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com (via Twitter). Castro, 27, with his third team in three years, has slogged through eight appearances, surrendering eight earned runs in eight innings on 11 hits and seven walks to 10 strikeouts. The Guardians acquired Ramirez from the Mariners via trade for cash and a player to be named later. He made seven appearances with the Mariners, posting a 7.56 ERA across 8 1/3 innings of work.
Marlins Win Arbitration Hearing Against Jacob Stallings
The Marlins won their arbitration hearing against catcher Jacob Stallings, as first reported by the Associated Press. That sets his 2022 salary at the $2.45MM figure submitted by the team rather than at the $3.1MM that Stallings and his representatives.
Acquired in an offseason trade that sent righty Zach Thompson and prospects Kyle Nicolas and Connor Scott to the Pirates, Stallings has had a rough start to his Marlins tenure. The 2021 Gold Glover has always been known more for his defensive prowess than his bat, but this year’s .204/.276/.268 showing through 174 trips to the plate has nevertheless been a disappointment. Over his final three seasons with the Bucs, Stallings posted a .251/.331/.374 batting line that clocked in about about 9-10% worse than the league-average hitter (by measure of wRC+ and OPS+) but was slightly better than that of the average catcher.
More concerning for the Fish, however, is the downturn in Stallings’ vaunted defensive skills. This year’s 17% caught-stealing rate is the worst of his big league career, and Stallings has also turned in below-average marks in pitch framing — an area where he’s previously ranked among the game’s very best. Stallings has been a bit better at the dish since a brutal start to the year, hitting .223/.303/.300 over his past 100 trips to the plate, but even that’s a notable departure from his typical output in Pittsburgh.
Of course, Stallings’ struggles to this point weren’t a factor in his arbitration hearing. Arbitration hearings, even those taking place during the ongoing season due to this winter’s lockout, are determined based solely on prior performance. Hearings such as this would’ve typically taken place in February, after all.
With Stallings’ 2022 salary now set, that’ll be the baseline for subsequent arbitration raises moving forward. This is his second trip through arbitration as a Super Two player, and he’ll remain under Marlins control through the 2024 season. That leaves two more trips through the arb process, though Stallings will likely need to improve his play on both sides of the ball if he’s to remain a prominent part of the team’s plans.
Wrapping up Stallings’ case finally brings the Marlins’ arbitration dealings to a close. Miami avoided a hearing with everyone other than Stallings and righty Pablo Lopez, both of whom the team defeated in arb hearings. The Fish also notably sidestepped a hearing with southpaw Richard Bleier when they agreed to a two-year deal in late March.
At this point, Braves lefty Max Fried and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge are the only two players in Major League Baseball with yet-to-be-resolved arbitration cases. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Fried’s hearing took place yesterday, so a ruling could be made as soon as today. Judge’s hearing is set for Friday, per Heyman.
Marlins Sign Billy Hamilton To Minor League Deal, Acquire Ryan Lavarnway From Tigers
The Marlins announced a pair of veteran additions to the upper levels of the farm system this evening (as relayed by Christina De Nicola of MLB.com). Miami signed center fielder Billy Hamilton to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Jacksonville; they’ve also acquired non-roster catcher Ryan Lavarnway in a trade with the Tigers.
Hamilton has appeared in the majors in every season between 2013-21. One of the fastest players in the sport, he stole between 56 and 59 bases in each of his first four full campaigns with the Reds. That athleticism was also on display on defense, as Hamilton consistently rated as an elite gloveman in center field. The baserunning and defense kept him in the everyday lineup for five seasons, but his bat has never developed as hoped.
The former second-round pick is a career .240/.293/.327 hitter in more than 3200 major league plate appearances. He’s particularly struggled in recent seasons, putting up a .213/.269/.299 line since the start of the 2019 campaign. Hamilton has taken on more of a journeyman role, suiting up with each of the Royals, Braves, Mets, Cubs and White Sox over the past three years.
Hamilton signed a minor league deal with the Mariners over the winter. He appeared in 22 games with their top affiliate in Tacoma, mustering only a .168/.263/.209 mark. He triggered an opt-out clause in that deal on June 1, and he’ll head to Florida after finding his latest opportunity. The Fish will add an experienced glove-first depth option behind a rather thin collection of center fielders.
Miami has given the bulk of the playing time at the position to Jesús Sánchez and Bryan De La Cruz, but both are probably stretched there defensively. Hamilton will need to show signs of life at the plate in Jacksonville to get a major league look, but he at least offers the potential for a complementary profile if he can work his way onto the MLB roster.
Lavarnway, meanwhile, has spent the entire season with the Tigers’ top affiliate in Toledo. The 34-year-old backstop has had a good showing with the Mud Hens, posting a .281/.385/.459 line through 174 plate appearances. He’s walked at an excellent 13.2% clip this year and generally has a strong upper minors track record.
A quintessential third catcher, Lavarnway got to the big leagues in ten of the eleven seasons between 2011-21 (2016 being the lone exception). Only twice has he exceeded 100 plate appearances, though, and he’s not reached ten games in a season since 2015. He continues to bounce around the league as a valued depth option, spending time in 11 different organizations — including a five-game stint with Miami two years ago.
The Marlins have Jacob Stallings and Nick Fortes on the MLB roster at the moment. Payton Henry is the only other backstop on the 40-man, but he’s been on the minor league injured list for the past two weeks. De Nicola tweeted this afternoon that Henry recently underwent surgery on his right thumb, necessitating the addition of another depth option at the position.
Marlins Place Jesus Aguilar, Jesus Sanchez On Injured List
The Marlins have placed first baseman Jesus Aguilar and outfielder Jesus Sanchez on the injured list. There weren’t designations announced for Aguilar or Sanchez, indicating that the players are on the COVID-related injured list. To fill the two open roster spots, the Marlins called up first baseman Lewin Diaz and outfielder/first baseman Jerar Encarnacion from Triple-A.
In the event of a positive test, Aguilar/Sanchez will have to miss at least 10 days, unless they test negative twice, go 24 hours without a fever, and get clearance from three physicians (one each appointed by the league and MLBPA, plus a Marlins team doctor). If Aguilar and/or Sanchez haven’t yet tested negative, they could be back on the roster in short order, should they just be feeling light symptoms or if they are being held out due to a close-contact situation. Just last week, Miami’s Garrett Cooper was on the COVID-IL for such a brief stint.
Diaz and Encarnacion figure to slide right into Aguilar and Sanchez’s regular roles, and in Encarnacion’s case, he’ll be getting his first taste of Major League Baseball. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 20th-best prospect in Miami’s farm system, Encarnacion is in his sixth pro season, with a .263/.322/.424 slash line over 1544 career plate appearances. Injuries have slowed his progress, but Pipeline’s scouting report cites his power potential and 60-grade throwing arm as pluses, even if there is still a lot of swing-and-miss in Encarnacion’s game. Over his 252 at the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season, Encarnacion has struck out in 70 of those turns at bat.
Outrights: Marinan, Zabala
A couple of players recently made it through the waiver wire unclaimed and will not be changing organizations…
- The Reds announced that right-hander James Marinan cleared waivers and has been outrighted to High-A Dayton. He was just added to the club’s 40-man roster last November, ahead of the Rule 5 draft that ended up getting canceled by the lockout. Despite having never pitched above High-A, the Reds evidently thought he was worth rostering based on his high strikeout numbers. However, he’s had a poor showing so far this year, putting up an ERA of 7.71 through 32 2/3 innings for Dayton. The long ball has been a particular problem for him, as he’s already allowed 10 homers in that sample. He’ll stick with Dayton and try to get into a better groove, though without occupying a 40-man roster spot.
- The Marlins announced that right-hander Aneurys Zabala has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Double-A Pensacola. Zabala made a very brief appearance on the club’s 40-man roster, being designated for assignment just a couple of days after his selection. He was selected to take the spot of Garrett Cooper, who went on the COVID IL but returned just two days later, bumping Zabala right back off. During that brief cameo, Zabala was able to face three batters in his lone appearance, allowing a double before recording a fly out and a strikeout. He’s thrown 8 2/3 innings in the minors this year with an unsightly 10.38 ERA. His impressive 27.1% strikeout rate has been largely offset by his matching 27.1% walk rate.
Marlins “Pushing Hard” For Ramon Laureano
The Marlins have hung around baseball’s competitive landscape the last couple of seasons, buoyed by a dynamic young starting rotation. Their offense, however, consistently underwhelms. Thus far in 2022, however, neither the pitching nor the offense has been able to escape the torpid middle. The Marlins are tied for 13th overall in the Majors with a 3.85 team ERA, and they are similarly tied for 13th overall on the offensive end with a 104 wRC+.
It still likely wouldn’t surprise anyone to hear they might be looking for bats. The latest scuttlebutt has the Marlins “pushing hard” for outfielder Ramon Laureano, according to Peter Gammons (via Twitter). The irony, of course, is that center field has been a particular need for the Fish since dealing Starling Marte to the A’s last season. Marte now plays for the rival Mets, and the A’s are in a position to deal.
The Marlins invested heavily in their outfield this offseason, adding both Jorge Soler and Avisail Garcia to young trade acquisitions Jesus Sanchez and Bryan De La Cruz. But they weren’t able to find their long-term answer in center. Sanchez has held his own (93 wRC+, -1 DRS, 0.5 fWAR), but Laureano certainly brings a panache to outfield glove work that the Marlins may find appealing. Laureano has traditionally rated well defensively, and he doesn’t want for offensive firepower either, owning a career 117 wRC+ over 1,392 career plate appearances.
Of course, the A’s have to be willing to give him up as well. At 21-43 on the year, Oakland is firmly in a step-back year, and given their history, anyone is likely to be on the table, particularly an almost-28-year-old veteran like Laureano. GM David Forst has gone on record saying that no one is off-limits on the roster, writes Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle. Of course, that’s long been the company line for the A’s, particularly when they enter a sell-off period, as they did this past winter.
With true two-way center fielders being relatively tough to come by these days, however, Laureano figures to be a popular target. The A’s, for their part, may have found his successor in Cristian Pache, though Pache’s 27 wRC+ practically begs the A’s to reconsider. Laureano is still firmly in his prime, and with two more seasons of team control beyond this year, the A’s should feel no particular pressure to move him.
So while the Marlins may very well do their due diligence on Laureano, the A’s have resisted the temptation to deal him thus far. If they do ultimately decide that Laureano adds more long-term value as a trade asset than as their everyday right fielder (and Pache insurance), they can likely find more suitors beyond the Marlins. The Brewers, Padres, Phillies, Red Sox, and Dodgers join the Marlins as bottom-10 teams in terms of fWAR production from their center fielders, while the Guardians, Astros, and Rays land in the bottom 10 by wRC+. That’s no shortage of competitive clubs with a need in the grass.
Speculatively speaking, the Phillies may present the biggest challenger to the Marlins in terms of their interest. Philadelphia, like the Marlins, has been active in their search for a long-term center fielder, and they don’t appear to have that guy in their pipeline. We know the Phillies are doing what they can to compete, and as of right now, they’re doing a better job than the Marlins in that regard – they sit three games ahead of the Marlins in the standings, though still 8.5 games behind the division-leading Mets.
Of course, whether or not the Phillies have the prospects to properly woo Oakland is another question entirely. The Marlins have long been touted for their depth of young starting pitching, and if they decide to deal from that pool, Laureano may be the type of piece they would target. For now, however, the decision is still Oakland’s to make.
Marlins Select Jimmy Yacabonis
The Marlins announced a series of roster moves before this afternoon’s matchup with the Phillies (relayed by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). Miami selected reliever Jimmy Yacabonis onto the big league club and recalled left-hander Daniel Castano from Triple-A Jacksonville. To free a pair of active roster spots, right-handers Edward Cabrera and Cole Sulser have each landed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 13. Southpaw Jesús Luzardo was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man for Yacabonis.
Assuming Yacabonis gets into a game, it’ll be the fifth season in which he’s logged some big league action. He pitched with the Orioles and Mariners between 2017-20 and briefly appeared on Seattle’s active roster last year, but he was designated for assignment without making an appearance. Yacabonis has worked 104 cumulative innings across 57 MLB games, posting a 5.71 ERA while working primarily in long relief.
A St. John’s product, Yacabonis has worse than average strikeout, walk and ground-ball numbers as a big leaguer. He has, however, been effective at the Triple-A level over the past couple seasons. The righty worked to a 2.17 ERA across 37 1/3 frames with the Mariners top affiliate last year, and he’s pitched quite well through 23 2/3 innings in Jacksonville after signing a minor league deal this spring. Yacabonis owns a 3.42 ERA and has punched out an excellent 35% of batters faced, easily the highest single-season mark of his pro career. That’s come with a spike in free passes, but the Fish will see if he can carry that bat-missing success over against big league hitters.
Yacabonis is out of minor league option years, so the Marlins will now have to keep him on the active roster or designate him for assignment. The injury to Sulser, in particular, could afford an opportunity for Yacabonis to stake a claim to a bullpen role. Acquired from the Orioles over the offseason, Sulser has a 3.86 ERA through 23 1/3 innings. He’s currently battling a lat strain, however, and that’ll put his solid first season in South Florida on hold.
Cabrera, meanwhile, is dealing with tendinitis in his throwing elbow. One of the more highly-regarded young arms around the game, Cabrera has started ten games for the Marlins over the past couple seasons. The hard-throwing hurler has a 4.93 ERA through 42 innings as he’s struggled to throw strikes, but he’s also flashed swing-and-miss stuff. Cabrera has started three games with the MLB club and five games for the Jumbo Shrimp this year.
Castano will get the ball this afternoon, his first start of the season. He steps in for Pablo López, who won’t make his start as scheduled due to a wrist contusion. The right-hander was struck by a comebacker during his outing last Friday, and he’s apparently still not ready to get back on the mound. The Marlins haven’t placed López on the injured list, suggesting they’re not overly concerned about his long-term status.
Luzardo has been out for a month with a forearm strain. Today’s transfer keeps him out for 60 days from the time of his original IL placement, so he’ll first be eligible to return shortly before the All-Star Break. It’s unlikely Luzardo will be ready by that point anyhow, as the team is understandably taking things slowly with the promising young hurler given the injury. He did progress to playing catch off flat ground this week (McPherson link), but he’ll still need to build back arm strength and likely throw a bullpen session or two before the team considers sending him on a minor league rehab assignment.
Marlins Designate Aneurys Zabala For Assignment
The Marlins have designated reliever Aneurys Zabala for assignment, tweets Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The move clears roster space for first baseman Garrett Cooper, who has been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list.
It’s the reversal of a transaction from just a couple days ago, as Zabala was selected when Cooper hit the IL on Saturday. That the latter’s absence was so brief implies his stay away from the club was merely related to virus-like symptoms. Cooper, who is hitting an excellent .315/.389/.473 on the season, figures to reassume a middle-of-the-order role. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored this afternoon, the right-handed hitter has quietly emerged as one of the game’s more productive bats in recent seasons.
Zabala loses his roster spot after making one MLB appearance, which was his big league debut. The 25-year-old had spent time in the farm systems of the Mariners, Dodgers, Reds and Phillies before finally getting his first crack against major league hitters. Zabala recorded two outs, including a strikeout of Kyle Tucker, during yesterday’s loss to the Astros. The 6’3″ hurler averaged a blistering 99.5 MPH on his fastball during that look, according to Statcast.
The Marlins will presumably try to run Zabala through waivers in the next few days. Assuming he goes unclaimed, he’ll likely return to Triple-A Jacksonville on outright assignment. He’s allowed ten runs with 13 walks and 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings with the Jumbo Shrimp this season.