Giants Place Brandon Belt, Dominic Leone On Injured List
The Giants announced a series of roster moves before tonight’s matchup with the Nationals. First baseman Brandon Belt and reliever Dominic Leone have each tested positive for COVID-19 and were placed on the injured list. Outfielders Jason Krizan and Ka’ai Tom and reliever Mauricio Llovera have each been selected onto the major league roster. Additionally, San Francisco released recently-claimed southpaw Darien Núñez.
Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician). Belt and Leone join outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and reliever Zack Littell on the Giants’ COVID list.
San Francisco is down two notable pieces to both the lineup and the bullpen. Belt, one of the game’s best hitters from 2020-21, has again gotten off to an excellent start. The 34-year-old is hitting .242/.367/.470 with four homers through 79 plate appearances. Leone, meanwhile, has fired seven innings of three-run ball with eight strikeouts and one walk through the season’s first few weeks.
The Giants didn’t specify whether the three players selected today are designated COVID “substitutes,” although it seems likely that’ll be the case. This season, the commissioner’s office has sole discretion to determine whether a team’s “ability to field a competitive team” has been sufficiently impacted by the virus to warrant temporary replacements. In that event, those “substitute” players could be removed from the 40-man roster and returned to the minor leagues without having to clear waivers as the team gets back to health. Given that the Giants have lost four players to positive tests in fairly rapid succession, it seems likely the league would afford them that luxury.
While it may not be under ideal circumstances, it’s no doubt a rewarding day for Krizan. Selected by the Tigers out of Dallas Baptist in 2011, the left-handed hitting corner outfielder has spent 11 years in the minor leagues. That includes parts of seven seasons at Triple-A, where Krizan has a career .276/.347/.412 line in more than 400 games. He had an impressive .316/.367/.492 showing with the Giants’ top affiliate in Sacramento last year. Krizan hasn’t gotten off to a great start with the River Cats this season, but his established track record in the minors earns him his first big league call a couple months shy of his 33rd birthday.
Tom and Llovera both joined the organization on minor league deals. The former is a left-handed hitter who tallied his first 133 MLB plate appearances as a Rule 5 pick of the Pirates last year. Tom struggled to a .139/.278/.231 line and was eventually let go by Pittsburgh, but he’s generally been an excellent offensive player in the minors. He’s off to a .327/.387/.509 start at Sacramento.
Llovera pitched in seven big league games with the Phillies between 2020-21. He allowed 11 runs in just 7 2/3 innings, although he did average north of 94 MPH on his fastball. The 26-year-old is off to an excellent start with his new organization, having tossed 10 2/3 scoreless innings in Triple-A. Llovera has fanned 14 batters while issuing just a pair of walks.
The Giants’ decision to release Núñez comes as a surprise. San Francisco just grabbed him off waivers from the Dodgers on Wednesday. Núñez had recently undergone Tommy John surgery, and it seemed as if the Giants were content to stash him on the 60-day injured list while he recovered in hopes of hanging onto his long-term contractual rights.
For whatever reason, San Francisco has decided to go in a different direction. Injured players can’t be outrighted, so San Francisco had to release Núñez to take him off the 40-man roster if they weren’t going to keep him on the IL. If he passes through release waivers unclaimed, he’ll be a free agent.
A’s Activate Jed Lowrie
The A’s announced they’ve reinstated infielder Jed Lowrie from the COVID-19 injured list. Fellow infielder Kevin Smith, meanwhile, is back from the 10-day injured list. In corresponding moves, Oakland optioned outfielder Mickey McDonald and returned right-hander Ryan Castellani to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Lowrie returns after a 10-day absence. He appeared in seven games before hitting the injured list, seeing action at each of designated hitter, first base and second base. The veteran has collected five hits and three walks through his first 23 trips to the plate. Smith was the A’s primary third baseman for the first couple weeks of the season. He started slow, going 5-31 with two walks and ten strikeouts before hitting the IL with a bone bruise in his left ankle.
Castellani was selected as a COVID “substitute” a couple weeks ago. That designation means Oakland could take him off the 40-man roster as they got healthier without exposing him to waivers. Castellani, who signed a minor league deal over the winter, worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings over three appearances with the big league club. He’ll try to work his back onto the 40-man roster permanently with Las Vegas.
Third Woman Brings Forth Assault Allegations Against Trevor Bauer
A Columbus woman has come forward with assault allegations against Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer. Speaking with Gus Garcia-Roberts of the Washington Post, the woman claimed that Bauer had assaulted her during sex on multiple occasions between 2013-14. Further details can be found in the source article; readers are warned that the article contains disturbing allegations. Bauer’s representatives declined to be interviewed by the Post, although he did “unequivocally (deny)” the woman’s allegations as part of a statement. Bauer responded to the Washington Post article in a Twitter post this evening.
The Columbus woman becomes the third person to bring forth assault allegations against Bauer. Last year, a California woman filed for a temporary ex parte restraining order against him after claiming he had assaulted her during sex. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge denied her request for a permanent restraining order, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced in February it would not pursue criminal charges. “After a thorough review of the available evidence, including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence, the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” the DA’s Office stated at the time.
The Washington Post reported last August that an Ohio woman — not the same woman of today’s report — had filed for and was granted an ex parte temporary civil stalking protection order against Bauer in June 2020. That woman alleged that Bauer had struck her “without her consent during sex in 2018,” in the words of the Post.
While the Columbus woman’s allegations are being publicly reported for the first time, her attorney tells Garcia-Roberts she cooperated with Major League Baseball during its recent investigation. (Garcia-Roberts adds that the Ohio woman who had received an ex parte restraining order against Bauer in 2020 also cooperated with MLB investigators, according to her attorney). This afternoon, MLB handed down a 324-game suspension after determining that Bauer violated the league’s and MLBPA’s Joint Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault policy.
Bauer announced plans to appeal that suspension, and the Columbus woman tells Garcia-Roberts she is willing to testify at an arbitration hearing during the appeals process. MLB declined comment to the Post and said during its announcement of Bauer’s suspension this afternoon it would “not issue any further statements at this point in time.”
A note from MLBTR owner Tim Dierkes: Though our normal policy is to close comments on posts relating to domestic violence, I have chosen to leave them open on this post. Given the magnitude of the news, MLBTR readers are going to discuss it no matter what, and leaving comments open here will help contain the discussion to this post rather than unrelated ones.
This is by nature a sensitive topic. Some readers may want to avoid the comments section on this post entirely, while others may employ use of the mute button. MLBTR’s commenting policy still applies.
Rockies Place Kris Bryant On Injured List
The Rockies are placing Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list, the team informed reporters (including Nick Groke of the Athletic). Bryant has been dogged by back soreness of late, although Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post tweets that an MRI didn’t reveal any serious issues. That suggests it could be a fairly brief IL stay. To take Bryant’s place on the roster, corner infield prospect Elehuris Montero is being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Bryant hasn’t played since Monday. His IL placement can thus be backdated to April 26; assuming that’s the case, he’d be eligible to return a week from now. Bryant has gotten off to something of a slow start to his Colorado tenure. Signed to a seven-year, $182MM deal over the offseason, he hasn’t connected on a home run through his first 15 games. Bryant owns a .281/.338/.351 line over 65 plate appearances while splitting his time between left field and designated hitter.
The Rox have turned to Connor Joe and Sam Hilliard in left over the past couple days. Joe is off to an excellent .270/.349/.514 start and is an option in the corner outfield, at first base or at DH. Hilliard could see a few more at-bats while Bryant is out, although it’s possible the Rockies use this as an opportunity to give Montero his first run.
Acquired as part of the return from the Cardinals for Nolan Arenado, Montero split the 2021 campaign between Double-A Hartford and Albuquerque. He performed well at both stops, combining for a .278/.360/.529 showing in 500 plate appearances. Montero, whom St. Louis had already selected onto their 40-man roster over the 2019-20 offseason, didn’t get a big league call. He did, however, improve his stock in the eyes of prospect evaluators.
This past winter, both FanGraphs and Baseball America slotted the 23-year-old among the ten most promising prospects in the organization. Both outlets praised his combination of bat-to-ball skills and power, although each raised questions about his defensive acumen at third base and an aggressive approach at the plate. Nevertheless, both outlets suggested he could have enough offensive upside to be an everyday player.
Montero has gotten off to a fine .288/.356/.450 start over 91 Triple-A plate appearances. The Rockies can option him back to the minors, but it stands to reason they’ll want to get a lengthy look at him against big league arms at some point soon. Montero is in his final option year, meaning Colorado will have to carry him on next season’s Opening Day roster if they don’t want to lose him to another club.
Diamondbacks Place Mark Melancon On Injured List, Select Keynan Middleton
The D-Backs announced they’ve placed closer Mark Melancon on the injured list. His placement was without a designation, indicating it’s related to COVID-19. Keynan Middleton was selected to take his place on the roster. Additionally, Arizona recalled Caleb Smith from Triple-A Reno and optioned southpaw Tyler Holton.
Melancon is the second Arizona reliever lost to the COVID list in as many days. The Snakes also placed J.B. Wendelken on the IL yesterday. Placement on the list can indicate a positive test, viral symptoms or exposure to a person who has tested positive. It isn’t clear whether Melancon has tested positive.
Middleton signed a minor league deal over the offseason. The righty has appeared in each of the past five MLB seasons, spending his career with the Angels and Mariners. Middleton had some strong numbers early on with Los Angeles, but he’s struggled since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018. Last season, he tossed 31 innings of 4.94 ERA ball, only striking out 17.1% of batters faced while walking 13.6% of opponents.
Assigned to Reno to open the year, the 28-year-old has made seven appearances. He’s worked 7 1/3 frames of one-run ball, punching out nine while allowing five hits and three walks. That promising start will earn him another chance in the big leagues.
Blue Jays Select Vinny Capra
The Blue Jays announced this afternoon they’ve selected infielder Vinny Capra. Right-hander Bowden Francis was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to create active roster space. Toronto already had a 40-man roster vacancy after placing Cavan Biggio on the COVID-19 injured list earlier in the week.
Capra, 25, gets a big league call for the first time. The 5’8″, 175 pound infielder was a 20th round pick in 2018 out of the University of Richmond. Despite lacking draft pedigree, the right-handed hitter climbed to the high minors by 2021 and had an impressive showing. In 282 plate appearances with Double-A New Hampshire, Capra hit .327/.396/.548 with ten home runs. That was inflated by a .428 batting average on balls in play that masked a 26.2% strikeout rate, but he’d made contact at a higher clip in previous seasons.
That solid Double-A showing earned him a five-game cameo in Triple-A late last year. Capra didn’t collect a hit, but he’s off to a nice start with Buffalo this season. Over 77 plate appearances, he’s hitting .304/.377/.478 with three homers. He has only fanned in 10.4% of his trips to the dish, earning him a spot on the MLB bench. Capra has a fair bit of minor league experience at each of second base, third base and shortstop, with brief stints in both left and center field.
Trevor Bauer Receives 324-Game Suspension
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday that Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer has received a 324-games suspension — two full seasons’ worth of games — effective today. That the suspension is effective today, rather than beginning retroactively last summer from the point Bauer was placed on administrative leave, indicates that Bauer will be suspended, without pay, through April 2024. Bauer, unsurprisingly, announced that he intends to appeal the commissioner’s decision. He tweeted the following statement:
“In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence & sexual assault policy. I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives & I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.”
The Dodgers issued the following statement in reaction to commissioner Manfred’s decision:
“Today we were informed that MLB has concluded its investigation into allegations that have been made against Trevor Bauer, and the Commissioner has issued his decision regarding the discipline. The Dodgers organization takes all allegations of this nature very seriously and does not condone or excuse any acts of domestic violence or sexual assault. We’ve cooperated fully with MLB’s investigation since it began, and we fully support MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy, and the Commissioner’s enforcement of the Policy. We understand that Trevor has the right to appeal the Commissioner’s decision. Therefore, we will not comment further until the process is complete.”
Major League Baseball originally placed Bauer on administrative leave on July 14, 2021, in the wake of sexual assault allegations from a California woman who filed a temporary ex parte restraining order against him. For months, Bauer remained in limbo as the legal process surrounding the allegations played out. In August, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied a permanent restraining order to the alleged victim, bringing a close to that civil hearing. Potential criminal charges loomed as a possibility, however, dependent on the findings of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
That process dragged into the new year, but on Feb. 8, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announced that criminal charges would not be brought forth. The DA’s office did not declare Bauer innocent nor guilty, but rather determined that, “After a thorough review of the available evidence, including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence, the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Bauer, who announced this week that he has filed a defamation lawsuit against his accuser, has been on administrative leave throughout the first several weeks of the 2022 season as Manfred and his office have conducted their own investigation into the matter. The league ostensibly opted not to begin conducting that investigation until the outcome of the legal proceedings were known, which has regularly been the case in past instances pertaining to the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy.
Today’s suspension for Bauer is the longest ban ever handed out under that policy, which does grant the commissioner’s office the authority to unilaterally impose discipline even in the absence of criminal charges. In essence, the suspension absolves the Dodgers of the remainder of the commitment owed to Bauer, who signed a three-year, $102MM contract in the 2020-21 offseason. That could change, depending on the outcome of Bauer’s forthcoming appeal.
A note from MLBTR owner Tim Dierkes: Though our normal policy is to close comments on posts relating to domestic violence, I have chosen to leave them open on this post. Given the magnitude of the news, MLBTR readers are going to discuss it no matter what, and leaving comments open here will help contain the discussion to this post rather than unrelated ones.
This is by nature a sensitive topic. Some readers may want to avoid the comments section on this post entirely, while others may employ use of the mute button. MLBTR’s commenting policy still applies.
Rays Claim Ben Bowden
The Rays have claimed left-hander Ben Bowden off waivers from the Rockies, the teams announced. Tampa Bay had an open spot on its 40-man roster so no corresponding move is needed. Bowden has been optioned to Triple-A Durham. The Rays’ 40-man roster is now full, while the Rockies’ roster is now at 39 players.
The Rockies never formally designated Bowden for assignment or announced that he’d been placed on waivers, though it’s hardly uncommon for teams to simply try to clear a roster spot in this fashion without first announcing the player’s placement on waivers.
Now 27 years old, Bowden was the No. 45 overall draft pick by the Rockies back in 2016. Praised by scouting reports for a plus changeup, Bowden has regularly missed bats at a high level in the minors (34.4% strikeout rate) but has also yielded too many free passes over the years (11.1% walk rate). Heading into the 2021 season, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote about Bowden’s inconsistent fastball velocity, noting that when he’s in the mid-90s with his heater he looks like a viable big league reliever. However, Bowden doesn’t always maintain that velocity, evidenced by the 92.6 mph he averaged on his heater in last year’s MLB debut.
That 2021 debut wasn’t a pretty one for Bowden, who posted a grisly 6.56 ERA in 35 2/3 innings. True to form, he showed the ability to miss bats (23.7% strikeout rate, 11.4% swinging-strike rate) but also issued far too many walks (11.9%) and was uncharacteristically susceptible to home runs (1.51 HR/9). Bowden had a huge showing at Double-A in 2019 and fired 11 2/3 shutout frames in Triple-A last year. This season in Triple-A, however, he’s been tagged for seven runs on six hits and six walks in just 7 2/3 innings. He’s fanned 11 of the 34 hitters he’s faced, maintaining that impressive strikeout prowess, but he’ll need to improve his command and more consistently get the best out of his heater if he’s to emerge as a legitimate big league bullpen option.
Mariners Designate Matt Koch For Assignment, Reinstate Mitch Haniger
The Mariners announced Friday that they’ve reinstated right fielder Mitch Haniger from the Covid-related injured list and designated righty Matt Koch for assignment in order to open a spot on the active and 40-man rosters.
Haniger, who paced the Mariners with 39 home runs in 2021, was out to a slow start in eight games before he tested positive for Covid-19 on April 16. Haniger missed nearly two weeks’ time and 11 games, and earlier this week told reporters that he was still not quite back up to 100% (Twitter link via Daniel Kramer of MLB.com). He’s apparently back in playing shape now and will return to the lineup and look to improve upon the .176/.200/.471 slash he posted through his first 35 trips to the plate.
The return of Haniger will only deepen a Mariners lineup that has been among the most productive collective units in Major League Baseball so far. The M’s rank eighth in the Majors with 88 runs scored and have the game’s third-best wRC+ at 123, indicating their lineup has been 23% better than average on the whole. Seattle hitters currently lead the Majors with an 11.1% walk rate, and they’re seven in home runs even without Haniger’s powerful bat. He’ll slot back into the outfield/designated hitter mix and ought to jump right back into the heart of the batting order.
Koch, 31, appeared in four games with Seattle and pitched 4 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs on five hits (two homers) and a walk, striking out three hitters along the way. Koch has appeared in parts of five big league seasons, all coming with the D-backs prior to his Mariners debut this season. He was a serviceable arm out of the Arizona bullpen from 2016-18, pitching to a 4.04 ERA — albeit a mark that was not supported by the underlying metrics. Koch’s 13.9% strikeout rate and 1.72 HR/9 mark during that time were both considerably worse than the league average.
The Mariners will have a week to trade Koch, place him on outright waivers or release him.
Offseason In Review: Miami Marlins
After underachieving in 2021, Kim Ng’s Marlins entered the offseason looking to bolster a moribund offense to complement perhaps the finest collection of young pitching talent in the game. And while the Fish brought in some outfield pop that could push them into contention for a spot in the expanded playoffs, they’re also contending with the loss of their biggest name — albeit not one who would have contributed on the field.
Major League Signings
- Avisaíl García, OF: Four years, $53MM (includes $12MM club option for 2026 season with $5MM buyout)
- Jorge Soler, OF/DH: Three years, $36MM
- 2022 spend: $24MM
- Total spend: $89MM
Trades and Claims
- Acquired C Jacob Stallings from Pirates for RHP Zach Thompson, RHP Kyle Nicolas, and OF Connor Scott
- Acquired IF Joey Wendle from Rays for OF Kameron Misner
- Acquired LHP Tanner Scott and RHP Cole Sulser from the Orioles for LHP Antonio Velez, OF Kevin Guerrero, a player to be named later, and a pick in Competitive Balance Round B in the 2022 amateur draft
- Claimed RHP Tommy Nance off waivers from the Cubs
- Acquired a player to be named later or cash from the Padres for C Jorge Alfaro
- Acquired RHP Louis Head from Rays for a player to be named later or cash
- Acquired SS Hayden Cantrelle from Brewers for C Alex Jackson
Notable Minor League Signings
- Grant Dayton, Shawn Armstrong, Willians Astudillo, Jimmy Yacabonis, Roman Quinn, Erik Gonzalez, Bryan Mitchell
Extensions
- Sandy Alcantara, RHP: Five years, $56MM (includes $21MM club option for 2027 season with $2MM buyout)
- Miguel Rojas, SS: Two years, $10MM
- Richard Bleier, LHP: Two years, $6MM (includes $3.75MM club option for 2024 season with $250K buyout)
Notable Losses
- Alex Jackson, Monte Harrison, Jorge Alfaro, Lewis Brinson, Magneuris Sierra, Jorge Guzman, Eddy Alvarez, Deven Marrero, Preston Guilmet, Andrew Bellatti, Joe Panik, Sandy Leon, Luis Madero, Austin Pruitt
Coming off a somewhat disappointing 2021, Marlins GM Kim Ng set out to reshape a lineup that scored the second fewest runs in the majors. She did much of her business ahead of the lockout, signing former Brewers outfielder Avisaíl García to a four-year, $53MM deal and acquiring catcher Jacob Stallings from the Pirates (for outfielder Connor Scott and righties Zach Thompson and Kyle Nicolas) and versatile infielder Joey Wendle from the Rays (for outfielder Kameron Misner).
After the lockout was lifted, the Marlins were linked to a number of players via both free agency (Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Eddie Rosario, Michael Conforto) and trade (Ketel Marte, Bryan Reynolds) they didn’t ultimately land. Ng acknowledged at multiple points that her sights were set on acquiring a center fielder, and either Marte or Reynolds would have been a significant upgrade. The cost, however, proved to be prohibitive, as both players stayed put (Marte on a new five-year extension in Arizona). The free agent cupboard, meanwhile, was largely bare. Ultimately, what could be the Marlins’ most — or, depending which version of the mercurial slugger shows up in Miami this year, least — impactful move came when they beat out the Braves, Rockies, and Padres to sign 2021 World Series MVP Jorge Soler to a three-year, $36MM deal.
As fans of both the Cubs and Royals can attest, the powerful Soler has in essence been two different hitters throughout his career, and 2021 was no exception. Before a deadline trade to the Braves, the 30-year-old outfielder struggled to a .192/.288/.370 batting line across 36o plate appearances with the Royals but slugged his way to a robust .269/.358/.524 in 242 trips to the plate with Atlanta. Oddly, his hard-hit rate (the percent of balls in play with an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher) actually dropped after the trade (from 51.2% to 41.2%). This could suggest a fair bit of randomness at play in both directions, but it could also be a product of a change in approach; Soler’s strikeout rate dropped from 26.9% (also his career average) with the Royals to 18.6% with the Braves, his walk rate ticked up from 10.6% to 12%, and his willingness to go to the opposite field increased dramatically (9.8% of his batted balls went to right with the Royals, 18.3% with the Braves).
Regardless of which Soler the Marlins get, though, the Marlins’ failure to land a legitimate center fielder could yield one of the leakiest outfield defenses in the game — particularly within the relatively capacious confines of Miami’s LoanDepot Park. While Jesús Sánchez (who’s covered the position in the early weeks of 2022) has proven himself capable in a corner, he’s hardly a natural fit in center. García (who was noted as a center field option when he was signed) has been similarly solid in right, but he’s been a clear liability in limited action in center across his ten previous big-league seasons. Between the lack of a league-average option in center and a Garrett Cooper/Jesús Aguilar timeshare at first base/DH that forces Soler into a corner, the Marlins’ staff may well look to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible.
Defensive limitations aside, the offense should score more runs in 2022, if only by default. A combination of trades (Starling Marte, Adam Duvall, and Corey Dickerson), injuries (Marte, Cooper, Aguilar, Brian Anderson, Miguel Rojas, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. all missed significant time), and ineffectiveness plagued the team throughout the year. Both a reversion to the mean in missed time via injury and Ng’s various upgrades should push the Marlins closer to the middle of the offensive pack.
Indeed, while the addition of Wendle — whose .265/.319/.422 line in 2021 neatly matches his career numbers — to take at-bats covered last year largely by Isan Díaz (.193/.294/.282 in 2021), Joe Panik (.172/.241/.221), and Jon Berti (.210/.311/.313) represents a clear upgrade, it also leads to something of a glut in the Miami infield. An oversupply of quality players is hardly a problem worth bemoaning, of course, but Wendle’s arrival could signal a diminution in Anderson’s role. The third baseman struggled to .249/.337/.378 line in an injury-riddled 2021, but he was an above-average hitter from 2018 to 2020 (posting a combined 112 OPS+ over that period) and could well wind up on the trading block.
Several of Ng’s other additions also provide relatively clear offensive upgrades. Stallings, for instance, is primarily known for his glove (he finished first among catchers in the 2021 Fielding Bible Awards), but the career-representative .246/.335/.369 triple-slash he posted with the Pirates in 2021 substantially outpaced Jorge Alfaro’s .244/.283/.342 line even before accounting for the defensive gap. Similarly, the combination of Soler and García (.262/.330/.490 in 2021, a slight boost in slugging relative to his career numbers) in place of Magneuris Sierra (.230/.281/.268 in 2021) and Lewis Brinson (.226/.263/.376) robs the lineup of some speed and the outfield of some range but adds a significant power threat to a batting order that sorely needs it. And as difficult as the team’s 2021 struggles surely were for the Miami faithful to endure, the offseason demotion of Díaz and departures of Brinson and Monte Harrison (all acquired in the 2018 Christian Yelich deal) — as well as Sierra (the Marcell Ozuna deal in the same offseason) and Alfaro (the 2019 J.T. Realmuto trade) — effectively closes the book on the position-player side of the most recent fire-sale for a fanbase far too used to them.
The pitching side of the equation is, of course, an entirely different story, and the primary source of optimism in south Florida. It’s the strength of Miami’s staff — specifically its rotation — that makes the Marlins something of a dark-horse contender in 2022, and a potential powerhouse in the years to come. Ng added a few pieces to the bullpen via trade, including Cole Sulser and long-time minor-league journeyman Louis Head, but stood pat in rotation. It’s easy to understand why: the Marlins possess the sort of stable of young arms capable of anchoring a contender for the better part of a decade.
In an effort to ensure the leader of that potentially formidable bunch stays in Miami for the foreseeable future, Ng gave budding ace Sandy Alcantara — who quietly posted a 3.19 ERA (3.42 FIP) while logging 205 2/3 innings in 2021 — a five-year, $56MM extension that keeps him under club control through the 2027 season. He’ll head a group that also includes 2021 All-Star and Rookie of the Year runner-up Trevor Rogers (who’s struggled so far in 2022 but posted a 2.64 ERA and 2.55 FIP across 133 innings in 2021), Pablo Lopez (who threw 102 2/3 innings of 3.07 ERA/3.29 FIP ball last year before a rotator cuff strain ended his year prematurely), and Jesús Luzardo (who struggled to a 6.61 ERA across 95 1/3 innings between Oakland and Miami last year but has an electric left arm and is off to a promising start to 2022). Former Rule 5 pick Elieser Hernandez opens the season in the fifth slot, but he’ll face pressure from both consensus top-100 prospect Max Meyer and Sixto Sánchez, the headliner in the Realmuto deal who briefly took the league by storm in 2020 but has since been out of action with a shoulder injury (which ultimately required surgery).
As impactful as the acquisition and departure of players on either side of the lockout is likely to be on the Marlins’ near-term future, perhaps the most significant change came while it was ongoing. In a surprise announcement reportedly tied to a clash with majority owner Bruce Sherman, minority owner and club CEO Derek Jeter announced in late February that he had cut ties with the organization. The precise reasons for Jeter’s departure are, of course, somewhat opaque, but reporting from the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson suggests that Mr. November expected the famously attendance-starved franchise to make a more substantial post-lockout investment in the roster than Sherman was prepared to authorize. (Interestingly, Jeter’s desire to sign Castellanos, who would have represented a clear offensive upgrade but hardly would have remedied the defensive issues in the Miami outfield, is reputed to be among the factors exacerbating the rift between Sherman and his erstwhile partner.)
Regardless of the reasons for Jeter’s unceremonious exit, his absence robs a franchise in search of an identity of the most recognizable face of his generation in baseball history. It does not, however, rob it of its enviable rotation depth, deep farm system, or significantly improved lineup. Whether Ng’s upgrades to the Miami offense and bullpen will be enough to make the them contenders in 2022 — and, indeed, what Jeter’s departure means for the likelihood of keeping the core of the team together for longer than previous talented Marlins squads — remains to be seen.