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Orioles Acquire Kyle Lobstein, Designate Ashur Tolliver

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The Orioles have acquired lefty Kyle Lobstein from the Pirates in a deal that will send fellow southpaw Zach Phillips to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Baltimore has designated yet another lefty, Ashur Tolliver, for assignment to create roster space.

Lobstein, 27, was designated by the Bucs after providing 25 middling frames on the year. His 3.96 ERA was serviceable, but with just 15 strikeouts against a dozen walks there were signs of trouble. On the other hand, Lobstein was as good against same-handed hitters as he was susceptible to those who carried the platoon split. While the O’s will surely hesitate to let him face any righty bats, he may well prove useful as a pure LOOGY with rosters expanded in September.

Having already placed Lobstein in DFA limbo, the Pirates had little leverage. But they’ll add a non-40-man southpaw in Phillips who can provide an option if a need arises. The 29-year-old owns a 4.45 ERA with 12.5 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 over 60 2/3 Triple-A frames on the year.

Adding to the price for Lobstein is the possible loss of Tolliver — who may yet remain in the organization if he clears waivers. The 28-year-old reached the majors briefly for the first time this year, and has shown some promise in the upper minors in recent years. His walk rate has been unsteady, but Tolliver has struck out more than a batter per inning in each of the last three seasons on the farm.

Neil Walker Diagnosed With Herniated Disk

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3:24pm: Surgery is an option for Walker, despite Alderson’s optimism, Collins told reporters (Twitter links via DiComo). Collins added that the Mets don’t want to put Walker in the lineup until receiving a second opinion on his back (via ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin). And, even if Walker does continue to play for the remainder of the season, Collins stated that Walker would “probably not” be able to play on an everyday basis.

12:21pm: The specific injury that has limited Mets second baseman Neil Walker is a herniated disk in his back, Mets GM Sandy Alderson told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). Alderson reiterated that Walker can play through the injury, which he painted as being somewhat less serious than it had seemed yesterday after comments from manager Terry Collins.

Walker seems to be experiencing problems most directly to his lower body, with the disk issue causing some weakness in his foot per ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin. That’s something that the veteran has dealt with previously, but he will nonetheless be pursuing a second opinion.

At this point, then, it’s not entirely clear how the problem will impact Walker down the stretch and in his upcoming free agency case. New York’s acquisition of Walker looks even better in retrospect than it did at the time, and he has set himself up for a nice payday with a high-powered season at the plate. But teams weighing lengthy commitments will surely be watching closely to see whether the herniated disk hampers him over the next several weeks.

MLBTR Mailbag: Waivers, Martinez, Tigers, Hamilton

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Today represents the end of the August revocable waiver trade period. While players can still be dealt to new organizations tomorrow, such players will not be eligible to play in the postseason with their new organizations. That rule plays a role in a few of this week’s mailbag responses …

In honor of Yasiel Puig [who has reportedly been claimed on revocable waivers], I am curious: who was the last player to be placed on revocable waivers where the claiming team was just allowed to assume the contract? Has placing a claim ever backfired on an organization, claiming a player to block a rival just to get stuck with the player’s bad contract? — Anthony C.

The last instance that I can recall of that happening is 2014, when the Nationals claimed Matt Thornton off waivers from the Yankees, and New York simply elected to let the remainder of Thornton’s two-year, $7MM contract go to the Nats. Thornton was a great pickup for them in 2014, tossing 11 1/3 shutout innings in the regular season, and he posted a 2.18 ERA for them in 41 1/3 innings the following season as well. The largest contract that’s changed hands that way in recent history is Alex Rios, whom the White Sox claimed from the Blue Jays back in 2009 when he had roughly $60MM remaining on his contract. Rios had an up-and-down career with the ChiSox but ultimately played pretty well in Chicago and netted the team a controllable utility option in Leury Garcia when he was finally traded.

Is J.D. Martinez the type of player who will be in the 175-200 million dollar range? Or does his age, defense, and injury history limit his earning potential? — Jason

Martinez’s age won’t be much of a detriment to his free agency. He’ll play next season at age 29 and enter the open market in advance of his age-30 season. (He’ll turn 30 late next August.) That’s a pretty reasonable age for a free agent, though it might prevent him from garnering the leverage of an opt-out clause in a free agent deal, as we’ve typically seen younger hitters secure those provisions in lengthy contracts.

At any rate, if Martinez keeps hitting like he has since his 2014 breakout, I do think he can land a contract worth something in the vicinity of $150MM. Obviously a lot needs to go right between now and then, and injuries or continued defensive decline could make that a difficult scenario to come to fruition, but in a best-case-scenario, it’s possible. We don’t know what will come of the qualifying offer system and if there will be a new, more limiting (or less limiting) stipulation for free-agent compensation attached to players by that point, so there’s no need to make absolute statements one way or another. But, we’ve seen a 31-year-old Shin-Soo Choo land $130MM in recent years, and Chris Davis pulled in $161MM on the brink of his own age-30 season last offseason.

Do you think you could see the Tiger’s picking up Ervin Santana? I see starting pitching as a need and I see Santana as a good addition. — Jason K.

Santana would be a fine addition for the Tigers given his reasonable contract, recent excellence on the mound and the Tigers’ struggles at the back of the rotation. But, the Twins aren’t interested in parting with him for anything shy of a significant return, and that would mean asking for high-end talent in return from a Detroit club that is lacking in the way of impact, MLB-ready talent at the upper levels of its minor league system. The Twins have the worst record in the American League, so the Tigers could technically deal any of their young starters — e.g. Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd — to Minnesota in order to acquire Santana, but that’s a steep price to pay for two years (or possibly three, depending on his option status) of Santana, who will turn 34 in December and isn’t necessarily an enormous upgrade over the younger, cheaper arms Minnesota would covet in return.

Since the Texas Rangers released Josh Hamilton are the Angels still on the hook to pay part of his salary? — Andrew T.

Yep. Hamilton’s release doesn’t impact what he’s owed by either the Angels or the Rangers. The move was a procedural one anyhow, as multiple reporters covering the Rangers reported at the time that he’d be re-signed to a minor league deal this offseason. That may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s effectively just a measure to let him play with Texas early in the 2017 season if he’s healthy. MLB rules stipulate that a player released after Sept. 1 can’t return to the Majors with the team that released him until May 15 or later of the following season.

Jonathan Papelbon Will Not Sign Before Postseason Deadline

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Veteran reliever Jonathan Papelbon will not reach a deal today with the Red Sox or any other organization, according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. As a result, he will not be eligible to appear on a postseason roster.

That decision makes it seem all but certain that Papelbon will not look to pitch again this season. The long-time closer is known as a fiery competitor, and it is hard to imagine he’d go through the process of trying to ramp back up without the potential for suiting up in the playoffs.

Whether or not Papelbon will seek to make a comeback in the future remains to be seen. We haven’t heard any suggestion that he is mulling retirement, of course, but there is now at least an open question. After all, Boston and other organizations did express real interest in picking up the 35-year-old after he was cut loose by the Nationals earlier this month.

Reactions To The Tim Tebow Workout

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Tim Tebow’s baseball workout drew plenty of attention yesterday, and it wasn’t solely from the media. It is fair to note that 28 teams were represented by scouts, with several sending rather high-level personnel to have a look. Only the Cubs and Athletics ultimately did not put eyes on the college football great, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Even if a lack of alternative scouting opportunities and sheer intrigue had a role in that tally, it seems clear there was some genuine interest in seeing how the former quarterback looked in a baseball uniform — even at 29 years of age.

Here are a few sources of information if you’re curious how things went:

  • From an athletic perspective, Tebow looked to be in fantastic shape and put up a strong time in the 60-yard dash. But one scout’s overall impression was that Tebow seemed more like “an actor trying to portray a baseball player” than a budding talent, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). As Josh Peter of USA Today further reports, the Heisman winner flashed a slightly below-average arm, though some viewed him as an approximately average potential defender in the outfield after watching his full fielding workout.
  • The raw power that Tebow displayed seemingly raised the most eyebrows. One scout actually gave it a top-of-class 80 grade, per Taylor Blake Ward of Scout (Twitter links). Another classed it more modestly at a 65, which is still quite impressive, though that second source noted that the pop might only play at a 55 level.
  • Pure power is certainly an intriguing commodity, standing alone, particularly in an otherwise athletic player. But the biggest question will be whether it can translate one day to major league pitching, especially given Tebow’s long layoff from hitting and his extremely advanced age for a potential prospect. As Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports, the overall view of scouts ranged from relatively positive — “he’s definitely intriguing,” said one — to downright laughable — one said flatly that “he sucked.” But those who took a close look seemingly witnessed both the potential and the areas of concern, including whether his “grooved swing” and overly-muscular frame would allow the power stroke to come through in game action.
  • Tebow’s representatives at CAA said that five or six clubs engaged with Tebow directly after the workout, as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. While that suggests some genuine interest, there was also reason to be skeptical. The long balls that the hulking slugger drove during BP didn’t quite continue when he faced live pitching, scouts noted to Davidoff — who says the scene actually became a bit awkward as it unfolded. Tebow’s agents hope that he’ll sign in time to participate in fall instructional league, with an Arizona Fall League or perhaps a winter ball appearance to follow. But it remains to be seen whether Tebow would be deemed ready for that level of competition.

Kurt Suzuki Unlikely To Be Traded

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The interest around the league in Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki is “muted at best,” Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports (Twitter links). It seems rather unlikely, then, that he’ll end up joining a new organization today, before the deadline for teams to add postseason-eligible players.

While Suzuki has produced a roughly league-average batting line (.275/.318/.417), which is quite good for a catcher, we’ve heard mention on several occasions about increasing concerns with his work behind the dish. That may help explain the lack of interest in the veteran, who has helped teams fill needs down the stretch in years past.

Suzuki has cleared waivers, so he can be traded freely. But that has been the case for some time. A few contenders have gone on to add different backstops while others are, perhaps, satisfied with what they have on hand. “It would take an injury to create any kind of market,” a source tells Berardino.

Suzuki is owed $1.05MM from the start of September to year’s end, by Berardino’s calculations, which is a fairly modest but not inconsequential sum. His vesting option is no longer a consideration, so that isn’t a hindrance. Even if Minnesota finds a surprise, late-breaking taker, the report suggests that the team would anticipate only a minimal return — perhaps largely consisting of some salary relief.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/31/16

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Let’s catch up on some minor moves from yesterday:

  • The Orioles have outrighted both outfielder Julio Borbon and righty Logan Ondrusek to Double-A, per a team announcement. The 30-year-old Borbon has not seen extensive major league time since playing a big role on the 2010 Rangers, but he offers a left-handed-hitting center field option that could come in handy given the injury concerns surrounding Adam Jones. Ondrusek, 31, came over from Japan in a surprising recent move, but has struggled through 6 1/3 innings with Baltimore. Still, he’ll provide some depth down the stretch should a need arise.
  • Outfielder Alex Presley has accepted a Triple-A assignment with the Tigers after clearing waivers, John Wagner of the Toledo Blade reports on Twitter. Presley was designated for assignment recently, but the opportunity remains for him to play a role at the major league level late this year, especially with Cameron Maybin now dealing with another thumb problem.
  • The Tigers also announced that the club purchased the contract of infielder/outfielder JaCoby Jones. Acquired in the deal that sent Joakim Soria to the Pirates last summer, Jones has struggled for most of the year at Triple-A. Over his 324 plate appearances in his first trip to the highest level of the minors, Jones owns a .243/.309/.356 slash with 11 steals. He’ll provide some versatility in Detroit, though, as the 24-year-old has spent time at both third base and center field this year.
  • The Mariners have outrighted righty Jarrett Grube off of the 40-man roster, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported on Twitter. He had already been pitching at Triple-A, and the team did not announce a corresponding move, but the transaction will open a fresh major league spot. That may ultimately be filled by fellow righty Evan Scribner, who is expected to be activated soon from the 60-day DL, per Bob Dutton of the Seattle times (via Twitter). As for Grube — who is in something of an unusual position as a 34-year-old who has just one MLB appearance under his belt — he’ll return to pitching at the highest level of the minors, where he owns a 4.13 ERA over 113 1/3 innings on the year.

Players That Have Cleared Revocable Waivers

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The first three two and a half weeks of August yielded only a few minor trades, featuring pickups by the Mariners (Arquimedes Caminero and Pat Venditte), a swap of veteran infielders (Erick Aybar and Mike Aviles) and the Marlins adding some left-handed depth to their ’pen (Hunter Cervenka). Since that time, several names have changed hands, though, including Carlos Ruiz, A.J. Ellis, Dioner Navarro, Jeff Francoeur, Daniel Nava, Marc Rzepczynski and Erick Aybar. A trade sending veteran outfielder Coco Crisp to the Indians should be announced on Wednesday as well.

Before diving into the names, a few items bear repeating. The majority of Major League players will be placed on trade waivers this month, with most instances going unreported. There are undoubtedly players (quite a few of them, most likely) who have already cleared waivers but have not been reported to have done so. Players can be traded into September, as well, but only those traded on or before Aug. 31 will be eligible for the postseason with their new teams, so there’s some urgency for contending clubs to complete deals by month’s end. And, of course, for those who aren’t familiar with the inner-workings of waiver trades, MLBTR published a full explanation of how August trades work earlier this month. Onto the known names…

  • Ryan Braun (link): Although Braun has slashed an excellent .315/.377/.551 with 24 homers and 14 steals through 454 plate appearances this season, his pricey contract enabled him to slip through waivers. Braun, 32, is owed $76MM through 2021, and any team acquiring him would likely need Milwaukee to pick up a sizable chunk of his contract, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. That doesn’t seem to bode well for the possibility of a trade this month.
  • Ervin Santana (link): Santana, 33, is due $13.5MM per year through 2018, which makes him a fairly expensive investment, but he’s in the midst of another fine season. The righty has been among the few bright spots for the last-place Twins, having recorded a 3.54 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 2.38 BB/9 in 147 1/3 innings. Given that he cleared waivers, the Twins might have to eat some of Santana’s contract if they wish to move him for a decent return. However, Minnesota reportedly needed to be “overwhelmed” to deal Santana in July, and it’s doubtful their bullish opinion of him has changed since then.
  • Ryan Howard (link): It seems as if any possibility of a Howard trade has gone out the window with his time with the Phillies drawing to an increasingly pleasant end. But he does still deliver more pure power than most hitters — albeit almost exclusively against righties — with 19 long balls in less than half a season worth of plate appearances.
  • Matt Wieters (link): Not only is Wieters expensive ($15.8MM salary this year), but he’s also underperforming both offensively and defensively. Thus, with fellow backstops Kurt Suzuki and Brian McCann having already cleared waivers, it’s no surprise that Wieters did, too. Regardless of his struggles, Wieters is the starting catcher for a playoff contender with no better in-house option in place, making a trade involving the impending free agent all the more unlikely.
  • Scott Kazmir (link): Kazmir is owed $16MM in each of the next two seasons, but he has the ability to opt out of his deal after this year. Kazmir’s run prevention (4.41 ERA) has been a letdown in 132 2/3 innings this season, although he has recorded an outstanding K/9 (9.02) to go with a 3.32 BB/9 and a superb 15.2 percent infield fly rate. The positives weren’t enough for anyone to claim Kazmir, though, and it’s doubtful the injury-riddled Dodgers will move out a healthy starter in the middle of a playoff race.
  • James Shields (link): The right-hander was previously a high-end option that every team would’ve loved to slot into its rotation. At 34, he’s now pitching like a DFA candidate. The White Sox, who acquired Shields from the Padres earlier this year, owe him $10MM per season through 2018. Thanks largely to a plummeting strikeout rate and a propensity for allowing HRs, Shields has run up a 7.62 ERA in 69 2/3 innings with Chicago. Overall, he has a 5.98 ERA in 137 frames this year. While Shields is on track for a 10th straight 30-start season, there’s no point in trading for someone who isn’t at least keeping his team in games every fifth day.
  • Nick Markakis (link): The negatives seem to outweigh the positives with Markakis, who’s on a $10.5MM salary through 2018 and doesn’t bring the offensive value to the table that he used to. Since leaving Baltimore for Atlanta last year, the right fielder has hit .285/.360/.384 with a mere 12 HRs in 1,200-plus plate trips. The average and on-base percentage are clearly pluses. Fact is, though, a corner outfielder who has little power, doesn’t grade well defensively and isn’t all that cheap isn’t too appealing.
  • Mitch Moreland (link): Moreland is amid his third straight 20-homer season and isn’t overly expensive ($5.7MM salary) in the last year of his contract, so it wouldn’t have been shocking had someone claimed him. Instead, the lifetime .251/.316/.481 hitter got through waivers and looks likely to remain with World Series-contending Texas for the rest of the season.
  • Matt Kemp (link): Once an MVP-level player, the 31-year-old Kemp has fallen off thanks to defensive issues and a decline at the plate. As a roughly league-average hitter on a $21.5MM salary through 2019, he was fully expected to go unclaimed had the Braves placed him on waivers. They did, and that’s exactly what happened. Atlanta’s on the hook for $18MM per year of Kemp’s money for the duration of his contract. The Padres, his previous team, make up the difference. For any deal to happen, the Braves would likely have to eat a hefty portion of that cash.
  • Joakim Soria (link): The 32-year-old Soria has become increasingly homer prone and displaying some concerning control issues in 2016, so it’s not surprising that no team risked claiming the remaining $19.72MM that he is owed through the completion of the 2018 season. Soria’s 92.8 mph average fastball is actually a career-high, and his strikeouts and ground-ball rate both remain sound, so perhaps he could be moved if Kansas City were to eat some of the remainder on that deal.
  • Eric O’Flaherty (link): Once a powerhouse out of the Braves’ bullpen, O’Flaherty’s second stint with Atlanta hasn’t gone nearly as well. He’s never fully regained his form after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2013, and his ERA in 2016 rested just shy of 7.00 when word of his clearing waivers broke. His $1.75MM salary wouldn’t be prohibitive were he pitching well, but even opposing lefties have roughed up O’Flaherty this season, and he’s been positively obliterated by right-handed opponents.
  • Kurt Suzuki (link): The Twins’ catcher was reported to have cleared waivers just yesterday. Unlike a number of players that clear waivers in the month of August, Suzuki is relatively affordable, making it something of a surprise that no teams placed a claim on him. While he’s not regarded as a highly skilled defensive backstop, he’s hitting .281/.321/.431, which is quite a step up from the league-average catcher (.242/.311/.380). He doesn’t walk much, but he’s also very tough to strike out (12.9%), and he was owed just $1.54MM through season’s end when he reportedly cleared on Aug. 16.
  • Brian McCann (link): It’s no surprise that McCann cleared waivers, as he’s owed a hefty $34MM beyond the 2016 campaign. McCann’s offensive production has wilted a bit in recent weeks, and while his .232/.333/.404 batting line and 15 homers are still solid marks for a catcher, it’s tough to imagine the Yankees moving him without absorbing a fair amount of the money that remains on his contract. Also standing in the way of a potential deal is the fact that teams looking for catching help beyond this year have a fair number of choices on the upcoming free agent market.

One final note: outfielder Jeff Francoeur (link) and catcher Carlos Ruiz (link) were both reported to have cleared waivers as well, but each has already been traded to a new team, with Francoeur going to the Marlins and Ruiz going to the Dodgers.

Josh Thole Elects Free Agency

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AUG. 30: Thole has cleared waivers and elected free agency, the team told reporters, including Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star (Twitter link). Kennedy adds that Thole is likely to be re-signed quickly, which would make sense in the event that the organization wants to keep him as depth and for a potential postseason spot in the event of an injury to Martin or Navarro.

AUG. 28: The Blue Jays placed catcher Josh Thole on irrevocable waivers following Sunday’s game, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star reports.  The newly-acquired Dioner Navarro will be activated on Monday to take Thole’s spot on the 25-man roster.  Thole will become property of any team that claims him within the 48-hour waiver period, and if he goes unclaimed, he will be released.  It should be noted that is different from the standard August waiver process, as those waivers are revocable; Griffin reports that Thole cleared those waivers earlier this month.

Griffin suspects the Jays have a verbal agreement in place with Thole to re-sign the veteran backstop once rosters expand on September 1, and in time for Thole to be behind the plate for R.A. Dickey’s next start.  Thole has almost exclusively served as Dickey’s personal catcher since both players came to Toronto prior to the 2013 season.  It’s not a stretch to say that Thole’s ability to catch the knuckleball has been the only thing keeping him on the Jays roster and perhaps in the majors as a whole given his poor hitting — Thole entered today’s action with just a .199/.275/.248 slash line over 465 PA as a Blue Jay.  Baseball Prospectus rates Thole as an above-average pitch framer, though StatCorner considers him to be a below-average defender on the whole.

Some type of shift to Toronto’s catching depth chart was imminent once the Jays traded for Navarro on Friday.  It is possible that one of the Jays’ AL rivals could claim Thole simply to prevent him from returning to the team, though that rival would have to use one of its own 25-man roster spots for Thole over the next couple of days.

If Thole does re-sign with the Blue Jays under the scenario Griffin outlined, he wouldn’t be eligible for postseason play since he’d be joining the team in September.  Navarro’s acquisition, however, pretty much closed on the door on any chance Thole had of making the playoff roster anyway.  Thole wasn’t included on the Jays’ postseason roster in 2015 when Russell Martin caught both of Dickey’s starts.  Given that the Jays will again have a six-man rotation when Aaron Sanchez returns, Dickey himself may not be a lock to make the postseason roster.

Injury Notes: Vizcaino, Kershaw, Cole, Marlins

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The Braves announced today that right-hander Arodys Vizcaino has been placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to Aug. 24) due to inflammation in his right shoulder. The 25-year-old Vizcaino spent the majority of the season as Atlanta’s closer and was an oft-speculated-upon trade target in advance of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, but Vizcaino suffered an oblique strain in mid-July, which shelved him through Aug. 18 and removed the plausibility of a trade. Jim Johnson has taken over the ninth inning in his stead and handled the role fantastically, but Johnson is a free agent at season’s end, so Vizcaino will have the opportunity to reclaim the ninth inning next season. Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters, including Mark Bowman of MLB.com, that he believes Vizcaino will be able to be activated when he is first eligible on Sept. 9.

A few more notable injury situations from around the league…

  • Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw pitched two innings in a simulated game today and is likely headed for a minor league rehab assignment before rejoining the big league team, writes Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times. “I think it will take a little bit of time to build him up in a way for him to be strong through September and hopefully October, as well,” said president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. The hope is that he’ll only require a single rehab outing before returning to the big league club, which could put him in line for an early September date. McCullough also notes that Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson and Scott Kazmir all pitched simulated games as well, and Kazmir is the closest to returning. Kazmir threw five innings today and, unlike his injured peers, may not require a minor league rehab stint.
  • Renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache examined Gerrit Cole’s balky right elbow and found no ligament damage, bone spurs or bone chips, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates ace had only inflammation in his elbow and is expected to return to the team before the regular season is over. Pirates athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk told Biertempfel that the direct source of Cole’s elbow discomfort isn’t known, though the possibility exists that an early-season rib injury led to some altered mechanics that brought about the pain. “I would say it’s tough to say that they’re not related,” said Cole of the rib injury, the triceps strain he suffered in June and the current elbow inflammation. “We do the same motion every time. Anytime that something causes you to alter that kind of thing, you run the risk of paying the price somewhere else.”
  • Marlins lefty Adam Conley has been cleared by doctors to resume throwing and played catch Tuesday for the first time since going on the disabled list, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Barring any further setbacks in his recovery from tendinitis in his left middle finger, he could return to the Miami rotation in three weeks, Frisaro adds. Furthermore, he writes, lefty Wei-Yin Chen is progressing through a throwing program as he rehabs an elbow strain and is also a possibility for a late-September return. Getting either southpaw back would be a boon to a Marlins rotation that is trying to keep the team afloat in the Wild Card hunt. Miami dropped its fourth straight game today but is still a very manageable 3.5 games back from the second Wild Card spot in the National League.

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