Marlins Designate Deven Marrero, Select Luis Marte
The Marlins announced that infielder Deven Marrero has been designated for assignment. Taking Marrero’s place on the roster is infielder Luis Marte, who is back in the majors after his contract was selected from Triple-A Jacksonville.
Marrero had his contract selected back on Wednesday, and the 30-year-old started at third base that day for his lone appearance in this brief stint with Miami. It marked Marrero’s first Major League game since 2019, when he played in five games for the Marlins. (Incidentally, Marrero is 0-for-8 plate appearances in those six games, so Marrero is still looking for his first hit since the 2018 season.) Now a veteran of parts of six MLB seasons, Marrero returned to the Marlins on a minor league contract back in May.
Marte has also made just one appearance in 2021, making his MLB debut on June 1 in a game against the Blue Jays. He was DFA’ed and then outrighted following that cup of coffee in the big leagues. Marte is a veteran of 10 minor league seasons with the Rangers, Braves, and Marlins organizations, and he has a .213/.228/.360 slash line over 79 PA at Triple-A this season.
Marlins Designate Luis Madero, Select Deven Marrero
The Marlins have selected the contract of infielder Deven Marrero from Triple-A, and Marrero will be the starting third baseman for Miami’s game with the Cardinals this afternoon. To create roster space, the Marlins designed righty Luis Madero for assignment, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald tweets.
Marrero is set for his first MLB game since August 13, 2019, also as a member of the Marlins. After being let go by the Fish following the 2019 season, Marrero didn’t sign a contract for 2020 and was seemingly lined up to join a Mexican League team in April before rejoining the Marlins on a new minor league deal in May.
Selected 24th overall by the Red Sox in the 2012 draft, Marrero will get another crack at the big leagues after hitting .194/.246/.279 over 348 career plate appearances with Boston, Arizona, and Miami. Marrero has played at third base, second base, and shortstop at the MLB level, and he’ll give the Marlins some extra depth with Jose Devers and Brian Anderson both on the injured list. Isan Diaz and Jon Berti figure to get the bulk of time at second and third base, with Marrero now perhaps in line for utility infield duty.
Madero is headed back to Triple-A after just two days on Miami’s roster, without any more game action. The righty made his Major League debut in May, posting a 15.00 ERA over three innings in two appearances. This is the second time Madero has been DFA’ed this season, as the Marlins designated him shortly after that second outing. Assuming he clears DFA waivers, Madero has the right to reject an outright assignment and become a free agent, if he so chooses.
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/9/21
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
Latest Transactions
- The Angels signed outfielder Dalton Pompey to a minor league contract, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets. Once a top-50 prospect while coming up in the Blue Jays’ farm system, Pompey’s career was plagued by injuries, and he appeared in only 64 Major League games over parts of four seasons from 2014-18. Pompey was released from a minors contract with the Diamondbacks last summer, and he spent some time in independent baseball. Still only 28 years old, Pompey has a connection to Angels GM Perry Minasian, with Morosi noting that Minasian worked in the Jays front office during Pompey’s time in the organization.
Earlier Today
- The Marlins signed infielder Deven Marrero to a minor league contract, and Marrero has reported to Triple-A Jacksonville. The 24th overall pick of the 2012 draft, Marrero’s last big league exposure came in a Miami uniform, as he played five games with the Marlins in 2019. He had reportedly signed with a Mexican League team in April but Marrero will now make his return to affiliated baseball. Marrero has hit .194/.246/.279 over 348 career MLB plate appearances with the Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox from 2015-19.
Several Former Big Leaguers Sign With Mexican League’s Guadalajara Mariachis
6:50pm: Bonifacio’s representatives at CAA tell MLBTR that despite the announcement from Guadalajara, Bonifacio has not signed with the club and remains a free agent.
9:14am: Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, infielder Dawel Lugo and right-hander Justin Grimm are among the former Major Leaguers on the spring roster for the Mexican League’s Guadalajara Mariachis, the team announced this week (Twitter link). Infielders Luis Sardinas and Deven Marrero are on the roster as well, as are pitchers Jason Gurka and Daniel Corcino. All have big league experience, though only Bonifacio, Grimm and Lugo were in the big leagues last season. Five-time MLB All-Star Adrian Gonzalez is also on the roster for the Mariachis, an expansion club in 2021, as was initially reported late last month.
Bonifacio, now 27, looked like a potential option for the Royals in right field back in 2017 when he slugged 17 homers in 113 games as a 24-year-old rookie. He batted .255/.320/.432 that season and was in line for a lengthier audition in 2018 before being hit with an 80-game PED suspension during Spring Training that year. Bonifacio struggled through 270 plate appearances upon returning and was out of the Royals organization a year later. He played in 30 games with the Tigers last season but managed just a .221/.277/.326 slash in 94 trips to the plate.
Grimm was an oft-used and generally successful member of the Cubs’ bullpen from 2014-16, working to a collective 3.36 ERA with a hearty 28 percent strikeout rate against a 10.5 percent walk rate through 171 1/3 innings in that time. He struggled considerably in 2017, however (5.53 ERA in 55 1/3 frames), and has yet to regain his form at the game’s top level. Now 32 years old, Grimm is certainly young enough to make another big league run if he can right the ship pitching with Guadalajara.
Lugo, meanwhile, was the headliner of the prospect package the D-backs sent to the Tigers in exchange for J.D. Martinez back in 2017. The now-26-year-old infielder appeared in the big leagues each season from 2018-20 but didn’t provide much reason for optimism, slashing just .236/.270/.358 in 400 plate appearances.
The 30-year-old Marrero was a first-round pick by the Red Sox in 2012, and while he’s a strong defender he’s never hit much in 163 big league games. Sardinas, 27, was a top prospect back in 2013-14 but hit .224/.274/.292 in 500 big league plate appearances from 2014-18. Gurka and Corcino both briefly reached the Majors between 2014-18, though they have only 40 2/3 total innings combined between them. Corcino does have a 3.97 ERA in his limited time, but he walked nearly as many hitters (13) as he struck out (16) in 22 2/3 innings.
Position Players Recently Electing Free Agency
Since the conclusion of the regular season, a number of players have elected free agency. That right accrues to certain players who are outrighted off of a 40-man roster during or after the season — namely, those that have at least three years of MLB service and/or have previously been outrighted. Such players that accepted outright assignments during the season have the right to elect free agency instead at season’s end, provided they aren’t added back to the 40-man in the meantime.
Here are the position players that have recently taken to the open market, along with their now-former teams (via the International League and PCL transactions pages):
- Jim Adduci, OF, Cubs
- Aaron Altherr, OF, Mets
- Rob Brantly, C, Phillies
- Wilkin Castillo, C, Marlins
- Isaac Galloway, OF, Marlins
- Dustin Garneau, C, Athletics
- Juan Graterol, C, Reds
- Gorkys Hernandez, OF, Red Sox
- Oscar Hernandez, C, Red Sox
- Rafael Lopez, C, Braves
- Deven Marrero, INF, Marlins
- Peter O’Brien, OF, Marlins
- Jace Peterson, IF/OF, Orioles
- Yadiel Rivera, 3B, Marlins
- JB Shuck, OF, Pirates
- Jesus Sucre, C, Orioles
- Blake Swihart, C/OF, Diamondbacks
- Beau Taylor, C, Athletics
- Charlie Tilson, OF, White Sox
- Bobby Wilson, C, Tigers
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/18/19
The latest minor moves from around the game…
- The Marlins outrighted Deven Marrero to Triple-A after the infielder cleared waivers, the team announced. Marrero was designated for assignment on Friday. Formerly a highly-touted prospect during his days in Boston’s farm system, Marrero didn’t produce much at the plate in limited Major League action (343 PA) with the Red Sox and Diamondbacks from 2015-18. He inked a minor league contract with Miami last winter, and he has hit .249/.324/.420 over 380 PA for Triple-A New Orleans while also appeared in five big league games for the Marlins.
Marlins Designate Deven Marrero, Activate Neil Walker
The Marlins announced today that they have designated infielder Deven Marrero for assignment. His roster spot will go to fellow infielder Neil Walker, who was activated from the injured list.
Marrero, who is closing in on his 29th birthday, was brought up recently to fill out the Miami roster. He has seen action in parts of five MLB campaigns but has never shown the spark with the bat that was anticipated when he was chosen in the first round of the 2012 draft.
Marlins Select Contract Of Deven Marrero
The Marlins announced today that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Deven Marrero. He’ll take the roster spot of fellow infielder Miguel Rojas, who is heading to the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain.
Marrero, 29, is a former first-round pick who has yet to show he has the stick to hang in the big leagues. The shortstop owns a .197/.250/.283 slash line through 343 plate appearances at the game’s highest level.
There has been a notable change for Marrero this year at Triple-A, where he has cracked 14 long balls in 380 plate appearances after never previously finishing a season with even a double-digit tally. Of course, that’s the sort of thing we’ve seen from quite a few other players in the homer-friendly International League, so it’s hard to put too much stock in this particular development.
Marlins Sign Pedro Alvarez, Dixon Machado, Deven Marrero To Minor League Contracts
The Marlins announced Monday that they’ve signed a slew of players to minor league contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training. First baseman Pedro Alvarez and middle infielders Dixon Machado and Deven Marrero have the most recent MLB experience of the bunch. Left-hander Mike Kickham, right-hander R.J. Alvarez, infielder Jon Berti and outfielder Gabriel Guerrero all have big league experience as well. Miami also made its previously reported re-signing of catcher Bryan Holaday to a minor league contract official and revealed that prized outfield addition Victor Victor Mesa will participate in Major League Spring Training.
Alvarez, 32 in February, is the most recognizable name of the bunch. The former No. 2 overall draft pick and Pirates slugger has spent the past three seasons in the Orioles organization. “El Toro” swatted 22 homers and had a solid year at the plate — primarily as a platoon designated hitter. He returned to the O’s on minor league pacts in each of the past two seasons but spent more time in Triple-A than in the Majors. Last year, Alvarez batted just .180/.283/.414 with eight homers in 127 Major League plate appearances and hit .243/.311/.446 with 16 homers in 305 Triple-A plate appearances. He’ll give the Marlins another option to compete for playing time alongside Peter O’Brien and Garrett Cooper.
Machado, 26 (and of no relation to the free-agent market’s more prominent Machado), appeared in 140 games with the Tigers from 2017-18. He’s generally regarded as a quality up-the-middle defender but didn’t provide enough hope with the bat to keep his roster spot in Detroit, even as the Tigers themselves are somewhat starved for middle-infield options. Machado batted just .229/.280/.303 in 414 PAs over the past two seasons, and he’ll give the Miami organization a glove-first depth option.
Marrero fits a similar profile. The former Red Sox first round-pick (2012) has long drawn praise for his defensive prowess but has yet to find success at the plate in parts of three seasons with Boston and another in Arizona. In 343 MLB trips to the plate, Marrero has posted a woeful .197/.250/.283 slash with five homers, 10 doubles and 10 steals. He does have experience at three infield positions, so he’ll join Machado in competing for a bench job in Miami this spring.
Kickham, soon to turn 30, will return to the Marlins organization after a solid minor league campaign in 2018. Through 42 innings (34 1/3 of which came in Triple-A), Kickham notched a 3.64 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9. He hasn’t been in the Majors since 2014 and has surrendered 37 earned runs in 30 1/3 frames as a big leaguer, but he’s thrown well in the Miami minor league ranks since 2017.
R.J. Alvarez, 27, hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2015 and has a career 7.39 ERA through 28 innings at the game’s top level. He’s punched out 101 hitters through 88 2/3 innings with the Rangers’ Triple-A club across the past two seasons, though he’s done so while exhibiting questionable control (48 walks).
Berti, 29 next month, received a four-game cup of coffee with the Blue Jays late in 2018, which marked his MLB debut. He’s struggled to a .593 OPS in 506 career PAs in Triple-A but posted much better numbers in Double-A. As with Machado and Marrero, he’ll provide some infield depth.
Guerrero, 24, was once considered to be one of the Mariners’ best prospects but has seen his production evaporate since reaching the Double-A level. The Reds gave him his first taste of the Majors in 2018, and he managed to connect on his first big league homer in a brief 14-game stint with Cincinnati. On the whole, though, he went 3-for-18 with eight strikeouts and no walks in his first MLB cup of coffee. There’s certainly reason to believe that a player with Guerrero’s bloodline can improve; he’s the nephew of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero and the cousin of Blue Jays uber-prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Beyond the aforementioned players, the Marlins also added catchers B.J. Lopez, Sharif Othman and Rodrigo Vigil to minor league contracts, as well as left-hander Brian Moran. None of that quartet has MLB experience, though each will have the opportunity to win a job in Spring Training, it seems. Lopez, Othman and Vigil were minor league free agents of the Marlins and each re-signed to return to the organization.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/10/18
Today’s minor league moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…
- The Diamondbacks outrighted infielder Deven Marrero to Triple-A, as per a team press release. Marrero was designated for assignment earlier this week. After being acquired by Arizona from the Red Sox back in March, Marrero appeared in 45 games for the D’Backs this season, hitting .167/.224/.205 over 85 PA. Selected by Boston as the 24th overall pick of the 2012 draft, Marrero has been able to reach the big leagues by virtue of his excellent defense, though he has never been particularly strong at the plate even at the minor league level.
- First baseman/outfielder Brock Stassi is joining the Giants organization after it purchased his contract from the New Britain Bees, Mike Ashmore of MyCentralJersey.com notes in a tweet. The 29-year-old Stassi cracked the majors last year with the Phillies for the first time, but didn’t hit enough to stick. He also struggled earlier this year at the Triple-A level with the Twins organization. Even as his younger brother, Astros catcher Max Stassi, has enjoyed a breakthrough MLB campaign, the elder Stassi found himself out of the affiliated ranks. Fortunately, he’s now back after destroying indy ball pitching to the tune of a .361/.458/.592 batting line.