Marlins Notes: Iglesias, Gurriel, Sanchez, De La Cruz, Cooper
The Marlins seem to be “leaning toward” only breaking camp with one of Yuli Gurriel or Jose Iglesias, according to Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. The two veterans recently signed minor league contracts and joined the Marlins’ spring camp as non-roster invitees, and perhaps due to that late start (both players signed on March 9), it isn’t unsurprising that neither Gurriel or Iglesias have hit well in their small sample size of Spring Training at-bats. A decision will have to be made soon, since both Gurriel and Iglesias can enact opt-out clauses in their minor league deals if Miami doesn’t let them know who or who isn’t making the Opening Day roster.
Gurriel was signed to either back up Garrett Cooper at first base or (perhaps ideally) join in at least a timeshare, if Cooper stays healthy and Gurriel rebounds to his pre-2022 levels of offense. Miami signed Iglesias to provide further depth at shortstop, since after Miguel Rojas was traded to the Dodgers, utilityman Joey Wendle is expected to handle the bulk of shortstop duty despite a relative lack of experience at the position.
Of the two, it would seem like Gurriel has the advantage, Jackson noted in a tweet today. Manager Skip Schumaker suggested that utilityman Jon Berti could be utilized at shortstop against left-handed pitching while Wendle faced righties, which might be a cleaner situation for the Marlins than including Iglesias on the roster and finding him playing time. In terms of other shortstop candidates, the Fish have also already selected the contract of another minor league signing in Garrett Hampson, plus Jordan Groshans and Jacob Amaya are at Triple-A.
The club’s decision on Gurriel or Iglesias is also influenced by the fact that both Jesus Sanchez and Bryan De La Cruz now seem like good bets to make the Opening Day roster. It already seemed like Sanchez (who is out of minor league options) would make the room, but De La Cruz’s status was a little more tenuous since he still has a minor league option remaining. This means that Miami might eventually send De La Cruz to Triple-A at some point in 2023, but using De La Cruz and Sanchez in a left field platoon seems like the team’s preferred opening heading into Opening Day. Having an extra outfielder on the roster is also helpful since Jorge Soler will mostly be a DH this season, and Jazz Chisholm’s ability to stick as the regular center fielder is still up in the air, given his lack of experience at the position.
Returning to the first base picture, the position remains a long-term question for the Marlins. Jackson and Mish report that the team hasn’t had any talks with Cooper about an extension, making it seem likely that Cooper will hit free agency as scheduled following the 2023 season. Given Cooper’s age (32), injury history, and his past linkage to some trade rumors, it isn’t surprising that Miami is perhaps looking to move onwards, though Cooper has been a quietly productive player when healthy. Before signing Gurriel, the Marlins explored some bigger-name first base options this offseason, including such free agents and trade targets as Jose Abreu, Josh Bell, and Triston Casas. Depending on how the Chisholm/center field experiment plays out, it is also possible that the Marlins might ultimately install Luis Arraez back at first base.
Marlins To Move Jazz Chisholm To Center Field
The Marlins made their long-awaited swap of a starting pitcher for a hitter this afternoon, sending Pablo López to Minnesota as part of a deal for Luis Arraez. Shortly after the trade was finalized, Miami general manager Kim Ng told reporters (including Craig Mish of SportsGrid) the newly-acquired infielder would take over as the primary second baseman. All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. will move from the keystone to center field.
It’s an interesting gambit for Miami, who’ll indirectly address their uncertain center field mix with today’s trade. Arraez has plenty of experience as a second baseman. He came up through the minors at the position and has logged more MLB innings there than at any other position. Over parts of four seasons, Arraez has spent a bit more than 1200 innings at the keystone.
Public defensive metrics have been mixed on his effectiveness. Defense Runs Saved rated him as nine runs below average in just 390 innings there as a rookie in 2019. Over the three seasons since then, DRS has pegged him as a slightly better than average second baseman. Statcast hasn’t been quite so optimistic. While it also feels he’s improved since a poor rookie showing — an estimated -7 runs in 2019 — it has rated him a little below par in two of the last three years.
Statcast has graded Arraez’s arm strength as slightly above-average for the position. Scouts have raised questions about his lateral quickness and athleticism since his time as a prospect, though. Minnesota pushed him primarily to first base work last season, starting him 31 times at the keystone compared to 60 times at first base (with a handful of games at third also mixed in). Of course, Minnesota’s signing of Carlos Correa solidified shortstop and ensured Jorge Polanco would play almost exclusively at second base. The Twins felt more comfortable with Polanco’s glove than Arraez’s up the middle, but it’s possible they’d have given the latter more second base time if they hadn’t landed one of the sport’s best shortstops.
It does come as a surprise to see Miami move Chisholm out of the middle infield. The 24-year-old (25 next month) established himself as the organization’s top position player with a .254/.325/.535 first half before suffering a season-ending stress fracture in his back. He also later underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee.
Signed as a shortstop prospect out of the Bahamas, Chisholm has only ever played the middle infield as a professional. He’ll take on the outfield on the fly during the upcoming season, with a month-plus of Spring Training action to acclimate to the new position.
With zero outfield experience, it’s impossible to know how Chisholm will take to the different reads and angles he’ll need to learn as an outfielder. Miami is clearly confident he’ll polish those aspects of his game quickly while relying on his elite athleticism in the interim. Chisholm was long credited by scouts with plus speed, and Statcast placed him in the league’s 94th percentile in that regard last season. He would’ve tied for 19th among 74 center fielders in sprint speed, so he certainly shouldn’t have issue covering the spacious outfield at Marlins Park from that perspective.
Prospect evaluators also praised Chisholm for an above-average throwing arm. He hasn’t shown that at the MLB level, though it’s not fair to compare his throwing speeds as a second baseman to those of center fielders. Chisholm obviously had quicker releases and much shorter distances to throw on the right side of the infield than he will from center field.
It’s a gamble for the Fish nonetheless, given the challenge of projecting how quickly he’ll develop the kind of reads needed to be a solid defensive center fielder. Yet it’s one Miami will take after missing out on their chances to directly upgrade the position from outside the organization. The free agent market at the position was mostly limited to depth players beyond Brandon Nimmo, Cody Bellinger and Kevin Kiermaier. Trades only offered a few more obvious candidates, with the Pirates sticking to a massive asking price on Bryan Reynolds and even reports of a somewhat significant ask from the Royals on a glove-first option like Michael A. Taylor.
Rather than run things back with players like Jesús Sánchez, Bryan De La Cruz and JJ Bleday — all of whom are better suited in the corner outfield — they’ll turn things over to Chisholm. Their younger outfielders will vie for a spot in the corner opposite Avisaíl García, while Arraez looks like to be joined by Joey Wendle, Jean Segura and Garrett Cooper in the primary infield.
Marlins Expected To Turn To Trade Market For Center Field Help
On Tuesday, the Marlins named former infielder and Cardinals bench coach Skip Schumaker the sixteenth manager in team history. Schumaker (a first-time professional manager) will take over a club that scored the fewest runs in the NL in 2022, but also features some of the best young pitching talent in the league. Now that they have their manager, GM Kim Ng is expected to concentrate her efforts on reviving the Marlins’ anemic offense.
Currently, the Marlins’ biggest question mark is in center field. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that Miami is likely to attempt to use some of their starting pitching depth to trade for an established center fielder. Jackson offers Michael A. Taylor and Adolis Garcia as two options that Miami could potentially pursue.
Garcia, in particular, would present a substantial offensive upgrade from the Marlins’ current group of center fielders. Garcia will not be a free agent until 2027 and has already proven himself to be a legitimate big league bat, belting 27 home runs, stealing 25 bases, and posting a wRC+ of 112 in 2022. Though Garcia spent more time in right field last season, he has played almost as many MLB games in center (137) as he has in right (151).
If Miami is not able to land a new center fielder, it is likely that they will open spring training with a competition between Jesus Sanchez or Bryan De La Cruz for the starting job. After a strong showing in 2021 (.808 OPS, 14 homes in 64 games), Sanchez was demoted to Triple-A Jacksonville, finishing the season with a MLB slash of .214/.280/.403. De La Cruz may have a bit of momentum heading into 2023, having hit .310 in the second half of 2022 and .388 in September/October. Sanchez has rated more highly in a small-sample defensive look between the two players.
It seems unlikely that Miami would splurge on the free agent market to land a center fielder. As of now, the Marlins have $41.8MM in guaranteed money for 2023. Arbitration figures project to push Miami’s payroll just south of $80MM. This will be nearly equivalent to their 2022 opening day payroll of about $79MM, and while some trades or non-tenders could free up a bit of spending space, the Fish could have a hard time making a splash on the open market. Jackson has previously reported owner Bruce Sherman would likely be comfortable with a modest increase in payroll, though it’s hard to image such an increase that would accommodate the market value of someone like soon-to-be free agent Brandon Nimmo. With a rather thin class of free agent options available, looking to trade possibilities to address center field could be the preferred outcome for Ng and her staff.
Marlins To Select Peyton Burdick, Option Jesus Sanchez
The Marlins plan to select outfielder Peyton Burdick onto the major league roster before tomorrow afternoon’s contest with the Cubs, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid (Twitter links). Outfielder Jesús Sánchez will be optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding transaction, Mish adds. Miami already has a vacancy on the 40-man roster, as Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald points out (on Twitter).
Burdick was the Marlins’ third-round pick in 2019 coming out of Wright State University. The right-handed hitter draws praise from evaluators for his strength and raw power that is at least plus (a 60 on the 20-80 scale), although that’s been paired with a fair amount of swing-and-miss. There’s no question he’s performed since entering the professional ranks, though, as Burdick has hit at a well above-average rate at every minor league stop.
He tore up Low-A to close out his draft year, then was bumped to Double-A in 2021 on the heels of the 2020 minor league cancellation. He hit 23 homers there to earn a late-season bump to Jacksonville, where he’s spent the entire 2022 campaign. Burdick, whom Baseball America recently named the #8 prospect in the Miami farm system, owns a .229/.344/.430 line with 14 homers in 385 plate appearances with the Jumbo Shrimp. He’s striking out at a slightly elevated 25.7% clip, but he’s also hitting for power and walking at a robust enough rate (13%) to compensate for the relatively low batting average.
Burdick has played all three outfield spots in Jacksonville, with the majority of his time (328 innings) coming in center field. BA suggests his average speed makes him a cleaner fit in a corner at the MLB level, and Sánchez’s corresponding demotion likely opens up left field playing time for Burdick. Miami placed right fielder Avisaíl García on the injured list yesterday, leaving that corner primarily to Bryan De La Cruz of late with rookie JJ Bleday manning center field.
Manager Don Mattingly has continued to give Sánchez continued run in left field, but the recent results have been subpar. A former top prospect, the 24-year-old Sánchez looked as if he were beginning to make good on that status early in the season. Through the end of April, he carried a .282/.346/.493 line across 78 plate appearances. That came with alarming strikeout and walk numbers that hinted at some forthcoming regression, but one would’ve been hard-pressed to envision the lefty-hitting outfielder’s performance crashing as hard as it has.
Since the calendar flipped to May, Sánchez is hitting only .181/.247/.354. He’s been plagued by a woeful .206 batting average on balls in play over that stretch, but he’s also become increasingly pull-happy — particularly on ground-balls. Opposing teams have responded by shifting against Sánchez in nearly all of his trips, and he’s not managed to find his footing. Over the past month, he owns a .176/.291/.279 line through 79 plate appearances.
Marlins general manager Kim Ng and her staff have evidently decided it time for Sánchez to try to reset in Triple-A. It’ll be his first minor league action of the season. If he spends more than 20 days in the minors, he’ll exhaust his third and final option year. That’d mean the Fish have to permanently carry him on the active roster (or injured list) from the start of the 2023 season if they don’t want to designate him for assignment and make him available to other teams.
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.
Marlins Notes: Reynolds, Hernandez, Bullpen, Neidert, Sixto
The Marlins were on the hunt for outfield upgrades all winter, eventually culminating in multi-year free agent deals with Avisaíl García and Jorge Soler. Neither player required parting with young talent, but the Fish looked into potential higher-impact acquisitions on the trade market.
Miami has long had interest in prying star center fielder Bryan Reynolds from Pittsburgh, and Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald shed some light on the teams’ discussions. The Bucs and Marlins discussed permutations that would’ve involved top shortstop prospect Kahlil Watson — Miami’s first-round pick last summer — headed back as part of a deal. However, Jackson and Mish write that the Marlins balked at including both Watson and 2020 #3 overall pick Max Meyer in a Reynolds trade.
Baseball America placed both Watson and Meyer among the back half of their Top 100 prospects this winter. Watson, a lefty-hitting shortstop with big bat speed and athleticism, fell to the Marlins at 16th in last year’s draft but signed for the 10th-highest bonus. That better reflected how evaluators viewed him as an amateur prospect, and he’s generally regarded as one of the highest-upside players in the minors. Meyer, meanwhile, has one of the minors’ best fastball-slider combinations and struck out 27.2% of Double-A hitters in his first full pro season. Prospect evaluators have raised some concerns about his size and command consistency, but he boasts a high-octane arsenal and isn’t that far from MLB readiness.
Parting with both Watson and Meyer would’ve been quite a blow to the Miami farm system, but it reflects the huge asking price the Pirates can justifiably set with four years of arbitration control over Reynolds. Reports going back to last summer’s trade deadline have suggested the Bucs preferred to build around him rather than move him. Reynolds told reporters (including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) this afternoon the Pirates haven’t approached him about an extension this offseason, and they’re set to go to an arbitration hearing to determine his 2022 salary after not agreeing to terms yesterday. Still, the 27-year-old downplayed the notion that a hearing could affect his relationship with the organization. “I’m an adult,” he said. “I can handle it. I don’t care. I have a pretty good idea of what’ll be said and all that. We’ll prepare, and we’ll be fine.”
Jackson and Mish write the Marlins and Pirates may eventually revisit trade talks, although it’ll again be difficult to pry him out of Pittsburgh. The Herald reports the Marlins also had some pre-lockout discussions with the Blue Jays regarding corner outfielder Teoscar Hernández, but those conversations are no longer active. Soler’s signing to play right field would seem to close the door on the possibility of Miami making a run at another corner outfielder/DH option like Hernández.
Speaking with reporters (including Christina De Nicola of MLB.com) this afternoon, general manager Kim Ng expressed her confidence in the Miami outfield. She pointed to García and Bryan De La Cruz as options to see some time in center field, while Jackson and Mish write that Jesús Sánchez could get a look there as well. Ng didn’t expressly rule out the possibility of further moves on the position player side, but she suggested it was more likely they’d look to add another arm to the bullpen.
“As I mentioned, the bat was first and foremost, and making sure that we secured that and what the parameters of that looked like,” Ng said (via De Nicola). “And now we’re definitely focused on relievers. I will say that I’ve gotten some nice reports on some of the guys here, so we might be able to pull from within as well.”
Among those internal possibilities is right-hander Nick Neidert. A well-regarded starting pitching prospect early in his career, Neidert has yet to find success in 44 MLB innings. The Marlins are deep in rotation options, and manager Don Mattingly told reporters today that Neidert will transition to a bullpen role (De Nicola link). Despite his profile as a changeup specialist — which theoretically should aid him against opposite-handed batters — Neidert has been hit at a .314/.444/.500 clip by lefties in the majors. He was similarly ineffective against southpaws in Triple-A last season (.306/.393/.471), and the bullpen role may afford Mattingly the opportunity to deploy him more often with the platoon advantage.
At present, the Marlins look likely to open the year with a starting five of Sandy Alcantara, Trevor Rogers, Pablo López, Elieser Hernández and Jesús Luzardo. That’s a particularly strong top end, and Miami has high-upside young arms like Meyer, Edward Cabrera and Sixto Sánchez who could factor into the mix at some point.
Sánchez has already had some MLB success, but he missed the entire 2021 season due to injury and will also begin this year on the injured list as he recovers from last July’s shoulder surgery. De Nicola tweets that the fireballing 23-year-old is currently a third of the way through a six-week shutdown period. Given that he won’t even pick up a ball until at least a few weeks into the season, it seems likely he’ll spend a fairly significant amount of time on the IL to open the year.
Marlins Designate Deven Marrero For Assignment
The Marlins announced they’ve designated infielder Deven Marrero for assignment. Outfielder Jesús Sánchez is being reinstated from a stint on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move. Miami already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, but Marrero is out of minor league options, meaning he had to be placed on waivers in order to be bumped from the big league club.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Marrero pass through waivers unclaimed, seeing as he’s already done so three times this season. Despite having only eleven MLB plate appearances in 2021, the 30-year-old has rather remarkably been selected and designated for assignment on four separate occasions. Each time before, he’s accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Jacksonville in lieu of free agency.
Marrero, who’s also seen big league time with the Red Sox and Diamondbacks, has gotten more extensive playing time with Jacksonville this year. The right-handed hitter has compiled a .252/.327/.397 line across 150 plate appearances with the Jumbo Shrimp.
Marlins Discussed Trades Involving Bryan Reynolds, Brandon Marsh
Prior to the trade deadline, the Marlins were looking for outfield help, and explored what would have been a pair of major deals. Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of The Miami Herald report that the Marlins checked in with the Pirates about All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds, and also discussed a fascinating deal with the Angels that would have seen Miami acquire outfielder Brandon Marsh in exchange for Max Meyer, the third overall pick of the 2020 draft.
It’s probably safe to assume that almost every team in baseball at least asked the Pirates about Reynolds, who has delivered great results in two of his three MLB seasons. Reynolds has rebounded from a sophomore slump to hit .309/.388/.525 with 18 homers over 425 plate appearances this season, with an .385 xwOBA that ranks among the league’s best.
Reynolds turns 27 in January and is controlled through the 2025 season, making him one of the few assets that the rebuilding Pirates weren’t looking to move in general, and certainly not for anything short of a huge return. “Pittsburgh wanted more than the Marlins were willing to consider,” Jackson/Mish write, so talks ultimately didn’t pan out.
As for the negotiations with the Angels, other players may have been involved in the proposed deal, so it wouldn’t have been only a straight Marsh-for-Meyer swap. Such major trades of top prospects are rare, though this particular move would have addressed needs for both clubs. It isn’t any secret that the Angels are looking to add young arms, as evidenced by their two deadline day trades that netted five minor league pitchers, or their 20-player draft class consisting of nothing but hurlers.
Meyer might already be pretty close to the majors, after throwing three years of college ball and making his pro debut this year at Double-A. The right-hander has a 1.93 ERA over 70 innings for Double-A Pensacola and ranks 38th on Baseball America’s midseason top 100 prospects list.
As impressive as Meyer has been, he is only one of several impressive pitchers at both the MLB and minor league levels of Miami’s organization. With this surplus in mind, Jackson/Mish write that the Marlins are looking to deal a pitcher for “a front-line offensive prospect” like Marsh, who made his Major League debut earlier this month.
Marsh had an even higher placement on BA’s midseason list, ranking as the 26th-best prospect in all of baseball. His first taste of Triple-A ball was limited to 24 games due to shoulder inflammation, but he hit well over that limited playing time and earned his first look at the MLB level. Seen as a center fielder of the future, Marsh would be a natural replacement for Starling Marte up the middle in Miami, and the Angels might be willing to move such a player for premium pitching talent since L.A. has another big outfield prospect in Jo Adell.
Between Marte, Adam Duvall, and Corey Dickerson, the Marlins have traded three veteran outfielders in a little over a month’s time, making the position a target area for the offseason. Jesus Sanchez and the newly-acquired Bryan De La Cruz will be in the mix as potential starters, though Jackson/Mish write that Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison aren’t seen as long-term options. For Harrison, “his future with the organization is uncertain” after an internal matter that reportedly involved Harrison having to be restrained after an argument with Marte.
COVID Notes: 7/16/21
The latest coronavirus-related news around baseball:
- Before this afternoon’s doubleheader agains the Phillies, the Marlins placed outfielder Jesús Sánchez on the COVID-19 injured list. It’s not clear whether he tested positive for the virus; players can also land on the IL for experiencing symptoms or for viral exposure. Sánchez is hitting a solid .265/.315/.434 through 89 plate appearances this season.
- The Phillies reinstated reliever Bailey Falter from the COVID-19 injured list this afternoon. The southpaw landed on the IL as part of contact tracing efforts last weekend after third baseman Alec Bohm tested positive for the coronavirus. Falter has tallied 17 2/3 innings of multi-inning relief across eight appearances this season.
Marlins To Recall Jesus Sanchez
The Marlins are planning to recall outfield prospect Jesús Sánchez from Triple-A Jacksonville, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid (Twitter link). The 23-year-old is in line for his first opportunity at the major league level in 2021.
Sánchez originally signed with the Rays and posted huge numbers at the minors’ lowest levels. He entered the 2018 season as one of the game’s top 50 prospects, in the estimation of Baseball America, and remained among the sport’s top 100 minor league talents for the following two seasons. Miami acquired Sánchez alongside reliever Ryne Stanek in advance of the 2019 trade deadline, sending righties Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards to Tampa Bay in return.
The left-handed hitting Sánchez scuffled in his first crack at Triple-A down the stretch that season, and the lack of minor league ball in 2020 meant he spent much of last year at the alternate training site. Sánchez did make a very brief MLB debut last season, struggling over 29 plate appearances.
That 2019-20 downturn in production diminished Sánchez’s status a bit. He fell off top 100 prospects lists entering 2021- although he still checked in eighth among Marlins farmhands at both Baseball America and the Athletic, and tenth in the system at FanGraphs. Sánchez has since gotten off to a fantastic start in Jacksonville, hitting .349/.400/.643 with nine homers in 140 plate appearances. That showing has earned him another look at the big league level.
Sánchez, who fits best in a corner outfield spot, draws praise for big raw power and electric bat speed. Public prospect rankers have expressed concern with his approach at the plate for a while, though, and Sánchez has continued to be highly aggressive. His 6.4% walk rate in Triple-A this year matches his career mark in the minors. Sánchez clearly has offensive upside, and he’s generally kept his strikeouts in check (career 18.3% minor league rate), but it remains to be seen if he’ll prove patient enough to cement himself as a quality everyday player.
Corey Dickerson, the Marlins regular left fielder, left Sunday’s game agains the Braves with foot soreness. He didn’t play last night, and it’s unclear if Sánchez’s promotion is related to Dickerson’s health status. The veteran outfielder has hit an average .263/.324/.380 over his first 225 plate appearances.