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Jon Berti

Marlins Place Jon Berti On Injured List, Select Joe Dunand

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The Marlins have placed utilityman Jon Berti on their injured list, and selected the contract of infielder Joe Dunand from Triple-A.  No specifics were given about Berti’s IL placement, and as with Brian Anderson’s placement to Miami’s IL yesterday, it would seem like Berti’s absence is related to COVID-19.

Berti is off to a fantastic start, hitting .300/.440/.550 over his first 50 plate appearances.  While Berti was roughly a league-average hitter in 2019-20, he is better known for his versatility — already this season, Berti has seen time  at shortstop, left field, second base, and third base, iin addition to pinch-hitting and pinch-running work.  This multi-positional skillset has made Berti a very useful bench piece over his four seasons in Miami, and allowed the Marlins at times to keep a shortened bench and add an extra arm to the bullpen.

Dunand can bring at least some of that versatility, with lots of experience as a third baseman and shortstop (and a handful of games at first base) over his five minor league seasons.  For tonight’s game against the Padres, Dunand is in the starting lineup at third base, set for his MLB debut.

A second-round pick for the Marlins in the 2017 draft, Dunand hasn’t hit much in the minors, and isn’t listed as one of Miami’s top 30 prospects by either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline.  A lack of offense has limited Dunand’s potential, but the 26-year-old Miami native (who is the nephew of Alex Rodriguez) has hit better at Triple-A this year, batting .255/.368/.426 over 57 PA.

Marlins Select Three Players

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The Marlins announced a set of roster moves in advance of their final series against the Phillies. Infielder Deven Marrero and right-handers Preston Guilmet and Andrew Bellatti were all selected to the big league club, while outfielder Brian Miller was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. Outfielder Jesús Sánchez (right hamstring strain) and right-hander Edward Cabrera (blister) were placed on the 10-day injured list. To create 40-man roster space, utilityman Jon Berti was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list, while infielder Joe Panik and right-hander Luis Madero have been designated for assignment.

It’s promotion number six for Marrero, who has been shuttled on and off the 40-man roster at various points throughout the season. He’s been limited to just twelve big league plate appearances amidst all the back-and-forth. The right-handed hitter owns a .215/.299/.337 line over 207 trips to the plate with Jacksonville.

Guilmet and Bellatti were also in the majors at earlier points this season before being outrighted. Guilmet tossed a scoreless inning back on July 28, his first MLB action in three years. He’s had a solid campaign with Jacksonville, working 52 1/3 frames of 3.78 ERA ball with very impressive strikeout and walk rates (32.5% and 6.3%, respectively). Bellatti — back in the bigs for the first time since 2015 — made two appearances in late July, allowing five runs in 2 1/3 innings. He owns a sterling 1.52 ERA in 29 2/3 frames of Triple-A work with similarly strong peripherals as Guilmet’s.

Sánchez and Cabrera were both injured in last night’s game against the Mets. Their respective seasons will come to a close a few days early, but both young players look to be potential core pieces in Miami moving forward. The 23-year-old Sánchez posted an impressive .251/.319/.489 showing over 251 plate appearances this season. That came with an elevated strikeout rate, but he demonstrated the impressive power potential that once made him a top prospect. Cabrera struggled badly through his first seven big league starts, but he’s regarded by public prospect evaluators as one of the more promising young pitchers in the game.

Panik joined the Marlins as a salary offset in this summer’s trade that sent Corey Dickerson and Adam Cimber to Toronto. A New York-area native, he accompanied the team on their trip to Queens for the series against the Mets but decided to stay in his home area to attend to the birth of his child, manager Don Mattingly told reporters (including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald) after last night’s game. Panik is slated to reach free agency at the end of the season anyhow, so the Marlins free up a 40-man roster spot by designating him for assignment a few days early. (Had they placed Panik on the paternity list, he’d have still counted against the 40-man). Over 257 trips to the plate between Miami and the Jays, the lefty-hitting Panik slashed .208/.266/.284 with three home runs.

Madero has been selected and outrighted a few times this season. He’s allowed twelve runs in as many innings at the big league level, his first taste of the majors. Should Madero again clear waivers, he’d have the right to elect free agency. Even were he to accept another outright assignment, Madero would reach minor league free agency this offseason unless Miami were to add him back to the 40-man roster.

Marlins Select Deven Marrero, Designate Andrew Bellatti

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The Marlins have designated right-hander Andrew Bellatti as part of a series of roster moves, per a team announcement. Miami also placed infielder/outfielder Jon Berti on the 7-day concussion IL, selected the contract of infielder Deven Marrero and recalled catcher Chad Wallach from Triple-A.

Bellatti, 29, pitched in two games with the Fish and wound up yielding five earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings of work. That marked his first Major League appearance since a 2015 cup of coffee with the Rays, during which time he’d pitched to a 2.31 ERA with some more dubious peripheral marks. He might’ve gotten another look at some point in 2016 even in spite of a low strikeout rate and lofty walk rate, but shoulder troubles derailed much of his season. He pitched a total of just 14 innings that year and was eventually designated for assignment.

From there, Bellatti bounced to the Orioles on a minor league deal but was again derailed by injury. He never pitched for an O’s affiliate and had to parlay a stint with the then-independent Sugar Land Skeeters into another minor league look with the Yankees. He joined the Marlins on a minor league deal back on June 1 and quickly ascended to the Majors once he posted a 2.03 ERA and 16-to-5 K/BB ratio in 13 1/3 innings. The Marlins will have a week to trade Bellatti, pass him through outright waivers or release him.

As for the other moves announced today, the loss of Berti will strip the club of some speed and defensive versatility for the time being. The 31-year-old’s bat has taken a nosedive in 2021 — .210/.311/.313 after hitting .269/.362/.388 in 2019-20 — but Berti’s jack-of-all-trades skill set has still surely been appreciated by skipper Don Mattingly. He’s played every position on the diamond other than catcher and first base so far in 2021.

Marrero, a 2012 first-round pick of the Red Sox, will return for a third stint with the Marlins. He’s played in six games with the Fish since 2019 and gone 0-for-8 in that very minimal opportunity. Marrero is known as a solid defensive infielder, but his bat never developed as hope. He’s a .193/.244/.276 hitter in 351 MLB plate appearances and a .233/.291/.338 hitter in parts of seven Triple-A campaigns.

Marlins Notes: Benintendi, Berti, Contreras, Anderson, Sanchez

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Adam Duvall, whom the Marlins signed to a one-year, $5MM deal on February 9, has slotted in as Miami’s primary right fielder this season. Evidently, the front office also discussed the possibility of filling that position via a trade for then-Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi. In early February (presumably before signing Duvall), the Marlins discussed a potential three-team deal, also involving Boston and the Padres, that would’ve sent Benintendi to Miami, report Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. Utilityman Jon Berti would have gone to San Diego had that deal been finalized, per Jackson and Mish, but the Marlins eventually backed out of the arrangement. Benintendi, whom the Red Sox wound up trading to the Royals instead, has hit a solid .284/.342/.412 in Kansas City. Duvall, on the other hand, is off to a poor .207/.254/.410 start. Given those respective performances, it’s easy to conclude in retrospect the Marlins should’ve pushed harder for Benintendi, although it’s impossible to malign the front office without knowing precisely who else the club would’ve had to part with to push those talks over the finish line.

More out of Miami:

  • Jackson and Mish also shed some light on another set of Marlins offseason trade discussions: their previously-reported pursuit of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. Any deal sending Contreras to Miami likely would’ve sent Jorge Alfaro the other way, with prospects Peyton Burdick and Zach McCambley among the other players who might’ve gone to Chicago. Ultimately, the Cubs held onto Contreras, who has a .245/.341/.435 line for the current NL Central leaders.
  • Turning to players who are on the roster, Jackson and Mish report that injured third baseman Brian Anderson looks likely to avoid surgery. Placed on the injured list late last month because of a left shoulder subluxation, Anderson has progressed to taking on range of motion drills and could return before the end of June. One of Miami’s best players between 2018-20, Anderson has come out of the gates a little slower in 2021, hitting .250/.316/.371 over his first 136 plate appearances.
  • Miami has been without prized righty Sixto Sánchez all season on account of shoulder problems. Sánchez’s throwing program was shut down last week after he suffered a setback, although general manager Kim Ng tells reporters (including Mish) that issue was unrelated to Sánchez’s initial inflammation. Rather, the flamethrowing 22-year-old is now suffering from bursitis. It’s still not clear when the Marlins can expect Sánchez back, a disappointing development after he began his MLB career with 39 innings of 3.46 ERA/4.18 SIERA ball in 2020.

Marlins Outright Sean Rodriguez

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SEPT. 22: The Marlins announced that Rodriguez has been outrighted to their alternate site after clearing waivers.

SEPT. 20: The Marlins have designated utilityman Sean Rodriguez for assignment, the team announced.  Utilityman Jon Berti has been activated from the 10-day injured list to take the open roster spot, while southpaw Braxton Garrett has also been added to the roster as the extra 29th player for today’s doubleheader with the Nationals.

Rodriguez was only activated from the injured list last Tuesday, as he had spent the rest of the season out of action for unspecified medical reasons.  Rodriguez appeared in four games for the Marlins, recording two hits in 13 plate appearances and playing second base and left field.  The 35-year-old has now been a part of 13 consecutive Major League seasons, the bulk of which with the Rays and Pirates from 2010-18.  Rodriguez inked a minor league contract with Miami last winter.

The club is essentially swapping one multi-purpose bench piece for another in welcoming Berti back into the fold.  Berti hit the 10-day IL on September 10 due to a right finger injury, so he’ll return after only a minimal absence.  Over two seasons with the Marlins, Berti has already appeared at six different positions, and it seems likely he’ll mostly play second base the rest of the way this season in a semi-platoon with rookie Jazz Chisholm.  Beyond his versatility, Berti has also been a useful hitter for the Fish, batting .267/.350/.392 with eight homers over his 401 PA in a Miami uniform.

Marlins Make Several Roster Moves

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The Marlins have announced a series of roster moves, including utility player Jon Berti’s placement on the 10-day IL with a finger injury. They also moved catcher Francisco Cervelli to the 60-day IL with a concussion; selected righty Brett Eibner; recalled second baseman Isan Diaz and lefty Daniel Castano; and optioned RHP Jordan Yamamoto and LHP Alex Vesia.

With a 19-19 record, the Marlins have been one of the majors’ biggest surprises this year, and Berti has played a part in their success. The 30-year-old has batted a league-average .250/.354/.354 with eight stolen bases over 114 plate appearances, and has lined up at a handful of defensive positions. Most of Berti’s reps have come at second base, but he has also handled shortstop, third base, center field and right on occasion.

Cervelli went on the seven-day concussion IL on Aug. 22 and hasn’t played since. The former Yankee, Pirate and Brave has dealt with an alarming number of head injuries throughout his career, making it unclear whether this latest issue will cause the 34-year-old to call it a career. He signed with the Marlins for a one-year, $2MM deal last offseason and batted an effective .245/.355/.453 with three home runs in 62 plate appearances before landing on the shelf.

Eibner, 31, is back with the Marlins exactly a week after they outrighted him. He has thrown 1 1/3 innings of three-run ball in two relief appearances this year.

Marlins Select Jon Berti

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Per a team release, the Marlins have selected IF/OF Jon Berti to the 40-man roster and optioned OF Austin Dean to AAA-New Orleans. Righty Riley Ferrell was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Berti.

Berti, 29, signed a minor-league deal with Miami in the offseason after eight seasons spent on the Toronto farm. After an excellent showing with AA-New Hampshire last season, where he slashed .314/.399/.498 as a way-old-for-the-level 28-year-old, Berti was gifted with a late-season, 15-plate appearance cameo for the Jays.

Berti’s lit the southern division of the Pacific Coast League ablaze thus far, slashing a ridiculous .286/.490/.486 over his first 49 plate appearances, and the Marlins will hope the utilityman can at least approximate his otherworldly plate-discipline figures in his second MLB stint.

Dean again struggled in his second MLB Marlins stint this season, slashing just .227/.217/.455 with a 39.1% K rate over the season’s first 23 plate appearances.  The 25-year-old does have a strong upper-minors track record, though further seasoning seems in order.

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