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Jordan Holloway

Cubs, Jordan Holloway Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs signed right-hander Jordan Holloway to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, MLBTR has learned.

Holloway was limited to just 2 2/3 major league innings with the Marlins last season — and he also logged only 23 2/3 innings in the minors — because of a fractured bone spur in his pitching elbow that was ultimately repaired by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in September. The 26-year-old has flashed a powerful arsenal when healthy, and the expectation is that he will be 100 percent when he arrives at Cubs camp in Arizona next month.

With experience as both a starter and reliever, Holloway could get tapped for a swingman-type role on the North Side of Chicago at some point along the way in 2023. A number of Cubs pitchers were used in that capacity, to a surprising level of success, down the stretch in 2022. It all aided in a post-All-Star break record of 39-31, guided by the third-best rotation ERA (2.89) in the majors over that span. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was given the go-ahead to make several aggressive moves on the offensive side this winter, but there would seem to be openings in long relief and for emergency starting help.

Holloway, a 20th-round pick by Miami in the 2014 MLB Draft, currently carries a career 3.92 ERA with 38 strikeouts (and 28 walks) through 39 total big league frames.

Marlins Decline Mutual Option On Joey Wendle; Outright Three Others

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The Marlins have declined their mutual option on infielder Joey Wendle, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. However, Wendle is not a free agent, as he can still be retained by the club via arbitration. Additionally, the club has outrighted three pitchers: Cody Poteet, Jordan Holloway and Bryan Hoeing.

Wendle was acquired from the Rays in a November 2021 trade, having between four and five years of MLB service time at that point, meaning he was set for two more passes at the arbitration system. He and the club avoided arbitration in April of 2022 by agreeing to a $4.55MM salary for 2022 plus a $6.3MM mutual option for 2023 with a $75K buyout. The Marlins have opted for the buyout but can still control Wendle for 2023 via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a salary of $5.4MM.

Wendle’s bat took a step back after the trade, most notably in the power department. He hit 11 homers with the Rays in 2021 while hitting .265/.319/.422 for a wRC+ of 105. After moving to Miami, he hit just three long balls and produced a batting line of .259/.297/.360 and a wRC+ of 87. Despite that downturn at the plate, Wendle still received quality marks for his defense and stole 12 bases, leading to him producing 1.2 fWAR on the season even with that tepid offense.

If the MLBTR projections are correct, that would mean the Marlins are making a smart decision in turning down the option. They can still keep Wendle around as a valuable utility player that can jump around the diamond, though his salary will be around $1MM less than if they just triggered the option.

As for Poteet, it was announced in August that he would undergo Tommy John surgery, meaning he’ll likely miss the entire 2023 campaign. He spent the last few months of the season on the 60-day injured list but there’s no IL between the World Series and Spring Training. It seems the Marlins weren’t willing to commit a roster spot to Poteet throughout the winter, leading to this outright. Since he has seven years of minor league experience, he’s eligible to reject the assignment and elect free agency.

It’s a similar situation for Holloway, who landed on the IL in July due to an elbow impingement and finished the season there. He needed to be reinstated this week but got outrighted instead. Like Poteet, his minor league experience gives him the right to elect free agency.

As for Hoeing, he was first selected to the roster in August and made his MLB debut this year. He put up a 12.08 ERA in a small sample of 12 2/3 MLB innings, but was much better in the minors. Splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A this year, he had a 4.06 ERA while getting strong amounts of ground balls at each level. Since he lacks the seven years of experience in the minors, three years of MLB service time and has never previously been outrighted in his career, he should stick with the Marlins as depth but without occupying a roster spot.

Marlins Reinstate Jesus Luzardo, Designate Jake Fishman, Select Aneurys Zabala

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5:00pm: The Marlins later announced further moves to reporters, including Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Righty Aneurys Zabala has had his contract selected, with Jordan Holloway being transferred to the 60-day IL in order to make room on the roster. Holloway was placed on the IL a few days ago with an elbow impingement and evidently isn’t expected back in the next couple of months. Today’s placement puts the rest of his season in jeopardy. Zabala made his MLB debut earlier this year, logging two thirds of an inning.

2:55pm: The Marlins have announced to reporters, including Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase, a couple of roster moves. Left-hander Jesus Luzardo has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, while fellow lefty Jake Fishman has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Luzardo, 24, was acquired from the Athletics in last year’s Starling Marte trade. Baseball America considered him one of the top 10 prospects in all of baseball in both 2019 and 2020 but he struggled in 2021. Between the two clubs, he put up a 6.61 ERA last year, but nonetheless was expected to carry a rotation spot for the Marlins here in 2022.

He was able to make six starts early in the season, which came with both encouraging and discouraging results. His 34.5% strikeout rate was excellent, but it came with a very high 13.4% walk rate. He was sitting on a 4.03 ERA through 29 innings when he landed on the shelf due to a forearm strain. He now returns after over two months out of action.

The Marlins came into the season expecting for their rotation to be a strength, but injuries have taken a toll on that plan. Even with Luzardo now off the IL, the club still has Edward Cabrera, Daniel Castano, Trevor Rogers and Max Meyer on the shelf, with Meyer set to undergo Tommy John surgery and likely miss much of 2023 as well. Luzardo will jump into the mix next to Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Nick Neidert and Braxton Garrett.

As for the appropriately-named Fishman, the Marlins just selected him to the club a few days ago but have now thrown him back. The 27-year-old got into one MLB game, making his debut, logging 3 1/3 frames before losing his roster spot. In 43 1/3 Triple-A innings this year, he put up a 1.87 ERA with a 54.3% ground ball rate, 24.4% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate. Given that strong showing, he’s likely to garner interest from other clubs, especially because lefties are always in demand.

Marlins Reinstate Trevor Rogers From 10-Day IL, Designate Preston Guilmet

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The Marlins announced four roster moves prior to their game with the Yankees, most notably the activation of tonight’s scheduled starting pitcher.  Trevor Rogers has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list, and newly-acquired catcher Alex Jackson has also officially been added to the roster.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Preston Guilmet was designated for assignment and righty Jordan Holloway was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.

Rogers returns after just a minimal absence due to back spasms.  The left-hander’s second MLB season has seen him break out with a 2.37 ERA over 106 1/3 innings, with Statcast delivering good reviews of his work apart from a below-average walk rate.  Rogers’ performance earned him an All-Star nod, and the 23-year-old looks to be establishing himself as yet another building block of a young arm in the Miami rotation.

Guilmet has tossed one inning for the Marlins this season, with that lone appearance marking the righty’s first Major League game since the 2018 season.  Guilmet has now appeared in five different seasons since 2013, accumulating 34 innings in the Show and posting a 9.00 ERA.

Originally a ninth-round draft pick for Cleveland back in 2009, Guilmet has been a member of 11 different MLB organizations, not to mention a stint in Japan with the Yakult Swallows.  Because the Marlins have already outrighted Guilmet off the 40-man roster earlier this season, he has the right to decline another outright assignment and elect to become a free agent once again.

Marlins Place Pablo Lopez On 10-Day Injured List

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The Marlins have placed right-hander Pablo Lopez on the 10-day injured list due to a right rotator cuff strain.  The placement is retroactive to July 14.  Right-hander John Curtiss has been reinstated from the 10-day IL to take Lopez’s spot on the active roster, while righty Jordan Holloway was optioned back to Triple-A after serving as the 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader with the Phillies.

Lopez heads to the IL in the aftermath of a history-making achievement, as his last start on July 11 saw Lopez become the first MLB pitcher to ever strike out his first nine batters faced in a game.  That entry into the record books has been the highlight of an overall strong season for the righty, who has a 3.03 ERA/3.48 SIERA over 101 innings for Miami and above-average strikeout (27.1%) and walk (6.1%) rates, to go along with a 47.3% grounder rate.

Lopez’s 2020 numbers were also good, and the 25-year-old is now looking like a nice building block within a Marlins pitching mix that has plenty of intriguing arms.  As Man On Second’s Joe Frisaro notes, however, several of these pitchers are already nearing career highs in innings pitched, so particularly in the wake of the shortened 2020 season, it remains to be seen how the Marlins will manage their rotation innings the rest of the way.

In Lopez’s case, his previous career high was 145 1/3 IP in A-ball back in 2017, so this 10-day IL stint might act as something of a natural rest point that allows him to pitch regularly the rest of the season, assuming a relatively quick return.  That said, Lopez has also had shoulder issues in the past, and the Marlins will undoubtedly carefully monitor his condition to prevent any further injury.  Depending on the severity of his rotator cuff strain, it’s possible Lopez could be shut down entirely for the season, considering that Miami already seems to be looking ahead to 2022.

If the Marlins opted for a starter-by-committee or an opener/bulk pitcher approach to fill Lopez’s rotation spot, Curtiss might be in line for more “starts,” after receiving a few opener assignments with the Rays and Marlins over the last two years.  Curtiss was placed on the 10-day IL due to neck stiffness back on July 4, and he has pitched well in his first season as a Marlin — a 2.67 ERA over 33 2/3 innings, despite some lackluster hard-hit ball numbers.  Curtiss is controlled through the 2025 season, so the Marlins are probably less likely to move him before other relievers in potential deals prior to the July 30 trade deadline.

Marlins Trade Justin Sterner And Cash Considerations To Rays For David Hess

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The Marlins and Rays have agreed on a swap of right-handed arms. Miami will send Justin Sterner and cash considerations to Tampa Bay for right-hander David Hess. The Marlins have selected Hess’ contract in order to add him to the active roster. To make room, Jordan Holloway was optioned to Triple-A.

For the Rays, this is a classic case of swapping out depth to take a chance on a younger arm. Sterner, 24, moved from Single-A to High-A this season, his first in pro ball after playing three seasons at Brigham Young University. He went undrafted out of BYU, signing with the Marlins in July, 2020.

Hess appeared in the bigs with the Orioles each season from 2018 to 2020. In total, he made 47 appearances (33 starts) totaling 190 1/3 innings, earning a 5.86 ERA/6.41 FIP, 16.8 percent strikeout rate, 8.1 percent walk rate and 33.7 percent groundball rate. Surrendering fly balls as he did, Hess yielded an unsightly 6.0 percent home run rate with Baltimore, a mark he’ll need to improve upon to add much value to Miami.

He did not appear in the Majors for the Rays, but given his numbers with the Durham Bulls this year, it’s not hard to understand Miami’s interest. Hess has a 2.81 ERA/3.96 FIP over 32 innings in Triple-A. He’s still a fly ball pitcher, but a 28.9 percent strikeout rate and 3.9 percent walk rate are promising numbers nevertheless.

As for Holloway, he’ll head back to Jacksonville with a 4.35 ERA/4.13 FIP in 20 2/3 innings. Holloway was knocked around in his last outing, giving up five earned runs in three innings on Wednesday. More to the point, with Pablo Lopez getting tossed after just one pitch on Friday, the Marlins are likely to move some pieces around to reset their rotation and account for the impromptu bullpen game.

Marlins Place Jordan Holloway On 10-Day IL, Select Shawn Morimando

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The Marlins have placed righty Jordan Holloway on the 10-day injured list, GM Kim Ng told the Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson and other reporters.  The Marlins will select the contract of left-hander Shawn Morimando to take Holloway’s spot on the active roster, and right-hander Elieser Hernandez will be moved to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man roster spot for Morimando.

Holloway threw one inning in last night’s 6-5 loss to the Mets, but left the game due to groin soreness.  Holloway was the second of 10 Miami pitchers to take the mound during the 12-inning game, and the addition of Morimando gives the Marlins at least one more fresh arm heading into today’s action.

While Holloway’s 19.2% strikeout rate and 13.7% walk rate are both well below average, the righty has nonetheless been effective over 17 2/3 innings of work this season, posting a 2.55 ERA.  Holloway’s 5.20 SIERA reflects some significant good fortune, but Holloway has avoided damage with some outstanding hard-contact numbers.

Morimando is now in line to receive his first MLB action since the 2016 season.  Originally a 19th-round pick for the Indians in the 2011 draft, the lefty’s Major League resume consists of 4 2/3 innings for Cleveland in 2016.  Since that cup of coffee in the Show, Morimando pitched in the Blue Jays’ farm system in 2018-19 and he had a stint in the Australian Baseball League before inking a minor league deal with Miami this past offseason.

Hernandez has only pitched in one game this season due to biceps inflammation, so the shift to the 60-day IL covers the time he has already spent on the sidelines.  The right-hander has already thrown one rehab outing, and Hernandez should be in line for at least one more rehab start before being eligible for activation.

Marlins Place Elieser Hernandez, Garrett Cooper On 10-Day Injured List

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The Marlins have placed right-hander Elieser Hernandez and first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper on the 10-day injured list, the team announced.  (Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald was among those to report the details.)  Hernandez was placed on the standard 10-day IL while Cooper is on the COVID-related injury list.  Right-handers Nick Neidert and Jordan Holloway will fill the two open spots on the active roster.

Cooper was placed on the IL due to an adverse reaction after receiving a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a fairly common side effect for some vaccinated patients.  Because there is no 10-day minimum attached to the COVID list, Cooper could be back in action as early as Tuesday if he is feeling better, though the Marlins chose to sideline him.

Hernandez’s injury could be much more of a long-term problem, as his outing on Saturday was cut short in the third inning due to inflammation in his right biceps area.  More will be known about his status once Hernandez completes a doctor visit later today.

The 25-year-old had a 3.16 ERA/3.17 SIERA and a very impressive 32.7% strikeout rate and 4.7% walk rate over 25 2/3 innings and six starts in 2020, and the Marlins were looking forward to seeing what Hernandez could do over a longer stretch of innings as a member of their rotation this season.  That progress will now be set back for at least a little while, however, as Hernandez joins Sixto Sanchez and Edward Cabrera as Miami rotation candidates dealing with injuries.

This has created an opportunity for Neidert, who has a 3.20 ERA and 22.15% strikeout rate over 460 2/3 minor league innings in the Seattle and Miami farm systems.  A second-round pick for the Mariners in the 2015 draft, Neidert was dealt to the Marlins as part of the trade that sent Dee Strange-Gordon to Seattle in December 2017.  Neidert made his big league debut in 2020 with 8 1/3 relief innings over four games (posting a 5.40 ERA), and might have gotten more playing time had it not been for a stint on the COVID-19 injured list that cost him over a month of the season.

Holloway might also factor into the Marlins’ rotation plans depending on how the club opts to address its starting pitching situation, though he could also be a short-term addition if Cooper is able to make a quick return.  Holloway has worked almost exclusively as a starter throughout his seven pro seasons, delivering a 4.64 ERA over 304 1/3 innings since the Marlins selected him in the 20th round of the 2014 draft.  Like Neidert, Holloway spent much of the season on the COVID-related injury list, limiting his first big league season to just a single game (four batters faced over a third of an inning of work).

Marlins Place 13 Players On Injured List

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The Marlins announced today that they’ve placed 13 players on the injured list. Those going on the IL include right-handers Sandy Alcantara, Jeff Brigham, Robert Dugger, Yimi Garcia, Jordan Holloway, Nick Neidert and Ryne Stanek; left-handers Adam Conley, Caleb Smith and Alex Vesia; infielders Sean Rodriguez and Miguel Rojas; and catcher Chad Wallach.

Miami also made official a previously reported slate of roster moves. Lefty Richard Bleier was acquired from the Orioles in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Right-hander James Hoyt was acquired from the Indians for cash. The club also claimed relievers Justin Shafer and Josh D. Smith from the Reds, claimed reliever Mike Morin from the Brewers and claimed reliever (and former Marlin) Brian Moran from the Blue Jays. Veteran infielder Logan Forsythe signed a one-year, Major League deal.

As for internal moves, the Fish called up right-hander Jorge Guzman, outfielder Monte Harrison and righty Jordan Yamamoto. The club also selected the contracts of left-hander Dan Castano, right-hander Josh A. Smith, right-hander Nick Vincent, catcher Ryan Lavarnway and infielder Eddy Alvarez. Outfielders Matt Joyce and Lewis Brinson were activated from the injured list.

It’s a dizzying sequence of moves brought about by the Covid-19 outbreak that decimated the organization’s Major League roster. Miami ultimately wound up with a reported 18 players and two coaches testing positive, and the outbreak caused scheduling delays with the Phillies, Yankees, Blue Jays and Nationals in addition to the Marlins. Miami was left with a depleted roster and forced to scramble to simply cobble together a roster and continue its season.

The losses of Alcantara and Smith will remove two of Miami’s top rotation options from the mix for the time being, while Rojas was the team’s starting shortstop. Stanek had been expected to occupy a high-leverage late-inning role, and Conley is one of the team’s most experienced bullpen pieces.

Marlins Add Seven Players To 40-Man Roster, Designate Three Others For Assignment

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The Marlins announced an avalanche of roster moves in advance of tonight’s deadline for protection from the Rule 5 Draft. Being selected to the 40-man roster are right-handers Jorge Guzman, Jordan Yamamoto, Jordan Holloway and Kyle Keller, infielder Isan Diaz, outfielder Monte Harrison and left-hander Jose Quijada. Adding that group required the creation of three spots on the 40-man roster, which led the club to designate left-hander Dillon Peters, outfielder Braxton Lee and right-hander Ben Meyer for assignment.

Of the players to be designated for assignment, Peters is perhaps the most interesting. It’s not long ago that the 26-year-old lefty was deemed one of the more promising arms in an admittedly thin Marlins system on the heels of a 2.38 ERA between Class-A Advanced and Double-A in 2016. Peters didn’t have gaudy strikeout numbers but showed excellent control, and he followed up that season with a 1.57 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 through 63 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2017.

He’s been shelled in the Majors, though, surrendering a 6.10 ERA in 59 innings while displaying walk issues that weren’t present as he worked through the minors. At this point, he’s 26-year-old (27 next August) who’s yet to even pitch at Triple-A and hasn’t had success in the Majors — but one who did draw praise for an above-average breaking ball in the past. A year ago at this time, he was viewed as a largely MLB-ready back-of-the-rotation starter.

Lee, meanwhile, drew plus running grades as a prospect and was said to have an average or better glove with a chance to play center. He’s never shown any semblance of power but has previously had excellent contact skills and even won a Double-A batting title in 2017. His 2018 campaign was a disaster, though, as Lee hit just .233/.316/.294 across three minor league levels and didn’t hit in a tiny sample of 18 MLB plate appearances.

Meyer, 26 later this offseason, debuted in 2018 and was clobbered for 22 runs in 19 innings of work. He was sensational in 2017, pitching to a 2.02 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9 in 111 1/3 innings — but those numbers came against much younger opposition, as Meyer was a college pitcher in his third full pro season splitting the year between Class-A and Class-A Advanced. He logged a 4.24 ERA with 6.9 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in 63 2/3 Triple-A innings this season.

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