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Marlins Designate Tyler Moore For Assignment

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The Marlins announced that they’ve reinstated third baseman Martin Prado from the 10-day disabled list and designated first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore for assignment in order to clear a spot on the active roster.

The 30-year-old Moore, long a member of the division-rival Nationals, was in his first season with the Fish after signing a minors deal in the offseason and breaking camp with the club. The right-handed-hitting Moore logged 11 plate appearances with Miami, collecting four hits along the way. In parts of five big league seasons, Moore is a .230/.282/.402 hitter. Unlike many right-handed bats that have long occupied a part-time role, however, Moore has actually fared slightly better against righties in his career.

Prado, 33, opened the season on the DL due to a hamstring strain that he sustained while playing for his native Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. He just concluded a four-game rehab stint in the minors and will suit up for the 2017 season on the heels of a .304/.359/.417 batting line in 2016. The 2017 campaign marks the first season of a three-year, $40MM extension that Prado inked last September in lieu of testing the open market; he’d been slated to hit free agency before signing that deal but now will continue on as a leader in the Miami clubhouse through the 2019 season.

Marlins Notes: Bullpen, Shifts, Ozuna, Prado

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The Marlins are off to a strong 7-5 start to the season and are currently sporting the game’s fifth-best run differential (+12). Here’s the latest out of South Beach…

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports covers a couple of Marlins topics in his latest notes post. While the team is off to a good start to the year, Rosenthal points out that Miami has six relief pitchers on pace to throw more than 85 innings in 2017. Even though that’s deliberate in some ways, as the Marlins stocked up on ’pen depth when recognizing how difficult it’d be to beef up their rotation, Rosenthal suggests Marlins starters are going need to pitch deeper into games in order for the team’s run to be more sustainable. To add some further context to Rosenthal’s point, only two relievers in baseball reached 85 innings last year: Brad Hand and Erasmo Ramirez. While strategically stockpiling quality relievers certainly has some merit on paper, Marlins starters have thrown just 60 1/3 innings through 12 games. Asking any group of relievers to throw as many as three to four innings on a near-nightly basis seems unrealistic, even if the group is largely comprised of quality arms (as is the case in Miami).
  • Rosenthal also spoke to Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill about the team’s increased number of infield shifts in 2017. As Rosenthal points out, the Marlins have shifted nearly as many times in 12 games this year as they did in all of 2016 (per STATS, LLC). Hill explains to Rosenthal that the primary difference in 2017 is that the team is more aggressively shifting infielders to the opposite side of the second base bag. Moving defenders but keeping them on their designated side of the infield isn’t designated as a technical “shift” in STATS’ record-keeping. “We had numerous shifts (previously) where the shortstop/second baseman shaded up the middle, but didn’t cross the bag,” says Hill. “In an effort to be more thorough and get more outs, our data suggested we shade to the other side.”
  • Yahoo’s Jeff Passan observes that the Marlins could find themselves in position to cash in a huge return on outfielder Marcell Ozuna if they’re not contending this summer. The 26-year-old Ozuna is rocking a Herculean .404/.453/.745 batting line through his first 53 plate appearances, and while that’ll fall once his .438 BABIP corrects itself, Ozuna has seemingly taken a step forward in the power department. If the Marlins aren’t contending, they’ll have a decision to make on Ozuna, who would have two and a half years of team control remaining. Miami has virtually no chance of working out an extension with the Scott Boras client, in Passan’s estimation, so dealing him could be a means of injecting a much-needed wave of quality young talent into the team’s minor league ranks. Then again, if Miami is still flirting with the NL East lead and/or a Wild Card spot, it may be a moot point, as Ozuna would be considered a key contributor to a postseason pursuit.
  • The Marlins are expected to reinstate third baseman Martin Prado from the disabled list prior to tonight’s game against the Mariners, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. The return of Prado will be a welcome addition for the Fish, as he’s fresh off a .305/.359/.417 batting line compiled over the life of 153 games last season. The 33-year-old suffered a strained hamstring while playing for Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic but recently wrapped up a four-game rehab stint with Miami’s Class-A Advanced affiliate in the Florida State League.

Marlins Promote Jarlin Garcia

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Quick Hits: Gardenhire, Afterman, Loria, Arenado

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Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire is slated to undergo surgery for prostate cancer next Tuesday, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes in an update on the former Twins skipper. As Nightengale writes, the bad news came at a particularly disappointing time for Gardenhire, given that he was returning from a layoff after leaving Minnesota. But he’s tackling the condition with typical form, as Nightengale writes. “Cancer is a big word, you know, but it’s been pretty special having so many people reach out,” says Gardenhire, who adds that he “can’t wait to sit in that dugout again.”

Here’s more from around the game:

  • ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand penned an interesting profile of Yankees assistant GM Jean Afterman, who is currently the only woman holding that position leaguewide. Afterman has a fascinating and varied background; she ultimately became a lawyer and later helped pioneer the movement of players from Japan to the majors. While Yankees GM credits her as a “pit bull” who could easily hold a position as his peer, she says she prefers to remain with the organization as an adviser. It’s a fun look at an interesting person that also tackles the ongoing question of whether the game can do more to grow the involvement of women in upper management.
  • In another profile, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com takes a look at controversial Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria as he reportedly prepares to sell his franchise. Crasnick examines some of the differing angles on Loria, focusing on his relationship with the tragically departed Jose Fernandez. Loria also defends his place in the game and discusses the possibility of taking an ambassadorship to France in a sit-down with Crasnick, which you’ll want to read for yourself.
  • Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado chatted with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who calls the star performer “one of the game’s most inquisitive superstars — if not the most inquisitive.” As he looks to build upon his standing as one of the game’s better all-around players, Arenado is described as constantly seeking to improve by interview subjects such as agent Joel Wolfe, former skipper Walt Weiss, and a variety of veteran players. Soon to turn 26, Arenado has compiled back-to-back forty-plus home run seasons, and also significantly boosted his walk rate last year while continuing to provide high-quality defensive work at third. Of course, his park-adjusted batting production suggests he has been more a very good than a great hitter to this point in his career, though he has improved at the plate in every season in the majors and could perhaps continue to do so if he can expand upon that growth in the plate-discipline department.

Samson Won't Be Shocked If Loria Sells Marlins This Year

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  • Marlins president David Samson told reporters today that there are still several parties interested in purchasing the team, writes Andre C. Fernandez of the Miami Herald. Samson was somewhat vague in detailing how far sale talks have progressed, rhetorically asking the media: “Is the fourth inning advanced? A lot can happen after the fourth inning, right? Then I’d say we’re in the fourth inning right now. We’ve never gotten past the second inning before, so it’s further than we’ve been, but a lot can still happen.” Samson went on to add that it “wouldn’t shock” him if owner Jeffrey Loria had an agreement to sell the club by season’s end, though he declined to venture into specifics on any of the potential buyers. Loria has reportedly been seeking $1.6 billion in return for the franchise, and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush are among the most notable names to have been linked to potential new ownership groups.

Marlins Place Adeiny Hechavarria On 10-Day DL With Oblique Strain

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The Marlins have placed shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria on the 10-day DL due to a left oblique strain.  Infielder J.T. Riddle will take Hechavarria’s spot on Miami’s 25-man roster.  The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, though even mild oblique injuries have a tendency to linger, so the Fish could be careful with Hechavarria this early in the season.

Acquired as part of the 12-player blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays in November 2012, Hechavarria has since become Miami’s everyday shortstop with a track record of excellent defense and below-average hitting.  Hechavarria has particularly come into his own with his glove since the start of the 2015 season, accumulating 19 Defensive Runs Saved and a +13 UZR/150 in that span.  At the plate, however, Hechavarria has managed just a .254/.291/.335 slash line in 2356 career PA, including an ugly .594 OPS over 547 PA in 2016.  The Marlins were reportedly willing to discuss Hechavarria in trades for pitching this winter, though no deal materialized in what was a pretty quiet offseason market for shortstops.

Hechavarria’s injury further hampers an already thinned-out infield situation for the Marlins, as Martin Prado is still on the DL with a strained hamstring.  Derek Dietrich has been manning third base with Prado out, and Miguel Rojas is likely to get most of the playing time at short with Hechavarria out, though the Marlins could use the left-handed hitting Riddle in a temporary platoon with Rojas (a righty-swinger) as Riddle gets his first taste of big league action.

A 13th-round pick for Miami in the 2013 draft, the 25-year-old Riddle has a .276/.319/.370 slash line over 1613 career plate appearances in the minors.  Baseball America ranked Riddle as the 21st-best prospect in the Marlins’ system, describing the Kentucky product as a possible future utilityman with a good glove and a strikeout-limiting swing, plus “high marks for leadership and makeup.”

Marlins Happy About Barry Bonds' Replacement

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  • The Marlins feel they’ve made a significant upgrade in replacing hitting coach Barry Bonds with Mike Pagliarulo. Bonds obviously knew how to hit, as Cafardo notes, but “communicating it and devoting himself to it became an issue.” Pagliarulo has been proactive about developing plans for Marlins hitters. The Giants, meanwhile, hired Bonds as a special advisor.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/6/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the game, all via Matt Eddy of Baseball America unless otherwise noted:

  • The Blue Jays announced on Thursday that right-hander Mike Bolsinger has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Buffalo. The 29-year-old was designated for assignment on Sunday after a shaky Spring Training and a down year in 2016. Last year, Bolsinger logged a 6.83 ERA in 27 2/3 big league innings due largely to a troubles with the long ball. He did have solid K/BB numbers in both the Majors and the minors last year, but control issues contributed to a 6.23 ERA this spring. Bolsinger had a strong season in the Majors as recently as 2015, when he logged a 3.62 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 53.1 percent ground-ball rate in 109 1/3 innings for the Dodgers. He’ll stay on hand as a depth piece in Toronto and could very well resurface in the Majors later this season.

Earlier Moves

  • Lefties Nick Maronde and Caleb Thielbar have been released by the Marlins, who are going with an all-righty pen to open the year. Maronde hasn’t seen the majors since 2014, but did work to a 3.19 ERA over 48 Triple-A innings last year. The 30-year-old Thielbar, once a mainstay in the Twins’ bullpen, got good results last year in an indy ball stint.
  • The Phillies have released infielder Taylor Featherston. The 27-year-old, who had already been outrighted off of the 40-man, slashed .254/.311/.428 with 13 home runs in his 439 Triple-A plate appearances last year. But he didn’t have much of an avenue to contributing at the major league level in Philadelphia.
  • Outfielder Jake Goebbert has been released by the Diamondbacks. The 29-year-old saw action in the majors back in 2014 with the Padres, but hasn’t been back since. He slashed just .217/.301/.356 in 399 Triple-A plate appearances last year with the Rays organization, well shy of his usual productivity in the upper minors.
  • The White Sox have cut ties with righty Mayckol Guaipe. He has spent time in the majors in each of the past two years with the Mariners, but wasn’t able to earn more than temporary time.
  • The Red Sox evidently didn’t see enough to keep veteran slugger Carlos Quentin around in the minors for the upcoming season, though it could be he wasn’t interested in taking an assignment. Either way, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter, Quentin was released from the minor-league deal he signed over the offseason. The 34-year-old hasn’t played in the majors since 2014 and received only minimal Grapefruit League action during camp.
  • Righty Chris Anderson is heading to the Twins on a minors deal, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets (confirming what reader Jerry Anderson had heard). He was released recently by the Dodgers after struggling in recent campaigns, including a messy effort in the Arizona Fall League. Anderson hails from Minnesota.

Derek Jeter, Jeb Bush Headline Potential Marlins Bidding Groups

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Yankees legend Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush are both working to put together bidding groups to make a run at buying the Marlins, according to a report from Charlie Gasparino and Brian Schwartz of FOX Business. There is at least one other rival bidding group, per the report.

Jeter has already launched the popular Player’s Tribune website since hanging up his spikes, but could now seemingly embark upon another major business undertaking in advance of his likely Hall-of-Fame enshrinement in 2019. The former shortstop is said to be working with an investment banker who was previously affiliated with Morgan Stanley, though it’s not clear whether that firm is involved.

Meanwhile, Bush has lined up with Citigroup to weigh a proposal to take over the team from Jeffrey Loria, who is reportedly preparing to cash in on the organization at some point in the near future. And there’s a third known group as well; though it has no known headlining names, it’s said to have the backing of financial powerhouse Goldman Sachs.

Loria bought the team back in 2002 at a $158MM price tag. This time around, it figures to be worth quite a bit more, with some reports pegging the likely open-market value in the range of $1.4B to $1.7B. Whether or not it actually lands in that range remains to be seen, but Loria is positioned to cash in on both the publicly financed Marlins Park and the success of MLB Advanced Media — an entity that is co-owned by all thirty teams and has expanded its portfolio beyond the baseball realm.

Barnes, Den Dekker Do Not Exercise Opt-Outs

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  • Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports that veteran outfielders Brandon Barnes and Matt den Dekker did not exercise the opt-out provisions in their minor league deals with the Marlins at the end of Spring Training (Twitter link). As such, both figure to head to Triple-A New Orleans, where they’ll serve as depth options that could surface in the Majors should the Fish incur an injury or look to add some versatility to the bench down the line. Barnes, a career .242/.289/.356 hitter, posted just a .426 OPS in Spring Training but was solid in Triple-A last season. Meanwhile, den Dekker hit .281/.306/.596 in Spring Training and is a lifetime .236/.318/.359 hitter in the bigs. Both can play all three outfield positions.
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