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Marlins trades

Marlins Making Moves at Trade Deadline

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The Miami Marlins entered Monday’s Trade Deadline day at 14-15 but clinging to an NL playoff spot. The recent four-game losing skid, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, put into focus the shortcomings of the squad.

As the team traveled to New York to face the Mets in a makeup game for last Friday’s walk off protest, the Marlins knew they had their hands full. Two-time Cy Young award winner Jacob deGrom awaited them, making his fourth consecutive start versus Miami. A loss risked Miami’s playoff position and a lengthy losing streak.

With that as the backdrop, the Marlins not only scored a rousing comeback win over the Mets, the but the team completed a pair of trades for the playoff push.

Marlins and Mets Game

The trades unfolded as the game entered the middle innings. The Marlins were down 2-0 to the Mets, with deGrom dealing. But Marlins rookie starting pitcher Trevor Rogers hung in, limiting the damage New York’s potent offense tried to levy.

The first trade hit Twitter after 3 PM. The Marlins brokered a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks for speedy veteran outfielder Starling Marte. Miami gave up LHP Caleb Smith, RHP Humberto Mejia and a player to be named later. It was reported afterward that the PTBNL was Single-A reliever RHP Julio Frias.

Then, in the fifth inning, with the Mets on the verge of adding further cushion to deGrom’s lead, Rogers induced a pop fly that Jonathan Villar corralled with an over-the-shoulder catch. It would prove to be Villar’s final play as a Marlin.

Cameras caught Marlins manager Don Mattingly speaking with Villar after pinch-hitting Jon Berti. Villar simply nodded. From there, the Marlins offense erupted for four runs off deGrom, including a Garrett Cooper home run and a Lewin DiazRBI double.

Marlins Trades

It was revealed on Twitter, and on the broadcast, that Villar had been dealt to Toronto for a Player to be Named Later. Villar played all 30 games for the Marlins this season with inconsistent results.

Seen as a difference maker as a lead-off hitter, Villar managed just a .259 batting average and .315 on-base percentage. Although he led the National League with nine stolen bases, Villar also led MLB with five caught-stealing attempts. That 64.5 percent rate, and the fact that he’d been picked off multiple times, just wasn’t good enough.

There was a reckless nature to Villar’s play as a Marlin. He regularly swung at first pitches and hit just .268 as a leadoff hitter. He was only 6-for-33 with runners-in-scoring-position. Defensively, Villar couldn’t cut it in centerfield and was just okay at second base.

In return, it’s being reported that the Marlins are getting Griffin Conine, the 23-year-old son of former Florida Marlin Jeff Conine.

Mr. Marlin’s Son Comes Home

Griffin Conine was selected by the Blue Jays with the 52nd overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft, one spot ahead of Miami’s second-round slot. Some believe the Marlins would have drafted him then, had he fallen to their slot.

Conine injects another power bat into Miami’s farm system. After a 50-game suspension for the banned stimulant Ritalin, Conine found some success in the Low-A Midwest League last season. He hit .282 with a .947 OPS, slugging 22 home runs and 64 RBI.

A left-handed hitter, Conine’s power does come with the threat of the strikeout. He whiffed 125 times over 348 plate appearances, which isn’t great. He’s capable of driving the ball to all fields, thanks to his bat speed and physical strength. He’s not a speedster by any stretch, but he sports a solid arm defensively.

“If I had to rank [my tools], power would be No. 1, for sure,” Conine said in an interview with MLB.com in March. “Arm would be No. 2, for sure, and after that, it’s kind of a toss up. Speed would be on the lower end, [No. 5] maybe. I don’t think I’m slow, but defense is above that. Glove would be better than speed, and the hit [tool] is probably better than the glove. They can get better.”

A Plantation, FL native who attended Pine Crest high school in Fort Lauderdale, Conine has Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill “incredibly exicted,” although Hill can’t officially say the son of Niner is on the squad.

Other Notes from Marlins Trade Deadline Day

Hill met with Marlins media after Monday’s rousing comeback win over the Mets. He talked through the different deals and praised the team’s grit and fight.

“Our goal is not just to win one year,” Hill said, “it’s to win year in and year out.”

Hill admitted to exploring the bullpen market for the team but couldn’t find anything reasonable. “We weren’t going to mortgage our future,” he said.

Hill called the acquisition of Marte something that “takes pressure off the young guys” and adds to the “middle of the order.” He called Marte a “solid, dependable, everyday bat” and said “I don’t think you give up what we gave up for a 30-day rental.”

Marte is under contract through 2021.

Hill also revealed that Isan Díaz has reported to the team’s Jupiter training complex. Diaz has applied for reinstatement and is currently working out at the team facility. Diaz will soon be reinstated by the MLB/MLBPA joint committee.

Marlins Starling Marte

Meet the Marlins: Starling Marte

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The Miami Marlins entered MLB’s 2020 Trade Deadline day looking to be opportunistic. The team currently holds a playoff spot, something that haven’t been able to say since 2003. Their 17-year playoff drought is the second-longest current span in MLB. To make that playoff push, the Marlins reportedly acquired veteran outfielder Starling Marte from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The deal, which saw LHP Caleb Smith, RHP Humberto Mejia and Class-A LHP Julio Frias go to Arizona, came on the same day the team traded away Jonathan Villar. Marte adds a solid right-handed bat with speed to the Marlins lineup.

Meet the Marlins: Starling Marte

A 9-year veteran, Marte signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates out of the Dominican Republic in 2007. Marte moved quickly through the Pirates’ system and made his MLB debut in 2012.

In eight years with Pittsburgh, Marte played mostly left field and earned an All-Star berth in 2016. He’s earned two Gold Gloves in his career and left Pittsburgh after seven-straight seasons with at least 20 steals, including five over 30 and two over 40.

After his trade to Arizona, Marte moved primarily to centerfield. He’s been a productive bat for the Diamondbacks, despite the team’s struggles. He came over to bolster the lineup of a potential contender but that never came to fruition for Arizona.

In 2020, Marte’s slash line is .311/.384/.443, and his OPS stands at .827. Versus left-handed pitching, something the Marlins have struggled with this season, he’s hitting .379 with a .920 OPS. Marte’s been really good with runners in scoring position, hitting .300 with a .753 OPS. And when he’s ahead in the count, he’s been awesome: .424 batting average and 1.346 OPS.

The Marlins have Marte under contract through 2021, as his contract contains a $12.5MM club option (a $1 million buyout for 2021). His addition to the lineup will replace whatever speed was lost in the Villar trade. Marte immediately becomes one of Miami’s best bats and should be a difference maker in the field.

Leaving the Marlins are Smith, Mejia and a Single-A reliever prospect.

Smith, Mejia and Frias Sent to Arizona

The Marlins acquired Smith from the New York Yankees in 2017, along with Garrett Cooper, for RHP Mike King. Over two seasons (and one start in 2020) with the Marlins, Smith 15-17 4.39 ERA over 233.2 IP and 45 starts. He had a 1.245 WHIP and looked like a dominant power lefty at times.

Smith, though, lost time to injuries during his time with the Marlins. He landed on the 60-day IL in 2018 with left shoulder tightness. In 2019, hip inflammation landed him on the IL as well. In 2020, Smith lost time to COVID-19.

Humberto Mejia surprised many with his performance in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Mejia made three starts for the Miami, ultimately posting a 5.40 ERA over 10 IP. His record was 0-2, but he didn’t give up more than three runs in any start.

At 23-years-old, Mejia signed as an amateur free agent out of Panama. He wasn’t anywhere near as heralded as some of the other pitching prospects in the system, but he showed promise. That promise may have been what led to this trade coming together.

Julio Frias signed as an international free agent with the Marlins in 2014. At 22-years-old, Frias sports a power lefty arm and has solid strikeout numbers but hasn’t pitched above Low-A.

Zac Gallen fue cambiado por prospecto top de Arizona

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Zac Gallen debutó este año por los Marlins y ya fue cambiado de organización, luego de enfrascarse en un apasionante duelo de pitcheo la noche del martes ante Jake Odorizzi y los poderosos bates de los Mellizos de Minnesota.

Sergio Romo fue el primero de los Marlins en ser cambiado, y se esperaba que algunos otros veteranos siguieran ese mismo camino, pero nos quedamos con la boca abierta tras el anuncio oficial de lo que había sucedido.

Zac Gallen, el codiciado lanzador que deslumbró a la fanaticada de Miami con sus actuaciones en ligas menores y que luego se estaba ganando el corazón de los seguidores del equipo tras debutar en Grandes Ligas, fue cambiado por quien era el prospecto número uno de los Diamondbacks de Arizona, Jazz Chisholm.

En él, los Marlins de Miami ven a su futuro campocorto, según declaró Mike Hill poco después de que se venciera el plazo para hacer canjes.

Chisholm es un campocorto nacido en Bahamas, que batea a la zurda, con manos rápidas, swing de poder y desplazamientos que recuerdan un poco a Javy Baez, según el reporte de Baseball America.

Comenzó el año como el prospecto número uno de los Diamondbacks, pero su actuación de esta temporada le había hecho caer al tercer puesto. En general, estaba en el puesto 56 del top 100 de esta misma firma antes de comenzar la temporada.

Gallen comenzó esta temporada en el número 72 de este ranking, y tras su gran debut y primeras actuaciones con los Marlins, empezaba a inclinar la balanza a favor de Miami en el cambio que dio salida a Marcell Ozuna.

Ahora, Miami debe esperar por otro prospecto para que se desarrolle y pueda aportar en la temporada que viene, o la de 2021.

Los Marlins esperan que Chisholm rebote y pueda parecerse mas al pelotero que fue en 2018, y que llevó a los Diamondbacks a enviarlo a jugar en la Arizona Fall League.

Estos son sus numeritos hasta este 31 de Julio:

Según Baseball America, Chisholm es un bateador que aún debe mejorar en su contacto, aunque ha demostrado su fuerza, con 18 jonrones en 89 juegos en Doble A.

Tiene las herramientas para ser un gran campocorto, aunque se ve afectado por alguos lapsus mentales que inciden directamente en su consistencia.

En el plato, tiende a hacer swing de gradas y cuando conecta la bola, esta suele viajar bastante lejos. Sin embargo, este approach ha hecho que se vaya muchas veces sin el resultado deseado esta campaña, y de ahí los numeritos que ven arriba.

Con el tiempo se convertirá en un mejor bateador cuando aprenda a batear para todos los sectores del terreno, indican los observadores, y puede incluso llegar a acercarse a un 20-20 en Grandes Ligas.

Haciendo click en este link pueden ver el reporte completo de mitad de temporada de Baseball America.

Trevor Richards y Nick Anderson se van a Tampa

Los Marlins de Miami cambiaron a otros de los brazos que llegaron a ser revelaciones importantes durante los primeros meses de campaña, el abridor Trevor Richards y el relevista Nick Anderson, quienes hasta sonaron como posibles candidatos para representar a los Marlins en el Juego de Estrellas de este año.

A cambio, los Marlins reciben al relevista Ryne Stanek y al jardinero dominicano Jesús Sánchez, quien ya estaba con la sucursal triple A de los Rays.

Estos son los numeritos de Sánchez en su carrera en Ligas Menores:

Stanek se perfila como el cerrador del equipo, y Sanchez es otro toletero zurdo que podría debutar este año en Septiembre.

En Cinco Razones haremos un análisis de los movimientos de los Marlins en este trade deadline. Coming soon…