Should the Miami Marlins’ season continue, who could replace COVID-19 positive players?
Even after having 11 players and two coaches tested positive for COVID-19 over the past four days and having their first home series against the Baltimore Orioles postponed because of the outbreak, the Miami Marlins’ season looks like it will continue.
As it stands Monday, the Marlins plan to play the Orioles in Baltimore beginning Wednesday. The two teams were supposed to play at Marlins Park on Monday and Tuesday and then at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Wednesday and Thursday.
The question remains as to who will actually be playing for them when they take the field.
Those who tested positive, which includes at least a handful of starters, will have to remain quarantined in Philadelphia until producing consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart and receiving clearance by the league to travel.
That means the Marlins will have to dip into their 60-man roster pool and use players from their alternate training site in Jupiter, which is filled primarily with prospects and players on minor-league deals, to field a full roster.
They’ve already made a couple of moves, claiming right-handed pitcher Justin Shafer and left-handed pitcher Josh D. Smith on Monday after placing Harold Ramirez, Garrett Cooper and Jose Urena on the Injured List.
Here’s a look at the top candidates by position to be added to the roster.
Pitchers
Jordan Yamamoto, who started 14 games for the Marlins last season, would be the immediate top contender to join the rotation. The 24-year-old righty from Hawaii made his MLB debut last season and dazzled early, going 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his first six starts. He lost five of his final nine games from there and finished the year with a 4.46 ERA and 82 strikeouts over 78 2/3 innings that spanned 15 starts.
Outside of him, the Marlins have six top pitching prospects in Jupiter, including Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rogers, Jorge Guzman, Humberto Mejia and 2020 first-round pick Max Meyer.
However, a source told the Miami Herald that Cabrera has not pitched in a week because of a minor shoulder issue.
Other pitchers at the Marlins’ disposal who could warrant consideration include Aaron Northcraft, who was on the team’s taxi squad in Philadelphia, as well as Shafer, Josh D. Smith, Josh A. Smith and Nick Vincent (the latter two with the team on minor-league deals).
Outfielders
Lewis Brinson was told before Monday morning’s news that the team planned to activate him from the injured list, according to a source. He remains in South Florida for now, so it’s unclear if he will join the team in Baltimore.
From a prospect standpoint, the front runners are Monte Harrison and Jesus Sanchez.
Harrison, the Marlins’ ninth-ranked prospect and the only player remaining from the Christian Yelich trade to make his MLB debut, was one of the final roster cuts leading up to the start of the season. He can hit for power and average, has speed on the basepaths and is a plus defender at all three outfield spots.
Sanchez, the fourth-ranked prospect inside the organization, is a career .296 hitter who would likely play in either of the corner outfield spots.
Other outfielders in Jupiter include 2019 first-round pick JJ Bleday, rising prospect and power hitter Jerar Encarnacion and recent free-agent signing Travis Snider
Matt Joyce remains on the IL.
First Base
The only true first baseman the Marlins have in Jupiter is Lewin Diaz, their No. 7 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline who they acquired from the Minnesota Twins for Sergio Romo last July. Diaz, 23, is a power-hitting lefty who hit 27 home runs last season between Class A Advanced and Double A. The Marlins also like his defensive skills at first.
The rest of the infield
Barring a free-agent pickup, the Marlins only have three non-first base infield players in their roster pool who aren’t part of the active roster: Jazz Chisholm, Eddy Alvarez and Jose Devers.
Chisholm, the Marlins’ third-ranked prospect and already on the 40-man roster, battled with COVID-19 at the start of summer camp, which caused him to miss the first week of practices. Chisholm, who the Marlins view as their shortstop of the future, has been in Jupiter since then and was part of the contingent that traveled for two exhibition games in Atlanta.
Alvarez, a Miami native and Columbus High grad, hit .323 in Triple A last season and was one of the Marlins’ more consistent hitters during camp. He can play second base, shortstop and third base.
Devers, 20 years old and the Marlins’ No. 11 overall prospect, is solid defensively and had a strong start to the 2019 season in Class A Advanced Jupiter (.325 batting average, 13 runs scored in 33 games) before suffering a groin injury and missing two-and-a-half months between mid-May and early August.
Catcher
The most experienced of the group is Ryan Lavarnway, a non-roster invitee. The 32-year-old and former sixth-round pick by the Boston Red Sox has played in 151 career MLB games. He is a career .211 hitter with nine home runs and 50 RBI. He is a five-time minor-league All-Star and has hit .275 with 121 homers and 525 RBI over 885 minor-league games. Lavarnway played for Team Israel during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He spent all of summer camp with Miami’s main group at Marlins Park. Brian Navaretto, Santiago Chavez and Will Banfield (on IL for unspecified reasons) are the other catchers in Miami’s player pool.
Miami Herald sportswriter Barry Jackson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 4:44 PM.
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