A look at the Marlins’ new bullpen and why only two top prospects are being called up
Improving the bullpen was a priority for the Miami Marlins this offseason. A blend of veterans acquired in the offseason, a few top prospects and some rare holdovers from last season combined to form the Marlins’ dozen relievers on the Opening Day roster.
The team’s COVID-19 outbreak has caused them to essentially start from scratch once again. Closer Brandon Kintzler said in a video posted that eight of the team’s 18 positive tests came from the bullpen. Kintzler has tested negative.
Of the 13 players placed on the injured list on Tuesday night, eight are relievers: Yimi Garcia, Ryne Stanek, Nick Neidert, Jordan Holloway, Robert Dugger, Jeff Brigham, Adam Conley and Alex Vesia. The others placed on the injured list: starting pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Caleb Smith; shortstop Miguel Rojas; utilityman Sean Rodriguez; and catcher Chad Wallach.
Eighteen Marlins players have tested positive for COVID-19. Four of those 18 — position players Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper, Harold Ramirez and pitcher Jose Urena — were previously placed on the injured list. The 18th Marlins player who tested positive was a pitcher on the taxi squad, according to a source.
Bringing in a new wave of relievers became one of the top priorities for Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill in filling out roster spots.
First up are three players from within the team’s 60-man player pool in Jorge Guzman, Josh A. Smith and Nick Vincent.
The Marlins claimed four more on waivers in Justin Shafer, Josh D. Smith, Mike Morin and Brian Moran. They traded for yet another two in James Hoyt and Richard Bleier.
“We were aggressive in trying to patch the absence of players that will be heading to the injured list,” Hill said.
But the new influx of players also provides a new challenge for manager Don Mattingly, who now must once again start figuring out how each new piece fits into a bullpen puzzle that was still incomplete when the season started.
“Obviously, it changes things quickly with lots of issues out there,” Mattingly said. “... I always feel like bullpens set their own roles. You’d love to be able to tell every guy exactly when they’re going to pitch and how you’re going to do it. That just changes.”
Prospect talk
Among the team’s top prospects, only outfielder Monty Harrison (No. 9, according to MLB Pipeline) and Guzman (No. 19) were promoted.
Asked the rationale behind not promoting more of the team’s top prospects who are available, Hill said: “We look at where each of those players are. We have built a very deep system, one of the top in baseball. When you look at a 60-man player pool, each is at different levels of development. Some haven’t played above Double A baseball yet. The whole process was doing what’s right for our players. We are not going to put a player in the big leagues who’s not ready to be in the big leagues.”
Top prospects promoted now would get closer to being eligible for arbitration or free agency, and that’s believed to be part of the Marlins’ thinking. But Hill did not reference that.
Among players working out in Jupiter, Miami bypassed promoting first baseman Lewin Diaz, shortstop Jazz Chisholm, outfielders Jesus Sanchez or JJ Bleday, or pitchers Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rodgers, Sixto Sanchez and Edward Cabrera.
Another problem that could arise: Challenges with their 40-man roster. Players who don’t yet need to be put on the 40-man (Bleday, Garrett and Rogers, for example) would need to stay on the 40 if promoted to the big-league team.
In the case of the Marlins’ top two pitching prospects (Sanchez and Cabrera), there are other issues. Cabrera has not thrown off a mound for more than a week because of an arm issue that has not been portrayed as serious.
“Cabrera is on a throwing program off the mound. He’s not close to being built up to be an option for us,” Hill said. “Sixto, we’ve been incredibly cautious with him and his workload. He did not appear in any major-league games in spring training 1.0. The build for him has been cautious to build him up. We’re hopeful we can build him up and he can be option for us at some point this season.”
Mattingly said Guzman will pitch out of the bullpen or in an opener role.
“He’s going to get an opportunity to pitch,” Mattingly said.
ROTATION COMING INTO FOCUS
The Marlins have temporarily lost the services of three starting pitchers in the past week — Alcantara, Urena and Smith. That has left them with Pablo Lopez, Elieser Hernandez and Jordan Yamamoto topping the rotation; all three are scheduled to start games in Baltimore on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The remainder of the rotation is being formulated. The Marlins are scheduled to play the Orioles in single games on Tuesday and Thursday and a doubleheader on Wednesday.
This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 1:49 PM.
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