MLB’s annual Winter Meetings are virtual this year. How that impacts Kim Ng and the Marlins
Kim Ng’s first round of MLB’s annual Winter Meetings as the Miami Marlins’ general manager will be anything but normal.
This year, out of precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the four-day event that normally brings together executives from all 30 clubs and agents representing players will be virtual.
No face-to-face interaction. No direct conversations that aren’t over the phone or through video conferencing systems — not unlike what has been going on throughout the first month of free agency. No chance to congregate top members of the organization in one spot.
“I think we’re all going to miss the opportunity to visit with other clubs and agents in person,” Ng said Thursday. “I actually thought the Winter Meetings were a great place to actually get staff together. You have staff interacting with each other that normally don’t get that chance you know because of the schedule or the calendar. For example you’ll have your pro scouts be able to talk to your minor-league field coordinator or you’ll have your international scouting director be able to talk to your rehab people. There’s just a lot of interactions that you miss on.
“But,” Ng continued, “I think in terms of the way it’s going to go this year, there’s going to be I would say the usual disbursement of information from a technical standpoint, from a rule standpoint and that formal information getting out, but, of course, there won’t be the incidental interactions that you would normally normally see.”
But like MLB did last season and like all teams continue to do now, Ng and the Marlins will adapt.
Ng said the Marlins have been in touch with all 29 teams and with a host of agents as they continue to sort out their offseason needs. The Marlins know they need to upgrade their bullpen, whether that’s through free agency or trades. They would also like to get another veteran bat on their roster to help improve an offense that finished 21st in runs scored (263) and 23rd in OPS (.703) during MLB’s 60-game 2020 season.
The Marlins have already made a few moves this offseason, adding submarine-throwing relief pitcher Adam Cimber and removing both Jose Urena and Ryne Stanek from the roster.
“One of the things that we’ve really tried to do and be very active on is to make sure that we have touched base with every single club,” Ng said. “To this point, we’re staying in consistent contact with them. So while we might not be able to see each other in person, we’re making sure that you know that we’re not losing touch with with these other clubs. we’ve also touch base with a number of agents. We’ve got agents calling us so I don’t think we’ll miss a beat on that front.
“It’s just different than what we’ve dealt with in the past.
Rule 5 Draft
The Rule 5 draft is the final official piece of business at the Winter Meetings and is scheduled to take place Thursday.
Players who are not on a team’s 40-man roster and been in professional baseball for at least four years (five if he was 18 years old or younger when he signed his first contract) are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft.
Players selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on a team’s active roster for the duration of the next season or else they are sent back to their original club. Teams are paid $100,000 if one of their players is drafted.
The Marlins protected both of their top-30 prospects who were eligible to be selected in middle infielder Jose Devers and outfielder Jerar Encarnacion.
The Marlins have selected a player in the MLB phase of each of the last three Rule 5 drafts, taking Sterling Sharp in 2019, Riley Ferrell in 2018 and Elieser Hernandez in 2017. Hernandez, poised to be in the starting rotation in 2020, is the only one of the three still with the club.
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