With MLB rosters expanding, will that open a door for Lewin Diaz? The Marlins’ options
Lewin Diaz’s latest stint at the major-league level was once again brief. The No. 11 overall prospect in the Miami Marlins’ system according to MLB Pipeline served as the 27th man for the second game of the Marlins’ doubleheader against the New York Mets at Citi Field, a 3-1 loss. The club promptly returned their top first baseman prospect to Triple A Jacksonville after the game concluded.
What the Marlins do next will be telling.
For the rest of the regular season, MLB rosters expand from 26 players to 28 players. That’s two more roster spots for the Marlins to use on players they want to get a closer look at over the final 29 games of the regular season.
“Lewin’s going back right now,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep. “I know there’s talk of different scenarios with Lewin. As of right now, Lewin’s going back. He won’t be recalled [Wednesday].”
Does that mean Diaz won’t be on the roster at any point down the stretch? Not necessarily.
But the Marlins are in a pickle when it comes to how they handle Diaz for the final month of the season. The organization wants to get an extended look at Diaz at the big-league level, but they also want to make sure he is getting as many at-bats as possible.
The latter wouldn’t happen if they call him up to the big leagues full-time for the final month of the season, even though it’s the only way to truly gauge what he offers before the 2022 season.
Jesus Aguilar, who leads the National League with 92 RBI, is the Marlins’ starting first baseman and the one player in the way of Diaz getting steady playing time with the Marlins this season. The Marlins are reluctant to bench Aguilar for an extended stretch of the season even though they are all but formally out of playoff contention.
Also, unlike most years, the Triple A season runs through Oct. 3 instead of ending in early September. This opens the opportunity for prospects, Diaz included, to play in the minor leagues until the end of the regular season instead of being limited to bench roles and spot starts at the MLB level as the only way to continue development as the season winds down.
Diaz, 24, has a .256 batting average with 20 home runs, 15 doubles, 51 RBI and 50 runs scored in 69 games with Triple A Jacksonville this season. In August, his batting average was .338 with a 1.057 on-base-plus-slugging mark, six home runs, 13 RBI, 16 runs scored and just 12 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances for the Jumbo Shrimp. He has played 16 games over four stints at the big-league level this year, hitting .121 (4 for 33) with three home runs, five RBI and five runs scored.
“We always consider the minor leagues,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said earlier this month, “but obviously we really have to focus on what’s important up here. We have to see to help us prepare for next year.”
Ng’s response when asked how that philosophy applies specifically to Diaz’s case: “We do have to weigh making sure these guys are getting at-bats up here.”
They’ve made it work for just about every player they’ve wanted to see.
They traded outfielder Corey Dickerson to the Toronto Blue Jays in late June to ensure rookie Jesus Sanchez would be an everyday starter for the final three months of the season.
Fellow rookie outfielder Bryan De La Cruz has played in 29 games since being acquired from the Houston Astros as part of the Yimi Garcia trade.
When they decided they wanted to prioritize Alex Jackson as their catcher after trading for him with the Atlanta Braves, they converted Jorge Alfaro into a utility player, with Alfaro getting starts primarily in left field since Aug. 3.
Diaz is the primary exception to this point.
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