Quick hits on the Marlins’ selections in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft
The Miami Marlins made a handful of minor-league transactions Wednesday as part of the league’s annual Rule 5 Draft.
Because of the current lockout, the MLB portion of the draft was not held and has been postponed indefinitely until a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified.
While the lockout bars any contact or transactions relating to the MLB roster, teams are still able to make minor-league transactions.
That’s why the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft went on as planned.
The Marlins’ five selections, poached from other teams for $24,500 apiece: infielder Charles LeBlanc from the Texas Rangers organization, left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia from the Kansas City Royals, infielder Cobie Vance from the Oakland Athletics, right-handed pitcher Luarbert Arias from the San Diego Padres and shortstop Carlos Santiago from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now, to make it clear, the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft rarely results in instant big-league talent. The selections here are more about fortifying organizational depth and adding talent to a team’s minor-league system.
With that said, here’s a quick look at the Marlins’ five acquisitions.
▪ Infielder Charles Leblanc: He’s a career .260 hitter with a .726 on-base-plus slugging mark, 39 home runs, 219 RBI and 258 runs scored in 483 minor-league games. He played 96 games at the Triple A level in 2021, hitting .229 with 57 RBI, 17 HR and 49 runs scored while striking out 35 percent of the time. Defensively, he primarily split time between first, second and third base last season but also has made the occasional start at shortstop and in left field.
▪ Left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia: A 6-4, 225-pound reliever who spent all of 2021 with the Royals’ Double A affiliate. He has a career 5.83 ERA over 104 games with 223 strikeouts against 91 walks and a .274 batting average against in 197 2/3 innings.
▪ Infielder Cobie Vance: The 24-year-old has primarily played third base the last two minor-league seasons. He’s a career .246 hitter in the minors and spent the 2021 season with the Athletics’ Class A Advanced affiliate.
▪ Right-handed pitcher Luarbert Arias: The 20-year-old made his pro ball debut in 2018 and made it to the Padres’ Class A affiliate in 2021. He has a career 3.60 ERA over 45 games (18 starts) and shifted to pitching out of the bullpen this season, which has been his best so far (.186 batting average against, 57 strikeouts against 21 walks in 32 2/3 innings between rookie ball and Class A).
▪ Shortstop Carlos Santiago: The switch-hitter has yet to play beyond rookie-affiliate levels. In 147 minor-league games since 2018, he’s hitting .180.
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