Kim Ng updates on Marlins arbitration hearings, Jorge Soler signing, Sixto Sanchez
Another quirk stemming from MLB’s 99-day lockout is impacting the Miami Marlins.
Because teams were not able to communicate with 40-man roster players during the extended stretch while a new collective bargaining agreement was negotiated, the deadline to exchange salaries for arbitration-eligible players was pushed back to Tuesday instead of happening in mid-January.
The Marlins ultimately settled on one-year deals with five of their 10 arbitration-eligible players: third baseman Brian Anderson ($4.475 million), first baseman/designated hitter Garrett Cooper ($2.5 million), right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro ($3 million), utility infielder Jon Berti ($1.2 million) and right-handed pitcher Elieser Hernandez ($1.325 million). They also signed left-handed pitcher Richard Bleier to a two-year contract extension.
That leaves four players who are set for arbitration hearings: First baseman Jesus Aguilar, right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez, catcher Jacob Stallings and infielder Joey Wendle.
Arbitration hearings are nothing new.
What is new: Those hearings will take place during the regular season this year because of the pushed back deadline to exchange numbers, meaning those four players whose salary is unsettled will remain that way early in the season.
“I guess I’ll say this,” general manager Kim Ng said. “First, you never really want to go to arbitration. I think it’s just the process that we have, the system that we have. Secondly, this is definitely atypical of what we have and what we usually see. I have been through this one time in my career back in ‘95. It’s not comfortable, but arbitration’s not comfortable.”
Of the four players, two (Stallings and Wendle) were acquired in trades just before the lockout. Lopez, entering his first year of arbitration eligibility, missed all but one game after the All-Star break with a shoulder injury. Aguilar, heading into his final year of arbitration.
“I just think that we will do our best to put on a professional case,” Ng said. “At the end of the day, all this is a disagreement about salary, but they should know that we respect them as professionals. That’s the way we conduct ourselves.”
Other topics Ng discussed in her 10-minute media availability Wednesday morning:
▪ The Marlins optioned right-handed pitcher Sixto Sanchez to Triple A Jacksonville on Tuesday. He is still not throwing as he continues to experience discomfort in his right shoulder that he surgery on last summer.
“We’re just going to keep monitoring him,” Ng said.
▪ On what appealed to them about Jorge Soler, whose three-year, $36 million deal became official Tuesday: “First obviously, he’s an offensive weapon, one that we’ve talked about throughout the offseason. I think his track record — the ability to hit 48 home runs one year, that was a great appeal. And then I think, most recently, his postseason success and his ability to perform under pressure. He’s one of the few players that actually has a [World Series] ring on his finger. Actually, I think he’s got two. Yeah. So that was of course of great interest. And then him wanting to be in Miami. We love those players that want to come be a part of the community. Community is really, really important to the organization, so that was an appeal.”
This and that
▪ Right-handed pitcher Sandy Alcantara, the Marlins’ presumptive Opening Day starter, had another dominant spring training start. He threw four innings in a 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, giving up just one hit (a solo home run to Juan Soto) while striking out four and not issuing a walk.
▪ Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said Wednesday morning his right hand feels fine after leaving Tuesday’s game with a right pinky contusion when a hard-hit groundball struck his hand between his ring finger and pinky. Chisholm said there a little bruising a day later and he would have been fine playing through it if the injury happened during the regular season.
But it’s not the regular season. It’s still spring training, and Chisholm knows there is no need to take chances at this point. Plus, he was scheduled to be off Wednesday anyway. He’s expected to be in the lineup Thursday for the Marlins’ 6:10 p.m. game against the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.
“We dodged the bullet there as far as anything major,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
▪ Right-handed pitcher Nick Neidert will move to the bullpen, a move Mattingly said the organization thinks is “his quickest path” to the big leagues based on his performance and the starting pitching depth they have that is closing in on the big leagues.
Having the designated hitter in the lineup also plays a factor, since it gives the Marlins some more flexibility with how they construct the bullpen.
“You can truly have some long [relief] guys that are more in the middle of the game,” Mattingly said.
▪ Outfielder/first baseman prospect Jerar Encarnacion provided all of Miami’s offense on Wednesday with a three-run double in the sixth inning.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 10:43 AM.
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