What Marlins privately discussed before trade deadline. And Mattingly addresses his future
Marlins postscripts in the wake of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline:
▪ The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees engaged the Marlins in serious discussions about pitcher Pablo Lopez, with the Yankees coming closest to a deal, according to sources.
While the identity of all the players involved remains unclear, middle infielder Gleyber Torres was a name raised in the conversations; he’s hitting .257 with 16 homers and 46 RBI in 92 games and 366 plate appearances for the Yankees this season. He’s a .266 hitter with a .333 on-base percentage in five big-league seasons.
It’s uncertain if the Yankees were willing to move him, but sources say he was mentioned in a potential package.
The Yankees have one of the top prospects in baseball in shortstop Anthony Volpe, but it does not appear he would have been part of any package for Lopez. Perhaps this will be a deal that the teams will revisit this winter.
Lopez, who’s under team control through 2024, has never been offered a contract extension by the Marlins. The franchise will decide this winter whether to keep Lopez through 2024, offer him an extension or possibly trade him.
▪ The Marlins discussed numerous proposals with teams, and Miami had the opportunity to deal outfielder Avisail Garcia, who has been a disappointment. But it likely would have required the Marlins to take substantial money back.
The Marlins and Braves had a discussion involving Garcia and former Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, but it never reached the point of either side proposing a trade.
Ozuna is hitting .219, with a .274 on-base percentage, with 18 homers and 40 RBI in 96 games and 402 plate appearances.
Garcia is at .233, .270, with 7 homers and 30 RBI in 87 games and 341 plate appearances.
This would have essentially been a swap of contracts.
Ozuna is earning $16 million this season and is set to make $16 million each of the next two seasons, with a $16 million team option (or $1 million buyout) in 2025.
Garcia is making $12 million this season and is due $12 million each of the next three seasons, with a $12 million team option (or $5 million buyout) in 2026.
Ozuna’s defense has declined and he’s now considered primarily a designated hitter. The Marlins already have enough of those.
Garcia then left Tuesday’s game with a hamstring injury.
▪ Industry sources praised the Marlins for their acquisition of shortstop and former first round pick Jordan Groshans from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for relievers Anthony Bass and Zach Pop.
Miami has had a knack for developing solid middle relief arms, and with a surplus of them in the minor leagues, the Marlins felt they could compensate for the loss of Bass, who has been solid as a seventh inning arm. Had Bass remained, the Marlins were more likely to exercise his $3 million team option for 2023 instead of paying him a $1 million buyout.
Groshans is hitting .250, with a .348 on-base percentage, with one homer and 24 RBI in 67 games at Triple A Buffalo. He’s a .283 career hitter with 15 homers and 120 RBI in 918 plate appearances over four minor-league seasons. He hit .291, with seven homers and 40 RBI in 75 games at Double A New Hampshire last season but has regressed a bit offensively in 2022.
Defensively, he has seven errors in 39 starts at Buffalo this season, and two errors in 14 starts at third base. He played a few games at first base, right field and designated hitter this season.
Here’s how one evaluator sized up the deal: “Good return for replaceable right handed relievers. Groshans plays solid defense, and despite his numbers this season, he has a good offensive approach. It’s a bit surprising the power hasn’t come yet but it’s still there. He has a chance to be a Major League regular.”
Miami scouted Groshans heavily in 2018 and word is former Marlins Scouting Director Stan Meek would have taken him 13th overall in that draft, had the Blue Jays not scooped him up at 12. Miami took outfielder Connor Scott in that draft; he was dealt to Pittsburgh last November in the Jacob Stallings deal.
MLBtraderumors.com assessed Groshans this way: “He’s always had a good approach at the plate, walking almost as much as he strikes out, and that’s still true this year. His 12.5% walk rate and 16.5% strikeout rate are both much better than average, but he’s shown absolutely no power production on the season.
“For Miami, they are surely hoping that Groshans’ will eventually tap into more power to combine with his keen eye and bat-to-ball skills. He’s only 22 years old and could certainly still find another gear in that department.
“Groshans had played mostly shortstop thus far in his career but has gradually spent more time at third, with many prospect evaluators expecting him to eventually settle in at the hot corner. If that is indeed the case, he will certainly need to tap into more power in order to be a viable big league third baseman.”
The Marlins will give him a chance to win a job next spring.
▪ Though Jesus Aguilar was available, the Marlins never received an offer they deemed appealing. He had a $10 million mutual option for next season, with a $250,000 team buyout.
MATTINGLY’S FUTURE
Don Mattingly is non-committal about whether he will return as Marlins manager in 2023.
“I love doing this, the teaching,” Mattingly told The Miami Herald. “I am getting older and I need to make a decision too. I don’t want to be anywhere where I’m not wanted. I’ve always said that.”
Mattingly, 61, is in his seventh season managing the Marlins. He won National League Manager of the Year in the covid shortened season of 2020, when Miami made the playoffs.
The Marlins have finished second twice, third once, fourth once and fifth twice during his tenure.
They entered Wednesday at 47-57 after finishing 67-95 last season. He’s 421-552 and has consistently been saddled with one of baseball’s lowest payrolls.
“You look at the Mets, and the place that I came from (Los Angeles) and how much money those teams are spending,” Mattingly said. “We just have to figure out a way to do it differently here.”
The Marlins’ $79.7 million payroll is 26th in baseball, according to the Associated Press.
Mattingly could return for another season, but it appears that decision won’t be made by him or the organization until the end of 2022.
If Mattingly steps away at the end of the season there would be no shortage of front office roles he could choose around the league.
A “special assistant” role is something Mattingly could pursue in Miami, New York, or elsewhere. He remains one of the most respected people in baseball today.
Mattingly, a six-time All Star as a player for the Yankees, managed the Dodgers from 2011 through 2015 and guided Los Angeles to three NL West titles but lost once in the league championship series and twice in the division series.
Herald senior baseball correspondent Craig Mish hosts Fantasy Sports Today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Newswire from 2 to 3 p.m. weekdays on Sportsgrid. Follow him on Twitter at @CraigMish. Follow Barry Jackson at @flasportsbuzz
This story was originally published August 3, 2022 at 10:24 AM.
