The Marlins hadn’t made an offer to free agent righty Edinson Volquez as of the middle of last week, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reports. Volquez makes sense as a target for the Fish — an innings-eating veteran with a fairly solid recent track record, yet whose price tag may be limited thanks to a rough 2016 season. Volquez posted a 5.37 ERA, 6.61 K/9 and 51.2% grounder rate over 189 1/3 innings with the Royals last year, with ERA indicators showing that his ERA was at least somewhat inflated by a .319 BABIP and only a 65.7% strand rate. Jackson notes that the Marlins have been “linked” to Volquez, so it seems like there could still be a chance of something more substantive happening between the two sides.
Here’s more on Miami’s search for arms in another piece from Jackson…
- Travis Wood is drawing interest from the Marlins, who see him as a starting pitcher. The lefty pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the Cubs in 2016, though Wood has a previous history as a durable starter, even cracking 200 innings with Chicago in 2013. Wood posted a 2.95 ERA last year but was helped by a .215 BABIP and an above-average strand rate; ERA indicators such as FIP (4.54), xFIP (4.83) and SIERA (4.46) were less impressed by his performance.
- Miami had some interest in Charlie Morton before the free agent signed a two-year deal with Houston earlier this week.
- “Discussions are ongoing” between the Marlins and Mike Dunn about a reunion. The veteran southpaw has posted solid numbers over six years in Miami’s bullpen, though he did miss time with a forearm strain last season and saw both his fastball velocity and strikeout rate drop. That said, Dunn also posted the lowest walk rate of his career and he held left-handed hitters to a .702 OPS.
- The Marlins haven’t been pursuing another of their free agent relievers, Bryan Morris. The righty is coming off a rough 2016 season that saw him limited to just 24 games due to back surgery and outrighted off of Miami’s 40-man roster in late September.
- The Marlins have already been rumored to have interest in Kenley Jansen as the team looks to focus on the back end of its bullpen, though Aroldis Chapman (the other top-tier closer on the market) doesn’t look like an option. An associate of Chapman tells Jackson that it would be “highly unlikely” if the closer signed with Miami.
- Jeff Mathis has received interest from several clubs but the Marlins aren’t yet one of them. Jackson feels the Fish may yet still look to bring back the veteran catcher, noting that the team didn’t re-sign him until mid-December last offseason.
The Marlins are all in on adding good pitching this winter and they don’t have a great minor league system. So it makes sense they will sign a least 2 pitchers. Volquez and Wood would fit into their rotation well. and wouldn’t require long term deals. As for Chapman and Jansen, I would think they go to a contending team.
Now that Morton and Cashner are off the market, I’d like the Pirates to bring back Volquez as their veteran pitcher.
He worked so well with the Pirates. I think they will be a waking giant in 2017 and rebound from an off 2016 season. A rotation of Cole, Taillon , Glasnow , Kuhl , And if they sign volquez. cubs should watch out.
Yeah they should be able to make up those 25 games no problem
The Pirates only hope of contending next year is “Patrick Kane Syndrome”.
AKA they are so busy having every piece of tail in Chicago throwing themselves at them that they aren’t focused enough to repeat.
Otherwise…gonna be a long year in Pittsburgh.
And St. Louis. And Cincinnatti. And Milkwaukee. And the rest of the NL. And the AL, too.
Where’s Milkwaukee?
And its comments like that^^^^^ that will make it even better when the Cubs get knocked out of the first round of the playoffs
And it’s comments like that. ^^^^^^^ that will make it better when the Cubs get knocked out of the first round of the playoffs
Not gonna happen.