February 14: Miami has announced the signing.
February 13: The Marlins have agreed to a minor-league pact with righty Brad Boxberger, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter). He receives an invitation to MLB camp.
Boxberger, 31, is looking for a bounceback shot after a rough 2019 season. He landed a $2.2MM guarantee from the Royals last winter, coming off of an ’18 campaign in which he managed only a 4.39 ERA but picked up 32 saves and averaged 12.0 K/9 against 5.4 BB/9. But he fell flat in Kansas City, coughing up 16 earned runs in 26 2/3 innings with a 27:17 K/BB ratio before being cut loose.
Before that, Boxberger had enjoyed a rather successful six seasons in the majors. He had maintained a 3.19 ERA through 231 career frames, rarely posting eye-popping swinging-strike rates but still coming up with a mean 11.6 K/9 strikeout rate.
That past track record shows the potential upside here for the Marlins. But the question remains whether Boxberger can rediscover his former form. His precipitous strikeout decline is worrisome, particularly as it coincided with a significant drop in average fastball velocity (to 90.6 mph). Boxberger never blew fastballs by hitters, but velocity — he sat in the 93 mph range until it started to erode in 2018 — was obviously a component of his highly effective heater.
StPeteStingRays
Brad ‘blown save’ Boxberger. Sorry, Boxy. I had to do it for old time’s sake.
Manfredsajoke
Pump the brakes Jeter you keep spending money on all these veterans you won’t be making any money this year off your Marlins piggy bank.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Who is is to say that they’re trying to make money? Perhaps they’re trying to build a competing product to be profitable long-term.
pinkerton
Put your hands together for Sexual Chocolate
Rsox
Best players day Jersey ever!!
rudyrudnick
even if the marlins have a better year they still will not be able to get people to come to games
Rsox
That’s Miami sports in general, outside of college football and to a lesser extent the Dolphins. The Marlins couldn’t sell out home games in the championship years of ’97 and ’03 and they were two vastly different teams (with the exception of mr. Marlin Jeff Conine). Even the Heat struggled to sell tickets at the Beginning of the LeBron James/Dwayne Wade/Chris Bosh era, people would start showing up in the 3rd quarter. I dont really think there is a player the Marlins could sign that would sell tickets for them.