FEBRUARY 3: Joyce will earn $1.5MM with another $250K in available incentives based upon plate appearances, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports on Twitter.
JANUARY 30: Joyce’s deal is a Major League contract, Heyman tweets.
JANUARY 26: The Marlins have agreed to terms with free agent corner outfielder Matt Joyce, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). He is represented by ACES. Terms of the deal remain unclear.
Joyce, 35, has had a series of up-and-down performances the past few seasons. A productive hitter for the Rays from 2010-14, Joyce was traded to the Angels prior to the 2015 season. He endured a miserable season in Anaheim before an offensive rebirth with the Pirates the following year. He continued that strong showing with the the A’s in 2017, where he amassed a career-high 544 plate appearances of .243/.335/.473 hitting (117 wRC+). After a down 2018 season in Oakland, though, Joyce was forced to settle for a pair of minor-league contracts last offseason.
The Giants, who signed Joyce to the second of those minor-league deals, traded him to Atlanta just before the start of the season. The Braves quickly selected him to their active roster, and they were rewarded with yet another bounceback year at the plate. In 238 plate appearances, Joyce put up a .295/.408/.450 line with seven home runs.
As that plate appearance figure suggests, Joyce was used judiciously by Braves’ manager Brian Snitker. He started just 34 games (thirty in right field, four in left). He was much more prominently used as a bench bat, pinch hitting 85 times. He wasn’t especially productive as a pinch hitter (and hasn’t been throughout his career), but he was stellar when trusted to start games.
Joyce is almost exclusively a platoon player. He has just a .188/.272/.309 career line against left-handed pitching, and he totaled all of 26 plate appearances against southpaws last season. He’s got a career .252/.354/.452 (122 wRC+) mark against right-handers and is coming off a season in which he was even better than that. Clearly, the Fish believe he can still serve as a quality hitter if put in the right role.
The Marlins’ corner outfield mix is promising but uncertain. Fellow free agent signee Corey Dickerson will surely get a long leash, but he’s coming off an injury-riddled 2019 season. Miami plans to move Jonathan Villar around the diamond. He’s also an option on the dirt and could speculatively be given a look in center, too, given his athleticism.
That likely leaves Garrett Cooper and Harold Ramírez as Joyce’s primary competition for at-bats. Both hit right-handed, making Joyce a potential platoon partner. (Both Cooper and Ramírez have been better without the platoon advantage to this point in their careers, although that tends to reverse itself over a larger sample size). Joyce has never played first base, but it’s at least possible (speculatively speaking) to imagine him occasionally spelling the right-handed Jesús Aguilar there as well. At the least, he figures to give manager Don Mattingly a deeper, more balanced bench as the Marlins continue to improve around the margins in hopes of being more competitive in 2020.
Is this a major league deal? Would be odd if it was
He hit .295 with a .408 OBP last year, and has been a well above average hitter for 3 of the last 4 years. Why wouldn’t he get a major league deal?
Age and is a platoon player with ok defense.
Had he been younger, able to be super utility or even handle all 3 OFs spots he would of got a major league deal.
… He did get a Major League deal…
A major league deal from MIA is a minor league deal.
Badda Bing!
What is going on? Is Jeter actually trying to build a baseball team? I am flabbergasted…
Yes, it’s a Major League deal.
Too bad they traded away Stanton/Yelich/Ozuna. They might have had a decent hitting club with bad pitching.
Puig:?
Seriously.
Guy who plays hard and is loved by teammates but is maligned for showing flair and joy on the field can’t find a job, but sure let’s give the washed up guy who yells hateful derogatory venom more chances.
Hmmm, I remember a grounder he hit to the pitcher, where he proceeded to turn around and walk back to the dugout. That’s not playing hard, or showing flair and joy.
Oh yeah? I’m real proud of you.
Yea theres a reason Puig is still out there today and its not playing hard and flair-
You think they want to listen to old cranky Mattingly all year if they sign Puig?
His best bet- Go to Japan and be a Rock Star for a year or two or three
Who are you referring to about the flair
Ric Flair
That’s your best? Pitiful.
Oh I’m sorry, you expected actual discourse after telling me about some random memory of yours?
Nothing random about it. And when it comes to you, actual discourse is an impossibility.
Things have certainly changed around here. I remember when this was all farmland as far as the eye can see! Old Mr. Peabody owned all of this! He had this crazy idea of…breeding pine trees.
Movie quotes don’t count as discourse.
I wish my team would sign him but have heard he is still after multi year deal which some are rightfully concerned with. I’d do 3 tops but I would say that has more to do with him being imagined than his flair. Just guessing though.
@david. Puig… Guy has a terrible attitude. He should’ve been hitting 40+ homers a year with that body. Underachieving and a drama queen. I’m glad he’s not on my favorite team. He should go play in Japan they’d think he was a god there.
Find me any player saying anything about Puig being having a terrible attitude. Stop letting your petty and engraved prejudiced affect your judgements.
Someone (A teammate) said anonymously through the media that he was “the worst person in baseball”. This is early in his career in LA
Oh, the ever reliable A Teammate, you say? Certainly sounds reliable.
Are you his agent?
Nah, he’s just an obnoxious troll.
Rude
this guy’s career is on borrowed time. cant believe he manged to stick with the Braves last year.
So you can’t believe a guy that did a good job in his role stuck with the team?
not saying he didnt do well. im amazed he even got the opportunity to put up those numbers.
Guarantee this guy is liking his own comments.
He hit 295 in 240 about a last year. Very solid for a pinch hitter
At bat
Batting average is the highlights magazine of sports statistics
.408 OBP, 120 OPS+, .9 bWAR in half a season’s worth of at bats. He made $1.25M last year. What’s not to like?
I mean, for someone on “borrowed time”, he sure did a good job producing with the Braves. Sure, it’s not the sexiest profile, but he definitely improves on some of the other guys they trotted out last year.
I mean, for someone on “borrowed time”, he sure did a good job producing with the Braves. Sure, it’s not the sexiest profile, but he definitely improves on some of the other guys they trotted out last year.
Not sure I get all the Joyce hate. Three out of his last four seasons he’s been pretty solid. As a bench bat he’s elite.
I’m loving all the moves my marlins are making! And before any of you want to be like “they still wont make the postseason” yeah probably not but love the moves regardless
Nah I don’t like it. Magneuris Sierra, Harold Ramirez, Jon Berti, Lewis Bronson, and Brian Anderson/Garret Cooper/Jonathan Villar should be getting 90% of the playing time in the outfield. I really hope this is a minor league deal.
You do realize that there’s this thing called a bench, right?
its not like all those guys are starting in the OF at the same time.
I named 7 dudes. Adding Joyce eliminates a guy like Brinson or Sierra from the team entirely. Which is dumb. Brinson and Sierra need playing time.
Brinson!!??
The guy with
a 44 OPS+
and 211
strikeouts
in 709
career AB?
That one?
Brinson should be eliminated from that convorsation if we are honest.
Yeah, the one who was a top 100 prospect two years ago. The one who headlined the Yelich trade, yeah that one. The one who should be given one more opportunity at CONSISTENT playing time in the MLB to prove himself. Otherwise sure, cut him, release him, whatever. But he deserves ONE last shot but with consistent everyday playing time.
Yeah that one MLB player named Brinson, I think there’s only one, so I think we are talking about the same dude.
Brinson is a bust. They happen all of the time.
Minor or major league contract?
Totally forgot about him this offseason.
He’s had a 15% walk rate since 2016, and had a 120 OPS+ last season as the Braves’ 4th outfielder. Can’t go wrong with bringing him in on a cheap deal.
i played catch with him once, good luck to him
I mean this with no disrespect but I’m kinda surprised that you guys didn’t make an article about Kobe on here. He was so respected and loved by everybody in every sport, his death has shaken up the baseball world as well. So sad.
There’s literally three entire threads on the Hoops Rumors section. You realize this isn’t a mlb specific media right?
And it’s a tragedy yes, but Kobe was by no stretch of the imagination “loved and respected by everyone in every sport [????]”
Did you really need another article telling you that Kobe died?
Did you think to… idk… check the BASKETBALL section?
No disrespect taken. Needless to say, it’s a stunning, tragic situation and our thoughts and condolences are with the families, friends, and loved ones of everyone involved. Our sister site Pro Hoops Rumors has extensively covered this story, as you might imagine, and I encourage you to check that out if you’re looking for further details.
If I’m being totally honest, I don’t follow basketball super closely, I guess I didn’t realize that there WAS a Hoops Rumors site. Sorry for any problems I may have caused with my comment, some people are quick to get angry and attack me.
No one attacked you, dude.
lol everyone in twitter mad at him for doing his job. didnt know he wasnt allowed to do his job simply because of a death.
DarkSide830 Exactly. It’s a harsh truth but whether people like it or not, the world didn’t stop turning when Kobe died. Life goes on. There are still jobs that have to be done. People still have responsibilities. Don’t want to accept it? Tough, but life doesn’t have a pause button.
Very serviceable player. A lot better than the Granderson signing last year.
Someone on another post called this signing this morning.. I’m impressed. I agreed that I thought it was a good idea. Marlins making themselves a pretty good team down there
They’re certainly making themselves a “better” team, incrementally. Good is a stretch. They’re still a long shot to finish .500. Care for a calzone?
ill take it
We don’t serve your kind here. Your droids, they’ll have to wait outside.
I have known about it for a few days. It wasn’t a guess.
1 year, 1.5M
I’d like to know how you knew…. and You were spot on, on every lvl … I’m pressed. You must be Matt Joyce or his manager lol
Haha, yeah I’ve known the details on this for a while, since the middle of January or so. I have no affiliation to the team and I’m not the player, nor do I work for his agent. Obviously I have a connection here but I’d rather not reveal what it is.
Should be pretty good for the fish in a part time role. Still shows a nack for getting on base
38 comments on a Marlins post already! The Marlins fans have returned! Jeter would be proud…..
Who needs a fanbase when you can’t stop talking about them on this site?
The thought of him signing with Detroit was so depressing it produced anxiety and despair.
Not an everyday starter, but he is a good bench bat.
If the Braves had re-signed Donaldson, I would have liked for them to re-sign Joyce. He did a great job filling in for Nick when he was hurt.
Joyce is a great pick up.
I hate the braves will have to face this guy. Really fun to watch.
MLB deal. 1 year, 1.5 mill
I think the Marlins are still easily the fifth place team in the division and will be competing for a top 5 pick again but it is refreshing to see them pickup so many actual MLB players. Joyce, Kintzler, Aguilar, Villar, Dickerson. They might not be great but at least they’re giving the fans a reason to show up.
seems like a waste of a roster spot for a celler-dweller of im honest. at least guys like Villar and Aguliar have the ability to stick around a bit longer. Joyce is a pure rental who will block Sanchez and Harrison.
Well Sánchez isn’t ready for the bigs and Harrisson is a CF. So if Brinson finally becomes an decent hitter, then yes Harrison is blocked.
If not and Harrison has a great Spring, Harrison should be our opening day CF.
Joyce is a solid bench piece.
They signed Joyce to help bring along the young players on the roster. Having a professional veteran on a young roster is invaluable, regardless of how much actual playing time he gets. He will certainly help the younger kids better understand what they need to do to be successful in MLB. Smart signing for the short money it cost.
Puig?
People in Miami are jumping for Joyce after this signing
The Oakland A’s of the East strike again
the A’s are actually good
This falls into the category of “Well, we have to put SOMEONE out there.” Guess we can expect 100 Ls.
Actually, this is a wasted signing. They already had a bunch of guys competing for a roster spot in the OF I thought this was a minor league deal, but with it being a MLB deal, I guess it’s going to be even tougher to make the roster with Dickerson and Joyce locked into contracts, and Harold Ramirez having all but earned a roster spot based on his rookie performance, what happens with the rest like Lewis Brinson, Magneuris Sierra, Matt Kemp, Jesus Sanchez, and Monte Harrison?
Actually I agree with Dorothy Mantooth above:
“They signed Joyce to help bring along the young players on the roster. Having a professional veteran on a young roster is invaluable, regardless of how much actual playing time he gets. He will certainly help the younger kids better understand what they need to do to be successful in MLB. Smart signing for the short money it cost.”
Who are these younger players he is going to mentor? Most of the Marlins regulars will be 30+.
Exactly, Sandman12! Waste of a signing…
Except that the only Marlin regular over 30 is Miguel Rojas. Everyone else is under 30. Solid point nonetheless…