TODAY: Aguilar underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee yesterday, Craig Mish reports (Twitter links). The first baseman’s expected recovery time is roughly two months.
SEPTEMBER 15: Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar has been on the injured list for the past week with inflammation in his left knee, and he’s “highly unlikely” to return to the active roster in 2021, per Craig Mish and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. He’s received multiple opinions on the knee as the team looks to determine how to treat the injury.
It’s been a productive 2021 campaign at the plate for the 31-year-old Aguilar — his second straight season of quality output after being claimed off waivers from the Rays organization in Dec. 2019. Between last year’s truncated schedule and this year’s injury-marred finish, Aguilar has appeared in a bit more than a full season’s worth of games as a Marlin, batting a combined .265/.336/.458 with 30 home runs and 33 doubles in 726 plate appearances.
Given last year’s modest $2.575MM salary and this year’s $4.35MM mark, he’s been a bargain for the Fish. As is always the case with Marlins players entering their final arbitration season, there’s at least some degree of uncertainty regarding Aguilar’s future with the club. His 22 homers and 93 runs batted in this season will help to fuel another boost on that $4.35MM salary in arbitration, and while his forthcoming raise wouldn’t be exorbitant, it could push into the $6-7MM range. For some loose context, Nick Castellanos hit 23 home runs and plated 89 runs heading into his final arbitration raise and got bumped from $6.05MM to $9.95MM — a 64.4 percent raise. A raise of similar magnitude would push Aguilar just north of $7MM, but it’s worth pointing out that Castellanos had better rate stats, more games and more plate appearances in his platform season.
Prospect Lewin Diaz has been getting a look in Aguilar’s absence, and his performance could also inform Miami’s eventual decision. While Diaz had a dreadful run earlier this season with the Marlins, he swatted two homers last night and has batted .280/.280/.680 in a tiny sample of 25 plate appearances since being plugged into the everyday lineup. The 24-year-old Diaz isn’t necessarily an elite prospect, but he’s posted a .248/.327/.518 batting line with 20 homers in 74 games and 314 plate appearances with Triple-A Jacksonville this season.
The advent of the universal designated hitter, if it indeed comes to fruition as many expect this winter, could make it easier for the Marlins to retain Aguilar. That’d allow both first basemen to receive regular looks in the lineup, giving Diaz a potentially extended runway to prove himself as a big leaguer without sacrificing the production provided by the steady veteran Aguilar.
The Marlins have all but said they’ll exercise their $5.5MM option on shortstop Miguel Rojas at season’s end, and the only other commitments on their 2022 books are the $3MM they owe to the Yankees as part of the Giancarlo Stanton trade and Anthony Bass’ $3MM salary. They’ll have some other raises to consider, most notably Brian Anderson (arb-eligible for a raise on his $3.8MM salary) and first-time arb players like Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez and Elieser Hernandez.
Mish reported near the trade deadline that the Marlins had interest in signing Aguilar to an extension, but only through the 2023 season (Twitter link). Perhaps that’d intrigue Aguilar more now, given the recent injury and the broader manner in which the market has come to devalue defensively limited first basemen on the wrong side of 30. On the other hand, Aguilar is only a year from the open market and could theoretically benefit from the potential addition of a DH in the National League, so delaying free agency for just one guaranteed year (at what would presumably be a club-friendly rate) may not hold much appeal. Of course, the eventual diagnosis and prescribed treatment will be critical for both the player and the team as pertains to Agular’s future in Miami.
He should leave that team. If he wants to win
So should Jacob deGrom and Javy Baez. The Marlins are closer to being a playoff contender than the Mets.
Baez and Lindor need to be separated. They are a bad influence on the team. Maybe the Cubs will bring him back. On the other hand, Dusty Baker would straighten him out, they don’t keep Correa.
If they don’t keep Correa. Mets are big losers if they hang on to Baez.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
‘The Marlins are closer to being a playoff contender than the Mets.’
As a Mets fan, I’m all for bashing them when they deserve it, which is often. But this is lunacy. The Marlins are once again in the basement of the division and have yet to show they have any dedication whatsoever to keeping anyone good on their roster.
We’ve been hearing the same dumb song and dance about the Marlins being close to contending for the last fifteen years and it never happens. Every year they’re near the bottom of the division and people are salivating over their young talent and potential. Then they cry poor and trade everyone away and finish at the bottom again.
I get the Mets hate, really. I do. But they have enough talent and an owner willing to blow enough money to at least be around .500, which is often a pipe dream for the Marlins. The Marlins are going to have around 65 wins this year. Give me a break.
@rct
Sorry, but some of your statements clearly show that you don’t pay attention to teams other than your own.
For the last rebuild that the Marlins had that was building up and then ended with the last fire sale, the Marlins were contending and were about to face your Mets in battling for a playoff spot back in 2016. However, in case you missed it even though it was your Mets that we were going to face, we had the tragedy of losing our ace pitcher. Some guy guy named Jose Fernandez. You may have heard of him and that incident because it seemed to be all over the news worldwide. Anyhow, after that death, the Marlins realistically had no chance of building a champion with that team because they were not going to be able to build enough of a pitching staff to support that hitting…and attempting to would’ve have brought our payroll to about $250 million if we kept the hitters. And it very likely would’ve meant only signing Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta to ridiculous contracts that would have burned us. That was why this last fire sale.
Also, Jeter and Co are in their 4th year of ownership. Since taking over, they have cleaned the bad contracts left by Loria, built up the farm season, made the playoffs in a year of unprecedented challenges (in which the Mets also competed in and finished in last), have the organization headed in the right direction with a stable of talent that has been showing it at the MLB level (in case you still haven’t noticed within your own team’s division). And it’s funny how you are holding the franchise with it’s fairly new ownership responsible for the past disaster of an owner, but are one of the Mets fans that want people to not hold Cohen responsible for things from the previous Mets ownership. Something hypocritical in that.
As for where the Marlins are this year, you’re saying 65 wins? Take a look at the win totals and count how many games left. Even with a disappointing year, it would take a lousy finish for that to happen. Oh yeah, and even with our tough season, we’ve been testing our guys out since the trade deadline while your team has been trying to make the playoffs. Despite that, the Marlins are currently 9.5 back of your great Mets. Such a huge difference…especially when we’ve been up and down lately, while your team has been down. I’ll be curious to see the difference at the end of the season between your peaked, window-closing team and our rising team.
The Marlins are getting significantly closer to being a contender.
A reasonable Mets fan
The last time I checked, MetsFan22. The Marlins have won 2 more playoff games in the past year than the Mets have in the past 5 years.
wow 2 whole game. Bet all 10 Marlin fans enjoyed that.
Seriously..you’re going there? Let’s see. NYC has about 8 million. Miami has about 500,000. The Mets draw about 20k a game. The Marlins just under 13k. By those numbers the Mets should have an attendance 16 times higher than the Marlins. They don’t even have double. No….I’m not a Marlins fan but I am sick of the big market BS you spew. Btw….check the Marlins payroll vs the Marlins. Case closed.
“ Btw…check the Marlins payroll vs the Marlins.”
I think they are the same.
Oops.. typo. Point understood though.
always not sure where you get the 20k fans per game. According to baseball reference, since 2000 they have averaged more than 30k.
Why go back over 20 years to prove a point? These are current and relative numbers.
It’s like some Mets fans pretend like the attendance they had in 1979 and 1981 never existed.
In that case, scratch the Mets as a possible destination for him
Next you’ll tell us he should go to the mets if he wants to win. Haha you are a joke.
The Mets have looked like clumsy idiots the last two night with their four errors. It’s been pretty great. That bullpen of theirs is like a dumpster fire too!! I love it.
So how many games under 500 are the sticky Marlins. Just because they made a 60 game season playoffs mean thing.
When is the last time the Mets made the playoffs?
2015 when they lost in the WS. Pinstries17, do I smell a Stankee fan. but I can’t hear the whistling.
The Marlins have won two world series since the Mets have won one. Don’t even get started on the big brother Yankees, who have won 6 since the Mets have won one. The LolMets will forever be a joke. Keep reaching!
When is the last time the Mets won a playoff game?
THe question is whether the Marlins want to win. They need to build on what they have, and sometimes it means paying a fair amount for a player. No team wins by staying in rebuild mode.
Have you looked on top the AL East?
Diaz did get a $1.4 M bonus, but the Twins paid that. That is the equivalent of early round money. But yeah, the MLB stats are not impressive.
So the second coming of Jesus will have to wait until at least 2023.
93 RBI? It’s because of all the quality players in that lineup, right? Imagine if he were in the yankee lineup, surrounded by major league hitters… hed have 200 rbi.
If and when the NL implements the DH, Lewin Diaz will slot in at first while Garrett Cooper takes over at DH. Aguilar will probably get traded for bullpen depth
Still holding out hope that the NL will never adopt the DH…
I was a staunch no DH believer, but after exclusively watching DH ball this year, I really do like the DH.
Diaz at 1B. Aguilar DH, Sanchez and De La Cruz in the corner OF (and figure out CF) and Cooper filling in at 1B/RF/LF/DH
I hope they trade him to the highest bidder!
Wouldn’t be surprised if the Marlins had the best rotation in baseball next season. Trevor Rogers, Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Eliser Hernandez, and Zach Thompson is a pretty good starting 5 already. You could almost make 2 really good rotations out of the Marlins starting pitchers. Sixto Sanchez, Zach Thompson, Edward Cabrera, Max Meyer, and Jesus Luzardo are also on hand.
Thompson will be the swing man and I suspect Hernandez will be moved for an outfielder. That would give two out of Sixto, Cabrera and Luzardo a shot at the last two rotation spots.
Even then, that’s still a very good group of players.
One of the “members only” articles or whatever addressed that exact same notion, @mlb1225.
Jeter, Ng, Denbo definitely have something going on down in Miami. They seem to have the makings of a good front office. Ng & Denbo (in particular) were excellent for the Yanks. & I know better than to bet against Jeter. Ever.
There is a *lot* of offseason to go until opening day of ’22. So I have no idea which squad will be better. But it would not surprise me if Miami was – indeed – better than the mets.
If the Marlins pitching pitches anything like they’re expected to, their offense doesn’t need to be the best in the league. Small sample sizes but Bryan De La Cruz and Jesus Sanchez look very promising. Garrett Cooper will return next year and he’s been a very solid bat for them. If the DH comes back, Aguilar can be used there. They need to go after a catcher and another outfielder. I’d love to see them just go all out and sign one of the big bats like Nick Castellanos or Marcus Semien, maybe even Kyle Schwarber (much more plausable IMO) though I don’t know about the possibility of any of that happening.
Absolutely.
I’m far from calling Marlins > mets or whatever. But it is certainly feasible/possible. I could see last year that Jeter was getting them over the hump.
Of all the divisional “patsies” Miami is hands down the best & closest to competing.
I see @MetsFan22 is making one of his statements. Thank you! We love your predictions and statements.
It’s going to be an interesting offseason for the Marlins.
As for Aguilar, it’s not ideal, but we can live with him sitting out the rest of the year. We get a chance to see if Lewin Diaz is ready to take over at 1B. If he does, then it can move Aguilar to DH when it comes next year. Along with Jesus Sanchez, Brian de la Cruz, Jazz Chisholm, a healthy Brian Anderson, and Miggy Rojas, we are just a bat or two away from having enough offense to support the SPs. And we will be some bullpen pieces away from contending for the playoffs.
Go Angels!!
We’ll see Aguilar DH-ing next year for the Marlins. His veteran bat is good and Lewin Diaz has all but secured the 1B job both with his defense and his moderately improving bat with the HR threat.