The Tigers announced that they have claimed left-hander Sean Guenther off waivers from the Marlins. He was on the 60-day injured list and remains there for now. Additionally, the Marlins have outrighted right-hander Paul Campbell and lefty Jake Fishman, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald.
At this time of year, many teams are facing roster crunches with no injured list between the World Series and Spring Training. Players on the 60-day IL, like Guenther, don’t count against a team’s 40-man count but will soon need to retake spots. Furthermore, the deadline for adding players to the roster in order to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft is November 15. Given those pressures, some teams are trying to proactively clear some space in anticipation of those upcoming choke points. It seems that the Marlins placed these three hurlers on waivers in recent days, losing one of them to Detroit.
Guenther, 27 in December, missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. Given the general 12-18 month recovery time for TJS, he’ll miss at least part of the 2023 season as well but could return for a portion of it. He made his MLB debut in 2021 and put up an unfortunate 9.30 ERA in 20 1/3 innings. He was much better in the minors, however, as he tossed 40 1/3 innings with a 3.12 ERA, 34% strikeout rate, 4.4% walk rate and 47.2% ground ball rate.
Those are certainly intriguing numbers, even if he has yet to translate them to the big leagues. It makes sense for the Tigers to be interested, especially since he’s not currently costing them a roster spot. However, as mentioned, the IL will be going away in a few days. Given the large number of injuries suffered by Tigers this year, Roster Resource currently counts 48 guys on the 40-man roster, with that number factoring in free agency departures. It’s possible that Guenther ends up back on waivers again in a few days, alongside several other Tigers. If he were to pass through unclaimed at that point, the Tigers would be able to keep him around as depth without him taking up a roster spot.
Campbell, 27, was drafted by the Rays but went to the Marlins in the 2020 Rule 5 draft. In 2021, he missed time after being given an 80-game PED suspension, with Campbell issuing a statement refuting the results of the test. He eventually returned and finished the season with a 6.41 ERA over 26 2/3 innings. In 2022, he was placed on the IL in April due to an elbow strain and never returned. He can stick around the Marlins’ organization as a depth arm without occupying a roster spot.
Fishman, 28 in February, was on and off the Marlins roster this year. He was selected to the roster on three separate occasions, with the first two both resulting in a DFA after a few days, followed by clearing waivers and being outrighted. He managed to throw 11 MLB innings with a 4.09 ERA, while also tossing 56 frames in Triple-A with a 2.25 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate, 8.5% walk rate and 54.2% ground ball rate. Due to the fact that he’s been previously outrighted in his career, he has the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency, though it’s unclear whether he’s chosen to do so or not.
Stupid move by the Marlins. He may not have high K rates, but he’s a lefty BP piece that limits walks, hits, and HRs. I’d keep him over Castano, and I wouldn’t let go of castano.
Stupid move? Obviously you have no idea who is in the Marlins’ roster as of now. The three of them were obvious choices for being DFA’d, so there is absolutely no surprises here.
Don’t the Marlins still have Louis Head and Tommy Nance on the 40? So you think they are better? You think Castano is better? Guenther should have been after Nance and Head.
Um, I’m not keeping Guenther over Castano.
As for considering this a “stupid move”, I never thought that I’d ever see a post by someone calling it a stupid move when a team lets go of a guy that has a 9.30 ERA with a WHIP of 2.016 over 14 outings and 20.1 innings. And a 27-year old no less!
Yeah, let’s ignore his entire track record prior to those 20 innings. His walks, hits, and whip are great.
He was 25 when he last appeared and has been hurt and is about to turn 27. Your comment reads like he’s over hill.
Whatever, someone else will take him.
Yeah, prior to those 20.1 innings, he never pitched at the MLB level. Heck of a track record.
10 walks, 31 hits in those 20.1 innings.
Whatever, someone else can have him.
You know the minors exist right?
But sure, let’s just write him off as bad because his first cup of coffee didn’t start off perfectly.
OK, @BeansforJesus, for sure you are a fan of another team so let me ask you:
Would you DFA a guy that has been good in minors but wasn’t in his first cup-of-coffee instead of another guy that even though doesn’t have any nasty stuff but has proven himself otherwise useful as a spot starter/Injury replacement?
Here you have Castano stats, just in case: baseball-reference.com/players/c/castada01.shtml
There is a million questions about Guether’s future. You don’t even know if he’s going to be the same after the surgery. Castano gives you 5-10 spots starts a year of 4.00ish ERA with excellent walk rate. I’m sure someone will scoop him if he’s DFA’d, and there is a chance he will. Why?
Even though the Marlins’ roster is at 39 right now, there are still 6 players in the 60-day IL and when the WS finishes, 5 more players will be DFAd or simply let go, as the Fish do not have a single Free Agent this offseason.
Names like Elieser Hernandez, Luke Williams, Devers, Brazoban, Neidert, Brigham, Hoeing, Holloway, Henry and Castano himself currently are in the 40-man roster and 5 of them will have to be out in a week or so.
There will be more “stupid” moves from the Marlins coming in few days, Guenther was anything but stupid.. like I said, it was an obvious move.
So, who does Harris send packing? Full roster as it is and 9, count ’em 9 players on the 60 day IL that will have to be added back soon enough.
They should get rid of Kody Clemens. He’s garbage.
It’s not like Roger will reverse age and pitch for them. It’s like some weird baseball family nepotism.
I think that it’s just that Roger misremembered to give Kody some of his old injectable vitamins.
Clemens, Willi Castro, Zack Short, Candelario, Cameron, Pepierski, Lester, Davis, Palacios, Elvin Rodriguez, B. Garcia, R, Garcia, deJesus, Diaz, Castillo… to start with.
On the bubble Baddoo, Reyes, Alexander, Hill…
Replace those guys with some major league players and the Tigers might be able to compete in the weakest division in professional sports.
Does new POBO Scott Harris just flip a coin when a nobody gets waived? This guy didn’t pitch at all in 2022. He should be a minor league free agent, not a 60-day IL guy that has to be added to the 40-man.
Here’s a bit more context why he didn’t play.
October 3, 2021 Miami Marlins placed LHP Sean Guenther on the 10-day injured list.
October 5, 2021 Miami Marlins activated LHP Sean Guenther from the 10-day injured list.
April 4, 2022 Miami Marlins activated LHP Sean Guenther.
April 4, 2022 Miami Marlins placed LHP Sean Guenther on the 60-day injured list. Left arm strain.
Yeah, I saw that… TJS. Still, for a team with a 40-man roster crunch, the move didn’t make a lot of sense.
But then the full article came out and Darragh opined that the Tigers could place him on waivers and hope he passes through so they can outright him while he rehabs. Viewed under that lens, it isn’t such a bad move. it also tells you why I’m not a GM or POBO.
I don’t know but my initial guess is that he’s still somewhat young, decent numbers in AA , a Lefty and it really doesn’t cost much to take a wavier on him.
Really?!? Guenther got value to me in my book.
His stats say otherwise.
Fishman’s better
Nice last name. I guess the guy wasn’t much of a battler or warrior for the Marlins.
See his numbers. You would be making an understatement.
Check the meaning of his last name and you’ll understand.
Great ! Who needs Chafin ?