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Marlins Designate Kaleb Ort For Assignment

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The Marlins have designated right-hander Kaleb Ort for assignment, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. This move opens a spot for the Marlins to claim Declan Cronin off waivers from the Astros, a move that was reported earlier.

Ort, 32, spent the past few seasons with the Red Sox but has been on the roster carousel of late. Since the most recent season ended, he’s been claimed off waivers by the Mariners and Marlins and has now lost his roster spot yet again. The Fish claimed him in early December and he lasted just over two months on their roster before getting bumped off.

The righty has some big velocity, averaging around 96 miles per hour on his fastball. That’s led to Ort racking up strikeouts in the minors, but also with his fair share of walks. In the majors, both of those tallies have been a bit tempered. Over the past three seasons, he’s tossed 97 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level while allowing 2.76 earned runs per nine, striking out 31.1% of batters faced while walking 10.9%. In that same stretch of time, he threw 51 2/3 innings in the majors with a 6.27 ERA, 20.9% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate.

Though he hasn’t quite punched out big league hitters at the same rate, the minor league numbers appear to be drawing the interest of various clubs. Ort still has one option year remaining and doesn’t need an active roster spot, which adds to the appeal. A club could keep him stashed in the minors and call him up as needed throughout the season.

Despite that appeal, the Marlins decided that Cronin was a better fit for their roster and nudged Ort off. They will now have a week to trade Ort or pass him through waivers. Based on the multiple claims this offseason, he may wind up with a new club shortly. If he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he lacks the previous career outright or three years of MLB service necessary to elect free agency, meaning he would stick with the Marlins as non-roster depth.

Marlins Claim Declan Cronin

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The Marlins have claimed right-hander Declan Cronin off waivers from the Astros, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC-2 in Houston. He was designated for assignment last week. Miami hasn’t formally announced the claim and will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster to make the move official.

Cronin, 26, made his big league debut with the White Sox in 2023, yielding 11 runs in 11 innings. He’s a sinker-slider righty who averaged just under 94 mph on the former of those two offerings and posted big ground-ball rates both in the upper minors and in his limited MLB time. Cronin logged a 3.83 ERA in 51 2/3 Triple-A frames this past season, striking out 18.7% of his opponents against an 8.9% walk rate while sporting a 54.5% grounder rate.

While Cronin’s cup of coffee in the big leagues doesn’t stand out, his combination of lofty ground-ball rates and plus spin on his slider has piqued the interest of a few teams now. The ChiSox selected him to the roster this past summer, the Astros claimed him off waivers early last month, and the Marlins have now placed their own claim. Since the former 36th-round pick was just selected to a 40-man roster for the first time last summer, he still has multiple minor league option years remaining and, if he can establish himself as a viable MLB bullpen piece, is controllable for at least six more seasons.

Marlins Acquire Jonah Bride, Designate Jordan Groshans

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The Marlins announced the acquisition of infielder Jonah Bride from the A’s in exchange for cash. Miami designated fellow infielder Jordan Groshans for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot. Oakland had DFA Bride when they traded for Ross Stripling last week.

Bride, 28, has been with the A’s since they selected him in the 23rd round of the 2018 draft. The right-handed hitter has never been a highly-regarded prospect but has generally hit well in the minors. He owns a .288/.400/.459 line over the course of his minor league career. That includes a .322/.450/.553 slash over 401 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.

While Oakland’s affiliate plays in one of the sport’s most hitter-friendly settings in Las Vegas, Bride’s production has been built around his strong strike zone awareness. He has walked in 17.2% of his Triple-A plate appearances while striking out at a modest 15.2% clip. That earned him looks at the major league level in each of the last two seasons, where he hasn’t found anywhere near the same level of success.

Bride is a .192/.296/.232 hitter over 98 MLB contests. He has walked at a strong 10.2% rate against a lower than average 18.2% strikeout percentage. He hasn’t done any kind of damage on contact, however. Bride has one homer and seven doubles in 293 plate appearances.

Primarily a third baseman, Bride also has experience at first and second base. He briefly dabbled with catching in the minors in 2022 but played exclusively on the infield last year. Bride has never played shortstop, so he won’t offer any cover at that position of need for Miami. He offers depth at any of the other infield spots and still has a minor league option remaining, so the Fish can send him to Triple-A Jacksonville next season without placing him on waivers.

The acquisition bumps Groshans off the roster, a disappointing development for the former first-round draftee. Selected by the Blue Jays, he was dealt to Miami at the 2022 deadline for relievers Anthony Bass and Zach Pop. Groshans made a brief MLB debut later that season, appearing in 17 games. He hit .262/.308/.311 in 65 trips to the plate.

Miami kept Groshans in Triple-A on optional assignment for all of last season. He had a lackluster .243/.339/.330 slash with six homers in 528 plate appearances. As with Bride, Groshans posted solid walk (12.5%) and strikeout (17.4%) numbers but made minimal power impact. First-year president of baseball operations Peter Bendix evidently feels Bride has a better chance of translating that approach into some amount of big league success. The Marlins have a week to trade the 24-year-old Groshans or try to run him through waivers.

Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase first reported the Marlins were acquiring Bride. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Marlins Have Shown Interest In Gio Urshela

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The Marlins are among the teams to express interest in free agent infielder Gio Urshela, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Both the Yankees and Mets were reported to have interest as well earlier in the offseason. Miami is known to be exploring the free agent market for infield help, with other reported targets including Tim Anderson, Amed Rosario, Nick Ahmed and Adalberto Mondesi.

Unlike that quarter, the 32-year-old Urshela offers only minimal experience at shortstop — the likeliest place on the diamond if he signs in Miami. The Marlins have Jake Burger and Josh Bell lined up at the infield corners, with Luis Arraez penciled in at second base. The Fish could potentially utilize Burger at designated hitter more often (or move him to first base with Bell taking DH reps) in order to free up some time at the hot corner for Urshela, but finding help at shortstop has been a priority for Miami this winter.

Urshela has played some shortstop in his career, including 71 innings with the Angels this past season. He’s logged a total of 359 frames at the position overall (plus another 276 in the minors) but has been primarily a third baseman — a position at which he’s logged more than 12,000 innings between the big leagues and the minors.

While there might be some questions about Urshela’s fit as a primary shortstop, there’s little doubt in his ability to hit. Dating back to a 2019 breakout with the Yankees, Urshela carries a .291/.335/.452 batting line in 1871 trips to the plate. He’s struck out at an 18.9% clip overall in that time but improved his bat-to-ball skills over the past two seasons between Anaheim and Minnesota; since Opening Day 2022 he’s fanned in just 16.9% of his plate appearances.

Solid as his career has been since becoming a big league regular, Urshela is also something of a rebound candidate. His power output with the Angels was curiously low to begin the 2023 season, with just two home runs and a paltry .075 ISO (slugging minus batting average) through mid-June. He never got much of a chance to rebound after suffering a pelvic fracture on June 15 of last season. Urshela didn’t require surgery but was on crutches in the aftermath of the injury and wound up missing the remainder of the season as it healed.

The Marlins are the only team in MLB that hasn’t signed a free agent to a major league contract this offseason. Urshela, presumably, would change that. Despite his status as a veteran looking to bounce back from a notable (and uncommon) injury, his track record is strong enough that he ought to command a big league deal, if not a two-year pact. The Marlins currently project for a $97MM payroll, per Roster Resource, which is about $13MM shy of where they wrapped up the 2023 season.

A more precise payroll figure will come into clearer focus once the club resolves arbitration scenarios with its two most expensive candidates. Both Arraez and closer Tanner Scott exchanged arb figures with the team after failing to come to terms on an agreement last month. Arraez submitted a $12MM request against the team’s $10.6MM filing, while Scott’s camp is seeking a $5.7MM salary against the Marlins’ $5.15MM submission.

Marlins Sign Matt Andriese To Minor League Contract

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The Marlins announced their group of non-roster invitees to Spring Training. Among the external pickups in camp: right-hander Matt Andriese and catcher Jhonny Pereda. Fish on First reported that Andriese was signing with Miami in early December, but the move eluded MLBTR at the time.

Andriese, 34, has pitched in parts of seven big league seasons. The bulk of that time came with the Rays, where he logged 99 appearances between 2014-18. His time in Tampa Bay partially overlapped with that of former GM Peter Bendix, now the president of baseball operations in Miami. Andriese has bounced around since leaving Tampa Bay, logging shorter MLB stints with the D-Backs, Angels, Red Sox and Mariners.

After being outrighted by Seattle at the end of the 2021 campaign, he signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. Andriese only made five appearances at Japan’s top level. He returned to the affiliated ranks last offseason on a minor league contract with the Dodgers. Andriese started 19 of 21 appearances for L.A.’s Triple-A affiliate. He struggled with the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League setting, allowing a 6.05 ERA through 93 2/3 innings. Andriese fanned a modest 18.6% of batters faced in the minors, although he showed strong control with a walk rate narrowly south of 6%.

That’s the general profile the UC-Riverside product has shown throughout his time in the big leagues. He owns a 4.63 ERA in a little more than 500 major league innings. He doesn’t have overwhelming velocity or swing-and-miss stuff but he’s generally around the strike zone. He can serve as rotation depth or in a long relief role at Triple-A Jacksonville if he doesn’t break camp.

Pereda, 28 in April, is an 11-year minor league veteran. Originally a Cubs signee, the Venezuela native was traded to the Red Sox in 2020. He has since spent time with the Giants and Reds, playing last season with Cincinnati’s Triple-A affiliate. Pereda had an impressive .325/.405/.468 batting line in 67 games with the Reds’ top farm team a year ago. He’ll look to reach the majors for the first time in Miami, where the Fish only have Christian Bethancourt and Nick Fortes as catchers on the 40-man roster.

Latest On Marlins’ Shortstop Pursuits

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The Marlins are known to be looking for shortstop help and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic relays today that they are considering names such as Tim Anderson, Amed Rosario, Nick Ahmed and Adalberto Mondesí. Their interest in Mondesí was reported last week but the other three are new connections for the Fish.

That the club is looking for shortstop help is perfectly logical, as their internal options are not great. Joey Wendle got most of the playing time there last year, but he reached free agency and signed with the Mets this offseason. They still have Jon Berti, but he’s now 34 years old and best suited to a utility role. Jacob Amaya is a glove-first guy who still has an option and can be kept in the minors for regular at-bats. Xavier Edwards only played four games at short in the minors last year, spending far more time at second, third and center field. Like Amaya, he’s also optionable. Vidal Bruján has always hit well in the minors but just .157/.218/.221 in the majors. He’s out of options but probably shouldn’t be the club’s Plan A at such an important position.

But now we’re just about a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training with the position still looking like an area of the roster that obviously needs work. Part of that seems to be due to new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix taking his time in getting to know the organization. The club still hasn’t signed a free agent to a major league deal this winter, regardless of position, with their offseason work limited to a few small trades and minor league deals.

The lack of activity might also be attributed to the weak free agent class at the position. While past winters have featured superstar free agents like Corey Seager, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and others, the top names for the current offseason were those mentioned at the top of this post.

Anderson and Rosario are both coming off down years, with their respective markets surely impacted. Anderson hit just .245/.286/.296 on the year for a wRC+ of 60, the worst such mark of any qualified hitter last year. Rosario’s .263/.305/.378 line wasn’t quite as bad, 88 wRC+, but still well below league average. Both of them also saw their defensive metrics slide a bit, with Rosario largely kept at second base by the Dodgers after a deadline trade. Anderson, meanwhile, expressed a willingness to move across the bag if that’s necessary for his next club.

Both players could point to better results in previous seasons. Anderson hit .318/.347/.473 from 2019 to 2022 for a wRC+ of 123, with better defensive marks as well. Rosario’s slash for that same four-year period was .282/.315/.412, translating to a wRC+ of 101. If the Marlins were looking for reasons to expect a bounceback, perhaps Anderson’s knee injury could give them some hope. He went on the injured list in the second week of April due to a left knee sprain and perhaps was never himself, despite returning from the IL after only about three weeks. Last year’s 27.2 mph sprint speed was a big drop from 2022’s 28.3 mph, moving him from the 77th to the 45th percentile in the league. Rosario wouldn’t have any excuse like that, not going on the IL all year, but he did deal with some back soreness and knee soreness during the season and his offensive drop wasn’t nearly as steep.

Ahmed would be a different type of pursuit as he’s an excellent defender but has never really been a threat at the plate. He has 80 Defensive Runs Saved and 111 Outs Above Average in his career, but he’s hit just .234/.288/.376 for a wRC+ of 73. That was already subpar offensive production but his work at the plate slipped even farther in 2023, as he hit .212/.257/.303 and was released by the Diamondbacks in September.

If the Marlins decide that any of these players are worth a flier, they should be able to get something done. None of them should be able to command a massive deal, given their weak platform seasons. The fact that they remain unsigned this close to Spring Training probably doesn’t give them much leverage either. The club’s quiet offseason has left them with a projected payroll of $97MM, per Roster Resource, a decent drop from last year’s $110MM figure.

Rosario reportedly received interest from the Red Sox and Blue Jays this winter, though that was before the Sox added Vaughn Grissom and the Jays added Justin Turner. Anderson has been connected to the Angels while Ahmed’s market has been fairly quiet since his release.

Dodgers “Looked Into” Trades For Shane Bieber, Jesus Luzardo

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While the highlight of the Dodgers’ offseason is of course the signing of superstar Shohei Ohtani, the club has worked hard to overhaul its starting rotation after the unit struggled to a collective 4.57 ERA last year, a figure that ranked 20th among major league clubs. They’ve been very successful in that regard, signing NPB star Yoshinobu Yamamoto while dealing for and extending right-hander Tyler Glasnow. The club appears to have recently rounded out its rotation mix (give or take a possible reunion with long-time franchise face Clayton Kershaw) with the addition of  veteran southpaw James Paxton, though MLB.com’s Juan Toribio recently reported that the club recently looked into making a bigger splash even after adding Yamamoto and Glasnow.

Per Toribio, the club “looked into” trades for Corbin Burnes, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, and Jesus Luzardo in the aftermath of the club adding Yamamoto and Glasnow back in December. Since then, Burnes has been dealt to the Orioles while Cease appears increasingly unlikely to move before Opening Day after being frequently connected to the Dodgers earlier in the offseason. Bieber and Luzardo, on the other hand, had not yet been publicly connected to the Dodgers this winter. It’s unclear if the Dodgers retain interest in either hurler with Paxton now on board, but either would certainly be an intriguing addition for the league’s most aggressive club this winter.

Bieber, 28, is coming off a down season relative to his own lofty standards as he posted a 3.80 ERA and 3.87 FIP while being limited to just 21 starts by a bout of elbow inflammation. Still, the two-time All Star and 2020 AL Cy Young award winner has been among the best pitchers in the league over the past half decade, with a 3.07 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 114 appearances dating back to the 2019 season and would figure to improve virtually any rotation if traded for, including that of the Dodgers. Bieber has also indicated a willingness to negotiate an extension with his new club in the event that he’s traded, meaning its feasible that a trade could net the Dodgers a longer-term asset than Bieber’s one year of team control would otherwise imply.

While the Guardians figure to attempt to remain competitive in a weak AL Central division this year, they’ve shown a propensity for dealing star players elsewhere before they reach free agency as demonstrated by deals shipping out players such as Corey Kluber and Francisco Lindor. What’s more, The Athletic’s Zack Meisel reported back in December that the Guardians are unlikely to increase payroll above last year’s levels in 2024, leaving them with little room to upgrade their flawed positional mix without shedding salary or trading an asset. A Bieber deal would allow the club to accomplish both of those goals, potential adding a hitter as part of the return for the right-hander while also freeing up $13.125MM in the club’s budget for other additions.

Luzardo, 26, struggled early in his career as a member of the A’s but has flourished in the years since he was acquired by Miami. In the past two years, Luzardo has made 50 starts to the tune of a 3.52 ERA with a 3.40 FIP. The 26-year-old southpaw has struck out an impressive 28.7% of batters faced during that time while walking 7.9%, establishing himself as the #2 starter in Miami behind ace Sandy Alcantara. With Alcantara expected to miss the 2024 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, however, Luzardo is currently penciled in as the staff ace ahead of the likes of Eury Perez, Braxton Garrett, and Edward Cabrera. Important as Luzardo may be to Miami’s rotation entering 2024, the club is nonetheless reportedly open to dealing him or another piece from the rotation, with only Perez reportedly untouchable in trade talks. Luzardo is under team control through the 2026 season.

While the addition of either Luzardo or Bieber would certainly bolster an already impressive Dodgers rotation, their recent addition of Paxton along with the uncertainty surrounding Kershaw’s future with the club leaves how an additional starter would fit into L.A.’s rotation puzzle questionable. On paper, the club’s rotation appears to be full as things stand with Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Paxton joining Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller. Talented as that group of five is, however, there’s plenty of questions surrounding that group’s durability. Glasnow and Paxton both have lengthy injury histories, Yamamoto has spent his career to this point pitching just once a week overseas, and Miller’s 138 2/3 innings of work last year between the majors and minors was a career high. Meanwhile, Buehler is coming off more than a season lost due to Tommy John surgery and even Kershaw, if brought back into the fold, isn’t expected to pitch until August as he rehabs from shoulder surgery.

While youngsters like Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone could certainly contribute meaningful innings to help the Dodgers overcome the lack of certainty in their rotation mix, the addition of a surefire starting arm such as Bieber or Luzardo could help solidify the club’s overall rotation mix headed into the season. While all evidence points to the club planning on a five-man rotation this season, it’s possible the Dodgers could be more amenable to the idea of using a sixth starter throughout the season given the fact that they’ll be forced to implement a six-man staff when Ohtani returns to the mound next year.

The Dodgers are far from the only club that may be interested in the services of Luzardo or Bieber, of course; the Yankees expressed interest in both arms last month. Earlier in the offseason, the Marlins and Royals reportedly discussed a deal involving Luzardo and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, while Bieber reportedly drew interest from teams such as the Cubs and Reds.

Marlins Hire Sam Mondry-Cohen As Player Personnel VP

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  • The Marlins have hired Sam Mondry-Cohen as the team’s new VP of player personnel, according to the Miami Herald’s Craig Mish (X link).  Mondry-Cohen is best known for his long stint in the Nationals organization, as he rose from an internship in 2009 to an assistant general manager role at the time of his departure at the end of the 2021 season.  Acting as the club’s director of research and development, Mondry-Cohen is credited with more or less building Washington’s analytics division from scratch, with the 2019 World Series title acting as the crown jewel of an overall very successful decade for the organization.  Mondry-Cohen consulted for the Phillies in 2022, worked in the White Sox baseball operations department last season, and he’ll now take on an important new set of responsibilities under new Miami president of baseball ops Peter Bendix.

Marlins Win Arbitration Case Against Jazz Chisholm Jr.

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The Marlins and outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. went to an arbitration hearing with the arbiters siding with the club, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The outfielder will make a salary of $2.625MM this year instead of the $2.9MM that he and his representatives were seeking.

It’s an unwelcome birthday present for Chisholm, who turns 26 years old today. He’s now played parts of four big league seasons, showcasing incredible talent but also having trouble staying on the field. He’s appeared in 302 games, hitting 53 home runs and slashing .245/.304/.452 for a wRC+ of 103. He’s also stolen 59 bases in 77 tries. His defense has been a mixed bag as he has been moved around the diamond to suit the club’s roster needs.

But health has been an ongoing issue, particularly in the past two years. A stress fracture in his back limited him to just 60 contests in 2022, while a turf toe injury to his right foot and then a left oblique strain capped him at 97 games last year.

Despite that missed time, MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a salary of $2.8MM this year, his first time qualifying for arbitration. He and the club couldn’t come to an agreement, with each filing a proposed figure just barely on each side of the projection. Arbiters can’t choose a middle ground figure and must choose one or the other, opting for the club’s number in this case.

The decision won’t have a huge impact on the Marlins in 2024, given the narrow gap between the two numbers. But it could lead to some modest savings in the next two years since Chisholm’s future arbitration raises will be calculated from a lower starting point. For Chisholm, that will give him a bit less earning power as he approaches free agency.

The Marlins still have two players with undetermined salaries for this year. Infielder Luis Arráez filed at $12MM with the Marlins at $10.6MM, while reliever Tanner Scott requested a $5.7MM salary as the team filed at $5.15MM.

Marlins Have Interest In Adalberto Mondesi

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The Marlins are known to be exploring the market for infield help, with a specific eye on shortstop options. Free agent Adalberto Mondesi is among the names they’ve considered, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Few can question the raw talent of the now-28-year-old Mondesi, who was touted as one of the game’s top prospects prior to debuting with the Royals and has at multiple points in his career flashed star potential. In just 75 games during the 2018 season, for instance, Mondesi cracked 14 home runs and swiped 32 bases, showing off a rare power/speed combo that could lead to some historic counting stats over the course of a full season.

Of course, as most fans know by now, that “full season” caveat is an immensely important one for Mondesi. Perhaps the game’s most oft-injured talent, Mondesi has never appeared in more than 102 games in a season and has never reached even 450 MLB plate appearances in a given year. He tallied a career-high 433 plate appearances in 2019 but has since appeared in just 109 games and taken 423 turns at the plate in four years combined.

Mondesi spent the 2023 season with the Red Sox after coming over from Kansas City in a trade that sent lefty reliever Josh Taylor to the Royals. He was recovering from a torn ACL that wiped out nearly all of his 2022 campaign in K.C., but myriad setbacks and a lack of progress in his recovery led to Mondesi missing the entire 2023 season as well. In addition to what’s now pushing a two-year absence due to that ACL tear, he’s suffered a pair of shoulder subluxations, the second of which required surgery in 2019. Mondesi has also had IL stints owing to oblique, back, groin and hamstring injuries throughout his career.

Although he has a full six years of MLB service time, Mondesi has appeared in just 358 Major League games. That speaks to the staggering volume of time he’s spent on the injured list with that litany of health troubles over the years. But in just 1336 career plate appearances, he’s also managed 38 homers and an eye-popping 133 steals. Mondesi rarely walks (career 4.4%) and strikes out too often (30.2%), but his blend of power, speed and defense (career 23 Outs Above Average, per Statcast) are tantalizing, particularly given the fact that his prolific injury history should lead to an affordable deal.

The Marlins are the only team in baseball right now that hasn’t signed at least one free agent to a major league contract. The Fish also haven’t made many trades of note. Miami added catcher Christian Bethancourt in a cash deal with the Guardians, and they’ve acquired former top prospect Vidal Brujan and righty Calvin Faucher in a trade with the Rays. Newly hired president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has been open about his desire to beef up the team’s catching and infield depth, but so far the biggest acquisition has been buying low on Brujan.

The Marlins currently project for a payroll around $97MM, which is $13MM or so shy of their end-of-season mark in 2023. As it currently stands, their top shortstop options include Brujan, fellow prospects Xavier Edwards and Jacob Amaya, and veteran utilityman Jon Berti. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is no stranger to shortstop, but it sounds as though the current plan is to keep him in center field for another season (and moving him would only create a similar hole in center anyhow).

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