A rotation in flux
Straily out for a few days; Alcantara sent down
WEST PALM BEACH — The outlook for the Marlins’ starting rotation was clouded Tuesday when top pitching prospect Sandy Alcantara was sent to the minors and veteran Dan Straily was shut down temporarily.
Straily, scheduled to pitch the second game of the regular season, has mild right forearm inflammation and won’t throw for the next five or six days, Michael Hill, Marlins president of baseball operations, said. It is uncertain whether he will be ready when the season begins.
“We don’t want to speculate at this point,” Hill said. “We just want to be smart with him. He’s a big part of our rotation. We want to make sure that he’s OK.”
Straily led the Marlins with 33 starts last season, going 10-9 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
The right-hander has been their most consistent starter this spring with a 1.29 ERA in four Grapefruit League games.
But he reported stiffness in the forearm after pitching four innings in a minor league game Monday. An MRI revealed the inflammation, Hill said.
Alcantara, the centerpiece of Miami’s offseason trade that sent All-Star outfielder Marcell Ozuna to St. Louis, was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans along with outfielder Braxton Lee and relief pitcher Nick Wittgren.
Nonetheless, the hard-throwing righthander could take his place in the starting rotation soon. Alcantara, 21, has impressed during spring training with velocity that can reach triple digits and overall ability, but
“Honestly, we just felt like he wasn’t quite ready to really, truly compete.” Don Mattingly, Marlins managers, on top prospect Sandy Alcantara
Marlins manager Don Mattingly said more development is needed for him to be ready to succeed in the major leagues.
“Honestly, we just felt like he wasn’t quite ready to really, truly compete,” Mattingly said. “Obviously, his stuff is there. He’s really close, but we felt there were some finishing touches from the standpoint of his mode of attack and his mindset.”
By keeping Alcantara in the minors until sometime in May, the Marlins can also delay his eligibility for salary arbitration and/or free agency by a year. It is a strategy that teams commonly utilize but never acknowledge.
The Atlanta Braves are in a similar situation with top outfield prospect Ronald Acuna, who was sent to Triple-A on Monday. Likewise, the Cubs gained the same advantage when they waited to bring third baseman Kris Bryant to the majors in 2015.
“It was not even part of the conversation for us,” Mattingly said. “There’s been nothing that says anybody has to do down, if they’re ready.”
The Marlins face a similar decision with outfielder Lewis Brinson, their toprated prospect who has batting well over .300 all spring and is making a strong bid for a starting job.
“Obviously he’s had a good camp, he’s showed us different things,” Mattingly said. “He’s made a different statement. So, the service issue hasn’t been part of the conversation.
“We’ll see where that goes.”
The Marlins project Alcantara to become a mainstay in the starting rotation, a potential ace they have lacked since Jose Fernandez died in a boat crash in September 2016.
By the team gaining a year of contractual control, he wouldn’t become eligible for free agency until after the 2024 season.
Alcantara debuted with the Cardinals in September and had a 4.32 ERA in eight appearances, all in relief.
This spring he had a 3.38 ERA in five appearances spanning 16 innings. He struck out 11 and walked six.
His past two outings were rocky as he allowed six runs, including three home runs, in eight innings against the Mets and Cardinals.
“In the last week to 10 days, it became clear for us that there is another step there,” Mattingly said of Alcantara’s development. “I think that’s the thing with not just him but all our guys; we don’t want them just coming up and surviving.
“We truly want our guys ready with the weapons and the mentality that they’re coming here to pitch and they’re coming here to stay. It’s not just showing up and hanging in there.”
Lee, acquired from Tampa Bay in the trade for Adeiny Hechavarria, won the Double-A Southern League batting title in 2017. He will be playing in Triple-A for the first time.
Wittgren has a 3.83 ERA in 86 relief appearances for the Marlins the past two seasons. He has recovered from surgery in September to remove a bone spur and loose bodies from his right elbow and needs work to regain form before rejoining the Marlins’ bullpen.
The Marlins have set only two spots in the pitching rotation, with Jose Urena scheduled to pitch Opening Day against the Cubs on March 29, and now Straily’s status is now questionable.
Right-hander Odrisamer Depaigne appears most likely to claim one of the remaining spots among four candidates currently in camp. Righthander Jacob Turner and lefties Caleb Smith and Justin Nicolino are the others.
Right-hander Elieser Hernandez, a Rule 5 draftee, has impressed but will start the season on the disabled list after missing the past week while recovering from the removal of a wisdom tooth that has left the right side of his face swollen.
Hernandez struck out nine in 10 innings with a 2.70 ERA in spring training. But he hasn't pitched above Class A Advanced. Last season he had a combined 3.68 ERA in 73 1⁄3 innings between two minor league levels.
“We really like Elieser, I’ll tell you that much,” Mattingly said. “He’s thrown the ball well here. He’s been poised. He’s got three pitches. He throws strikes. This guy’s been really good. He’s pretty polished.”