Bullpen gets big overhaul due to the virus outbreak
BALTIMORE
Improving the bullpen was a priority for the Marlins this season. A blend of veterans acquired in the offseason, a few top prospects and some rare holdovers from last season combined to form the Marlins’ dozen relievers on the Opening Day roster.
The team’s COVID-19 outbreak has caused them to essentially start from scratch once again. Closer
Brandon Kintzler said in a video posted that eight of the team’s 18 positive tests came from the bullpen. Kintzler has tested negative.
Of the 13 players placed on the injured list on Tuesday night, eight are relievers: Yimi Garcia, Ryne Stanek, Nick Neidert, Jordan Holloway, Robert Dugger, Jeff Brigham, Adam Conley and Alex Vesia. The others placed on the injured list: starting pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Caleb Smith; shortstop
Miguel Rojas; utilityman
Sean Rodriguez; and catcher Chad Wallach.
Eighteen Marlins players have tested positive for COVID-19. Four of those 18 — position players Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper, Harold Ramirez and pitcher Jose Ureña — were previously placed on the injured list. The 18th Marlins player who tested positive was a pitcher on the taxi squad, according to a source.
Bringing in a new wave of relievers became one of the top priorities for Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill in filling out roster spots.
First up are three players from within the team’s 60-man player pool in Jorge Guzman, Josh A. Smith and Nick Vincent.
The Marlins claimed four more on waivers in Justin Shafer, Josh D. Smith, Mike Morin and Colin Moran. They traded for yet another two in James Hoyt
and Richard Bleier.
The new influx of players provides a challenge for manager Don Mattingly,
who now must once again start figuring out how each new piece fits.
“Obviously, it changes things quickly with lots of issues out there,” Mattingly said. “You’d love to be able to tell every guy exactly when they’re going to pitch and how you’re going to do it. That just changes.”
PROSPECT TALK
Among the team’s top prospects, only outfielder Monty Harrison (No. 9, according to MLB Pipeline) and Guzman (No. 19) were promoted.
Asked the rationale behind not promoting more of the team’s top prospects who are available, Hill said: “We look at where each of those players are. We have built a very deep system, one of the top in baseball. When you look at a 60-man player pool, each is at different levels of development.
“Some haven’t played above Double A baseball yet. … We are not going to put a player in the big leagues who’s not ready to be in the big leagues.”
Top prospects promoted now would get closer to being eligible for arbitration or free agency, and that’s believed to be part of the
Marlins’ thinking. But Hill did not reference that.
Among players working out in Jupiter, Miami bypassed promoting first baseman Lewin Diaz,
shortstop Jazz Chisholm,
outfielders Jesus Sanchez or JJ Bleday, or pitchers Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rodgers, Sixto Sanchez
and Edward Cabrera.
Another problem that could arise: Challenges with their 40-man roster. Players who don’t yet need to be put on the 40-man (Bleday, Garrett and Rogers, for example) would need to stay on the 40 if promoted to the big-league team.
In the case of the Marlins’ top two pitching prospects (Sanchez and Cabrera), there are other issues. Cabrera has not thrown off a mound for more than a week because of an arm issue that has not been portrayed as serious.
“Sixto, we’ve been incredibly cautious with him and his workload,” Hill said. “He did not appear in any major-league games in spring training 1.0. … We’re hopeful we can build him up and he can be an option for us at some point this season.”
Mattingly said Guzman will pitch out of the bullpen or in an opener role.
“He’s going to get an opportunity to pitch,” Mattingly said.
ROTATION ADJUSTMENTS
The Marlins have temporarily lost the services of three starting pitchers — Alcantara, and Caleb Smith. That has left them with Pablo Lopez, Elieser Hernandez and Jordan Yamamoto topping the rotation for the series in Baltimore.