Marlins swing another trade and DFA Peyton Burdick

[Kevin Barral]

The Marlins added more pitching depth at the end of the week, but it came at the expense of one of the best power bats in their minor league system.

On Friday, the Marlins swung a deal with the Seattle Mariners, acquiring Darren McCaughan in exchange for cash considerations. The addition of the right-hander was overshadowed by the corresponding roster move: designating Peyton Burdick for assignment.

First, Darren McCaughan has spent six seasons in Minor League Baseball, briefly seeing action in the majors in 2021 and 2023. Most recently McCaughan was with the Mariners AAA affiliate, where he posted a 5.83 ERA, 6.05 FIP, 8.42 K/9 and a 2.85 BB/9 through 139 innings pitched last season. In every full season of his professional career, McCaughan has made at least 20 starts. Since 2018, he leads all minor leaguers with 707 ⅓ innings pitched.

McCaughan's arsenal is comprised of a sweeper, sinker, changeup and four-seam fastball, with the sweeper and sinker being his most-used pitches. He only averages 89 miles per hour on his fastball—that is the lowest velocity of any healthy pitcher on the Marlins 40-man roster.

It is worth noting that McCaughan comes from the Pacific Coast League (PCL), which is by far the most hitter-friendly league in Minor League Baseball. "The PCL is a tough league to pitch in," said current Marlins pitcher Ryan Weathers, who struggled in the PCL himself. "When I got to the International League (where the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp play), my pitches moved where they were supposed to move."

With one minor league option left, McCaughan will most likely open the 2024 season in Jacksonville..

A 2019 Marlins draft pick, Peyton Burdick just never quite worked out for the Marlins at the major league level. The powerful outfielder had instant success in the low minors. After the 2020 minor league was season cancelled due to COVID, he kept on producing in AA, where he slashed .231/.376/.472/.848 with 23 home runs, 52 RBIs and a 137 wRC+ to be named the 2021 Pensacola Blue Wahoos team MVP.

Burdick was promoted that same season to AAA-Jacksonville, but struggled in his eight games of action. He would begin the 2022 season in AAA and slashed .224/.341/.421/.762 with 14 home runs, 51 RBIs and a 104 wRC+ to force a call-up in August when the Marlins were out of contention. Burdick also played 14 games for the Marlins in 2023 when they were hit with several outfield injuries, but spent most of the year in Jacksonville, getting reps at all three outfield positions.

The biggest struggle for Burdick has been strikeouts. Even in the minors, his career strikeout rate is 30%. In parts of two seasons at the major league level, he has a 38.1 K%. To compare, no MLB hitter to receive 400 plate appearances in 2023 was above a 35 K%.

Year	Age	AgeDif	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB
2019	22		2 Teams	2 Lgs	A-A-	MIA	69	312	260	60	80	20	4	11	64	7	7	34	72	.308	.407	.542	.949	141	12	13	0	5	0
2019	22	0.7	Clinton	MIDW	A	MIA	63	287	238	57	73	20	3	10	59	6	6	32	67	.307	.408	.542	.950	129	11	12	0	5	0
2019	22	1.1	Batavia	NYPL	A-	MIA	6	25	22	3	7	0	1	1	5	1	1	2	5	.318	.400	.546	.946	12	1	1	0	0	0
2021	24		2 Teams	2 Lgs	AA-AAA	MIA	114	491	401	76	90	20	2	23	53	9	5	79	146	.224	.367	.456	.823	183	12	11	0	0	2
2021	24	-2.5	Jacksonville	AAAE	AAA	MIA	8	31	28	5	4	3	0	0	1	0	0	3	11	.143	.226	.250	.476	7	2	0	0	0	0
2021	24	-0.5	Pensacola	AASO	AA	MIA	106	460	373	71	86	17	2	23	52	9	5	76	135	.231	.376	.472	.848	176	10	11	0	0	2
2022	25	-1.4	Jacksonville	IL	AAA	MIA	99	429	364	74	78	16	5	15	58	13	3	53	120	.214	.326	.409	.736	149	8	9	0	3	0
2022	25	-3.6	MIA	NL	Maj	MIA	32	102	92	8	19	4	0	4	11	1	0	8	35	.207	.284	.380	.665	35	1	2	0	0	0
2023	26	-0.3	Jacksonville	IL	AAA	MIA	114	492	420	63	92	20	2	24	74	12	2	57	180	.219	.327	.448	.775	188	6	12	0	3	0
2023	26	-2.2	MIA	NL	Maj	MIA	14	37	33	4	6	2	0	1	2	1	0	3	18	.182	.270	.333	.604	11	0	1	0	0	0
Year	Age	AgeDif	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB
Majors (2 seasons)					Majors		46	139	125	12	25	6	0	5	13	2	0	11	53	.200	.281	.368	.649	46	1	3	0	0	0
Minors (4 seasons)					Minors		396	1724	1445	273	340	76	13	73	249	41	17	223	518	.235	.353	.457	.810	661	38	45	0	11	2
All Levels (6 Seasons)							663	2824	2337	488	621	138	21	111	456	90	31	366	719	.266	.381	.485	.867	1134	39	89	3	29	4
AAA (3 seasons)					Minors		221	952	812	142	174	39	7	39	133	25	5	113	311	.214	.324	.424	.747	344	16	21	0	6	0
AA (1 season)					Minors		106	460	373	71	86	17	2	23	52	9	5	76	135	.231	.376	.472	.848	176	10	11	0	0	2
A (1 season)					Minors		63	287	238	57	73	20	3	10	59	6	6	32	67	.307	.408	.542	.950	129	11	12	0	5	0
A- (1 season)					Minors		6	25	22	3	7	0	1	1	5	1	1	2	5	.318	.400	.546	.946	12	1	1	0	0

That being said, the Burdick DFA comes as a surprise given that he has two minor league options remaining, can play all three outfield spots and has some of the best raw power in this organization. It is likely that the soon-to-be 27-year-old will get claimed off waivers when you consider that teams will be able to use the 60-day injured list next week to create roster openings. If he doesn't get claimed, the Marlins will outright him to AAA and invite him to big league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Burdick could soon become the latest 2019 early-round draft pick to leave the Marlins. JJ Bleday, Kameron Misner and Evan Edwards were all traded, while Nasim Nuñez was selected in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason by the Washington Nationals. Miami's struggles with drafting and development have led to several recent changes to the front office and left them with one of baseball's worst farm systems.

 

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[One Regend]

Burdick being DFA'd doesn't come as a surprise. Sure, Burdick had huge power, but that power doesn't translate well in the majors if you consistently have a 35%+ strikeout rate in the minors. Then you look at his defensive profiling, and it's easy to see why the Marlins decided to cut bait.

I'm not sure what the Marlins see in Darren McCaughan, though. He's an 88 mph meatball chef that hasn't had a standout minor league season since 2018. He only really serves as minor league filler -- a guy you have zero plans of inserting into the major league roster and is only really there to plug holes in the minor league roster. And yet, he's given a 40 man roster spot, because... reasons.

So really, this transaction comes out as lose-lose for the Marlins.

[Ely Sussman]

43 minutes ago, One Regend said:

Burdick being DFA'd doesn't come as a surprise. Sure, Burdick had huge power, but that power doesn't translate well in the majors if you consistently have a 35%+ strikeout rate in the minors. Then you look at his defensive profiling, and it's easy to see why the Marlins decided to cut bait.

I'm not sure what the Marlins see in Darren McCaughan, though. He's an 88 mph meatball chef that hasn't had a standout minor league season since 2018. He only really serves as minor league filler -- a guy you have zero plans of inserting into the major league roster and is only really there to plug holes in the minor league roster. And yet, he's given a 40 man roster spot, because... reasons.

So really, this transaction comes out as lose-lose for the Marlins.

I feel like there is too much emphasis being put on a single season. Prior to 2023, Burdick had never been above a 30 K% in any minor league season. He was in that "flawed player, but could do enough in other areas to still be helpful" category.

For a team that is so thin on 2024 major league hitting options, I was pretty surprised that they would risk losing him for nothing just to make room for such an underwhelming arm.

[One Regend]

37 minutes ago, Ely Sussman said:

I feel like there is too much emphasis being put on a single season. Prior to 2023, Burdick had never been above a 30 K% in any minor league season. He was in that "flawed player, but could do enough in other areas to still be helpful" category.

For a team that is so thin on 2024 major league hitting options, I was pretty surprised that they would risk losing him for nothing just to make room for such an underwhelming arm.

I'll have to respectfully disagree here. Burdick has always had alarming swing-and-miss problems even before 2023. In 2023 they just became significantly worse. I'm not sure that calling a guy that, before 2023, was always hovering around 28-29 K% (in the minors, mind), had limited range and mobility, and doesn't play any premium positions a "flawed player that could do enough in other areas to still be helpful" would apply here.

Maybe I'm lower on him than some people here, but I wouldn't think a player like Peyton Burdick (who mind, is getting up there in age) would move the needle much more than a random Corner OF/1B type player that the Marlins could call up instead.