Offishial News: Marlins finalize deal with Luis Manuel León, add NRI Robinson Piña

[Ely Sussman]

Today's news roundup also includes highlights from the final season of Paul Severino's play-by-play tenure.

On Sunday in winter ball competition, UTIL Vidal Bruján went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. INF Johnny Olmstead went 1-for-3 with a walk. Gigantes del Cibao got rained out, postponing what would have been the first start of the season for OF Dane Myers.

More Marlins news and content below:

🔷 An agreement had been in place for months, but on Saturday, the Marlins officially signed Cuban INF Luis Manuel León. Francys Romero confirms that León received a $1.5M signing bonus, the largest of any player in the Marlins' 2024 international free agent class. It's possible that we see some smaller deals between now and the closing of this international period on December 15. The 2025 signing period opens on January 15.

🔷 Romero also reported that the Marlins have struck a minor league deal with RHP Robinson Piña. It includes an invitation to big league camp. A longtime Angels prospect, Piña spent his age-25 season in the Phillies organization. He has pitched 156 ⅔ innings overall this year when combining MiLB and LIDOM experience, showing great control by issuing only 30 walks.

🔷 Marlins play-by-play announcer Paul Severino announced on Friday that he isn't being brought back next season. I stitched together all 10 of his walk-off calls from 2024.

🔷 New Marlins director of pitching Bill Hezel gave his first interview since accepting the position (embedded below). In it, he articulated his philosophy as "building the best arsenal possible for our pitchers with respect to their uniqueness...and encourage them to be as aggressive as they possibly can inside the strike zone with that arsenal."

🔷 Cody Christie of Twins Daily proposes two trade packages for bringing Jesús Luzardo to Minnesota. I don't think Luzardo gets moved this offseason, but the Royce Lewis idea is intriguing and balanced.

🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Phillies have reportedly held meetings with top free agent Juan Soto. They are being told to submit contract offers this week.

 

---

Marlins podcast episodes

View full article

[Slacker Mills]

Ely, I noticed your post on the Royce Lewis trade earlier today.  I think the key to getting him from Minnesota (I have often dreamed of getting Lewis) would be Ryan Weathers, who came on strong last season. Weathers and Ramirez, not Mack.

I am very disappointed in the package Marlins received for Jazz. Somehow, some way, the Marlins needed to capture Dominguez from the Yankees in that deal. Dominguez and Lewis, health risks that they are, have the potential to turn the Marlins offense around.

[Slacker Mills]

More on the above: You don't trade a star hurler like Gallen (indirectly) for three Yankee prospects who are very long shots to be major league regulars.

[1993 fan from start]

Marlins play-by-play announcer: still miss hearing Rich Watlz .

[Slacker Mills]

If Kikuchi got $63 million for 3 years, what would the much younger Ryan Weathers get in free agency right now (if he was eligible)? Five years and $150 million?