Marlins sign flamethrower Samuel Vásquez to minor league deal

The Miami Marlins have inked right-hander Samuel Vásquez to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training, as first reported by Chase Ford of Milb Central and confirmed by the player himself.

Originally a Cleveland Guardians prospect, Vásquez was acquired by the Washington Nationals two years ago via the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. In 2025, he split his season between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg, posting a 3.16 ERA in 57 innings pitched (46 G/0 GS). He walked 11.9% of opposing batters—that is slightly worse than average, but an encouraging improvement from his 14.6% rate in previous MiLB seasons. The 6'3" Dominican is entering his age-26 season.

Vásquez's fastball velocity averages approximately 98 mph, based on my video review of several Double-A outings. He complements it by throwing sliders away to right-handed batters and changeups at the bottom of the strike zone to lefties. He had massive platoon splits in 2025, allowing a .443 OPS to RHB compared to a .845 OPS to LHB.

This will be Vásquez's first time as a spring training NRI. Last spring, the Nats brought him over from minor league camp for one brief relief appearance on March 10. He was also included on Washington's Spring Breakout roster, but did not pitch during that prospect showcase.

Given his mixed MiLB track record (career 5.07 ERA) and limited upper-level experience, it would be a shock if Vásquez broke camp with the big league team. More realistically, the Marlins are hoping he makes enough strides as a strike-thrower to earn a 40-man roster spot by the end of 2026.