While their two-city, six game road trip didn’t go as planned (2-4), Miami still finds themselves in the thick of things on August 26. Prior to Wednesday’s loss against the San Diego Padres, Marlins general manager Kim Ng met with a small group of reporters to give an update on a myriad of topics, including some of this year’s top performers.

New additions

Jake Burger

Kim Ng: “The new additions to the club have really made a difference. These guys are ultimate pros. I can tell you that when we acquired Jake (Burger), I got a number of texts and phone calls from my White Sox colleagues from when I worked there saying how great of a guy this was and what a hard worker he is, etc. Our pre-trade vetting really bore that out and same on Josh Bell as well.”

David Robertson

t’s been an uneven Marlin tenure for David Robertson thus far (eight ER in 10 IP), but Kim still values the experience he brings. “David Robertson obviously doing what he can do and you know, he’s been in high-pressure situations for postseason clubs, so we love having that experience.”

Josh Bell

Acquired from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for former first-round pick Kahlil Watson and Jean Segura, Josh Bell has been a phenomenal addition to Miami’s lineup. Bell has a $16.5 million player option for the 2024 season.

Asked if the assumption was that the Marlins would be able to have him next year as well, Kim said: “For us, Josh fits the profile that we’re looking for. Strike zone discipline, strike zone awareness, he’s just a good hitter who also has power. He plays to the scoreboard, he knows what to do in various situations and you get quite a good quality veteran presence. So yeah, we’re hoping that we have him next year.”

Ryan Weathers

“Fantastic arm that he’s got. We’ve actually had our eye on Ryan for a while now, since last year and have tried to acquire him. Obviously we were fortunate enough to get him at the deadline, but fantastic arm. Needs to work on some of his secondary and he knows that, but this dude isn not afraid to pitch inside either. That was my second time seeing him live [August 21 in San Diego], and yeah, he is not afraid to pitch inside so it’s pretty interesting.”

Other arms

Trevor Rogers

The 2021 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up has thrown only 18 innings this year, last appearing in a game on April 19. With only 33 games left in the regular season, Kim mentioned it might be tough to get him back soon.

“I think if he comes back at some point this year, it’s icing on the cake, but really, what’s most important is Trevor long term. Making sure he feels comfortable physically and in his progression.”

Edward Cabrera

Cabrera was optioned to AAA on August 2 to work on his command and reportedly his attitude as well. He has been pitching in Jacksonville since, but this is the last season in which he’ll have a Minor League option. The Marlins won’t be able to send him down in future seasons unless he clears waivers.

Kim’s update on Cabrera: “He had a couple of good starts and this last one wasn’t as positive. We’ve just got to hang with him and hope that he works this out as quickly as you can.”

Other players of note

Jorge Soler

Soler has a player option for 2024. The value of that option will max out at $13 million once he accrues 550 plate appearances this season. He’s hit 34 home runs, which is tied for fourth in the National League.

When asked about his future with the team, Kim said, “Any contract negotiations, I’ll probably decline to comment at this time, but he’s somebody that we hope to have in the future.”

Jacob Berry and Noble Meyer

Berry, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, was promoted to AA Pensacola on July 24th, where he’s slashed .264/.307/.472 in 26 games.

Meyer, the tenth overall pick in this year’s draft, was recently promoted to Low-A Jupiter. In seven professional innings, he’s allowed four hits, two earned runs, and has struck out ten.

“Jacob has been doing pretty well in AA, so that’s nice to see. Especially with a decent number of AB’s under his belt. And then with Noble, I think we can see he’s a fairly polished pitcher.”