Ely Sussman

While we continue to wait on the Miami Marlins to spend on major league free agent deals, they're poised to add international amateur free agents later this month. Ely Sussman previews the 2024 international signing period and future Marlins outfielder Luis Cova, then reflects on the organization's recent track record of international signings. Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every episode of The Offishial Show. Ben Badler of Baseball America reported on Wednesday that toolsy Venezuelan teenager Luis Cova has a deal in place with the Marlins. Dozens of other international amateurs are also expected to sign with the Fish once they're eligible to do so on January 15, though Cova's name is the only one we currently have. https://fishonfirst.com/farm/luis-cova-marlins-signing-details/The international free agent process doesn't garner nearly the same attention as the MLB Draft, but keep in mind, 15 of the players (37.5%) on Miami's current 40-man roster broke into professional baseball that way. That includes Sandy Alcantara, Luis Arraez and Eury Pérez. However, the only Marlins 40-man players who were signed internationally by the Marlins are Pérez, Edward Cabrera, Victor Mesa Jr. and George Soriano—the others originally signed with other clubs and were acquired later in their careers. To build a sustainably competitive organization on a limited budget, the Marlins must become more proficient at identifying international talent. Follow Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

The Marlins are expected to sign Luis Cova, an outfielder from Venezuela, when the next MLB international free agent period opens on January 15, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Cova will receive the 27th-highest signing bonus of the 2024 international class and the highest of any Marlins signee, though Badler doesn't specify what the dollar amount is. https://www.instagram.com/p/C1pJI09OYIQ/?hl=enTurning 17 years old on February 1, Cova is listed by Baseball America at 6'2" and 175 lbs. BA describes him as "one of the most exciting prospects in Venezuela" and MLB Pipeline says he's "among the best pure athletes in this class." He hits and throws righty. Both outlets corroborate that Cova recently transitioned from shortstop to the outfield. BA says he "should be able to stick in center field long term," while Pipeline adds that he "takes good routes to fly balls and has shown solid range." More from Pipeline on Cova: Pipeline gives Cova 50 or better scouting grades for all of his tools, led by 55-hit and 55-field. Despite his inexperience, he'll immediately vault into the conversation for best Marlins position player prospect (not much competition for that distinction at the moment). This agreement between Cova and the Marlins has been in place for well over a year. Cova trained at Venezuela's Just Prospect baseball academy and there are photos of him wearing a Marlins cap on their Instagram account as far back as October 2022. That suggests Miami's former senior director of international operations, Adrian Lorenzo, was heavily involved in the acquisition. Lorenzo told Fish On First's Kevin Barral that the 2024 class would include "a couple centerfield type profiles that are really going to jump out from the tools and physicality standpoint.” Cova seems to fit that description. https://fishonfirst.com/news/marlins-international-free-agency-2024/Just Prospect is the same academy that worked with Marlins OF Andrés Valor before he turned pro. Valor received a $520k signing bonus and enjoyed a productive debut season with DSL Miami (.294/.360/.466, 116 wRC+, 5 HR, 21 SB in 51 G). Similarly, Cova is likely to spend his entire age-17 season in the Dominican Summer League. The 27th-ranked player on Ben Badler's 2023 bonus board, Yoeilin Céspedes, signed with the Boston Red Sox for $1.4M, giving us a pretty good idea of what Cova's bonus from the Marlins will be. That number would make Cova the Marlins' most expensive international free agent signing since Yiddi Cappe (2021) and account for 21.5% of the club's $6.52M total bonus pool for the 2024 signing period.

Here's what you should know with 85 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Tuesday’s winter ball notes: In the Dominican Republic, 3B Vidal Bruján went 1-for-6 with 1 RBI.Skip Schumaker announced that he had to cancel his annual baseball skills camp due to inclement weather. You can still donate here to the Jessie Rees Foundation in the fight against pediatric cancer.Check out our first Fish On First staff roundtable. Read 11 different perspectives on the state of the Marlins.Ryan Jensen remains in DFA limbo. We should have clarity about his status by the end of this week.With 105 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 73.3% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.On the Just Baseball Show (embedded below), Aram Leighton plays Marlins GM. His plan involves trading Edward Cabrera for prospects, trading Tanner Scott to the Rangers for Ezequiel Duran (who would become Miami's shortstop), and signing free agents Travis Jankowski and Kyle Lewis.On the Creative Club Pod, former Marlins executive Adrian Lorenzo reflected on his baseball career and how those experiences have translated to his new venture as a full-time artist.https://fishonfirst.com/news/marlins-international-free-agency-2024/Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors takes an updated look at all the plausible shortstop options that the Marlins could target in free agency and trade talks.Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald examines each of the additions that the Marlins have made so far this offseason.The Marlins enter the new year ranked 21st in MLB.com's power rankings.Marlins Podcast Episodes Photo courtesy of @Arraez_21/Twitter

Here's what you should know with 87 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Ring in the new year by bookmarking our 2024 Marlins calendar! It will guide fans before/during/after the upcoming season with dates and details about significant deadlines, milestones and more.Ryan Jensen spent the holidays in DFA limbo and still remains there. We should have clarity about his status by the end of this week.Elsewhere around baseball, the Red Sox traded Chris Sale and cash to the Braves for Vaughn Grissom. During his long MLB career, Sale has only pitched against the Marlins twice (one start in 2016 and another in 2018).Kevin Barral highlights five remaining free agents who complement the Marlins' roster and should be in their price range on short-term deals.Ryan Schlesinger wants to see the Marlins experiment with Edward Cabrera as a reliever.Following up on our podcast from last week, Louis Addeo-Weiss elaborates further about who he'd vote for on the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.With 100 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 73.0% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.Congrats to Marlins RHP Tyler Eckberg on his wedding last weekend. Eckberg spent the 2023 season as a reliever with High-A Beloit.Wholesome "Happy New Year" social media posts from Marlins players below...https://www.instagram.com/p/C1jJ7-kMH3Q/?hl=en&e=6b76dfa8-b2f8-4af0-92f5-fe54e873311d&g=5https://www.instagram.com/p/C1iMzQIumn5/?hl=en&e=0775f46d-e0ce-42e1-a8d6-b6b388e827c9&g=5https://www.instagram.com/p/C1io0UltxC5/?hl=en&e=79336a43-25d4-4dd7-bc81-07752a3288dd&g=5https://www.instagram.com/p/C1hmC56uTyS/?hl=en&e=bbfb5670-c468-40c9-99c0-7e7b3e98d03a&g=5https://www.instagram.com/p/C1iL5ndubwH/?hl=en&e=6cf759e9-0c18-470f-8d47-abc93a7e1859&g=5Marlins Podcast Episodes Photo courtesy of @Arraez_21/Twitter

Player development has become a year-round process. If you check out after the MLB/MiLB season ends, you may be confused by what you find when familiar faces report to spring training. Easy fix: stay updated with our annual Miami Marlins fall/winter ball tracker! This is where you'll find stats and highlights for Marlins players participating in the Arizona Fall League and various international professional leagues, plus reporting on what specifically they're doing to polish their game. The 2023-24 edition of the tracker includes the following players: IF Jacob Berry (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)RHP Gabe Bierman (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)RHP Huascar Brazoban (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)IF/OF Vidal Bruján (Estrellas Orientales, LIDOM)RHP Ike Buxton (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)IF José Devers (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)OF Diego Infante (Tiburones de La Guaira, LVBP)1B/OF Troy Johnston (Toros del Este, LIDOM)LHP Adam Laskey (Mesa Sola Sox, AFL)RHP Zach McCambley (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)C Paul McIntosh (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)RHP Josan Méndez (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)C Jan Mercado (RA12, LBPRC)OF Dane Myers (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)LHP Luis Palacios (Leones del Caracas, LVBP)RHP Anderson Pilar (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)OF/IF Javier Sanoja (Cardenales de Lara, LVBP)LHP Dale Stanavich (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)LHP Evan Taylor (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)LIDOM (Dominican Republic)Vidal Bruján Regular Season Stats: 186 PA, .262/.405/.324, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 23 SB Bruján was acquired by the Marlins on November 17. He saw action at second base, third base and all three outfield positions while ranking second in the league in walks and first in steals. Bruján's consistency stood out, reaching base safely in 40 of his 43 games played. This was his best LIDOM season offensively (sub-.700 OPS in each of his four previous seasons with Toros del Este). He's still playing for Estrellas Orientales in LIDOM's Round Robin postseason tournament. Troy Johnston Regular Season Stats: 12 PA, .200/.333/.200, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SB Johnston only joined the club for the final week of the regular season. Pretty unconventional. Dane Myers Regular Season Stats: 89 PA, .266/.337/.329, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 SB https://videopress.com/v/hACgeyWz?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffishonfirst.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F11%2FScreenshot-2023-11-07-at-10.11.01%E2%80%AFPM.png&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Myers played all three outfield positions, getting the largest share of his playing time in right. He raked against left-handed pitching in particular (.844 OPS). Myers played his final LIDOM game on November 27. Huascar Brazoban Regular Season Stats: 1 G/0 GS, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 2 K in 1.0 IP Brazoban is still playing for Gigantes del Cibao in LIDOM's Round Robin postseason tournament. José Devers Regular Season Stats: 11 PA, .333/.455/.333, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB Josan Méndez Regular Season Stats: 3 G/0 GS, 5.40 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 0 K in 3.1 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/5b6eea75-388d-47f8-96b7-a2e0a7bbf810.mp4Anderson Pilar Regular Season Stats: 11 G/2 GS, 2.63 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 25 K in 24.0 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/51e7a1af-4248-4d90-8574-73ea9cd76dbb.mp4LVBP (Venezuela)Javier Sanoja Regular Season Stats: 76 PA, .292/.316/.403, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 3 SB Sanoja is being utilized as a corner outfielder. Making contact continues to be Sanoja's forte—he only struck out twice during the regular season! Even in a hitter-friendly environment, he is impressing against much older competition. Luis Palacios Regular Season Stats: 8 G/1 GS, 2.70 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 4 K in 10.0 IP Palacios has been asked to adjust to middle-relief situations this winter after being developed as a starter throughout his professional career. LBPRC (Puerto Rico)Jan Mercado Regular Season Stats: 71 PA, .082/.200/.180, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB It's Mercado's fourth straight winter playing in his native Puerto Rico. His career progress continues to be stunted by a very high strikeout rate. AFLAll Marlins players who participated in the AFL were assigned to the Peoria Javelinas except for Adam Laskey (Mesa Solar Sox), who was in the Chicago Cubs organization at the time IF Jacob BerryRHP Gabe BiermanRHP Ike BuxtonRHP Zach McCambleyC Paul McIntoshLHP Dale StanavichLHP Evan TaylorJacob Berry (Fall Stars Game selection) Regular Season Stats: 76 PA, .265/.329/.441, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-10/05/09013c65-c33678b8-138d3396-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 Berry's slash line was roughly league average by AFL standards. Continuing a trend from the regular season, he was significantly better batting righty (.868) than he was lefty (.712). Berry exclusively played third base for Peoria, starting 16 games at the position. He committed three errors on Oct. 7, but only one in his final 12 starts. Gabe Bierman Regular Season Stats: 5 G/3 GS, 6.75 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 18 K in 16.0 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/cc6e4f0c-45fb-43e4-8a32-1e163cdf8afc.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/b8ce823a-d43d-478f-82cc-2180180655b5.mp4Bierman completed multiple innings and allowed multiple runs in each of his outings, reaching a maximum pitch count of 76. Ike Buxton (Fall Stars Game selection) Regular Season Stats: 5 G/3 GS, 6.11 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 19 K in 17.2 IP https://videopress.com/v/TpDrJYEa?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=trueBuxton made a pitch mix change from the regular season to the AFL, per Just Baseball's Aram Leighton, "phasing out the slider in favor of his sinker, changeup and four seam fastball." Adam Laskey Regular Season Stats: 9 G/0 GS, 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 15 K in 9.0 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/20af8186-a099-46ad-a7b6-8561ce04b0e3.mp4Zach McCambley Regular Season Stats: 8 G/0 GS, 5.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 12 K in 9.0 IP McCambley allowed just one-extra base hit and struck out 29.3% of total batters faced. Paul McIntosh Regular Season Stats: 57 PA, .229/.351/.375, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 SB Dale Stanavich Regular Season Stats: 8 G/0 GS, 8.22 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 6 K in 7.2 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/a6e8a9d2-e547-4984-ae88-2de21b5813b5.mp4Evan Taylor Regular Season Stats: 6 G/0 GS, 10.80 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 8 K in 5.0 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/8b61eea2-9b75-4829-823a-efb716a4c8cf.mp4

Here's what you should know with 91 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Wednesday’s winter ball notes: In the Dominican Republic, 3B Vidal Bruján went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in his first playoff game. In Venezuela, RF Javier Sanoja went 0-for-4 in his regular season finale.Elsewhere around baseball, Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2/$15M) signed with the Blue Jays. Craig Mish of SportsGrid reports that the Marlins pursued IKF, but didn't offer as much as the Blue Jays did. Shortstop was already a thin position in this free agent class and this leaves Miami with even fewer alternatives. If Amed Rosario is willing to take comparable money, that'd be a better fit, in my opinion. More offensive upside.With 60 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 73.3% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.Our new episode of The Offishial Show dissects Sheffield and many of the other players on the BBWAA ballot. At the end, Louis Addeo-Weiss and I reveal how we would vote.Carlos Collazo of Baseball America did a 2019 redraft. Factoring in both previous and expected future performance, he has the Marlins taking Gunnar Henderson with the fourth overall pick and Andrew Nardi (who fell all the way to the 16th round in real life) going to the Astros at No. 32. The Marlins' actual top pick from that class, JJ Bleday, didn't make the cut. Yikes!Congrats to the Marlins' Scott Fairbanks on winning 2023 Bill Harper Scout of the Year. Fairbanks scouts amateur players in Northern California and the Northwest. I figure this award is largely about acknowledging his role in the signing of 2023 first-rounder Noble Meyer.Marlins Podcast Episodes Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Who will join former Marlins manager Jim Leyland in the Baseball Hall of Fame's class of 2024? Louis Addeo-Weiss and Ely Sussman dissect the players on the BBWAA ballot, including what to make of Gary Sheffield entering his final year of eligibility. Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every episode of The Offishial Show. There have been 60 BBWAA ballots revealed as of early Thursday morning. Adrián Beltré (98.3%), Todd Helton (81.7%) and Joe Mauer (81.7%) are above the all-important 75% threshold so far, while Sheffield (73.3%) and Billy Wagner (71.7%) have some catching up to do. The voting results will be announced on January 23. Louis' ballot: Bobby Abreu, Carlos Beltrán, Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Joe Mauer, Gary Sheffield, Chase Utley and Billy WagnerEly's ballot: Carlos Beltrán, Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Joe Mauer, Andy Pettitte, Manny Ramírez, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Chase UtleyTell us who you would vote for if given the chance! Follow Louis (@addeo_louis00), Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

Here's what you should know with 92 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Tuesday’s winter ball notes: In Venezuela, RF Javier Sanoja went 2-for-5 with an RBI triple and LHP Luis Palacios pitched a scoreless inning of relief (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K). It was a rare start for Sanoja in the leadoff spot.The Marlins announced that their annual FanFest will be held on Friday, January 26. Tickets to attend are free as usual, but I assume that holding it on a Friday instead of a Saturday (as they've traditionally done) will negatively impact attendance.https://fishonfirst.com/news/2024-marlins-fanfest-announced/Elsewhere around baseball, Kevin Kiermaier (1/$10.5M) re-signed with the Blue Jays and Martín Maldonado has a one-year deal in place with the White Sox. The Marlins reportedly showed interest in Maldonado earlier in the offseason, though it would have been redundant to add both him and Christian Bethancourt.Louis Addeo-Weiss makes the case for the Marlins to prioritize Teoscar Hernández as a free agent target over Jorge Soler.MLB.com included the Marlins' comeback win vs. the Yankees on August 13 as one of MLB's wackiest/wildest games of 2023.https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-08/13/b0c47811-e9622266-262e9a6e-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4With 50 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 74.0% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.Congratulations to Jordan McPherson, who just celebrated his sixth anniversary working at the Miami Herald. The Marlins have been his primary beat throughout that period.Happy birthday to C Joe Mack. The 2021 draft pick and 28th-ranked prospect on our Fish On First Top 30 list turns 21 today. Mack spent this past season with High-A Beloit, where he slashed .218/.295/.287 (69 wRC+) in 120 games.https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/3c3a5e9e-c1db-4182-b08c-5ec7390eb46c.mp4Photo courtesy of Minor League Baseball

Marlins FanFest is only one month away. LoanDepot Park will opens its doors on Friday, January 26 from 5:00-9:00 p.m., offering "player meet & greets, interactive games, behind the scenes tours and more." Traditionally, FanFest takes place on the Saturday right before the start of Marlins spring training. The 2023 edition, for example, was on the afternoon of Saturday, February 11. It included a first look at the "Cubano Gigante" sandwich and was punctuated by Jeff Conine's announcement about the club's plans to utilize throwback uniforms on Flashback Fridays. However, the ballpark is hosting the 2024 Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) from February 1-9, disrupting the usual routine. Tickets are free! Go here to claim up to six tickets per person. Tickets for Beerfest are also for sale ($25 each). With FanFest being held so far in advance of spring activities, I wonder how that could impact the attendance of some Marlins players. Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo and Braxton Garrett are among those who conveniently make their offseason homes in South Florida, but what about Eury Pérez, Jake Burger and Josh Bell? Will they fly in early for a four-hour event? Expect more details to be available as the event date approaches.

Here's what you should know with 94 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... The MLB Competition Committee approved several subtle rule changes for the 2024 season, most of them geared toward further speeding up the pace of games. The runner's lane from home plate to first base has also been widened to include the dirt area between the foul line and the infield grass. Mitch Garver (2/$24M) is signing with the Mariners. Garver would've been a good fit for the Marlins, splitting time between catcher and designated hitter. This development seemingly makes it less likely that Seattle gets Jorge Soler, who they were previously linked to.On Friday and Saturday, Xavier Edwards held his sixth annual baseball skills camp in Coconut Creek. "I think there’s a misconception with kind of waiting until your name gets bigger and waiting to get to the big leagues to have a camp," Edwards told Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. "I don’t believe that. I think there’s always somebody you can help and give back to." The Marlins denied Victor Mesa Jr.'s request to play for the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation in next month's Intercontinental Series, according to Francys Romero. Mesa defected from Cuba in 2018 and hasn't had an opportunity to represent his country is a baseball competition since then.Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors reflects on Braxton Garrett's emergence as a staple of the Marlins rotation.Brian Dunleavy of Marlin Maniac makes the case that Soler is "too limited" to fully fill the hole in Miami's lineup. With 43 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 69.8% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.I'll fill up this space throughout the day with Christmas-themed social media posts from notable Marlins players and personnel. Enjoy the holiday! https://www.instagram.com/p/C1QWTjcRtxc/?e=177b8e32-65b6-43bb-a1ce-9003c7b36faa&g=5 Marlins Podcast Episodes Photo courtesy of Miami Marlins

Watch hits, stolen bases, walks and defensive plays from IF/OF Vidal Bruján with Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Winter League. In 43 games played during the 2023 regular season, Bruján led the entire league with 23 steals. He ranked second in walks (36) and third among qualifiers in on-base percentage (.405). Midway through the season, his MLB team, the Tampa Bay Rays, traded him to the Miami Marlins. Please subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel if you don't already! Getting close to the 2,000-subscriber milestone.