Ely Sussman

Within minutes of the public announcement, the team had a social media post ready to promote Opening Day tickets. That's what it is all about. Spring training performance will change the rotation hierarchy, but there's obviously the risk of injury between now and then. If it were a pure baseball decision, they would simply wait until he completes his final spring game to announce.

Pretty inconsiderate of the Miami Marlins to make me rip up my latest 2025 roster projection almost immediately after publication! Xzavion Curry is now on the outside looking in and may be off to a different organization entirely. The right-hander was designated for assignment on Tuesday to make room on the 40-man for fellow righty reliever Ronny Henriquez. Beginning with Henriquez, 24, he was signed by the Texas Rangers out of the Dominican Republic in 2017 and traded to the Minnesota Twins in 2022. He made his major league debut toward the end of that season, but got more significant reps last year when the Twins began using him exclusively as a reliever/opener. In 19 career MLB appearances, he has posted a 2.90 ERA, 4.02 FIP and .233 BAA in 31 innings pitched. Here is a look at Henriquez's four-seam fastball/changeup/slider pitch mix. It's difficult for opposing batters to anticipate what's coming because he throws each of them with similar frequency regardless of the batter's handedness. His velocity maxed out at 99.2 mph in 2024. merge-i4c5s9.mp4 Henriquez is out of minor league options, so unless he suffers an injury this spring or performs horribly, he'll be a piece of the 2025 Marlins bullpen. Curry joined the Marlins as a waiver claim last August. He is two years older than Henriquez and his fastball is several ticks slower, but his DFA still comes as a surprise. He did well for them after being claimed (3.00 ERA, 4.22 FIP, .148 BAA in 18.0 IP) with his sharp command really standing out. He has a lot of starting experience and can still be optioned in 2025, which I would've thought the club valued considering their lack of rotation depth. If Curry clears waivers, then the Marlins can outright him to the minors and still bring him to camp as a non-roster invitee. But unless there is an underlying health issue that we aren't aware of, I expect him to be claimed. View full rumor

On the Turn 2 podcast, Marlins minor leaguer Troy Johnston speaks candidly about what he'll have to do in 2025 to earn a long-awaited call-up to the majors. View full video

They will be testing the ABS challenge system at "select ballparks" during spring training games. I assume Roger Dean is one of them. Manfred will be addressing the media about it next week.

We will find out very soon. The vast majority of spring games are fully monitored by Statcast. If you ask the players, they'll often inflate their numbers, which understandably gets people excited at this time of year, but also sets unreasonable expectations.

With major league camp about to get underway, these Marlins players are best positioned to make the initial 26-man active roster. The 2025 baseball season is right around the corner. Very little is expected of the Miami Marlins this year, but the players on the field will ultimately determine the club's fate. Fish On First will be updating their progress every step of the way. Isaac Azout wrote up our most recent roster projection on January 3. Here's what has happened since then: We learned that Braxton Garrett underwent left UCL revision surgery, sidelining him for the entire 2025 season Connor Gillispie was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves Jhonny Pereda was traded to the Athletics for cash considerations Manager Clayton McCullough described Andrew Nardi as being "a little bit behind" in his throwing progression following an offseason injury setback I have updated the projection accordingly as pitchers and catchers report to Jupiter in the coming days. Position players Default starting lineup (vs. RHP): C Nick Fortes, 1B Matt Mervis, 2B Otto Lopez, 3B Connor Norby, SS Xavier Edwards, LF Jesús Sánchez, CF Kyle Stowers, RF Griffin Conine, DH Jonah Bride Bench: C Liam Hicks, OF Dane Myers, OF Derek Hill, UTIL Ronny Simon Just missed: Eric Wagaman, Javier Sanoja In December, the Marlins announced that they had signed free agent Eric Wagaman to a "major league contract," which may have misled the public about his place on the team's depth chart. It is in fact a split contract that does not guarantee any time in the majors, nor does it void his three remaining minor league options. The Marlins signed him before they knew that Matt Mervis would be available. Mervis has more upside as a power hitter and there's a greater urgency to find out what he can do considering his extensive Triple-A experience and only one remaining option. I think it'd be redundant to roster Wagaman, Mervis and Jonah Bride simultaneously, with Wagaman being the odd man out initially. Javier Sanoja's most likely long-term role is utility player, but the Marlins shouldn't be in a rush to make that determination when he's only 22 years old. Sanoja bulked up a bit during the offseason—maybe that improves his game power enough to raise his ceiling. Best way to find out is through everyday reps at Triple-A while another versatile defender warms the bench in Miami. Room on the 40-man roster can be created for Ronny Simon by placing an injured pitcher on the 60-day IL. None of the Marlins outfielders are true lineup fixtures. Although Dane Myers is listed on my bench, he should be getting multiple starts per week and coming off the bench to face lefties in most other games. Derek Hill and Albert Almora Jr. are competing for a defensive replacement/situational pinch-runner job. Hill's 40-man spot gives him a distinct advantage. Pitchers Starting rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara, LHP Ryan Weathers, RHP Edward Cabrera, RHP Max Meyer, RHP Valente Bellozo Bullpen: RHP Calvin Faucher, RHP Anthony Bender, RHP Declan Cronin, RHP Jesús Tinoco, RHP Xzavion Curry, RHP Lake Bachar, LHP Anthony Veneziano, LHP Josh Simpson Just missed: Andrew Nardi, Adam Mazur, Connor Gillispie There is little doubt about the first three starting rotation spots. The fun begins after that. Max Meyer should get an opportunity to flush his disappointing 2024 season. Valente Bellozo's solid rookie year production makes him the most likely No. 5 spot placeholder, but he can be overtaken if one of the other rotation candidates excels during spring training. Do not rule out the possibility of Miami signing an accomplished veteran to a cheap, one-year deal at some point this month. The Marlins bullpen has been overhauled over the last 12 months. Anthony Bender is the only reliever included in both last year's pre-spring projection and this one. Calvin Faucher is best positioned to receive save opportunities. Even with the return of Sandy Alcantara, there are serious concerns about how much length this team's starters will provide. That will prompt the Marlins to carry multiple bulk guys in the 'pen at the same time, in this case Xzavion Curry and Anthony Veneziano, with Connor Gillispie among those contending for the same role. In my experience, whenever a pitcher is less than 100% healthy at the start of camp due to an arm injury, they're doubtful to be on the Opening Day active roster. It helps that Andrew Nardi is rarely used for more than one inning at a time, so once he's cleared to ramp up, that process shouldn't take long. The Marlins could go in a handful of different directions to fill Nardi's spot. I'm making somewhat of a bold pick by projecting NRI Josh Simpson to get the nod. Simpson impressed in Jupiter last year before being derailed by an injury of his own and McCullough would probably appreciate having a conventional left-on-left matchup option. Any differences between your roster projection and mine? Comment to let me know. View full article

As unveiled at Saturday's Marlins FanFest, the inaugural class includes Jeff Conine, Luis Castillo, Jack McKeon and Jim Leyland. The Marlins have taken another step toward properly celebrating the franchise's history by establishing the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame. "Each year, we’ll celebrate former players, coaches, managers, and staff members for their contributions to not just the Marlins organization, but also our South Florida communities," the club says. The class of 2025 consists of former players Jeff Conine and Luis Castillo and former managers Jim Leyland and Jack McKeon, each of whom won at least one World Series title with the Fish. A statement from Marlins chairman & principal owner Bruce Sherman: "We are proud to launch the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame and create a deserving tribute for legends who have played integral roles in shaping our franchise. This year's inaugural class set the standard for what it means to be a Marlin, and we are thrilled to honor them this season. Through inspiring dedication and a lasting legacy, they left indelible marks on our community both on and off the field." Conine was an original Florida Marlin, acquired from the Kansas City Royals in the 1992 expansion draft. From 1993-1997, he made two National League All-Star teams and slashed .291/.360/.467. He was the everyday first baseman for the '97 championship team. Conine returned to Florida in a 2003 midseason trade, contributed to winning another ring that October and stayed through 2005. Since retiring in 2007, most of Conine's post-playing career has been spent working for the Marlins. He's currently a special assistant to Bruce Sherman. His son, Griffin, is on the current Marlins roster. Castillo is the only player to play even more games as a Marlin (1,128) than Conine did. The speedy second baseman is their all-time leader in hits (1,273), runs scored (675) and stolen bases (281). His 10 total seasons is also a record, as is the 35-game hitting streak he had in 2002. 44blrc_1.mp4 Leyland only managed the Marlins for two seasons, but one of those culminated in the '97 title. That team's 92-70 regular season record and plus-71 run differential still stand as all-time franchise bests. Leyland was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024. The hiring of McKeon in 2003 was one of the most effective in-season managerial changes in MLB history. He took over a Marlins team that had started off 16-22 and they went 75-49 (.605 winning percentage) from that point forward. Starting Josh Beckett on short rest in World Series Game 6 is the most iconic managerial decision in franchise history. The elderly cigar aficionado is the only full-time Marlins manager to win the majority of his career games (.522 W-L%). Plaques of each Hall of Fame inductee will be featured at loanDepot park in the newly expanded Marlins Museum. There will be pregame ceremonies on the following days to honor the HOF inductees with special giveaway items for fans who attend: Jeff Conine on March 30 Jim Leyland on July 6 Jack McKeon on August 3 Luis Castillo on August 24 Congrats to Conine, Castillo, Leyland and McKeon on receiving this honor. View full article

There's your answer on this, @rurrusuno

A young broadcaster from the Midwest will be steering Marlins radio coverage in 2025 and he'll be occasionally sharing the booth with former Fish closer AJ Ramos. Jack McMullen has been hired to serve as the Miami Marlins' lead play-by-play radio broadcaster, multiple sources tell Fish On First. The team made it official with an announcement on Friday morning. McMullen's duties previously belonged to Kyle Sielaff from 2023-2024. On January 17, Sielaff became the team's television play-by-play voice, necessitating a quick search for his successor. This will be McMullen's first taste of the major league level. A 2020 graduate of Syracuse University, he was an announcer for the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2022-2024 (sample here). The position involved both play-by-play and color commentary, plus creating digital content and assisting with media relations. He is also Just Baseball's director of podcasting, covering all 30 MLB organizations as host of The Just Baseball Show and The Call-Up. McMullen is originally from Illinois. Follow him on Twitter. McMullen is the fifth different lead radio voice that the Marlins franchise has had, joining Joe Angel, Dave Van Horne, Glenn Geffner and Sielaff. Last season, Sielaff and Paul Severino provided play-by-play for practically every Marlins regular season game on radio and TV, respectively. In 2025, Craig Minervini will have an expanded role on both mediums. For "at least 35 games," McMullen and Minervini will share the radio booth and split up the play-by-play, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. The Marlins have been using a rotation of radio analysts in recent years. In 2024, that included Kelly Saco (52 games), Rod Allen (40 games), Gaby Sanchez (40 games) and Jeff Nelson (22 games). Triple-A Jacksonville broadcaster Scott Kornberg did the remaining eight games in the booth. Kornberg was another candidate for the vacant play-by-play job, per sources. AJ Ramos is being added to the rotation this season, Jackson reports. Ramos pitched parts of six seasons for the Marlins (2012-2017). He posted a 2.78 ERA and 3.24 FIP in 325 relief appearances, recording 92 saves and earning a 2016 NL All-Star selection. xzy6os.mp4 Stephen Strom is entering his third season as Miami's pregame radio host. Before "passing the mic" to McMullen, Sielaff will co-host a two-hour radio show from Saturday's FanFest alongside Strom from 5-7 p.m. It'll be available on NewsRadio 610 WIOD and the Marlins Radio Network social media accounts. You can hear McMullen's game broadcasts locally in South Florida this season on FOX Sports 940 AM or stream them from anywhere via the MLB app. McMullen will be on the call for all 30 Marlins spring training games, beginning with the February 22 Grapefruit League opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. View full article

Jack McMullen is taking over as lead radio play-by-play announcer for the Marlins in 2025. Here's a taste of his broadcasting style from April 18, 2024, one of the final starts that Paul Skenes made with Triple-A Indianapolis before debuting in the majors. View full video

Former Marlins players Dan Uggla and Cody Ross joined former Marlins president David Samson on an episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast to reflect on their experiences with the MLB arbitration process. View full video

In 98 games as a Marlin from 2012-2013, catcher Rob Brantly slashed .235/.298/.325 (71 wRC+) and produced -1.4 fWAR. With the news that he's returning to the club in 2025 as a spring training non-roster invitee, here are some highlights from that largely forgettable period. View full video

Brantly played 98 MLB games with Miami from 2012-2013. He has played only 40 total games in the majors since then, but teams continue to value him as organizational depth. Shams Charania did not get hacked when breaking the Luka Dončić trade news and neither did MLB.com's Christina De Nicola when reporting Tuesday night that the Miami Marlins have signed journeyman catcher Rob Brantly to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to spring training. Difficult as it is to believe, yes, Brantly is still an active player all these years later. Brantly was previously in the Marlins org for two-and-a-half years, acquired from the Detroit Tigers in a 2012 midsummer trade along with Brian Flynn and Jacob Turner in exchange for Omar Infante and Aníbal Sánchez. He debuted in the majors shortly after being acquired, split time behind the plate with Jeff Mathis in 2013 and was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox during the 2014-15 offseason. Somebody who caught the likes of Heath Bell, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Tom Koehler and Ricky Nolasco could potentially become a member of the 2025 Marlins. The 2012-2013 Fish remain the only team that's ever given Brantly a long leash to prove himself in The Show. What a fascinating career snapshot this is (courtesy of Baseball-Reference). He has played MLB games in seven of the last 11 seasons, but never more than 14 games in any given year. There have been three separate seasons in which he's made exactly one appearance. Brantly is the 65th player who's been invited to Marlins big league camp. At age 35, he's nearly five years older than fellow NRI Albert Almora Jr., the next-oldest player in camp. Brantly joins Nick Fortes as the only catchers in camp with major league experience—you could argue that is worth something. Barring injuries to Fortes and Rule 5 Draft pick Liam Hicks, he won't be in consideration for an Opening Day roster spot. The purpose of this signing seems to be simply finding a non-40-man substitute for Jhonny Pereda after Pereda was claimed off waivers last week. Lots of bullpen sessions need to be caught in Jupiter over the next two months! If Brantly remains with the Marlins at the conclusion of camp, expect him to be assigned to Triple-A Jacksonville and catch once or twice a week. View full article

The Miami Marlins released the following prospects from their DSL Marlins and DSL Miami rosters on Friday: LHP Andelzon Abad, OF Khris Almonte, RHP Luis Espinoza, OF Daniel Gaitor, SS Adrian Ibarra, RHP Jeyson Mejía, C Kevin Novoa, RHP Johan Palacios, LHP Robert Puente, RHP Brandon Smith, LHP Alfonso Suriel, RHP Fraylin Suriel, RHP Hiroshi Takahashi and RHP Roosevelt Trinidad. These are essentially corresponding moves to make room for the 18 new players who have joined the organization since the 2025 international free agency period opened on January 15. Still, it's notable that they are cutting ties with several guys who received substantial signing bonuses in recent years. As covered in Fish On First's international free agent signings guide, Gaitor ($300k bonus), Ibarra ($190k) and Almonte ($140k) received six figures from the Fish. Each of them made their Dominican Summer League debuts in 2023 and performed worse in 2024 while repeating the level. Listed at 6'9", Palacios was the tallest prospect in the Marlins farm system, but wasn't throwing enough strikes to earn a stateside opportunity. The top performer of the bunch was Luis Espinoza (pictured above), a reliever who posted a 2.53 ERA with a manageable walk rate across 46 ⅓ innings pitched in the DSL. None of the newly released players ever appeared on any edition of the FOF Top 30 prospects list or received serious consideration for a spot. View full rumor