Ely Sussman

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. These notes apply to the second game of Miami's home series against the New York Mets. View full article

Miami Marlins outfielder Dane Myers posted the following message to his social media accounts on Friday regarding the left ankle fracture he suffered last weekend in Cincinnati: Read if you want to Just a quick PSA. Last week I embarrassed the Marlins, my family, and myself. I lost my composure in the heat of battle. I made a mistake on the field and an even bigger mistake off the field. I don't expect someone on the outside looking in to understand me and what was going on in my head in that moment. There's no excuse for what happened but it did and I can't change that. My love for the game translated into something it shouldn't have. The entire situation does not reflect who I am as a person/player or my character. I spoke to the media hours after find out out my foot was fractured. I was completely broken and running off no sleep, so I didn't really get to say how I felt entirely. After reflecting, I'm saying it now. I want to apologize to any kids that are fans of mine, learn from my mistake and handle similar moments the right way. I also want to apologize to my family and the entire Miami Marlins organization. Thank you to my support system for building me up in a time like this. And as far as the hatred I'm receiving from others, it's just motivation for me. While I heal physically I am going to work on my mental and come back better than ever in a few weeks. I guarantee it. God did!

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. These notes apply to the first game of Miami's home series against the New York Mets. View full article

Updating the dollars spent by the Marlins on their 2024 MLB Draft class. The Miami Marlins made 21 selections in the 2024 MLB Draft and signed 20 of them by the August 1 deadline. In the vast majority of cases, negotiations are done ahead of time—the team knows what the player's "number" is before picking him. However, particularly for prep prospects, signability can be more complicated. Ultimately, they have leverage to play college ball if they aren't fully comfortable with the circumstances. This year, the Marlins had a bonus pool of $10,438,500. The pool applies to players selected during the first 10 rounds and those in the 11th round or later who cost more than $150k. The Marlins were allowed to spend up to 105% of their pool ($10,960,425) without losing future picks. Dollar amounts in bold counted toward the Marlins' bonus pool. The Marlins spent $10,425,000 (99.9% of their bonus pool). Round 1: OF PJ Morlando signed for $3,400,000 (slot value $4,704,700) Round 2: SS Carter Johnson signed for $2,800,000 (slot value $1,603,400) Competitive Balance Round B: RHP Aiden May signed for $900,000 (slot value $1,139,100) Round 3: 2B Gage Miller signed for $800,800 (slot value $800,800) Round 4: OF Fenwick Trimble signed for $550,000 (slot value $589,000) Round 5: RHP Grant Shepardson signed for $897,500 (slot value $427,000) Round 6: SS Payton Green signed for $328,800 (slot value $331,300) Round 7: RHP Nick Brink signed for $195,000 (slot value $259,600) Round 8: OF Jacob Jenkins-Cowart signed for $211,600 (slot value $211,600) Round 9: 3B Dub Gleed signed for $188,800 (slot value $191,300) Round 10: 3B Michael Snyder signed for $17,500 (slot value $180,700) Round 11: RHP Jake Faherty signed for $200,000 ($50,000 goes toward bonus pool) Round 12: C Connor Caskenette signed for $100,000 Round 13: SS Cody Schrier signed for $150,000 Round 14: SS Cam Clayton signed for $150,000 Round 15: C Coen Niclai did not sign Round 16: 1B Eric Rataczak signed for $75,000 Round 17: OF Micah McDowell signed for 100,000 Round 18: LHP Nate Payne signed for $235,000 ($85,000 goes toward bonus pool) Round 19: RHP Luke Lashutka signed for $10,000 Round 20: RHP Chase Centala signed for 50,000 View full article

The Miami Marlins front office is under significant pressure entering the MLB trade deadline, writes Jim Bowden of The Athletic. Hard to disagree with that—they are thin on tradeable assets and must find a way to flip them into impactful prospects, especially Jazz Chisholm Jr. "Chisholm probably won’t get traded to the Yankees or Phillies," Bowden reports, "because many evaluators question how he would perform in those markets and fit in their clubhouses. Instead, most execs think he’ll end up being moved to the Pirates, Mariners or Giants." I frankly had not given much thought to San Francisco until now, but maybe! Thairo Estrada has had a disappointing year as their second baseman, posting the lowest walk rate among qualified MLB hitters and riding a 5-for-50 slump entering the All-Star break. Like Chisholm, Estrada is under club control through 2026. However, he could be non-tendered this offseason if he continues on his current trajectory. Coming out of the break with a 47-50 record, I suspect the Giants need to get on a hot streak before proceeding with a Chisholm acquisition or any other "buying" move. View full rumor

Offishial News for 7/19/24 On Thursday down on the farm, the Marlins finalized their agreement with first-round draft pick OF PJ Morlando, as first reported by Craig Mish of SportsGrid. Morlando receives a $3.4M signing bonus, far below the 16th overall pick's slot value of $4.7M. I confirmed that RHP Yohanfer Santana underwent Tommy John surgery. You likely haven't heard of Santana, but the 18-year-old was poised for a breakout season in the Dominican Summer League before his elbow blew out. The FCL Marlins game was suspended in the second inning due to rain. DSL Marlins won, 4-3, and lost, 10-9. INF Joseph Tailor combined to go 2-for-2 with a home run, a walk and two hit by pitches in the second game. He's been selected to the DSL All-Star Game. DSL Miami won, 7-5. Here's more Marlins news and content: 🔷 Including the rest of their bonus pool and a 5% overage, the Morlando deal leaves Miami with $7,560,425 left to spend on other draft pick signings. I will be updating these capsules on each player as we find out their bonuses. I'll also be using that section to feature undrafted free agent pickups like UC Santa Barbara OF Jessada Brown. 🔷 Check out the latest Fish On First Top 30 prospect rankings. LHP Thomas White, RHP Noble Meyer, RHP Max Meyer and OF Victor Mesa Jr. remain in the first four spots, but there has been lots of movement outside of that, including the additions of Morlando (No. 8) and four other new draftees. 🔷 Dane Myers (left ankle fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to July 15. Don't be surprised if he eventually gets transferred to the 60-day IL to free up a temporary 40-man roster spot. In that case, he'd be eligible for reinstatement on September 13. For the time being, some combination of Nick Gordon, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Vidal Bruján will split up center field duties. 🔷 In 2025, the Pirates will once again visit the Marlins to kick off the regular season schedule. 🔷 Available on Homage, MLB and Guy Fieri's Flavortown have collaborated on a collection of t-shirts featuring fan-favorite ballpark concessions. For the Marlins, they selected the Cubano Gigante. The t-shirts are 20% off for a limited time. 🔷 Kevin Barral previews what to expect from the rest of this Marlins season (aside from a lot of losing). 🔷 Skip Schumaker discussed his coaching philosophy with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald and what he admires about longtime Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. 🔷 MLB.com's Christina De Nicola picks Jesús Luzardo as her "key player" and Max Meyer as the "prospect to watch" for the second half. She also spoke with Tanner Scott about his All-Star appearance and the support he received from his family. 🔷 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors explains what makes A.J. Puk an "appealing target" at the trade deadline. In case you missed it earlier in the week, I compared him to Hunter Harvey. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, St. Petersburg City Council voted to approve the Rays' $1.3B ballpark and mixed-use development project. The new stadium is expected to open in 2028 and the Rays are signing a 30-year lease. Barely a year after drafting him, the Athletics are calling up infield prospect Jacob Wilson. Wilson has posted an incredible 180 wRC+ in 72 career minor league games. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Edward Cabrera) open up a four-game series against the Mets (LHP Sean Manaea). Prior to the game, expect Otto Lopez (lower back inflammation) to be reinstated from the 10-day IL to fill Dane Myers' roster spot. PJ Morlando will be at loanDepot park to address the media as his professional career officially begins. The Marlins have a 48.5% chance to win, per FanGraphs. First pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET. 🔷 Join us for a new episode of Fish On First LIVE tonight from 6:00-7:00 p.m. ET on YouTube/Twitter/Facebook. Special guest: Jeremiah Geiger. FOF LIVE is presented by Berger & Hicks. If you’ve been injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence, give them a call at (305) 670-7050. 🔷 Marlins MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Durham, 7:05 p.m. ET Double-A Pensacola vs. Mississippi, 7:05 p.m. ET High-A Beloit at Peoria, 8:05 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter vs. St. Lucie, 6:30 p.m. ET DSL Marlins vs. DSL Phillies Red, 11:00 a.m. ET DSL Miami at DSL Nationals, 11:00 a.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article

He has a strong case. His control is farther behind than the other young SPs on here, but then again, he is the very youngest of the bunch. And his changeup is impressive. I'm going to quietly slide him into the honorable mentions category.

The Dominican right-hander may have been on the verge of a breakout season prior to this injury setback. Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Yohanfer Santana recently underwent Tommy John surgery, Fish On First has learned. A native of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, Santana signed an international free agent deal with the Marlins in 2023. His production in the Dominican Summer League over the last two seasons has been unremarkable on the surface: 31.1 IP, 7.76 ERA, 7.63 FIP, 1.95 WHIP in 13 G/10 GS. He was not included in our recent Fish On First Top 30 update. However, Eric Longenhagen explained on FanGraphs in June why the 18-year-old has immense upside: He’s built like an NBA small forward prospect at a broad-shouldered and skinny 6-foot-7, and he shows feel for three pitches. Santana’s low-90s fastball of 2023 had promising vertical ride, while his upper-70s curveball flashed the sort of depth that should play nicely with that kind of fastball, though it needed more power. At the end of the season, it felt very likely that Santana would develop immense arm strength as he matured. He has so much room for mass on his frame and his arm action is so clean and fluid — this seemed like the type of pitcher who could end up throwing 100 one day. All of that was projection, of course, based purely on visual assessment. In his first DSL start of 2024, Santana sat 93-98, debuted a slider/cutter in the 88-90 mph range and was working with a 91-94 mph changeup. Were he in the draft, he’d probably go in the mid-to-late first round and get a bonus approaching $3 million. This is a very exciting, uber-projectable 18-year-old who is in the midst of a velocity surge. The DSL start that Longenhagen references took place on June 4. Santana pitched again on June 11 and dominated (3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K). The following outing on June 18 was a rough one, though (2.0 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). The Marlins placed Santana on the 60-day injured list on June 25, ending his 2024 season. Soon after, he traveled to the United States to undergo surgery. He's currently rehabbing in South Florida. Barring setbacks, it takes most pitchers 12-18 months from their TJ surgery date to return to game action. MLB prospects are understandably handled cautiously and usually fall on the high end of that range. Santana is not expected to appear in another minor league game until 2026. The FOF injury/rehab tracker will provide regular updates on Santana's progress. View full article

Our own updated list comes out on Friday 👀

Big Fish Small Pod for Wednesday, July 17 Right-hander Hunter Harvey has been the most impactful relief pitcher to change teams so far this trade season. Ely Sussman explains why the Miami Marlins should expect an even stronger return if they decide to move A.J. Puk. Find Big Fish Small Pod on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. As Marlins fans surely remember, Puk broke camp in the Marlins starting rotation after a great spring training. It was a worthwhile experiment, but failed miserably. The tall lefty's velocity plummeted in an expanded role as did his control. Puk landed on the injured list after four sloppy outings and re-emerged as a reliever in mid-May. Rather than looking at Puk's overall 2024 stats, I'd say combining his last two seasons while filtering out his short-lived starter audition is more relevant to how he's being viewed on the trade market. When you do that (via FanGraphs), he and Harvey are eerily similar: Both are hard-throwing 29-year-olds with lots of high-leverage experience, including some in save situations. Harvey's salary is slightly higher this season and Puk comes with an additional year of club control (arbitration-eligible through 2026). Puk's injury history is more worrisome, but his left-handedness is in shorter supply and his performance is peaking at the perfect time (0.00 ERA and 0.98 FIP in last 10 appearances). All things considered, the Harvey return that Washington received—3B Cayden Wallace and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick (39th overall pick)—should not be enough to pry Puk away prior to the July 30 MLB trade deadline. The Marlins are justified in setting a steep asking price. Follow Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

More than halfway through the MLB regular season, this group is legitimately challenging for the title of worst team in Marlins history. The 1998 Marlins season was uniquely miserable. Before the champagne could dry following the franchise's first World Series title celebration, most of the key contributors vanished via free agency or trade in a financially motivated fire sale. From the get-go, there wasn't the faintest possibility of contending for a postseason berth despite having accomplished so much the year before. A bevy of embarrassing Marlins records that have stood for more than a quarter-century are in peril of changing hands. I wrote about the trajectory of the 2024 Fish after their abysmal April performance. They followed that up with a brief stretch of competent play, but beset by starting pitching injuries and ineffective hitters, they've fallen into another extended rut. The Marlins posted a 33-63 record prior to the All-Star break, accumulating the most first-half losses in franchise history. If they keep this up throughout the remaining 2.5 months, they'll finish with similar totals to the '98 squad. 1998 Marlins: 54-108 record, minus-256 run differential 2024 Marlins: on pace for 56-106 record, minus-257 run differential Offensively, the 2024 Marlins have no answer for 1998 Cliff Floyd. He was a very rich man's version of Jazz Chisholm Jr., entering that year's All-Star break with 14 home runs and 17 stolen bases while slashing .278/.355/.491 (122 wRC+). He would wind up playing in 153 of 162 Marlins games, whereas Chisholm is increasingly likely to be traded by the end of July. Even with Jazz, the current Marlins are far and away Major League Baseball's least-patient team. Their hitters have only 205 walks; in 1998, they had 316 walks before the break while playing nine fewer games! The front office has already cut bait with several undisciplined veterans—Tim Anderson, Avisaíl García and Christian Bethancourt—but they're still in danger of posting the lowest walk rate that any Marlins team ever has. Back at the start of May, I was optimistic that starting pitching quality would distinguish 2024 from 1998. "If we are to conservatively pencil in Jesús Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Max Meyer for 45 more combined starts between now and season's end, there will be meaningful improvement," I wrote. Well, that conservative estimate is mathematically impossible at this point. Luzardo is sidelined again with an injury more severe than his original one. Ditto for Garrett. I was naive regarding Meyer—he's finally on the cusp of being recalled, but the Marlins waited more than half a season in the interest of service time manipulation. The fill-ins for them have been roughly replacement-level. Just like in 1998, these arms own the National League's second-worst ERA at the break. The aforementioned rotation absences have left closer Tanner Scott as Miami's most valuable pitcher by default. Here's a depressing/fascinating 2024 stat: Scott has twice as many wins this season (six) as any other Marlin. With the All-Star and pending free agent certain to change teams prior to the deadline, he's running out of opportunities to add to that. Different era of pitcher usage, I know, but at least the 1998 Fish had two guys reach double digits (11 wins for Brian Meadows and 10 wins for Liván Hernández). In large part due to Scott, the current Marlins are 16-13 in one-run games. Presumably, A.J. Puk is next in line for save opportunities...unless he gets traded as well. The strength of this team is its bullpen, but that could change drastically two weeks from now. It will take some combination of rookie surprises and strong August/September finishes from injured starters Luzardo, Garrett and Ryan Weathers to edge out the 1998 Marlins in the standings. Remaining Marlins schedule Are you going over or under 108.5 losses for the Marlins this season? View full article