Kevin Barral

Still "pissed off" about being traded, Bleday is just one of many ex-Marlins who have come back to torment their old employer. MIAMI, FL—The visiting Athletics took two out of three from the Miami Marlins last weekend, in large part thanks to JJ Bleday, The Marlins' first-round draft pick in 2019, Bleday went 4-for-11 during the series with two home runs and two walks. He's just the latest example of a player who left Miami and found success elsewhere, especially when coming back to face his former club. Sent to Oakland prior to the 2023 season in exchange for reliever A.J. Puk, Bleday is now in his third season with the nomadic A's. Entering Monday, he owns a .228/.320/.408/.729 slash line with 34 home runs, 100 RBI and a 109 OPS+ in 275 games played since the trade. Bleday ranks among the best active hitters against the Marlins with a 1.116 OPS in nine career matchups. In an exclusive interview with Fish On First, he says that is more than a coincidence. "I think it's more of a natural instinct. You're always going to be a little pissed off that you feel like the team that drafted you, gave up on you a little bit too soon," Bleday said. "But at the end of the day, that was three years ago and at that point, I've pretty much moved on, but there's still always something kinda deep down there where you're playing just a little bit harder and hopefully you can just carry that into every game." Many will remember the day that Bleday was dealt. It was during the Marlins' 2023 FanFest. "I was here at the ballpark in the morning helping out with Braxton Garrett and Joey Wendle," said Bleday. "We were just doing our normal thing and I had to leave later that day because my wife and I had an engagement party in Nashville. So I left here (loanDepot park), went up to Nashville and I was at my alma mater Vanderbilt's season kick-off dinner and I was there at happy hour with a couple of people and I get a call from Kim Ng saying that I got traded. I was rattled and didn't know what to expect or what to do. It was kinda of a weird night." At the time of the trade, Bleday was coming off an underwhelming rookie season where he slashed .167/.277/.309/.586 with five home runs and 16 RBI. He missed out on the Marlins' subsequent playoff run in 2023, but found consistent playing time that would not have been available in Miami. "I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason," Bleday said. "Regardless of what went down (in Miami), I'm blessed to be where I'm at. Love the guys. I feel like it's a better fit for me here. I think we have a really good lineup with a lot of talent. It's been great playing every day. It's been great trying to be an everyday guy in the big leagues and just try to take the opportunity and run with it." Bleday isn't the only former Fish to have success against their former employer. Next up on this homestand, the Marlins are hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of their relievers, left-hander Alex Vesia, is a homegrown Marlin who was traded during the 2020-21 offseason. He has faced 25 hitters over 8 careers appearances against Miami, all while not allowing an earned run in the process. Infielder Miguel Rojas is better known for his glove and his leadership than his bat. However, he enters this latest showdown against his longtime club with a .344/.382/.563/.945 slash line in 11 career games—that OPS is nearly 100 points higher than what he's done versus any other MLB opponent. f9faf5f7-bdfeafc0-24f9dee5-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 On their previous road trip, the Marlins encountered right-hander Luis Castillo (now with the Seattle Mariners), who elevates his game from All-Star-caliber to Hall of Fame-caliber when the Fish are involved. That is unsurprising considering that they traded him twice. Originally set to go San Diego in the summer of 2016, Castillo's involvement in the deal was nullified after the fact by Colin Rea's suspiciously timed injury. Less than six months later, the Marlins permanently parted with him as part of a package to acquire Dan Straily from Cincinnati. Since Peter Bendix took over the Marlins front office, the volume of trades has only increased. Players dispersed around Major League Baseball will soon have their own opportunities to exact revenge. View full article

Miami Marlins catching coach and assistant catching director Joe Singley speaks with the assembled media at loanDepot park about the defensive development of Agustín Ramírez, Liam Hicks and Nick Fortes. View full video

Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez speaks with the media at loanDepot park about how he's feeling through his first two minor league rehab starts and what his timeline is to return to the Marlins starting rotation. View full video

Dane Myers isn't an everyday player for the Miami Marlins, but he has settled on a routine and mentality that's been extremely successful so far in 2025. MIAMI, FL—It's hard to be successful at the Major League level, especially when your playing time is inconsistent. That has been the case for outfielder Dane Myers in 2025. Myers has been on the Miami Marlins active roster since Opening Day, but he only ranks ninth on the team in plate appearances and has not started more than four games in a row at any point this season. "A few years back, I'd probably be handling it a little different, just knowing my role, knowing I'm not playing every day right now," Myers told Fish On First in an exclusive interview. "Hopefully, I'll get into that role at some point, obviously—that's everybody's goal. Just trying to be ready to help the team win however I can. I think it's helped me mentally, just staying ready, no matter if it's the second, third or the eighth or ninth, just being ready to come in." Against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, Myers entered the game in a high-leverage situation. In the top of the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and one out, Myers was brought in to pinch hit for Connor Norby. Myers got ahead of the count 3-1 and Dodgers reliever Anthony Banda went with his fastball down the middle, which Myers took 405 feet to center field. It was his first career grand slam and the second pinch-hit, game-tying grand slam in franchise history (Justin Bour hit the first one back in 2016). "Couple of minutes before I had that at-bat, I had Banda's fastball locked in the cage before getting into the game, as close as I could to practice just seeing his fastball and being ready for it as soon as I got out there," said Myers. "That was pretty big factor. The first couple pitches I saw, I felt like I saw him well. Once he threw one in the zone, I was good to go." The Marlins have already shown that they trust Myers against left-handers like Banda, but on Friday, he started against rookie righty Gunnar Hoglund, hitting ninth and playing center field. He went 1-for-2 with a walk and supplied the Marlins' lone run in their 6-1 loss to the Athletics. In the sixth inning, he launched his third home run of the season, going 390 feet to right-center field. Myers has boosted his 2025 slash line to .356/.387/.542/.929 and his wRC+ to 157 (100 represents league average). The 29-year-old also grades out as a solid defensive outfielder, in part thanks to his elite arm strength. "Dane has been terrific," said manager Clayton McCullough. "We really felt like even in spring training, his commitment to having a really solid plan at the plate and for someone that is still is learning a lot. This guy's background is incredible, from pitching now to be hitting and the success he's having at the major league level is great. What I love about Dane, he's like an ultimate team guy. He's performed very well whenever he's in there...He's always ready." The Marlins recalled Valente Bellozo from Triple-A Jacksonville to make his third start of the season on Friday, taking over the rotation spot that previously belonged to Connor Gillispie. Bellozo went 4 ⅔ innings and allowed five runs on four hits (one home run) and walked four. He only struck out one. In the top of the third inning, former Marlins first-round pick JJ Bleday, who was traded to the Athletics in exchange for A.J. Puk, hit a solo home run, his third of the season, extending the A's lead, 3-0. Bleday also homered against the Marlins last year. Xavier Edwards committed a pair of errors at shortstop, one throwing and one fielding. With the loss, the Marlins are now 12-19 on the season. This was the first time that they failed to score multiple runs in a home game. The new "Retrowave" uniforms will make their debut on Saturday as Max Meyer takes the mound at 4:10 pm. View full article

The Marlins gave the reigning World Series champs everything they could handle, but ultimately lost for the fourth time in five games. Trailing 5-0 more than halfway through the game, the Miami Marlins nearly pulled off an incredible comeback win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It took 10 innings for the home team to finish on top in walk-off fashion by a final score of 7-6. The Marlins finally got on the board against right-hander Dustin May in the sixth inning thanks to Eric Wagaman's RBI single, driving in Xavier Edwards from second base and moving Jesús Sánchez from first to second. When the Dodgers went with lefty Anthony Banda, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough countered with righties off his bench. Going into Monday's game, Kyle Stowers was slashing .520/.536/.680/1.216 with five RBI against left-handed pitching, but McCullough preferred the platoon advantage anyway and brought in Connor Norby to pinch hit. Norby worked a five-pitch walk, loading the bases. Next, Dane Myers came to the plate replacing Matt Mervis. Myers got ahead in the count, 3-1. Anticipating a fastball in the zone, he took Banda 405 feet deep to left-center, hitting his first career grand slam and the second-ever pinch-hit, game-tying grand slam in franchise history. "With the amount of lefties they have in their pen, you might have to take your shot when you feel like it's maybe the best chance either to get back in the game or extend it," said Clayton McCullough following the game. "Felt like right there, pulling the trigger and going with some right handed-hitters against Banda was the best shot to get back into that game." Once the Marlins tied the game, it became a battle of the bullpens. The Marlins used the following relievers: Lake Bachar, Anthony Veneziano, Anthony Bender, Jesús Tinoco, Calvin Faucher and Ronny Henriquez. They combined to allow only one earned run on three hits and struck out six. Tinoco and Faucher had their best swing-and-miss stuff working. With a runner on first in the eighth, Tinoco induced a lineout from pinch-hitter Tommy Edman and then struck out both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Calvin Faucher struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth. The Marlins struck in the top of the tenth inning thanks to a Jesús Sánchez two-out RBI double, driving in Ronny Simon. Sánchez advanced to third on an error from outfielder Andy Pages. Eric Wagaman flew out to end the inning. Calvin Faucher, coming off a lights-out ninth and well-rested entering the night, should've been an option to go out for a second inning of work. He hadn't completed multiple innings in any outing so far this season, but the bullpen was out of trustworthy alternatives. Instead, the Marlins went with Ronny Henriquez, who was eyeing his first career save. After allowing a five pitch walk to Andy Pages, pinch hitter Kiké (Enrique) Hernández bunted, allowing both runners to advance. That was the first sacrifice bunt of the season from the Dodgers. Tommy Edman then walked it off on the first pitch of the at-bat. "Tommy is just a terrific baseball player," said McCullough. "Having a chance to watch him play every day—how much he brings, the defensive versatility, what he can add on the bases, the switch-hit—Tommy's just a really good baseball player and got one up in the zone and hit him." Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera once again struggled. He allowed five runs on nine hits (one home run), walked three and struck out two. Despite the struggles, McCullough was "proud of Cabby." "You look over the line and maybe it doesn't look that great," said McCullough. "It was early in the game, gets the bases loaded, and he gets out of it, limited damage. That was a big succession of at-bats. For him to buckle down there and do that—hits are hits, but there were some guys that just found holes and that's jut part of it. I think as a whole, he takes it as a positive step forward." Going into this series, The Athletic published an article focusing on how difficult it is for the Marlins to compete with the Dodgers on the field when there is such a massive difference in their payrolls. At least through one game of this three-game set, the Marlins showed that they belong on the same field as the best of the best. With the loss, the Marlins are now 12-16 on the season and will look to even the series with ace Sandy Alcantara taking the mound. This will be a tough task for Alcantara, who has a career 12.94 ERA in four starts in Dodger Stadium. First pitch is at 10:10pm EST. View full article

Fam system updates from the week of April 21, including several notable promotions and offensive players living up to the hype. Fish On First is publishing weekly Miami Marlins minor league summaries throughout the 2025 season, covering the progress of FOF Top 30 prospects and lesser-known players in the organization who are worth monitoring. Each full-season MiLB affiliate has its own section below. Player stats are up to date entering April 28. Triple-A Jacksonville The Miami Marlins recalled Agustín Ramírez to the Major Leagues, which directly led to Joe Mack being promoted from Pensacola to AAA-Jacksonville. In just five games with the Jumbo Shrimp, Mack is slashing .368/.478/.579/1.057 with one home run and one RBI. Combining both levels, Mack is slashing .333/.468/.603/1.072 with four home runs and six RBI. He already showed a plus power tool during his 2024 breakout season, but he continues to improve as an all-around hitter. Defensively, Mack has caught eight baserunners stealing and only has three passed balls. If Mack keeps playing like this, he could potentially join Ramírez in the majors by the end of the season. FOF's #7 prospect, Deyvison De Los Santos, is being more selective at the plate compared to last season. He is slashing .290/.356/.419/775 with two home runs, 14 RBI and a 117 wRC+. The biggest downside with De Los Santos is his career-worst 30.8% strikeout rate. De Los Santos' second home run of the season came in walk-off fashion on Sunday. The ball left the bat at 110.7 mph. One name that has quietly impressed is infielder Jack Winkler. Acquired in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft from the Athletics, Winkler is slashing .333/.370/.510/.880 with two home runs, six RBI and a 143 wRC+. He can play both middle infield spots and third base as well as first base if necessary. Outfielder Andrew Pintar is slashing .290/.338/.319/.657 with four RBI. Although that looks decent on the surface, he has yet to hit a home run while striking out 41.3% of the time. He has been relying on a .526 BABIP, which will drop significantly over time. Jacob Berry has continued his tradition of slow starts. Through 22 games, he's slashing .119/.241/.209/.450 with one home run and nine RBI with the lowest batting average among all qualified Triple-A hitters. Defensively, he made all of his appearances last week at second base. This may be the final time Adam Mazur is mentioned in this weekly recap for a bit. The Marlins sent Connor Gillispie to AAA on Sunday and Mazur could start in that spot during the upcoming homestand. Through five appearances (four starts), Mazur has posted a 1.44 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 8.64 K/9 and 1.08 BB/9 through 25 innings pitched. Double-A Pensacola Kemp Alderman continues to rake, slashing .290/.354/.539/.891 with four home runs, 14 RBI and a 157 wRC+. The most impressive improvement has been the career-low strikeout % of 20.3%. The road to his 20/20 season is still going well, having stolen seven bases thus far. It's as simple as this: Robby Snelling should be in AAA. Through four starts, he's posted a 1.61 ERA, 2.18 FIP, 11.69 K/9 and 1.21 BB/9 through 22 ⅓ innings pitched. His fastball velocity has bounced back to where it had been earlier in his pro career and he is pairing it with sharp command. Dax Fulton missed his last start, but it was precautionary and not injury-related. He is expected to make his next start on time. Through three starts, he's posted a 3.46 ERA, 4.45 FIP, 8.31 K/9 and 5.54 BB/9 through 13 innings pitched. Once regarded as a Marlins Top 30 prospect, 24-year old Evan Fitterer is off to an amazing start. In four appearances (three starts), he has a 0.87 ERA, 2.01 FIP, 8.71 K/9 and 2.18 BB/9. This is his lowest walk rate since 2021. There is extra pressure on Fitterer this season because he is due to become a minor league free agent unless he earns a spot on Miami's 40-man roster. In six appearances, Josh Ekness has yet to allow an earned run. He has a 0.00 ERA, 1.31 FIP, 15.95 K/9 and 3.68 BB/9 through 7 ⅓ innings pitched. He also has two saves. Through 16 ⅓ innings, Adam Laskey has a 0.55 ERA, 1.01 ERA, 11.57 K/9 and 0.55 BB/9. These are all easily career-highs for the 27-year-old. With such a packed pitching staff in AAA, Laskey has been relegated to AA, but at some point should be an option for the Marlins in long relief or even as a spot starter. High-A Beloit Catcher Ryan Ignoffo is off to another great start this season, slashing .232/.308/.478/.786 with three home runs, 19 RBI and a 117 wRC+. No other player on the Sky Carp has driven in more than seven runs. On the defensive side, he's got four passed balls, but has thrown out seven baserunners. A promotion to AA is possible by the middle of the season. Another catcher who is off to an awesome start in a VERY limited sample size is 2024 12th-round pick Connor Caskenette. He's slashing .368/.571/.421/.992 with five RBI. At 22 years old, he can get more consistent reps at catcher if they promote Ignoffo. Top prospect Thomas White is coming off his longest career start, going 5 ⅓ innings, striking out seven and allowing one run on one hit. For the season, he has a 3.31 ERA, 3.03 FIP, 12.12 K/9 and 6.06 BB/9 through 16 ⅓ innings pitched. Noble Meyer, who was drafted ahead of White in that 2023 class, is off to an uneven start. He's posted a 5.11 ERA, 5.55 FIP, 8.03 K/9 and 4.38 BB/9 through 12 ⅓ innings pitched. Meyer is still struggling to throw strikes and it has been a constant issue throughout his career. Up until Sunday, Xavier Meachem had not allowed an earned run. He had been a bit lucky, to be honest, posting a 4.87 FIP and 8.10 BB/9. Meachem began coming back down to earth in his latest outing with two earned runs allowed, but he's been impressive overall. Low-A Jupiter There was a veteran presence around the Hammerheads during their previous series. Ryan Weathers, Eury Pérez and Victor Mesa Jr. all began rehab assignments. The youngest prospect to appear in a Minor League Baseball game so far in 2025, Andrew Salas continues to find success in Jupiter, slashing .275/.473/.350/.823 with two RBI, five stolen bases and 154 wRC+. After a slow start, assuming he may look overmatched, he may stick around Low-A for the rest of the season. On the other hand, Carter Johnson, the Marlins second round pick last year is off to a rough start, slashing .177/.258/.253/.511 with 31 strikeouts. It is very likely that once the FCL season begins, he will go down a level to see if he can get into a rhythm. PJ Morlando made his season debut and through four games, he is 2-for-16 with one home run, nine strikeouts and one walk. He has played in center field and left field so far. Starlyn Caba was placed on the 7-day injured last after suffering a left thumb sprain, per our own Isaac Azout. He was slashing .200/.431/.200/.631 with three RBI, six stolen bases and a 116 wRC+ prior to the injury. He had been splitting time between shortstop and second base. Abrahan Ramírez, who was one of three players acquired in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, is off to a nice start, slashing .245/.406/.347/.753 with 13 RBI and a 128 wRC+. He's been primarily at third base and DH. Next Up (April 29-May 4) Triple-A Jacksonville at Durham Double-A Pensacola at Birmingham High-A Beloit at Peoria Low-A Jupiter at Fort Myers View full article

Miami Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez speaks with the media at loanDepot park after Tuesday's win (accompanied by interpreter Luis Dorante). Through his first two career games, Ramírez has gone 5-for-6 with two walks. View full video

The recent call-up continues to mash MLB pitching and the Marlins are now riding their longest winning streak of the 2025 season. MIAMI, FL—Agustín Ramírez has only played two games in the majors leagues and he has already made history. The rookie backstop was key in the Marlins' 4-3 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. One of the three players that the Marlins acquired from the New York Yankees in exchange for Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ramírez finished the night going 3-for-3 with a walk and RBI. "There's certainly a real talent level," said manager Clayton McCullough. "There's real bat speed, real impact. You're never sure how a young player is going to come in right away and respond to the major league level. His calmness in his plate appearances, what he's swinging at, he's firing at the right pitches and there's a real aggressive approach there and a real threat." Ramírez is well known for his offensive tools, his power standing out the most. Through eight plate appearances, he's hit three balls with an exit velocity of over 100 mph, most notably his third hit of the night in the bottom of the eighth inning. That made him the first player in franchise history with five hits through two games—he surpassed Dane Myers (2023), Mike Redmond (1998) and Ryan Jackson (1998), who each had four hits through two games. The one ongoing concern with Ramírez is his defense. Although the Reds didn't come out on top, they stole four bases, with the speedy Elly De La Cruz accounting for two of them. Ramírez also nearly gave the Reds a free baserunner when he dropped a called third strike and rushed the throw to first base. MnJPR3pfWGw0TUFRPT1fQmxCV1YxQlNVVlFBQVFjSEJRQUhCRlVDQUZrSEFnUUFCUUFCQ1ZWV0J3QlZBRkJS.mp4 "He did well both nights receiving the ball," said McCullough. "Thought he really handled both Max (Meyer) and (Edward Cabrera) very well. His ability within the game, talking with our pitchers and coaches as they set up the next inning and to be able to follow the game plan, he's done a very good job in that regard. Had some good blocks again tonight and then some aspects of the game, he'll just have to continue to work on." Cabrera, who struggled in his last start, was better on Tuesday, going five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, two walks and struck out seven. His sinker averaged 97.3 mph and topped out at 98.9 mph, and although he didn't get many whiffs, he trusted his stuff in the zone. Overall, 50 of his 87 pitches landed for strikes, including going 13-for-22 on first-pitch strikes. "His breaking balls were outstanding," said McCullough. "The curveball and slider he had going on. We talk a lot about the changeup and the velo. He was just in and around the zone so effectively. Managed his pitch count very well. This was a really good version of Cabrera." In the top of the third inning, Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte hit his second home run of the season, 431 feet to left field. That was Marte's second home run of the season and it tied the game at 1-1. In the top of the fifth, Cabrera surrendered a go-ahead RBI double to TJ Friedl to make it 2-1. The Marlins starter went in for the sixth inning, but was unable to record an out. Elly De La Cruz smacked a leadoff base hit to center field and immediately stole second. Cabrera walked Austin Hays to end his outing. Anthony Veneziano entered in relief of Cabrera. With runners on first and second, De La Cruz stole his ninth base of the season, which then set up a sac fly, giving the Reds a 3-1 lead. Miami's comeback began in the bottom of the sixth. Ramírez torched a ball 106.7 mph down the third base line, going all the way to the corner in left field, scoring Eric Wagaman all the way from first base. Otto Lopez drove in the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning and Xavier Edwards drove in Lopez with the help of a Graham Ashcraft throwing error to take a 4-3 lead. 25d9eabd-3c8fd76f-b2e53c92-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 With the win, the Marlins are now 11-12 on the season and will have Sandy Alcantara take the mound for the series finale Wednesday at 1:10 pm. The Marlins will look for their first series sweep of the 2025 season on getaway day. View full article

Let's check in on how the Arraez deals have worked out for the Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres so far. The Miami Marlins made one of the most interesting trades of the 2022-23 MLB offseason when they sent starting pitcher Pablo López, infield prospect Jose Salas and outfield prospect Byron Chourio to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Luis Arraez. Still only 25 years old at the time, Arraez had just won the American League batting title. The next season, he went on to easily win the NL batting title, 17 points ahead of the next-best qualified hitter. That would prove to be Arraez's only full season in Miami. On May 4, 2024, the Marlins flipped him to the San Diego Padres. They ate most of his remaining salary and received four minor leaguers in return: outfielders Dillon Head and Jakob Marsee, first baseman Nathan Martorella and reliever Woo-Suk Go. The strange timing of this one—barely a month into the regular season—made it the center of the baseball world's attention. Yet another batting title followed. These trades are still fresh and we will have to wait several more years to determine who ultimately "won" them, but it is worth taking a moment to update how things are progressing so far. Marlins perspective Going into 2023, it was evident that the Marlins needed to acquire a bat via free agency or trade that would bolster their lineup. They had pitching to spare that would keep them in games, but to win, you need to score runs. It was well known that López was available—they came very close to moving him at the 2022 trade deadline. At the time, this trade was viewed as an overpay by the Marlins and a risky one. Their farm system was, at best, middle of the pack in terms of talent. Trading Salas and Chourio only made matters worse. Arraez came to Miami as a clear offensive upgrade, but the Marlins were also counting on him to improve his play at second base and tap into a little bit more power. In his lone full season with the organization, he succeeded in both areas. Arraez had a career year, slashing .354/.393/.469/.861 with ten home runs (career-high), 69 RBI (career-high), 3.3 fWAR (career-high) and a 128 OPS+ (matching career-high). He was named to the National League All-Star team and became the first player to ever hit for the cycle in a Marlins uniform. Arraez had four defensive runs saved, a .933 fielding percentage and led National League second basemen with 93 double plays turned. He finished eighth in National League MVP voting and was a fan favorite in Miami. The Marlins posted an 84-78 record, reaching the postseason for the first time in a full season since 2003, but were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a successful season for the Marlins, but the momentum did not carry over to 2024 whatsoever. Principal owner Bruce Sherman and general manager Kim Ng mutually parted ways after the postseason. Peter Bendix was hired as the president of baseball operations. During spring training, Arraez publicly expressed his desire to sign a contract extension with the Marlins. Bendix never made a formal offer to him. Instead, 33 games into a dismal season, Arraez was traded to the Padres. Waiver claim Otto Lopez has taken over Arraez's spot at second base. Despite hitting for a much lower average, he has produced more value overall thanks to a great glove. Lopez won't reach free agency until after the 2029 season. The prospect performances have been a mixed bag. Dillon Head (Fish On First's #9 prospect) suffered a hip injury almost immediately after the trade. The athletic former first-round draft pick is back on the field this season and slashing .224/.298/.408/.706 with a 94 wRC+ in 13 games with Low-A Jupiter. Jakob Marsee (FOF #24) is closest to the majors. He leads the International League with 16 stolen bases. He's slashing .239/.420/.448/.868 in 21 games with Triple-A Jacksonville. Nathan Martorella finds himself repeating Double-A and is slashing .178/.315/.244/.559 with only five RBIs in 13 games. Woo-Suk Go is hurt and the Marlins had no expectations for him to begin with. Go struggled between AA and AAA last season. Minnesota Twins perspective The Twins were coming off a 78-84 season in 2022, missing the postseason. Their offense ranked 13th in fWAR and 10th in wRC+. Pitching on the other hand was an issue, ranking 20th in fWAR, 19th in ERA and 20th in K/9. They needed to add an arm and were able to move off of a bat. The Marlins and Twins were perfect trade partners. Arraez was at the peak of his value coming off a season where he was an AL All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner while still having three years of club control left. They felt that they could fill his shoes with homegrown infielders including Royce Lewis, José Miranda and Edouard Julien. Within the first month of the 2023 season, López agreed to a four-year, $73.5 million contract extension with Minnesota that ran through his age-31 season. The extension has looked like a good investment for the most part. Overall in 2023, López posted a 3.66 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 10.9 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in a career-high 194 innings pitched. He was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game. The Twins won the AL Central division with an 87-75 record. López led them to a Game 1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card Series, which snapped the franchise's 18-game postseason losing streak. He was even better against the Houston Astros in the ALCS, going seven shutout innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. In 2024, Lopez regressed a bit, posting a 4.08 ERA in 185 ⅓ innings pitched. He got off to a great start in 2025, but he's been out for two weeks due to a hamstring strain. Meanwhile, the team has been a major disappointment early on, going 7-15. It's the second-worst record among AL teams ahead of only the Chicago White Sox. The prospects involved in the initial Arraez trade are still far away from potentially reaching the majors. Jose Salas was dealt coming off a solid season between Low-A and High-A. He was playing a lot of shortstop, stealing bases efficiently and received an invitation to the Arizona Fall League as a 19-year-old. Ever since the trade, his bat hasn't developed as hoped. In 195 games with High-A Cedar Rapids, he is slashing .209/.275/.301/.577 with eight home runs, 38 stolen bases and a 68 wRC+. Salas was used a utility player in 2024, making starts at six different defensive positions. He's currently on the IL. As for Chourio, he is repeating Low-A after struggling in 2024. Through 13 games this season, he is slashing .293/.509/.317/.826 thanks to an incredibly high walk rate. Neither Salas nor Chourio rank among the top 20 Twins prospects, according to Twins Daily. They are also both unranked on the latest Baseball America and MLB Pipeline Twins top 30 lists. San Diego Padres perspective It was easy for the Padres to pull the trigger on acquiring Arraez. There was heavy pressure on them to contend, it barely cost them any money and none of prospects they gave up were ready to contribute in the big leagues. Arraez debuted with a 4-for-6 game and served as San Diego's leadoff hitter for the rest of 2024. The Padres went 76-51 with him on the roster, which was the third-highest winning percentage in MLB during that span. They swept the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series, but were eliminated by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. Arraez did not make an impact in October, slashing .226/.226/.226/.452 in seven games. In 139 total regular season games as a Padre, Arraez is slashing .313/.344/.402/.746 with a 112 wRC+, which is below his career norms. He is making more contact than ever (3.2 K%), but also rarely drawing walks (3.4 BB%). The 28-year-old has also made the position switch to first base. Arraez was involved in a scary collision last Sunday while hustling down the first base line. He's been placed on the 7-day IL with a concussion, but he is not expected to miss much time. The Padres continue to enjoy team success in 2025. They enter Tuesday with a 16-7 record. Arraez, a pending free agent, is likely to spend the rest of the season in San Diego. Beyond that, though, he may wind up moving to his fourth team in as many years considering the team's existing long-term payroll commitments. Who's the winner? The Padres have the clearest path to "winning" the Arraez trade tree if he helps them capture their first-ever World Series title. However, any way you break it down, they have gotten the worst version of Arraez in terms of individual production. It depends how you value intangibles—"La Regadera" is one of the most beloved teammates in the sport. Arraez was absolutely essential to the 2023 Marlins and he will continue to be appreciated by the fanbase. Unpopular as it would have been, the front office probably regrets not trading him away during the 2023-24 offseason when there were more teams to negotiate with. Things have gone downhill for the Twins since 2023. Still, López is an extraordinary clubhouse leader and community ambassador as well. They're grateful to have him leading their starting rotation long term. 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Miami Marlins right-hander Max Meyer speaks with the media at loanDepot park after punching out 14 Cincinnati Reds batters over six scoreless innings in Monday's win. View full video

Making his MLB debut, Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez was behind the plate for Meyer's special night and contributed two hits. MIAMI, FL—Max Meyer mania may have peaked in Monday night's 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds as the right-hander recorded one of the highest strikeout totals in franchise history. Making his Major League debut behind the plate, Agustín Ramírez called a great game and immediately showed his offensive potential. Meyer became the first MLB pitcher this season and just the eighth in Marlins history to strike out 14 batters in a game. The Minnesota native joined the late José Fernández (July 28, 2016) as the only Marlins starters to ever reach 10 strikeouts within the first four innings. It was also Meyer's fourth straight quality start—nobody else on Miami's staff has produced even one. "Gross," said manager Clayton McCullough to begin his postgame press conference. "That's a good start against a good offensive club...You could tell he was in control right from beginning. I think he had everything working. The fastball played well, had the hard breaking ball, he could strike with the sweeper, threw some really good changeups. It was his ability to strike with so many pitches and then able to get below the zone as well to get swing-and-miss. It was really fun to sit back and watch him just cruise along." Per usual, Meyer relied on his slider, using it 43% of the time to generate 16 whiffs and 11 strikeouts. The other three came on changeups. Following his start, he is now tied with Zack Wheeler for the second-most strikeouts (41) in the National League, only trailing MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals (45). "You have five starts a year that everything feels like it's clicking and every pitch is doing exactly what you want it to do," said Meyer. "You get strike one and then you can just play around after, so yeah, I hope to watch the video and keep trying to do that every single start." Fish On First's number three prospect Agustín Ramírez was hitting sixth and behind the plate after being called up from Triple-A Jacksonville the night before. He finished Monday's game going 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base while calling the pitches for Meyer. "Gus was terrific," said McCullough. "He really received the low ball well, had some really good blocks with two strikes. They seem to be in sync there and they had a great conversation between innings with (pitching coach) Daniel (Moskos) setting up the next inning. Gus kept a good rhythm and tempo, followed Max along well." The lone left-handed batter in the Marlins lineup, Jesús Sánchez, drove in the first run of the game off Reds starter Nick Lodolo. His RBI single to center field in the bottom of the first inning scored Otto Lopez. Designated hitter Ronny Simon, who was also making his Major League debut, drove Ramírez in on an RBI single up the middle, giving the Fish a 2-0 lead. Eric Wagaman extended his hit streak to a career-high nine games with his third home run of the season to make it 3-0. The ball left his bat at 104.9 mph and went 407 feet to dead center. The free agent signing has rebounded from an early slump to be a reliable bat for his new club. "This is a really good version of Wagaman," said McCullough. "I think we all believe in Wag's chance to be a solid offensive player. He's hitting righties and lefties, putting together good at-bats. Right now he's on time, balanced, using the whole field, so hoping for more to come from Eric." ZzY4b0RfWGw0TUFRPT1fVkFBSFUxWlZWd01BRHdaWFZRQUhCd2NGQUZrTlVsQUFVRkJUQWxkVEFBRUFBd1ZW.mp4 Kyle Stowers pinch-hit for Dane Myers in the bottom of the seventh inning and took Reds reliever Alexis Díaz deep for a three-run shot to left field, breaking the game open with a 6-0 lead. It marked Stowers' first career pinch-hit home run and the second of the season for the Marlins, with Matt Mervis doing it on April 13 against the Washington Nationals. The Marlins have now won back-to-back games and are 10-12 on the season and will send Edward Cabrera to the mound for game two of this three-game set. First pitch on Tuesday is at 6:40 pm. View full article

The organization's top catching prospect is making his way to Miami. Per FanDuel Sports Network's Craig Mish, the Miami Marlins are calling up catcher Agustín Ramírez. He will join the team for their upcoming series against the Cincinnati Reds. Fish On First's number three prospect was one of three players acquired from the New York Yankees in last year's Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade. In 2024 while playing at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, Ramirez slashed .267/.358/.487/.845 with 25 home runs, 93 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 126 games. He is off to a solid start to 2025 with AAA-Jacksonville, slashing .254/.313/.479/.792 with three home runs, 12 RBI and five steals. The one downside offensively has been an increase in strikeout rate from 18.6% in 2024 to 23.8% in 2025. Ramírez, 23, has been in the minors deep enough into the season that the Marlins' club control of him now runs through 2031. The big question about Ramírez's future is his defense. Although there was improvement seen throughout spring training, he is still having issues receiving the ball (seven passed balls this season) and transferring it on stolen base attempts (22 SB allowed). Despite that, the Jumbo Shrimp have used him exclusively as a catcher on defense. Rob Brantly exited Sunday's game due to right shoulder discomfort. Ramírez is already on the Marlins 40-man roster. Placing Brantly on the 10-day IL is the likely corresponding move to get him on the 26-man active roster. Ramírez will split time behind the plate with fellow rookie Liam Hicks until Nick Fortes recovers from his oblique strain. View full article

One of the bright spots on a youthful Marlins team, the rookie outfielder will be sidelined until midseason, if not longer. It looked bad in the moment and that turned out to be the case. The Miami Marlins have placed Griffin Conine on the 60-day injured list after he dislocated his left shoulder sliding into second base during Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Ronny Simon had his contract selected from Triple-A Jacksonville and will replace Conine on the 26-man roster. "I'm doing as well as I could be given the circumstances," Conine told the media on Sunday morning. "I've already heard from tons of people, just reaching out to support. That obviously feels good and it helps." He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury. Conine made his MLB debut on August 26, 2024 and showed enough in a 30-game sample to stick on the Marlins 40-man roster throughout the offseason. He entered spring training competing for a spot in Miami's outfield, which he earned after continuing to contribute both offensively and defensively. He was the starting right fielder on Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Through 20 games in 2025, Conine is slashing .281/.352/.438/.790 with one home run, seven RBI and a 120 wRC+. After striking out over 30% of the time in the minor leagues, he's now striking out at a career-low 26.8% rate. He also made one of the season's most memorable defensive plays by robbing Jack Suwinski of a go-ahead home run on March 29. Even when veteran outfielder Jesús Sánchez returned from injury recently, Conine still forced his way into the lineup on a daily basis. Conine will not be eligible for reinstatement until June 19. Earlier in the week, the Marlins also lost Derek Hill to a left wrist sprain. The combination of these injuries allows Kyle Stowers to continue playing every day while leading to more opportunities for Dane Myers and Javier Sanoja. Ronny Simon was off to a phenomenal start at AAA. He is slashing .354/.441/.521/.962 with one home run, nine RBI and a 165 wRC+. Similar to Sanoja, Simon can provide versatility having played second base, third base and shortstop as well as the corner outfield spots. On the topic of roster moves, the Marlins designated Patrick Monteverde for assignment and selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Cade Gibson, who like Simon, would be making his Major League debut. The Marlins look to snap a five-game losing skid on Easter Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies, who will send Jesús Luzardo to face his former team. First pitch is at 1:35 pm. View full article