Kevin Barral

The Miami Marlins made two waiver claims on Friday, acquiring outfielder Cristian Pache from the Baltimore Orioles and reliever John McMillon from the Kansas City Royals. McMillon was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville as he tries to regain his strikeout stuff, but Pache is out of minor league options, so he will join the big league club. While the Marlins as a team aren't playing for much during the rest of 2024, this could be one of Pache's final opportunities to show that he belongs in the majors. Pache, 25, was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015. Known mainly for his speed and defense, his bat was never truly consistent, but good enough to project as a future everyday player. His best minor league season came in 2019 between AA and AAA, slashing .277/.340/.462/.802 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs. Scouts were high on the young outfielder entering 2020 as he ranked as a consensus top-25 MLB prospect, including 13th on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list and the number one prospect in the Atlanta Braves system. Per Pipeline, he was a 70-grade runner, 70-grade thrower and an 80-grade fielder. As Pache joins his fifth MLB organization, the problem continues to be lack of offensive production. Pache immediately struggled with his approach in limited action with the 2020-21 Braves. Through 24 career games, he posted an extremely high 37.5 K% and extremely low 2.8 BB%. He was too aggressive swinging at pitches up in the strike zone. Even when putting balls in play, the young outfielder has made the wrong kinds of contact: too many ground balls and pop-ups. His career BABIP is only .258, compared to the MLB average of .292 during those seasons. Pache was given a clean slate after being included in the Sean Murphy trade which sent him to the Oakland Athletics. The rebuilding A's were able to give him an extended opportunity to play, but Pache did not take advantage of it. He slashed .166/.218/.241/.459 with three home runs and 18 RBIs. With more experience, Pache has been able to evolve his aggressive approach. He continues to swing at the first pitch constantly (40.3% of the time this season, per Baseball-Reference), but from there, he will work deep counts. It helps that he is being used as a platoon player instead of a starter with the majority of his plate appearances coming against left-handed pitchers. With a career .244 on-base percentage, Pache has rarely been able to use him speed on the bases. Even when he gets on, he hasn't been confident or efficient, going 4-for-9 on steal attempts. By both defensive runs saved and outs above average, Pache grades out as a good defender. He ranks in the 91st percentile of arm strength in 2024. If nothing else, he can contribute as a late-inning replacement. 7eb4c1ba-28dc58ac-bf16aac1-csvm-diamondx64-asset-4000K.mp4 For what it's worth, Pache has found past success in what will be his new home ballpark, slashing .400/.400/.650/1.050 with one home run and five RBIs in 20 plate appearances. That one home run was off of A.J. Puk in the ninth inning last season. Since Jazz Chisholm Jr. was traded, Nick Gordon has served as Miami's center fielder. Expect Pache to platoon with Gordon moving forward. He'll have a chance to stick on the roster into 2025 if he plays solidly over these final two months.

After the Miami Marlins traded away Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Bryan De La Cruz, outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. looked like he had a clear opening to make his major league debut this season. However, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp transferred Mesa to the 60-day injured list on Wednesday due to a back injury, ending his season. Fish On First's top-ranked Marlins position player prospect entering July, Mesa missed a few games in the middle of the month, returning to action on July 20. He aggravated the injury at the start of Jacksonville's July 28 game against the Norfolk Tide, reaching for his lower back after fouling off a pitch in the first inning. Mesa crouched down in pain and exited the game a few moments later. 8ycx5l_1.mp4 Signed by the Marlins in October 2018, Mesa has steadily climbed up the minor league ladder and was selected to Miami's 40-man roster last offseason. The 22-year-old spent spring training with the big league team, though he suffered a minor ankle injury in March. He was the youngest player on the AAA roster when he made his Jumbo Shrimp debut on April 9. Mesa was very consistent at the plate early on. He reached base safely in 29 of his first 30 games with Jacksonville, slashing .281/.348/.488/.836 with six home runs, 26 RBIs and a 113 wRC+ during that stretch. He also showed the versatility to play all three outfield positions, getting the highest percentage of his starts in center field. Mesa slowed down after that, though, including only five hits in his final 45 at-bats. He will end his 2024 season after 80 AAA games, slashing .259/.319/.430/.749 with 13 home runs, 51 RBIs and a 90 wRC+. For the second straight year, the left-handed-hitting Mesa found success against left-handed pitching. He slashed .298/.390/.500/.890 with four home runs and 16 RBIs. He had a 14.0% walk rate in those matchups, compared to only 5.9% against right-handers, contributing to massive reverse platoon splits. Jesús Sánchez will likely be the Marlins right fielder in 2025, but the rest of the outfield picture is undecided. If Mesa fully recovers entering spring training and shows improvement against righties, he'll have a chance to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster and play almost every day.

Through his two starts at the major league level, Valente Bellozo showed flashes of being starter who could contribute at the back end of a rotation. Following this week's trade of Trevor Rogers, Bellozo was brought up from Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday night to make his third start. Bellozo limited the Atlanta Braves to two runs, but a late-inning push by the Braves potent offense denied him of a win as the Miami Marlins fell by a final score of 5-3. "He thinks he's Max Scherzer out there," Marlins manager Schumaker told Marlins Radio about Bellozo prior to the game. "He's super confident. He's on the attack and he's throwing his fastball with a little bit of cut at the top against lefties and he has a good changeup. I think the demeanor is what stands out the most." Bellozo went five innings, struck out five and gave up two runs off of two hits and two walks. The Mexican pitcher attacked the strike zone, specifically early in counts, posting an outstanding 77.8% first-pitch strike rate. Although he didn't generate many whiffs, his cutter was able to get a lot of work done, being the putout pitch for three of his five strikeouts. The cutter and four-seam fastball were also crucial in attacking the zone. The only damage done against Bellozo came in the bottom of the fifth inning when he allowed a solo homer to Orlando Arcia—his 11th of the season—and in the bottom of the sixth, when he allowed a leadoff triple to Whit Merrifield. Reliever Anthony Bender inherited Merrifield and an Austin Riley groundout was enough to score him. "Went right at them," said Schumaker on Bellozo's start postgame. "A lot of strikes, elevated at times and a good changeup. He did a really good job. To think that he didn't even pitch in AAA until this year and now he's going against a really good Braves lineup in August and getting five strong innings is really impressive. Really happy for him. Just too bad we couldn't put it away." "It was a really good outing," said Bellozo. "Attacking the zone, make them swing—I think that was the plan. Obviously, this is one of the best teams in the big leagues, really tough lineup, but we attacked. We had fun and enjoyed the game, so that's good." 8c684b1a-8f6fd635-7bd77465-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Why was Bellozo removed after only 66 pitches? Schumaker noted the challenge of going up against the lineup a third time and the high amount of hard-hit balls (seven). "With the triple and a 3-1 lead, Bender right there was the way to go in the meat of the order, just to keep the lead and hopefully add on runs. But we just didn't add on any runs, so made it a little bit more challenging." To kick off the game, Xavier Edwards extended his on-base streak to 19 games and cleanup hitter Jonah Bride took Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach deep for a two-run shot to take an early 2-0 lead. That was Bride's second home run of the season. Through 19 games now with the Marlins, he quietly has a .744 OPS. Jake Burger had himself a great month of July, posting a .963 OPS, marking the best month of his season thus far. Going into August, Burger has kept it up with his 16th home run of the season to extend the lead to 3-0. Schwellenbach pitched well after that, though, going seven innings, striking out 10 and limiting Miami to those three runs off of six hits. The rookie right-hander generated 17 whiffs along with a 66.7% first-pitch strike rate. The Marlins still held a lead until the eighth inning when Calvin Faucher entered the game. Faucher had gone 8 ⅔ innings without allowing an earned run leading up to his appearance, but the Braves lineup got to him and he allowed three runs off of three hits and walked two. Jorge Soler, who was recently traded back to the National League East, was hitless with his new team until tying the game with an RBI single. Another former Marlin, Marcell Ozuna, drove in the leading run on a sac fly and shortstop Orlando Arcia drove in the insurance run on an RBI single. That gave the Braves a 5-3 lead. With the loss, the Marlins are now 40-70 on the season while the Braves improve to 60-49. Kyle Tyler is set to take the mound for Miami on Saturday with Grant Holmes going for the Braves. It'll be a matchup of two guys who have made starts mainly in the minor leagues this season. First pitch will be at 7:20 pm from Truist Park.

For the second straight year, the Miami Marlins and New York Mets made a deal with each other shortly before the trade deadline. However, the roles were reversed from 2023, as Huascar Brazoban is headed to Queens to help the Mets chase a postseason spot. Miami gets minor league infielder Wilfredo Lara in exchange. Brazoban, 34, came into the Marlins organization as a minor league signing entering 2022 spring training, discovered by them after pitching effectively in independent ball and the Dominican Winter League. In his three years with the Marlins, Brazoban posted a 3.56 ERA, 3.62 FIP, 10.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 through 121 ⅓ innings pitched. The hard-throwing right-hander was projected for an Opening Day roster spot this season, but due to visa issues, he was behind schedule leaving the Dominican Republic. He finally made his 2024 season debut on June 1 against the Texas Rangers. Like many Marlins relievers, Brazoban was performing well leading up to the deadline. He has not allowed an earned run since June 26. Every pitch in Brazoban's arsenal—his cutter, changeup, sinker and four-seamer—has a league average run value or better this season, per Baseball Savant. His main weakness has been inherited baserunners, allowing nine of 13 to score against him. Wilfredo Lara is a 20-year-old utility man who has spent this whole season at the High-A level, slashing .244/.349/.343/.692 with four home runs, 29 RBIs and a 102 wRC+. Most of the production for the right-handed hitter has come against lefties. More on Lara from Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs, who ranked him 29th on his Mets top prospects list: Lara’s carrying attribute is his defensive versatility. He can play basically any position, though as of publication, the Mets haven’t given him 2024 run in center field like they did last year. Lara also has uncommonly strong hands for a hitter his age and can create modest but meaningful power in a short mechanical distance. Lara will likely report to High-A Beloit.

Announced less than an hour before Tuesday's MLB trade deadline, the Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners linked up on a deal that sends JT Chargois to Seattle in exchange for minor league pitcher Will Schomberg. Chargois, 33, was originally acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays two offseasons ago along with Xavier Edwards in exchange for Marcus Johnson and Santiago Suárez. Through Chargois' Marlins tenure, he posted a 3.05 ERA, 4.23 FIP, 150 ERA+, 7.2 K/9 and a 3.8 BB/9 through 59 innings pitched. However, he spent almost as much time on the injured list as he did the active roster. This season, Chargois was sidelined early in spring training due to neck spasms and didn't make his 2024 debut until June 12 against the New York Mets. He hasn't been used in many high-leverage situations this season, usually entering games when the Marlins were already trailing by multiple runs. The newest member of the Mariners isn't a stranger to the organization. In 2021, Chargois spent some time with Seattle, posting a 3.00 ERA and 3.20 FIP through 30 innings pitched. He was shipped that same season to the Tampa Bay Rays in the Diego Castillo trade. Seattle can retain Chargois for the 2025 season as well. Currently earning a $1.285M salary, he will be eligible for arbitration one more time. Coming to the Marlins in return, right-hander Will Schomberg was an undrafted free agent last year. He has has been a solid starter between Low-A and High-A in 2024, posting a 2.83 ERA, 11.3 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 through 92 ⅓ innings pitched. Schomberg will most likely report to High-A Beloit.

Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has already executed two major trades in the days leading up to the MLB trade deadline. His work isn't done yet. Tanner Scott is currently the top rental reliever on the market and reportedly has drawn interest from a wide variety of contending teams. One of the best relievers in Marlins history, if not the very best, Scott is thriving as Miami's closer this season. Entering Sunday, he has posted a 1.18 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 10.45 K/9 and 5.32 BB/9 with 18 saves through 45 ⅔ innings pitched. The Seattle Mariners are one of Scott's suitors, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Mariners are battling to win their first AL West division title since 2001, so they're willing to trade prospects if it helps them contend now. Let's explore what a trade could look like from both sides. How Scott fits in Seattle Scott doesn't necessarily have to be the closer for the Mariners. In 2023, most of his appearances came prior to the ninth inning and he added a lot of value that way. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker would use Scott in the highest-leverage situations, moments that would make-or-break a game. That is exactly what the Mariners can do with Scott while still letting Andrés Muñoz finish games. The Mariners have already acquired an effective rental reliever in Yimi García. That takes away some of the desperation on their end, but adding Scott as well would make their bullpen arguably the top one in the majors. How Josh Bell fits in Seattle The Mariners have even more urgency to upgrade their lineup. They've scored the third-fewest runs among MLB teams this season. Josh Bell would give them some much-needed help at first base following the release of Ty France. Since France’s departure, Seattle has been treading water with a platoon of Tyler Locklear and Jason Vosler, both of whom have been below average in their short stints. Bell has been on a heater since returning from the All-Star break with an astounding 1.274 OPS entering Sunday. He has hit a home run in four straight games. At least in a part-time role, Bell could round out their lineup with some pop and clutch hits, just like he did for Miami a year ago. With that being said, Bell has struggled throughout most of the 2024 season, posting a .699 OPS and costing the Marlins runs with his defense. He's earning a $16.5M salary, which makes him a negative asset. To get any value in return for the veteran switch-hitter, the Marlins must be willing to pay him to play elsewhere. Trade Proposal Seattle Mariners receive: 1B/DH Josh Bell, LHP Tanner Scott and approx. $5.5M cash (Bell's remaining salary) Miami Marlins receive: SS/OF Tai Peete, RHP Teddy McGraw and 2B Ryan Bliss Peete (FanGraphs #6 Mariners prospect) was selected with the 30th pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. The Georgia product enjoyed a solid debut season between rookie ball and Low-A, slashing .239/.349/.404 with seven extra-base hits in 24 games played. The soon-to-be 19-year-old is heralded as quite dynamic. Baseball America is high on Peete’s power (55), run (60) and arm (60), and on the fence about his hit (40) and field (45). In his first full season of pro ball, once again in Low-A, Peete has been steady with a slash line of .273/.350/.396 with 16 doubles, 6 triples and four homers (half of those homers just came on Saturday). Defensively, Baseball America doesn’t believe Peete can stick at the premier position and instead predicts a future in the outfield. “Peete is a plus runner with the athleticism to play multiple positions, but he needs polish. He sits back on his heels in the infield and his footwork is poor on routine ground balls. He is better at making plays on the move and will likely end up in the outfield, where he can roam with his athleticism and long strides.” eVpRcjhfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1VBWUVYQVpWVkFJQURBRUFWZ0FBQTFKUkFBQU5CUUFBQTEwQVZGVlVBd2RUVkFwWA== (1).mp4 The Marlins would be buying low on McGraw. Due to his second Tommy John surgery, he's yet to throw a pitch in pro ball, but fits the mold of what the Marlins look for in a pitcher: plus fastball and slider with a changeup that needs some work. Among Seattle farmhands, he is currently rated the 19th prospect on Baseball America, 12th on FanGraphs and 11th on MLB Pipeline. The Wake Forest product had a concerning 13.9% career walk rate in college, but comes with significant upside. Frankie Piliere, who now serves as Miami's director of amateur scouting, was part of the scouting department that picked both McGraw and Peete. Bliss, taken in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft, saw some time in the majors this season. He posted an 89 wRC+ in 31 games while manning second base for the Mariners. In AAA this season, he's slashing .255/.389/.464/.853 with eight home runs, 39 RBIs and a 114 wRC+. The biggest tool that Bliss holds is his speed. Currently rated a 60 grade runner by Baseball America, he's stolen 30+ bases three times in his pro career thus far and will be able to do it with ease at the major league level if used as an everyday player. His speed allows him as well to be an average defender, potentially contributing at shortstop when needed. Recently, the Mariners have had Bliss try out new positions to expand his versatility, making his first minor league start at third base and then playing the outfield as well.

On Thursday evening, the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a trade exchanging left-handed reliever A.J. Puk for corner infielder Deyvison De Los Santos and outfielder Andrew Pintar. De Los Santos would have ranked eighth and Pintar would have ranked 21st on Baseball America's upcoming D-backs Top 30 prospects list. The deal is official. Puk, 29, began the season as a starting pitcher for the Marlins. When that experiment failed, he went back to being a reliever and has been dominant, posting a 2.08 ERA and a 2.42 FIP. Currently, Puk is riding a streak of 16 ⅔ innings (14 appearances) without allowing an earned run. The Diamondbacks will have him under club control for two additional seasons via arbitration, which played a major role in the quality of the prospects coming to Miami. The main piece of the package is Deyvison De Los Santos. Between Double-A and Triple-A, De Los Santos has slashed .325/.376/.635/1.011 this season with 28 home runs (most in Minor League Baseball) and 84 RBIs. He has homered 14 times at each level while being among the youngest players in those leagues. De Los Santos just turned 21 in June. The Cleveland Guardians selected De Los Santos in the Rule 5 Draft last offseason, but returned him to Arizona. He isn't currently on the 40-man roster. De Los Santos' offensive profile is power over hit, showing a maximum exit velocity of 116.0 mph. Despite his excellent 2024 production, there are concerns about his low walk rate and high groundball rate. He's likely to report to AAA-Jacksonville. Along with De Los Santos, the Marlins acquired Andrew Pintar. At 23 years old, Pintar has seen action primarily at High-A where he's slashed .304/.403/.516/.919 with nine home runs, 32 RBIs and a 160 wRC+. He recently earned the promotion to AA where he's struggled through ten games (.184/.289/.234/.526). Overall, he has stolen 19 bases in 20 attempts. Defensively, Pintar has split time between the outfield and middle infield positions during his career. He will likely report to Pensacola, a very pitcher-friendly environment, and will be challenged more than he was with the Diamondbacks. This trade is the first deadline deal completed between the Marlins and Diamondbacks since 2020 when the Marlins acquired Starling Marte in exchange for Caleb Smith, Humberto Mejía and Julio Frias. The year before that, they famously swapped Jazz Chisholm Jr. for Zac Gallen. The 2024 deadline is on July 30. Expect the Marlins to swing a couple more deals by then.

The Miami Marlins are busy leading up to the MLB trade deadline, trying to work out deals for Jazz Chisholm Jr. and many of their relievers. They are also shopping Josh Bell, their highest-paid player who is a pending free agent. However, Bell isn't performing anywhere close to his usual standards this season, slashing .228/.293/.358/.651 with 10 home runs, 42 RBIs and struggles on defense for a total of -0.8 fWAR. That being said, Bell has a long major league track record of solid power and good plate discipline. He was a big factor helping the Marlins reach the postseason in 2023 (.270/.338/.480/.818, 11 HR, 26 RBI in 53 G). If Miami eats almost everything that's left of his $16.5M salary, maybe there will be interest in the veteran switch-hitter as a part-time player? Packaging Bell with one of their relievers could be a creative possibility. If dealt, this would mark the third straight trade deadline that Bell has changed teams. In 2022, he went from Washington to San Diego in the Juan Soto trade, and then last year, he moved from Cleveland to Miami. Being familiar with the process could put him in a position to be successful in a new environment right away. The Kansas City Royals stand out as a realistic landing spot. They have already shown that they are buyers and could go after additional relievers like Tanner Scott or A.J. Puk to help a bullpen that ranks 25th in baseball according to fWAR. Bringing over Bell in the same deal would gave them a new designated hitter option. So far in 2024, the DH spot has been a revolving door with Nelson Velázquez leading the team with 38 starts there. Velázquez was sent down to the minors a month ago. Recently, the Seattle Mariners placed Ty France on waivers. They recalled prospect Tyler Locklear to play first base for the time being. New injuries to Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford make them even more desperate for offense. If the Mariners don't want to surrender the big prospect package it would take to bring in Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bell could be had for a fraction of the price. The Mariners have by far the worst strikeout rate in MLB this season, while Bell ranks in the 56th percentile among qualified hitters, per Baseball Savant. It's not as clear if the Cincinnati Reds will be buyers, but they could use help at both first base and DH: their 69 wRC+ from those positions combined ranks last in MLB. Bell has a career .855 OPS at their hitter-friendly ballpark and hit home runs from both sides of the plate in a game against Cincinnati last year. Also, he is very familiar with the National League Central in general having begun his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Another interesting fit would be the Boston Red Sox, who are firmly in the AL Wild Card race. Tristan Casas has dealt with setbacks in his recovery from a rib strain and it's unclear when he'll be ready to play. The Red Sox have Dominic Smith at first base and Masataka Yoshida at DH against right-handed pitching, but there's room for Bell to contribute vs. lefties (93 wRC+ vs. LHP this season).

MIAMI, FL—MLB teams have until July 30 to decide on their direction in advance of the trade deadline. The Miami Marlins made that decision long ago: they'll be selling off pieces of their major league roster. Prior to Saturday's game, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker gave some perspective on how to handle those rumors, coming from a former player who was traded during his career. "There's nothing we can do," said Schumaker. "We've talked about it. There's nothing that they can control. They can't control a trade or anything like that unless they request one, which to my knowledge, that has not happened. Unless it happens, you come to the ballpark ready to play." "You can talk all you want or they can read all they want and they're rumors until it happens," continued Schumaker. "I'm sure there's conversations about a number of players from all 29 other teams. It's hard to make trades and to line up with prospects and money and all that stuff. So to try to figure out exactly what the teams are doing, it'll drive you crazy." The one time Schumaker was traded, it was going from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2012-13 offseason. He didn't have to experience changing teams in the middle of a season, but as an established big leaguer at the time, he can relate to guys in the current Marlins clubhouse who are drawing interest from contenders. The names Tanner Scott and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are understandably getting most of the headlines. However, almost anybody on Miami's roster could be dealt as the Marlins organization focuses on reloading their farm system. Right-handed reliever Declan Cronin, who was claimed off of waivers from the Houston Astros in the offseason, has been great this season. His versatility in different spots and consistent ability to generate ground balls has made him very valuable. Cronin's 2.34 FIP leads all pitchers who've thrown at least 10 innings for the Marlins. "I'm pretty much comfortable wherever they put me in," said Cronin. "I think obviously the situation of the game and also where we are in the week, in the series and that sort of thing generally dictates how I'm used. I just remain flexible and always good to go in whenever." The Miami Herald has reported multiple times that Cronin is a potential trade candidate. He becomes arbitration-eligible in 2027 and remains under club control through at least 2029, so there isn't any rush to move him, but his trade value is certainly higher now than it had been entering the year. "Realistically, whatever will happen, will happen," said Cronin. "It'll be 10-11 days from now and there will have been moves or won't be. Nothing that we can control as players. I think every guy just comes in every day with a goal of going to war with whoever's on the roster today and against whoever's in that other dugout." Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix was also responsible for acquiring Calvin Faucher, a right-handed reliever he knew from his Tampa Bay Rays tenure. "The connection I have with Bendix is cool," said Faucher. "He traded for me and he was just telling me to be ready because you'll have an opportunity with the Marlins." Faucher has taken this opportunity and found success, posting a 3.38 ERA, 2.82 FIP, 9.35 K/9 and 4.67 BB/9 through 34 ⅔ innings pitched. In a similar sample during the previous two seasons, Faucher struggled (6.32 ERA, 4.98 FIP, 4.2 BB/9, 8.8 K/9 in 47.0 IP). A lot of his improvements have come through finding a new "mental approach." He also believes that going more to his sinker has been a reason for his success. It's been his second-most used pitch behind the cutter and opponents have hit only .185 against it with zero home runs. Faucher said that "it's hard" to deal with the rumors so soon after finding a good environment for himself. "We have MLB Network playing in the clubhouse every day, so you see a lot of it, but we just kind of stay connected as a group and go out there and do what we have to do and kind of keep our mind off of it that way." The Marlins have only eight games remaining until the trade deadline arrives: two at home against the Mets, three at home against the Orioles and three on the road against the Brewers. On deadline day itself, they will be visiting the Rays, beginning a two-game set on the night of July 30. Fish On First will have continued coverage leading up to the deadline.

MIAMI, FL—The Miami Marlins looked to make it back-to-back wins against the New York Mets on Saturday afternoon. Roddery Muñoz gave them a solid chance by delivering his best start in more than a month. Unfortunately, the lone run that Muñoz gave up would wind up being the difference as the New York Mets pitching staff dominated the Marlins. For the first time this season, the Marlins lost by a final score of 1-0. This also marks the 11th time that they have been shut out in 2024. Making his third start against Miami this season, Luis Severino went six shutout innings, striking out seven, walking three and allowing two hits. "99 (mph) at the top is pretty tough to hit along with a really good sweeper," said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker following the game. "You had a combination of the really good sinker at times and you can go four-seam at the top and the backdoor sweeper to the lefties. Really good strike-to-ball pitch against the righties that gave our righties a lot of trouble. He's a good pitcher." Severino generated 12 whiffs on the afternoon. Seven came on the four-seam fastball, which he elevated up in the zone. The veteran right-hander frequently fell behind in the count, throwing first-pitch strikes to only 40% of batters, but the Marlins could not take advantage. a581c2f8-8d9a6e2f-81145d30-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 On the Marlins side, Roddery Muñoz went five innings of one-run ball, striking our five and walking three. Much of the rookie's struggles have come because of home runs (15 HR in 56.0 IP), but this was his third straight appearance without allowing one. The longest batted ball against Muñoz was a 360-foot Francisco Alvarez flyout. It would have been a homer in 12 of 30 MLB ballparks, according to Statcast. T1Fka1JfWGw0TUFRPT1fVkZKWkFRRldWd0VBQVZwUlZRQUFWd1FFQUZoV1ZRVUFCbEVDQndRSEFnUUVBZ1pR.mp4 Alvarez came up again in the top of the fourth inning and drove in what proved to be the only run of the game. Muñoz loaded the bases by surrendering a double to Pete Alonso, hitting Mark Vientos with a pitch and walking DJ Stewart. New York's young catcher grounded into a force out to bring Alonso home. Like Severino, Muñoz generated 12 whiffs, spreading out his arsenal well with his top two pitches being the four-seam and slider. The cutter was his third-most used pitch, but still generated five whiffs. Left-handed batters had an OPS of 1.093 off of Muñoz entering the game. That improved a little bit on Saturday as Mets lefties went 2-for-7 with two strikeouts, though also three walks. "He was at the top and I thought the slider was good," said Schumaker. "Backdoored it and then he could wipe it out underneath down and in...It was just a really good job by him." The Marlins bullpen did "a really good job" themselves. Bryan Hoeing, Andrew Nardi, Huascar Brazoban and JT Chargois combined to allow only two hits, two walks and struck out four. Entering Saturday's game, the bullpen ranked fifth in MLB in fWAR (3.7). The Marlins had an opportunity in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game after back-to-back base hits from Jesús Sánchez and Otto Lopez. Right-hander Dedniel Núñez struck out Nick Gordon swinging on three straight pitches to end the inning. The Mets clinch their 50th win of the season as the Marlins suffer loss number 64. The third game of the series will be on Sunday at 1:40 pm with Trevor Rogers taking the mound for Miami and Christian Scott for the Mets.

MIAMI, FL—The Miami Marlins' offensive struggles have been particularly bad against left-handed pitching (.605 OPS). Entering Friday's game, they held a 6-28 record when their opponents started a lefty, but that trend did not carry into their first game coming out of the All-Star break. The Marlins got on track and tacked five runs off of New York Mets starter Sean Manaea en route to a 6-4 win. Miami's lineup got to Manaea early. In the bottom of the second inning, Otto Lopez smacked a double which was followed by a Jesús Sánchez base hit, marking Sánchez's seventh hit this season against a left-hander. Xavier Edwards drove in Lopez on an RBI single to give Miami a 1-0 lead. Edwards has hits in 12 out of 13 games since being recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker noted that Sánchez will get an extended look against left-handed pitching in the second half of the season after being platooned for much of the first half. Jake Burger, who had also slumped against lefties entering Friday's game (.476 OPS vs. LHP), was able to drive in the third Marlins run of the ballgame with a 114.9 mph RBI double. That was his hardest hit of the season. Then in the bottom of the fifth inning, Burger took Manaea deep to AutoNation Alley for his 11th home run. It was also his second home run off of a left-handed pitcher (compared to 11 last season). "We talked about it a little bit before the break. We felt like his second half was going to be really good," said Schumaker. "Just felt like he was getting closer. It was one of the best BP sessions I've seen him take and that carried over into the game. That doesn't always happen, but it did today. He's worked hard and he wants it, so I'm hoping that he gets a big second half because he deserves it." In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Marlins leading 5-4, Nick Fortes drove in Otto Lopez on an RBI single. It marked Fortes' fifth multi-hit game of the season. He continues to perform his best at the plate with two outs and runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Edward Cabrera struggled despite the run support that he received. Cabrera walked a season-high five hitters and only struck out one through 4 ⅔ innings of work. The secondary stuff wasn't getting hitters to bite and the fastball was all over the place. "I think we were fortunate," said Schumaker. "We didn't give up more runs because he has good stuff. That's kind of what happens. Five walks and 27% first-pitch strikes. It's kind of the same story. It's just not ideal. Then he gets some big spots and he can out-stuff them and get out of big jams." Cabrera actually held the Mets scoreless until the fifth inning when he surrendered a leadoff solo homer to Mets right fielder Jeff McNeil. He later allowed a sac fly to J.D. Martinez, which drove in Francisco Lindor. After issuing his fifth walk of the game, he was taken out. Cabrera is expected to take the mound next on Wednesday in game two of a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles. Out of the bullpen, A.J. Puk extended his scoreless streak to 13 ⅔ innings (12 appearances). In that span, he's only walked three opposing hitters, struck out 20 and surrendered three hits. Puk is a name that will continue to come up in rumors leading up to the trade deadline. bG55MEdfWGw0TUFRPT1fQUZCUlVGSUFVd1lBQ1ZkVFV3QUFBd2NEQUZrTVcxUUFWZ0VNQ0ZZRkExRmRWQUpm.mp4 With the win, the Marlins are now 34-63 on the season while the Mets are now 49-47. Saturday's pitching matchup will be Roddery Muñoz for the Marlins and Luis Severino for the Mets. First pitch will be at 4:10 pm.

MIAMI, FL—As we return from a much-needed All-Star break, the Miami Marlins sit with a 33-63 record, which is the worst in the National League and second-worst in baseball. With productive veteran players potentially getting traded and a difficult strength of schedule the rest of the way, per BrooksGate, wins will continue to be hard to come by. With all of that being said, Fish On First will continue covering the Marlins daily and your support is greatly appreciated. During the second half of the 2024 season, these are the storylines worth monitoring closely. Trade deadline It's been widely reported and known that both closer Tanner Scott and leadoff hitter Jazz Chisholm Jr. are being shopped as the July 30 deadline approaches. Scott, a pending free agent, is guaranteed to go. The 2024 All-Star representative has dominated as Miami's closer (1.34 ERA, 3.43 FIP, 14 SV in 40.1 IP) and could handle high-leverage situations out of any contender's bullpen. In the final series before the break, Chisholm was moved to second base after being a full-time center fielder throughout the last two seasons. It's obvious that the Bahamas native is being auditioned there for teams who intend to use him at second moving forward. At the moment, the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals are believed to be pursuing Chisholm, with a recent report from Bob Nightengale noting that the Mariners are the frontrunners. In a recent Miami Herald article, Calvin Faucher, Declan Cronin and Josh Bell were also noted as potential trade candidates. Don't overlook A.J. Puk, who since going back to the bullpen has posted a 2.39 ERA and 2.74 FIP. He hasn't allowed an earned run through his last 12 ⅔ innings pitched (11 games). Puk isn't a free agent until after the 2026 season, so there isn't any hurry to trade him, but this may be the peak of his value. Starting rotation changes Trevor Rogers is the only member of the 2024 Marlins Opening Day rotation who still holds a spot as we go into the second half. Sixto Sánchez, Roddery Muñoz, Bryan Hoeing, Valente Bellozo, Kyle Tyler and Yonny Chirinos are among those who have been used to eat innings, but none have solidified themselves as long-term contributors yet. Jesús Luzardo, Ryan Weathers and Braxton Garrett are each on the injured list for the foreseeable future. However, Max Meyer could be back from Triple-A Jacksonville soon. He's performing at his best lately, and beginning on Sunday, the Marlins no longer have anything to gain from limiting his MLB service time. It should be exciting to watch the former first-round draft pick re-emerge. There is also pressure on Edward Cabrera, whose stuff continues to impress, but had MLB's highest ERA before the break among pitchers who made at least seven starts. Position players with new opportunities When the Tim Anderson was designated for assignment, Xavier Edwards was recalled from AAA and has been the primary shortstop. Since his return, Edwards is slashing .378/.440/.444/.884 with three RBIs. Could he be the leadoff hitter for the Marlins after Chisholm is dealt? He'll get the reps to prove himself. Jesús Sánchez, who had been limited to facing right-handed pitching for much of his career, will now have an opportunity to face lefties more often. This season, Sánchez is 6-for-49 against LHP this season. The potential departure of Chisholm and the absence of Dane Myers with a fractured ankle opens the door for the power-hitting Dominican to become an everyday option. Prospects on the rise Victor Mesa Jr. is Miami's top position player prospect, according to our new Fish On First Top 30 update. Through 72 AAA games, he's slashing .268/.328/.454/.782 with 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and a 99 wRC+. He's currently a member of the 40-man roster and can play all three outfield spots well. If he remains consistent for the Jumbo Shrimp, he could be called up before the end of the 2024 season. The 2023 Marlins Minor League Player of the Year, Troy Johnston (#20 prospect) deserves a shot at the major leagues. After a slow start, Johnston is slashing .282/.343/.405/.748 with six home runs, 44 RBIs and a 95 wRC+. Already 27, he is blocked behind Josh Bell for the moment, but with Bell struggling and due to hit free agency this offseason, there is nothing to lose by going with the homegrown guy down the stretch. Griffin Conine (#24 prospect), son of Jeff Conine, has been one of the top offensive players in the Marlins system this season, slashing .271/.350/.514/.864 with 17 home runs, 50 RBIs and a 119 wRC+. His strikeout percentage is high at 29.0%, but that's his lowest mark since the 2018 season with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. A longshot to come up this season because he's only 21 years old, Javier Sanoja (#11 prospect) is slashing .286/.347/.410/.755 with four home runs and 44 RBIs between AA and AAA. Sanoja's 5.2% strikeout percentage is currently the lowest in the International League and playing shortstop and center field well is certainly a boost to his value. He's showing that he could be impactful as a utilityman in 2025. If Scott and other relievers leave town, Anthony Maldonado could finally get an extended chance to stick in the Marlins bullpen. Powerful righty Elvis Alvarado has been nearly unhittable for the Jumbo Shrimp, while Luarbert Arias has gone under the radar. With a 3.25 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 10.15 K/9 and 2.84 BB/9, including only two earned runs allowed in his last 25 ⅓ innings pitched, Arias should earn a look at the major league level soon. In the second half of 2024, individual performances matter more than whether the team wins or loses. You hope to see improvement from young players and signs that the Marlins are inching toward building a more complete roster for 2025 and beyond. The Marlins will begin a seven-game homestand on Friday against the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles.