Kevin Barral

JUPITER, FL —When pitchers and catchers reported last Thursday, one of the new faces in the Miami Marlins clubhouse was 26-year-old Bennett Hostetler. Drafted by the Marlins in 2021 as an infielder, Hostetler was quickly converted to a catcher the following offseason. He made it to the Double-A level this past year and slashed .249/.371/.481/.851 with 14 home runs, 42 RBIs and a 128 wRC+ in his 71 games there. Although this is Hostetler's third spring training as a professional, this is his first with the major league team, which he is extremely honored to be a part of: "It was really cool for me. You get a phone call when I was just expecting coming down to go to minor league spring training, but to have the opportunity to be a part of this clubhouse for however long I'm here is a cool experience. I'm excited for myself and hopefully I'm on my way to whatever spot I get." After getting off to a great start at Low-A/High-A in 2021, Hostetler hit a wall in 2022. Playing all of his defensive innings behind the plate with High-A Beloit, he slashed .232/.316/.358/.674 with nine home runs, 53 RBIs and a 91 wRC+. His production was especially limited in home games (.232/.297/.316/.613 slash line). In 2023, Hostetler slumped badly at the very start of the season, but he received the promotion to Double-A Pensacola anyway. An overall better approach at the plate seems to have been what worked for the catcher/infielder. After only having a 2.9 BB% in Beloit, Hostetler increased that up to a 13.3 BB%. The K% went up just a tad bit. Along with showing more power, it seemed as though he finally found a good rhythm behind the plate as the backup to Will Banfield. By the end of the season, the Blue Wahoos used him as their primary first baseman to keep his bat in the lineup. "Sometimes all it takes is getting to a new location," said Hostetler when we spoke to him last Thursday. "I changed a couple things with my swing, made a couple adjustments to give myself a better chance to be on time for pitches and to do some damage." Hostetler has learned a lot going into his third spring camp as a pro, especially behind the plate. "For starters, I think just how fast everyone throws," said Hostetler. "You see it when you're hitting, but it's a lot different when you're catching. For me, it was just being able to control the pitching staff, to learn how to call a game, the ins and outs of catching that I wouldn't have normally thought of when I was playing in the infield." "I am happy with how far I've come catching-wise," added Hostetler, "but obviously there's still a long way to go."

JUPITER, FL—On Thursday, pitchers and catchers all fully reported to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium (with a few exceptions). Several position players were also working out with the team ahead of schedule including Fish On First top outfield prospect Victor Mesa Jr. who was recently added to the 40-man roster after a successful season at the AA level. Fish On First had the opportunity to speak to Mesa about his expectations going into Spring Training. "Just getting ready for this opportunity," said Mesa. "This is going to be my fifth or sixth year here. I am grateful for this opportunity with the team. I am excited at the same time. I wanna work, I wanna feel like home and I wanna fit in here." Mesa has steadily risen through the Marlins farm system since signing as an international free agent in 2018. Last season, Mesa slashed .242/.308/.412/.720 with 18 home runs, 76 RBIs and a 91 wRC+. Mesa Jr. got off to a strong start with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, but slowed down after the All-Star break. At 22 years old, "The Chosen One" looks to start at AAA in 2024 if he has a strong spring. "Pretty nice," said Mesa describing his 2023 season in Pensacola. "Pretty good crowd there, pretty good season. We just missed out on the last game and lost the finals, but pretty good. I felt pretty comfortable, especially in Florida where there's much better weather all the time, but pretty good." This offseason, in advance of the Rule 5 Draft, the Marlins had to decide who to protect in the major league portion of the draft. Along with RHP Anthony Maldonado, Mesa was selected to the 40-man roster, showing that the organization is high on the Cuban outfielder. "It was great news," said Mesa. "I am not going to say it gives me confidence because, on the 40-man or not on the 40-man, I am going to go out on the field and give my 100%. I am thankful that the organization considered me as a good option, but I am ready for this opportunity." Other outfielders in Marlins big league camp include Jazz Chisholm Jr., Avisaíl García, Nick Gordon, Jesús Sánchez and Bryan De La Cruz. The 22-year-old Mesa is excited to learn from all of them. "Jazz and Avi, I know all of them already, but just excited to learn from everyone. I am here to learn since I am practically new with this, but I want to learn from everyone. You need to learn a little bit every day to try to be better every day, so you gotta do what you gotta do."

Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral are joined by Ely Sussman to react to the Marlins' first pitchers and catchers workout and the trade rumors involving their talented starting pitchers. Can the Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates find common ground on an Edward Cabrera deal? Why does the front office continue to "listen" on Jesús Luzardo offers rather than try to extend him? Is Max Meyer a candidate for the Opening Day roster? Those topics and more are covered on Episode #54. Find Fish Unfiltered 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, Big Fish Small Pod, Swimming Upstream and more. Follow Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com.

JUPITER, FL—The first pitchers and catchers workout of Marlins Spring Training is in the books. Coming off a breakout 2023 season, left-hander Jesús Luzardo held an extended press conference on Thursday about this milestone. "It feels great to be back around the guys, around the whole team," said Luzardo. "Feels like everyone has a nice upbeat mentality and kind of energy going into this year. I think we're all very excited and looking forward to it. I know everyone put in a lot of work in the offseason. We're excited to get out and show it to you this year." In 2023, Luzardo threw a career-high 178 ⅔ innings and reached a career-high 208 strikeouts, earning the honor of starting Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. What was Luzardo's main takeaway? "For me, it's really the health. Just being able to stay on the field and take the ball every five days is what's most important for me. Being able to be available for the team, whenever they need me. That's something that I want to keep keep going and 2024." Catching Luzardo's bullpen was new acquisition Christian Bethancourt. He and Luzardo had never been teammates before, but their first bullpen together looked encouraging and you could hear them communicating in Spanish throughout. "It just kind of came out," said Luzardo. "We're both Latin, but he speaks really good English as well. We kind of mix and match...A guy like [Bethancourt] who's bilingual, it just helps a lot being able to talk to both the Latin guys and American guys, whatever it might be. It's very helpful on a team." Luzardo mentioned the addition of a curveball to his arsenal. In 2023, his pitch mix included a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, sinker and occasional cutter. Trade rumors have swirled around Luzardo this offseason now that he is established as a quality starting pitcher and seems unlikely to receive a long-term extension from the Marlins. Most recently, Craig Mish of SportsGrid and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Marlins and Baltimore Orioles discussed a potential Luzardo trade, but Baltimore was just never able to meet the asking price. "I was never involved in any of those conversations," said Luzardo. "It's just part of the business that it comes with. I love being here. I love being a Marlin. I've been a Marlins fan my whole life. Grew up in South Florida. The longer I could be here, the happier I'll be, but at the end of the day, it is what it is. Whatever happens happens, but like I said, I'm happy to be here and I'm happy to be a part of this team." The full list of pitchers who threw bullpens on Thursday: Luzardo, Ryan Weathers, George Soriano, Matt Andriese, Bryan Hoeing, Max Meyer, Jeff Lindgren, Calvin Faucher, Roddery Muñoz, Sixto Sanchez and Anthony Bender.

Just in time to report to camp with the rest of the pitchers and catchers, the Miami Marlins have added pitcher Yonny Chirinos and catcher Curt Casali on minor league deals. It's the continuation of a trend—like several other offseason acquisitions, they are both former Tampa Bay Rays who overlapped with president of baseball operations Peter Bendix when he worked in Tampa Bay. Chirinos, 30, had spent his whole career with the Rays up to this past season where he was claimed by the Atlanta Braves midseason. After Chirinos struggled with right elbow inflammation, he was placed on the 15-day IL and then transferred to the 60-day IL. He later elected free agency after being assigned to AAA towards the end of the season. In 2021, Chirinos underwent Tommy John surgery, which kept him out for that season along with almost all of 2022. Before his Tommy John, Chirinos posted a 3.65 ERA, 4.13 FIP, 113 ERA+, 7.6 K/9 and a 2.2 BB/9 in 234 ⅓ innings pitched. Most of those appearances came in their starting rotation, so he is potentially another option for the Marlins if they ever need a spot starter, which at some point it may be necessary given that injuries always happen. Chirinos' arsenal includes a sinker, slider, splitter and fastball. Most recently, Chirinos was sitting 93 miles per hour on the fastball and 92 on the sinker, which is slightly below average by MLB standards. Curt Casali, 35, is more known for his defense. He has had seven seasons with a DRS either at the league average or above. In 2018, with the Rays, Casali put up an 11 DRS, marking a career high. He was also a major contributor during both Trevor Bauer's 2020 NL Cy Young season and the dominant 2021 regular season that the San Francisco Giants had. 325aff99-0bd9c1a0-ecda6822-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 During the Winter Meetings, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker emphasized the importance of having a catcher that pitchers like throwing to. Although the offensive profile isn't what you want to see (career 89 wRC+ and 27.6 K%), having someone like Casali is crucial to the organization. As GM of the Rays, there were some extended periods where Bendix had three catchers on the active roster at the same time, so there exists the possibility that Casali could play alongside Nick Fortes and Christian Bethancourt this season. Casali and Chirinos will join their new teammates for the first pitchers and catchers workout on Thursday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

The Miami Marlins don't have a clear starting shortstop for the 2024 season. They have several options who could potentially help at the position, including Jon Berti, Vidal Bruján, Xavier Edwards and now Nick Gordon, who was just acquired from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Steven Okert. But the best defensive shortstop in big league camp this spring might actually be Jacob Amaya. Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Miguel Rojas last year, Amaya spent most of his 2023 season with Triple-A Jacksonville. In 128 AAA games, Amaya slashed .252/.345/.407/.752 with 15 home runs, 65 RBIs and an 89 wRC+ with plus defense. Prior to his call-up in June, Amaya was exceeding expectations as a hitter, slashing .278/.346/.472/.818 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs. The uptick in power was especially interesting. However, from the time of his demotion until the end of the season, Amaya slashed .232/.344/.357/.700 with six home runs and 30 RBIs. Despite his inconsistency at the plate, he stayed consistent on the defensive side of things. Also, his approach was very solid as he ended the season walking at a 12.4% rate against a strikeout percentage of 18.7%. There is a lot to like with Amaya's profile. He can play well at any spot in the infield and his floor is still higher than some other Marlins prospects. In 2023, he slashed .277/.383/.416/.799 with three home runs and 23 RBIs against left-handed pitching. During a period where the Marlins have designated fellow AAA hitters Jordan Groshans and Peyton Burdick for assignment, Amaya's spot remains safe, so the team evidently values him more. For Amaya, it feels like his batting stance changed just a bit after he was demoted back down to Jacksonville. He went to a slightly wider base. It is something to keep an eye out for during Spring Training. Amaya has one minor league option left, so the Marlins don't need to force him onto the Opening Day roster if he doesn't truly earn a job. If he demonstrates that the power he showed in the hitter-friendly International League is legitimate, the 25-year-old could be the answer Peter Bendix has been looking for at shortstop.

On Sunday, the Miami Marlins struck a deal acquiring utility man Nick Gordon from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for reliever Steven Okert. Craig Mish of SportsGird was first with the full trade details. The trade is now official. Gordon was originally the fifth pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and didn't make his debut until 2021. His best season came in 2022 when he played 136 games and slashed .272/.316/.427/.743 with nine home runs, 30 RBIs and a 111 OPS+. In 2023, Gordon struggled in his limited 34-game sample before suffering a leg injury. On the bright side, he cut his strikeout rate in half, from 23.7% to 11.8%. Although there are questions about where Gordon will play, he has spent most of his major league career in the outfield (92 games in CF and 85 games in LF). He can also play second base and shortstop. Shortstop is still a spot that needs to be filled for the Marlins this season. Gordon will earn a salary of $900k this season after losing his arbitration case. He is under club control through 2027 and has no more minor league options. Gordon is the half-brother of former Marlins second baseman Dee Strange-Gordon, who spent three seasons with the team and was an All-Star, Gold Glove winner and batting champ. As for who the Marlins are giving away, Steven Okert joined the organization in 2021 when he signed a minor league deal with the team. Since then, Okert has provided the Marlins with two-and-a-half strong years in the organization. Okert's best season came in 2022, posting a 2.98 ERA, 4.36 FIP, 11.05 K/9 and 4.56 BB/9 through 51 ⅓ innings pitched. Although Okert had success in that 2022 season, his high FIP and walk rate made his success seem unsustainable and that proved to be the case. Okert got off to a good start in 2023 as he did lower the walk rate and FIP, but his ERA went up and he was giving up more contact. The Twins have the chance to get one of the better relievers in the National League from the first half of the season who posted a 2.53 ERA in 32 innings pitched and who lowered his walk rate. For Miami, they were able to trade what was originally a depth signing for a cheap, versatile hitter with nice upside. Be sure to check our on sister site, Twins Daily, for reaction to this trade from the Twins' perspective.

On Friday, the Marlins swung a deal with the Seattle Mariners, acquiring Darren McCaughan in exchange for cash considerations. The addition of the right-hander was overshadowed by the corresponding roster move: designating Peyton Burdick for assignment. First, Darren McCaughan has spent six seasons in Minor League Baseball, briefly seeing action in the majors in 2021 and 2023. Most recently McCaughan was with the Mariners AAA affiliate, where he posted a 5.83 ERA, 6.05 FIP, 8.42 K/9 and a 2.85 BB/9 through 139 innings pitched last season. In every full season of his professional career, McCaughan has made at least 20 starts. Since 2018, he leads all minor leaguers with 707 ⅓ innings pitched. McCaughan's arsenal is comprised of a sweeper, sinker, changeup and four-seam fastball, with the sweeper and sinker being his most-used pitches. He only averages 89 miles per hour on his fastball—that is the lowest velocity of any healthy pitcher on the Marlins 40-man roster. It is worth noting that McCaughan comes from the Pacific Coast League (PCL), which is by far the most hitter-friendly league in Minor League Baseball. "The PCL is a tough league to pitch in," said current Marlins pitcher Ryan Weathers, who struggled in the PCL himself. "When I got to the International League (where the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp play), my pitches moved where they were supposed to move." With one minor league option left, McCaughan will most likely open the 2024 season in Jacksonville.. A 2019 Marlins draft pick, Peyton Burdick just never quite worked out for the Marlins at the major league level. The powerful outfielder had instant success in the low minors. After the 2020 minor league was season cancelled due to COVID, he kept on producing in AA, where he slashed .231/.376/.472/.848 with 23 home runs, 52 RBIs and a 137 wRC+ to be named the 2021 Pensacola Blue Wahoos team MVP. Burdick was promoted that same season to AAA-Jacksonville, but struggled in his eight games of action. He would begin the 2022 season in AAA and slashed .224/.341/.421/.762 with 14 home runs, 51 RBIs and a 104 wRC+ to force a call-up in August when the Marlins were out of contention. Burdick also played 14 games for the Marlins in 2023 when they were hit with several outfield injuries, but spent most of the year in Jacksonville, getting reps at all three outfield positions. The biggest struggle for Burdick has been strikeouts. Even in the minors, his career strikeout rate is 30%. In parts of two seasons at the major league level, he has a 38.1 K%. To compare, no MLB hitter to receive 400 plate appearances in 2023 was above a 35 K%. Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB 2019 22 2 Teams 2 Lgs A-A- MIA 69 312 260 60 80 20 4 11 64 7 7 34 72 .308 .407 .542 .949 141 12 13 0 5 0 2019 22 0.7 Clinton MIDW A MIA 63 287 238 57 73 20 3 10 59 6 6 32 67 .307 .408 .542 .950 129 11 12 0 5 0 2019 22 1.1 Batavia NYPL A- MIA 6 25 22 3 7 0 1 1 5 1 1 2 5 .318 .400 .546 .946 12 1 1 0 0 0 2021 24 2 Teams 2 Lgs AA-AAA MIA 114 491 401 76 90 20 2 23 53 9 5 79 146 .224 .367 .456 .823 183 12 11 0 0 2 2021 24 -2.5 Jacksonville AAAE AAA MIA 8 31 28 5 4 3 0 0 1 0 0 3 11 .143 .226 .250 .476 7 2 0 0 0 0 2021 24 -0.5 Pensacola AASO AA MIA 106 460 373 71 86 17 2 23 52 9 5 76 135 .231 .376 .472 .848 176 10 11 0 0 2 2022 25 -1.4 Jacksonville IL AAA MIA 99 429 364 74 78 16 5 15 58 13 3 53 120 .214 .326 .409 .736 149 8 9 0 3 0 2022 25 -3.6 MIA NL Maj MIA 32 102 92 8 19 4 0 4 11 1 0 8 35 .207 .284 .380 .665 35 1 2 0 0 0 2023 26 -0.3 Jacksonville IL AAA MIA 114 492 420 63 92 20 2 24 74 12 2 57 180 .219 .327 .448 .775 188 6 12 0 3 0 2023 26 -2.2 MIA NL Maj MIA 14 37 33 4 6 2 0 1 2 1 0 3 18 .182 .270 .333 .604 11 0 1 0 0 0 Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Majors (2 seasons) Majors 46 139 125 12 25 6 0 5 13 2 0 11 53 .200 .281 .368 .649 46 1 3 0 0 0 Minors (4 seasons) Minors 396 1724 1445 273 340 76 13 73 249 41 17 223 518 .235 .353 .457 .810 661 38 45 0 11 2 All Levels (6 Seasons) 663 2824 2337 488 621 138 21 111 456 90 31 366 719 .266 .381 .485 .867 1134 39 89 3 29 4 AAA (3 seasons) Minors 221 952 812 142 174 39 7 39 133 25 5 113 311 .214 .324 .424 .747 344 16 21 0 6 0 AA (1 season) Minors 106 460 373 71 86 17 2 23 52 9 5 76 135 .231 .376 .472 .848 176 10 11 0 0 2 A (1 season) Minors 63 287 238 57 73 20 3 10 59 6 6 32 67 .307 .408 .542 .950 129 11 12 0 5 0 A- (1 season) Minors 6 25 22 3 7 0 1 1 5 1 1 2 5 .318 .400 .546 .946 12 1 1 0 0 That being said, the Burdick DFA comes as a surprise given that he has two minor league options remaining, can play all three outfield spots and has some of the best raw power in this organization. It is likely that the soon-to-be 27-year-old will get claimed off waivers when you consider that teams will be able to use the 60-day injured list next week to create roster openings. If he doesn't get claimed, the Marlins will outright him to AAA and invite him to big league camp as a non-roster invitee. Burdick could soon become the latest 2019 early-round draft pick to leave the Marlins. JJ Bleday, Kameron Misner and Evan Edwards were all traded, while Nasim Nuñez was selected in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason by the Washington Nationals. Miami's struggles with drafting and development have led to several recent changes to the front office and left them with one of baseball's worst farm systems.