Kevin Barral

Final score: VEN 4, CW 2 Venezuela was able to limit Curacao's strong lineup to just two runs and the bullpen itself didn't allow a single run. MIAMI, FL—Game one on day three of the 2024 Caribbean Series turned out to be a close contest as Curacao took on Ozzie Guillen and the Tiburones de La Guaira. After a first-inning home run from Venezuela gave them an early 2-0 lead, they led the rest of the way in beating Curacao, 4-2. Venezuela vs. Curacao box score and play-by-play On the mound for Curacao, Scott Prins got off to a tough start, allowing a single to lead-ff hitter Alexi Amarista. After Wilfredo Tovar flew out, Prins surrendered a two-run shot to right fielder Ramon Flores which left the bat at 99.9 miles per hour and went 359 feet into the air. That gave the Tiburones an early 2-0 lead. Prins would only go 2 ⅓ innings in his start, allowing two more runs in the top of the third inning. Prins walked two and gave up a single to set up Yasiel Puig up with one out. Puig drew a walk on a full count, driving in Ehire Adrianza, who Prins walked earlier. The second run for Venezuela would come in with Wilson Ramos up at the plate as he grounded into a force out. That allowed Wilfredo Tovar to score and make it a 4-1 game going into the bottom of the third. Curacao's offense is the strong suit of this team and it certainly didn't back down, responding each time Venezuela would score. In the bottom of the second inning, Wladimir Balentien was hit by a pitch and following a wild pitch, he advanced to second base. An Ademar Rifaela groundout advanced Balentien to third base, where then Jonathan Schoop drove in Balentien on a groundout. Curacao's second run of the ballgame came in the bottom of the third inning. Hendrik Clementina led off the inning with a triple and a wild pitch from starter Luis Martinez would score Clementina in to make it a 4-2 game. Venezeula's bullpen kept Curacao scoreless through the remainder of game. Martinez gave Venezuela five strong innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out two. Between all relievers, they struck out four batters and made their way to a 2-0 record. For Curacao, their first win against Mexico certainly helps them to stay alive in this tournament. Pitching has been the issue. Even with Cody Mincey giving Curacao some length on Thursday, he gave up back-to-back home runs and they have had to rely on the bullpen, which has been strong in the Mexico and Venezuela games. Curacao has a day off on Sunday and will be back at it on Monday. Venezuela takes on Puerto Rico Sunday in the 8:30 p.m. game. Watch every Caribbean Series game in English on Bally Sports Florida/Bally Sports Sun or in Spanish on ESPN+/ESPN Deportes. View full article

Final score: PUR 2, MEX 0 After Alex Sanabia came out early due to an injury, Puerto Rico's bullpen was untouchable the rest of the way. MIAMI, FL—The final game of day two of the 2024 Caribbean Series was a flashback for all Marlins fans. Alex Sanabia took the mound for Puerto Rico while Odrisamer Despaigne stood opposite of him for México. The two pitching staffs combined to allow only one extra-base hit in what was the lowest-scoring game of the tournament thus far. Both starters had familiarity with pitching at LoanDepot Park. They spent three seasons each with the Marlins at the major league level (Sanabia in 2010, 2011 and 2013; Despaigne from 2016-2018). For Sanabia, his outing was cut short due to a possible groin injury. Before that, he threw three innings, struck out one and only allowed three hits. The defense behind Sanabia was a difference-maker as shortstop Jack Lopez and center fielder Bryan Torres made big plays, which robbed hitters of potential extra-base hits. Through the first two innings, Despaigne was perfect, not allowing a single hit and striking out two. In the top of the third, Jonathan Morales led off the inning smacking a base hit right down the middle, but then, Emmanuel Rivera grounded into a double play and Jack Lopez hit an inning-ending grounder to short. The only runs of the game came in the top of the fifth inning. The inning began with back-to-back base hits, one from Danny Ortiz and the second from Heliot Ramos. A sac bunt from Jonathan Morales moved up both Ortiz and Ramos. Emmanuel Rivera, with a 2-2 count, drove in both Ortiz and Ramos on a single. For Despaigne, he would end the night going six innings, giving up two runs on four hits, striking out four and walking two. He kept Puerto Rico's hitters guessing with a six-pitch mix, led by his 40% sinker usage. He averaged 92.8 mph with his sinker, which is very similar to the velocity he had during his MLB career. Puerto Rico's six relievers combined to allow only one hit. Lincoln Henzman, who threw two innings, struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth inning and K'd four batters overall. México's bullpen stayed strong as well, but it wasn't enough. Puerto Rico improves to 2-0 in the Caribbean Series, while México's hope is beginning to fade as they are now 0-2. Puerto Rico takes on the Dominican Republic on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. México takes on Panamá at 3:30 p.m. Watch every Caribbean Series game in English on Bally Sports Florida/Bally Sports Sun or in Spanish on ESPN+/ESPN Deportes. View full article

Final score: DR 5, NCA 4 Nicaragua was on the verge of an upset win, but couldn't contain the Tigres del Licey offense and the ageless Bonifacio. MIAMI, FL—Although this game had the expected outcome, there was a surprising amount of back and forth between Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic on Friday afternoon. Thanks to the eighth-inning heroics of Emilio Bonifacio, D.R. pulled off the 5-4 win, their first of the 2024 Caribbean Series. Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua box score and play-by-play Nicaragua wasted no time getting on the board to take a 1-0 lead. Center fielder Jarius Richards had a base hit and then stole both second and third, but a bad throw at third gave Nicaragua run number one of the ballgame. However, the game would tie up at one apiece due to Leury Garcia grounding into a forceout that saw Dawel Lugo score. Lugo hit a double in his at-bat to get on base. The bottom of the fourth inning saw Nicaragua extend their lead after Francisco Peguero and Raudy Read both had base hits. Third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert drove in Peguero on an RBI single to make it a 2-1 lead, which was then followed up by a wild pitch to move up Read to third. Melvin Novoa reached base via a fielder's choice when Read made a bad read (hehe) and was tagged out at home. Despite that, Omar Mendoza was able to drive Cuthbert home and make it a 3-1 lead over the Dominican Republic. That would be the final hitter that starter Brooks Hall would face. He ended the night going 3 ⅔ innings, giving up three runs off of six hits and striking out two while walking zero. Just like we saw in Nicaragua's first game against Puerto Rico, their bullpen is shaky to say the least. In the top of the fifth inning, Nicaragua went with reliever Pedro Torrez who gave up a base hit to Robinson Cano and then Ramon Hernandez grounded out, but Nicaragua second baseman Emmanuel Garcia bobbled the ball, which allowed Bonifacio to score, as he was at third base and it moved Gustavo Nunez up to third. The Nicaragua lead was now just by a run at 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Nicaragua second baseman Emmanuel Rivera, who had bobbled the ball that allowed Bonifacio to score in the top of the inning, hit a 387-foot solo home run to give Nicaragua a two-run lead, 4-2. In the top of the seventh inning, a defensive error on Nicaragua's end allowed Cano to score and make it a 4-3 game. Nicaragua was unable to respond in the bottom of the seventh. To begin the top of the eighth, Webster Rivas was hit by a pitch (Sergio Alcantara entered as a pinch-runner), but Leury Garcia dropped a sac bunt to move Alcantara to second, setting up Emilio Bonifacio at the plate with one out and a man in scoring position. In Bonifacio's four years as a Marlin, he slashed .271/.332/.345/.677 with seven home run and 84 RBIs. He had 20 triples with the Marlins and if he were with Miami in 2024, then it would've been 21. On a 1-0 count, reliever Euclides Leyer went with his changeup, which Bonifacio took advantage of and tied it up on an RBI triple. The go-ahead run would come off of a Ramon Hernandez RBI single to make it 5-4. Nicaragua wasn't able to get anything else going and it would end the game. Nicaragua falls to 0-2 in the Caribbean Series. The Dominican Republic earns win number one and manager Gilbert Gómez, at age 31, becomes the second-youngest manager to win a Caribbean Series game. This was also win No. 200 for the Dominican Republic in international competition. View full article

Following Venezuela's win over the Dominican Republic on Thursday, manager Ozzie Guillén said the former MLB All-Star is still a special talent. MIAMI, FL—As Venezuela took down the Dominican Republic by a final score of 3-1, left fielder Yasiel Puig put the finishing touches on what was an electric night of Caribbean Series baseball at loanDepot park. His solo home run in the eighth inning left the bat at 107.6 miles per hour and went 436 feet. The hottest hitter during the Venezuelan Winter League's 2023-24 season, Puig's power is translating to U.S. soil. As Yordano Carmona of Pelota Cubana mentioned to Puig in the postgame press conference, the first-year Tiburones de La Guaira player had gone 1,630 days since he hit his last major league home run. The Cuban veteran was in shock to hear the number, but glad about the situation that his homer came in. "For me, all home runs and all hits are special," said Puig. "What's special to me is that we're here in the Caribbean Series. I've always wanted to play in a Caribbean Series or World Baseball Classic and I've been given the opportunity to play the Caribbean Series with the Tiburones de La Guaira and with Venezuela. They were the country that gave me an opportunity and anything that I can do on the field for this team is special for me." Following Puig's response, manager Ozzie Guillén then expanded on the question and spoke highly of Puig: Since Puig joined the Tiburones, he has slashed .351/.441/.656/1.097 with 12 home runs and 30 RBIs in 44 games played. On Thursday, Puig went 1-for-3 with a walk and the aforementioned home run. He has not played in Major League Baseball since 2019 and doesn't have a contract in place for the 2024 season. Puig and Venezuela have an off day on Friday, but will be at Florida International University to practice for their game on Saturday, which is at 10:30 a.m. against Curacao. View full article

Entering the Caribbean Series, new Marlins catcher Christian Bethancourt (Panamá) talks exclusively to Fish On First about his participation in the tournament and his expectations for the 2024 regular season. View full video

Former Marlins minor leaguer Cody Mincey speaks to Kevin Barral following Curacao's 6-5 victory over México. View full video

Final score: VEN 3, DR 1 The main event of day one of the Caribbean Series ended up being everything we could've asked for. MIAMI, FL—Thursday's most anticipated Caribbean Series game turned out to be exactly what we expected: a rollercoaster of emotions with two good pitchers on the mound for their respective teams. Even while missing some of the players that they hoped to bring to the tournament, Venezuela defeated the Dominican Republic, 3-1. Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic box score and play-by-play The first two innings of play saw a lot of action from both sides, but no run production. That changed in the top of the third inning. Venezuela gained the momentum when the bottom part of the order got to work. Back-to-back singles by Ramon Flores first and then Leonardo Reginatto gave nine-hitter Adrian Adrianza the sac bunt opportunity which was successful. Leadoff hitter Alexi Amarista drove in Flores on an RBI single which just got out of the infield to give Venezuela a 1-0 lead. The Tiburones would then strike again in the top of the sixth inning after Wilson Ramos got a base hit which was followed by a Luis Torrens walk. The Tigres ended up taking out Williams Jerez and bringing in Pedro Payano who allowed an RBI single to Ramon Flores who drove in Wilson Ramos. That would make it a 2-0 game. In the bottom of the sixth, the Dominican Republic loaded the bases off of three straight singles, the second one coming from former Marlin Emilio Bonifacio, and with one out, Robinson Cano stepped up to the plate and on a 2-0 count, Tiago De Silva threw a sinker right down the middle that Cano hit, but wasn't enough to leave the ballpark. The sac fly to drive in Webster Rivas still got them on the scoreboard and made this a 2-1 ballgame. The Dominican Republic had another chance in the bottom of the seventh as with two outs, Dawel Lugo smacked a double to make himself the tying run. Webster Rivas worked a walk and a wild pitch from Silvino Bracho moved Lugo to third, but Hector Rodriguez lined out to Ramon Flores for the third out of the inning. Venezuela put the nail in the coffin in the top of the eighth inning when Yasiel Puig, who is playing in his first Caribbean Series, hit a 416-foot home run that left the bat at 107.6 miles per hour to extend the lead. It had the highest exit velocity and distance of the night. This was Puig's first home run of the Caribbean Series and likely the biggest moment of day one here from Miami. Venezuela would end up taking this one as the Dominican Republic was limited to six hits. Venezuela starting pitcher Miguel Romero went 5 ⅓ innings, gave up one run off of three hits, didn't walk anybody and struck out three. With that, Venezuela goes into their off day with a 1-0 record. The Dominican Republic will take on Nicaragua at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Curacao vs. México notes Sandwiched between this game and the Nicaragua/Puerto Rico Caribbean Series opener, the Curacao Suns powered their way to a win over México by the final score of 6-5. Right-hander Cody Mincey was tagged for back-to-back home runs by Aaron Altherr and Julian Ornelas to lead off the second inning to give Mexico an early 2-0 lead. After those initial struggles, Mincey was able to give Curacao a total of 4 ⅓ innings of work, as he struck out one and just allowed one more hit after the two home runs. The Suns responded right away, loading the bases in the top of the third and clearing them with a triple by veteran Sir Didi Gregorius. Curacao took a 3-2 lead and never looked back. Kevin Kelly came on in relief and pitched 4 ⅓ innings on his own to bring the game almost to a close. Curacao went up 6-2 thanks to three solo home runs, but that shrunk to a 6-5 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Anthony Herrera came in for the save and got the job done. View full article

See what both managers had to say following Puerto Rico's 5-2 win over Nicaragua in the first game of the 2024 Caribbean Series. MIAMI, FL—Following game one of the 2024 Caribbean Series, the managers of both teams, Yadier Molina (Puerto Rico) and Marvin Bernard (Nicaragua), addressed the media postgame giving their thoughts on the first game as well as previewing Friday's games. "We need to do two things," said Bernard. "We need to pitch very well and we need to play some clean defense. I think the pitching was sufficiently well with just a couple moments here and there that didn't go our way. It's just part of the game. We need to come out tomorrow and just play better defense." Throughout the game, Nicaragua had a couple moments where they had some defensive breakdowns, most notably when center fielder Jarius Richards and left fielder Juan Montes collided which ended up taking both players out for the remainder of the game. As for the pitching, Nicaragua was able to rely on start Luis Ramirez to give them 4 ⅓ strong innings, where he only allowed one run and struck out three. As for the bullpen, each reliever only allowed one run in the game. On the other end, this marked the 200th win in Puerto Rico's history of international competition, but Molina is looking to go for win 201 on Friday when they take on Mexico. "Very happy," said Molina. "When you find out about that news and to be a part of that, it's a joy and very happy with that." After trailing 1-0 through the first four innings of the game, Puerto Rico was able to tie things up thanks to a sac fly by Danny Ortiz who drove in Bryan Torres. Molina, who spent four years playing in the Venezuelan winter leagues, spoke about the experience that he gained with those teams and how he was able to use that now as he is a manager with the Puerto Rican teams in the World Baseball Classic and now in the Caribbean Series. "A lot of things that I learned." said Molina. "Winter ball is a lot more different from Major League Baseball. There's a lot of things that I need to learn and like I said at the beginning, we just need to continue to learn. There's going to be a lot of things that come up and you just need to continue to keep paying attention and I think that I am learning a lot about that." On Friday, Puerto Rico will take on México at 8:30 p.m. and Molina previewed what the matchup could look like. What stands out is the fact that Naranjeros de Hermosillo and Criollos de Caguas have the most championships in their respective domestic leagues. "I still remember them from the World Baseball Classic," said Molina, as México beat Puerto Rico in the WBC. "We always know that they have a well-built team and a great lineup, but I have confidence in this team's pitching and offense." View full article

Final score: NCA 2, PUR 5 Nicaragua held a lead through most of the game, but couldn't complete the upset. MIAMI, FL—The first game of the 2024 Caribbean Series got going at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday and featured Puerto Rico and Nicaragua. Although Puerto Rico had the flashier names in this tournament and the overall better team, Nicaragua put up a fight. The underdogs took an early 1-0 lead and it was a close contest, which would end up going in favor of Yadier Molina’s ballclub, 5-2. Nicaragua vs. Puerto Rico box score and play-by-play After not winning a single game in the World Baseball Classic, expectations for this Nicaraguan team were low. Still, in the top of the second inning, Raudy Read led off the inning with a 102.0 mph double and was later driven in by catcher Cheslor Cuthbert to make it an early 1-0 lead for Nicaragua. Although Puerto Rico starter Eduardo Rivera gave up four hits, he made hitters work with 24 swings and nine whiffs. Rivera was sitting around 90.7 and ended the morning slate going 3 ⅓ innings, five strikeouts, two walks, and gave up one run off of four hits. He was then replaced by Christian Torres. Although Puerto Rico had its moments throughout the game, especially in the bottom of the fourth inning, Nicaragua’s starter Luis Ramirez provided length. He went 4 ⅓ innings and allowed only one run on three hits. Ramirez struck out three hitters and walked three. It wasn’t Luis Ramirez who gave up the lead though. It was reliever Carlos Teller who gave up an RBI triple to shortstop Jack Lopez who drove in San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos to give Puerto Rico a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. That run was credited to reliever Jesús Linarez, who left the game with Ramos on base. After Bryan Torres got on base with a single, Vimael Machin smacked an RBI single to drive in Bryan Torres and make it a 3-1 Puerto Rico lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. For Nicaragua, they just weren’t able to get anything going through a Puerto Rico bullpen which was regarded as one of the best in the tournament. The bottom of the eighth inning ended up being the dagger in this game as Heliot Ramos drove in the fourth run on an RBI double and Jack Lopez drove in the fifth run on a sacrifice fly. Each of Nicaragua's pitchers ended up giving up a single run each. Nicaragua brought the potential tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, but couldn't pull any closer. The next time Nicaragua will be back on the field is on Friday as they go up against the Dominican Republic at 3:30 p.m. As for Puerto Rico, they take on México in the 8:30 p.m. slate on Friday as well. Watch every Caribbean Series game in English on Bally Sports Florida/Bally Sports Sun or in Spanish on ESPN+/ESPN Deportes. View full article

We're taking team-by-team looks at each Caribbean Series participant, how they stack up against the rest of the competition and what connections they have to the Marlins. Reigning Caribbean Series champion Dominican Republic is arguably the favorite to win the tournament again. Tigres del Licey defeated Estrellas Orientales in seven games to win the 2023-24 LIDOM title and their roster also includes players from the Dominican Winter League's other teams. Overall, Licey has 11 Caribbean Series titles (1971, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008 and 2023). That being said, we all saw what happened to D.R. in the World Baseball Classic, where they didn't escape the pool play round. Anything can happen when the sample size is so small. Dominican Republic's Roster Marlins Connections With Vidal Bruján unable to participate, the biggest Marlins connection to D.R.'s team is the MVP of the LIDOM Round Robin, Emilio Bonifacio. From 2009-2012, Bonifacio was with the Fish and ended his career slashing .271/.332/.345/.677 with seven home runs, 84 RBIs and a 83 OPS+. He is one of two former players in the Caribbean Series to have played with the Florida Marlins. Bonifacio has been playing in the Dominican Winter League since 2006, but continued to get better as he went along in his LIDOM career. Now 38 years old, Bonifacio stole 14 bases during the LIDOM regular season and eight more in their Round Robin. The former Marlin not only brings experience through his many years in LIDOM, but through his time playing in the Caribbean Series itself, slashing .342/.438/.487/.925 with one home run and eight RBIs. His primary position is center field. Notable Players Pitchers Brooks Hall, Jorge Martinez, Andy Otero, Raul Valdes and Cesar Valdez are listed as the starters for the Dominican Republic . Although Hall has struggled for the Tigres del Licey this season, he has only seen a limited amount of action, which is 5 ⅔ innings. Hall should be a fresh arm for the team and provide length. Despite zero Major League experience, Jorge Martinez is proving to have his best winter ball season posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 18 strikeouts and eight walks in 25 ⅔ innings pitched. Martinez does have some Minor League experience, but has not been with any MLB affiliate since 2019. Andy Otero provides recent Minor League experience, throwing in the 2022 season, but in 2023, he was a part of team Panama in the World Baseball Classic, so he has experience not only pitching in loanDepot park, but pitching in loud environments. With the Estrellas this season, Otero had a 2.61 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 17 strikeouts and 15 walks in 31 innings of action. Raul Valdes proves to be the starter with the most amount of MLB experience, pitching from 2010-2014. His stops at the Major League level were with the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros. He has made 12 career Caribbean Series starts, posting a 3.67 ERA in 68 ⅔ innings pitched. Valdes is the oldest player in the tournament (age 46). Along with Valdes, Cesar Valdez is the starter with most recent Major League action, having pitched in 2022 with the Los Angeles Angels. With the Tigres this year, Valdez has a 3.46 ERA in 52 innings pitched. He also saw action in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, so he is no stranger to this atmosphere. Out of the bullpen, Fernando Abad has been lights out in his 11 appearances, posting a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings pitched. He most recently pitched with the Colorado Rockies in the 2023 season, but has been in the majors since 2010, where he began his career with the Houston Astros. J.C. Mejía has been with Licey since 2020. As he has been doing since arriving onto the scene in LIDOM, Mejía had a productive winter ball season, posting a 2.76 ERA in 16 ⅓ innings pitched. Just like most of the bullpen, Mejía has Major League experience. Joining the Dominican Republic's bullpen is Pedro Payano who posted a 0.53 ERA in 17 innings pitched. He should be a high-leverage guy out of the bullpen. This will be Payano's first Caribbean Series. Position Players Although Robinson Cano is in the twilight of his baseball career, he brings veteran leadership to a fairly young team in some aspects, but when you need him in a big moment, he will step up. His career slash line at loanDepot park is .254/.266/.524/.789 with four home runs and eight RBIs. One of the best overall players in the Dominican Winter League is former Chicago Cubs outfielder and a name that Marlins fans remember very well is Junior Lake. Most notably known for shushing the Marlins dugout when he hit a home run off of Dan Harren, which led to a benches clearing, but in winter ball, Lake has been dominant. In 2023, Lake has slashed .237/.340/.339/.679 with four home runs and 20 RBIs. Despite his many years in winter ball, this will mark Lake's first Caribbean Series. Now, despite a down season in 2023, for his career, Lake has slashed .262/.362/.379/.741 with 42 home runs and 220 RBIs. Expect to see Lake move around the outfield. One of the best overall hitters on this Dominican Republic roster is former Chicago White Sox utility man Leury García. This season for the Gigantes del Cibao, he slashed .340/.406/.436/.842 with 12 RBIs. He should move around the infield along with providing depth in the outfield. Always good versatility to have on your team. The only Cuban native on the Dominican Republic roster will be outfielder and former Washington National Yadiel Hernandez. Through his three seasons with the Nationals (2020-22), Hernández slashed .267/.315/.412/.727 with 19 home runs and 79 RBIs. With Águilas Cibaeñas this season, he slashed .302/.407/.343/.750 with 20 RBIs. He should slot in as a right fielder or designated hitter for the Dominican Republic. Other current/former Major Leaguers on the position player side include Sergio Alcantara, Kelvin Gutiérrez, Dawel Lugo and Luis Barrera. Serie del Caribe Schedule February 1 vs. Venezuela, 8:30 p.m. February 2 at Nicaragua, 3:30 p.m. February 3 at Puerto Rico, 8:30 p.m. February 4 vs. México, 8:30 p.m. February 6 vs. Curacao, 3:30 p.m. February 7 at Panamá View full article

We're taking team-by-team looks at each Serie del Caribe participant, how they stack up against the rest of the competition and what connections they have to the Marlins. Don't sleep on "Team Rubio." Puerto Rico will be represented at the Caribbean Series by winter league team Criollos de Caguas, managed by former St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. This is Molina's second stint as a manager, with his first coming in the World Baseball Classic. This team obviously doesn't have as much Major League star power as the WBC team, but there is still plenty of depth and experience. Puerto Rico's Roster Former Marlins The only Marlins connection on the staff is pitcher Alex Sanabia who was in the organization from 2009-2014 and on the Major League team for three seasons. In his Marlins tenure, Sanabia posted a 4.15 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 5.6 K/9 and a 2.9 BB/9 in 138 ⅔ innings pitched. Following his Major League career, Sanabia bounced around the minor leagues and eventually just stuck playing winter ball. Sanabia has thrown in the Caribbean Series before. In two games, he had a 3.60 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and threw in 10 innings. Notable Players Pitchers Alex Claudio may be the Puerto Rican player with the overall best Major League career, pitching in now 10 years with four different teams. Thus far, Claudio has posted a 3.59 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 6.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 348 innings pitched. This isn't his first rodeo in the Caribbean Series, as he has three gams of action under his belt with a 3.38 ERA, 0.75 FIP, one strikeout and zero walks in 2 ⅔ innings. Since the 2019 MLB season, Claudio hasn't seen much action on the field, only throwing a total of 55 ⅓ innings between four years, including the shortened 2020 season. Despite his lack of action at the. big league level, Claudio has dominated at the winter ball league, as he had a 1.64 ERA in 11.0 innings pitched and 12 games. He should be coming out of the pen in high leverage situation for Puerto Rico. Cuban Bryan Garcia just recently threw in front of scouts to see if he can land back on his feet. Prior to Garcia looking for a new team, he pitched in for four season with the Detroit Tigers where he had a 5.52 ERA, 5.60 FIP, 7.0 K/9 and a 5.1 BB/9 in 88 innings pitched. In his recent showcase, in which the Marlins were present along to watch Yoan Lopez and Vladimir Gutierrez, Garcia was hitting 96 mph on the fastball. Despite his overall struggles at the Major League level, Garcia has been unhittable in the Winter Leagues this season. Currently with a 0.00 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, 10 strikeouts and one walk in nine innings of action (eight appearances). Garcia will certainly be someone that Molina will rely on along with Claudio to have one of the better one-two punches out of the bullpen in the tournament. On the pitching side, the only other player with big league experience is Daryl Thompson who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in 2008 and 2011. He posted a 8.31 ERA in 17 ⅓ innings pitched between both years. Thompson has gone to spend most of his time in winter ball where this year, he has put up a 2.09 in 47 ⅓ innings pitched. He will provide Puerto Rico with a good amount of innings as an opener. Position Players On the position player side, there is more overall experience at the Major League level, but also just in winter ball. This offense is highlighted by outfielder Nelson Velazquez, who Marlins fans may remember given he hit a home run off of Jesús Luzardo this past season. Thus far in the Puerto Rican winter league, Velazquez is slashing .280/.337/.451/.788 with three home runs and 12 RBIs. The .788 OPS mark is the highest on the team. Along with Velazquez, Bryan Torres, who hasn't played at any level of MLB baseball is slashing .299/.415/.350/.765 with 13 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He is certainly making the case to sign a minor league deal with a team, especially if he has a strong showing in the tournament. Dwight Smith Jr. spent four years in the Major Leagues, two with the Toronto Blue Jays and two in Baltimore Orioles, but was never able to fins consistent success. In his second year playing winter ball, Smith Jr. is slashing .269/.342/.407/.749 with two home runs, 10 RBIs and four stolen bases. He should be the teams left fielder on Thursday. National League champion Emmanuel Rivera finds himself playing for team Puerto Rico in this Caribbean Series. During the 2023 MLB season, Rivera slashed .261/.314/.358/672 with four home runs and 29 RBIs. Rivera was mainly a platoon option at third base and just an overall filler, but it ended up playing a big role in the Diamondbacks run. In the 2023-24 season in Puerto Rico, Rivera is slashing .259/.352/.353/.705 with two home runs and 13 RBIs. Rivera should be the teams third baseman. Vimael Machin has certainly been able to get it going offensively this winter ball. Machin has played for three years in the Major Leagues, but did not see any action in 2023, only at the Oakland Athletics AAA level. In the Puerto Rican winter ball league, Machin slashed .288/.369/.365/.734 with two home runs and 21 RBIs. Certainly a positive development for Machin as he gets closer to Spring Training. The final notable player is San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos. Once among the best-regarded prospects in the Giants system, Ramos has struggled at the MLB level thus far slashing .158/.220/.250/.470 in a total of 34 games played. It is still too early to tell if Ramos will turn into the player that they thought they were getting when bringing him into the organization. He slashed .224/.337/.368/.705 with six RBIs in 22 winter ball games. He should be their starting center fielder in Miami. This is a Puerto Rico team that will be hit or miss. The pitching is certainly there with a lot of depth, but this is an offense that has weaknesses. It'll be interesting to see how far the Puerto Rican pitching can take them in this tournament. Serie del Caribe Schedule February 1 vs. Nicaragua, 10:30 a.m. February 2 at México, 8:30 p.m. February 3 vs. Dominican Republic, 8:30 p.m. February 4 at Venezuela, 3:30 p.m. February 5 at Panamá, 8:30 p.m. February 7 vs. Curacao, 10:30 a.m. View full article

We're taking team-by-team looks at each Serie del Caribe participant, how they stack up against the rest of the competition and what connections they have to the Marlins. With loanDepot park hosting the Caribbean Series beginning this Thursday, Fish On First will be introducing you to all seven participating teams. Next up: Curacao. Although Curacao may not be the favorite to win the tournament, they certainly have a lot of big league ammo on the roster. That experience could take them a long way. They may be my personal darkhorse of this tournament given the chemistry that they have together. These players won't forget what happened when their Netherlands team was bounced early from the World Baseball Classic last year, so they will use that disappointment as motivation here. Curacao's Roster Marlins Connections The only Marlins connection that lies in Curacao is former minor league pitcher Cody Mincey. Signed by the Marlins in 2021, Mincey made it up to AAA before he was eventually released. Mincey hasn't pitched in winter ball games this season, but last year, he also represented Curacao in the Caribbean Series (3.46 ERA in 13.0 IP). Other Notable Names The last time Didi Gregorius was playing Major League Baseball, he was with the Philadelphia Phillies and was released and then signed with the Seattle Mariners on a minor league deal, but was never added to their big league roster. The last time Gregorius had a wRC+ over 100 in a full season, it was with the 2018 New York Yankees where he slashed .268/.335/.494/.829 with 27 home runs, 86 RBIs and a 122 wRC+. Gregorius did play in the most recent World Baseball Classic with Netherlands where he slashed .250/.438/.250/.688 with three RBIs and four walks. He would only play four games as they failed to advance out of their pool. Gregorius likely slots as the team's second baseman or designated hitter, depending where other players will go. He brings 28 games of experience at loanDepot park where he has slashed .290/.356/.409/.764 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Jurickson Profar has been able to stay at the big league level for parts of 10 seasons, but struggled in 2023 with the Colorado Rockies to the point where he was released midway through the season. As a Rockie, Profar slashed .236/.316/.364/.680 with eight home runs, 39 RBIs and a 76 wRC+. Profar went back to San Diego and in 14 games, he slashed .295/.367/.409/.776 with one home run, four RBIs and a 120 wRC+. Profar did see action in all games of the 2023 World Baseball Classic where he went 3-for-13 and had one home run and one RBI. He should be in left field for the Curacao Suns. Profar's brother, Juremi, should slot in as the team's first baseman or third baseman. Sharlon Schoop, brother of Jonathan Schoop, will be participating in the Caribbean Series. Schoop slashed .417/.517/.417/.934 with two RBIs and five walks during last year's Caribbean Series (seven games played). In seven minor league seasons, Schoop slashed .237/.300/.332/.632 with 40 home runs and 287 RBIs. Schoop was on the Netherlands roster in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but he went 0-for-2 in the two games he played. Schoop should be used in the infield. Recently retired from MLB, Andrelton Simmons plans to have one last go at it with his home country as he will likely be the starting shortstop. Simmons only baseball played in 2023 was in the World Baseball Classic where he slashed .182/.182/.182/.364 in 11 at-bats and four games played. The starting catcher seems to be Hendrik Clementina who has found success with the Cardenales De Lara this season, slashing .283/.333/.478/.811 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 14 games played. This past season, Clementina was in the Atlanta Braves organization at the AA and AAA level. Between both levels, he slashed .255/.321/.367/.689 with one home run and 14 RBIs. On the pitching side of things, Wendall Floranus pitched in the 2023 World Baseball Classic for Netherlands where in two games, he posted a 0.00 ERA and struck out one. In his last taste of winter ball action, Floranus threw in 11 games where he posted a 2.38 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, nine strikeouts and 12 walks in 11 ⅓ innings pitched. Another pitcher that was with the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic is Kevin Kelly, who in three games posted a 4.15 ERA, 1.85 WHIP, three strikeouts and two walks. Shairon Martis was on the Washington Nationals in 2008-09 and then the Minnesota Twins in 2013. Through his three years, he posted a 5.35 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, seven strikeouts and four walks in 116 innings pitched. Martis has been in the past four World Baseball Classics, all with the Netherland where in total, he had a 1.80 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 11 strikeouts and eight walks in 25 innings pitched. Other pitchers who were on the WBC team for the Netherlands or have had Major League experience include Eric Mendez (WBC), Shea Spitzbarth (MLB), Juan Carlos Sulbaran (WBC) and Franklin Van Gurp (WBC). The only other pitcher that stands out is Jonah Scolaro, who is in the Chicago White Sox organization and is coming off of a season where he posted a 4.80 ERA, 1.399 WHIP and 69 ⅓ innings pitched. He found more success at AA where he had a 3.72 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 10.67 K/9 and a 5.17 BB/9 in 55 ⅔ innings pitched. He also went to Florida State. Serie del Caribe Schedule February 1 at México, 3:30 p.m. February 2 vs. Panamá, 10:30 a.m. February 3 vs. Venezuela, 10:30 a.m. February 5 vs. Nicaragua, 10:30 a.m. February 6 at Dominican Republic, 3:30 p.m. February 7 at Puerto Rico, 10:30 a.m. View full article