Alex Carver

In an exclusive interview with Fish On First, Marlins director of international scouting David Hernandez Beayne shares his evaluation of Cuban right-hander Adriano Marrero. Signed for $350,000, the 17-year-old Marrero officially joined the organization on Monday. View full video

Swimming Upstream—Episode #65 David Hernandez Beayne is beginning his seventh year with the Miami Marlins organization, but his first at the helm of their international scouting department. After opening the 2025 international free agent period with 18 signings, he chatted with Alex Carver and Kevin Barral about prospects INF/OF Andrew Salas (Venezuela), RHP Kevin Defrank (Dominican Republic) and RHP Adriano Marrero (Cuba) as well as the Marlins' overall direction. Find Swimming Upstream on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Big Fish Small Pod and more. We've compiled player details and signing bonus amounts for each of last week's amateur signings here. In addition to the 2025 class, Hernandez Beayne spoke about the priciest piece of the 2024 class, Cuban INF Luis Manuel León ($1.5 million bonus). León will beginning his minor league career in the Florida Complex League. This new guide has more on the club's international free agent history. Follow Alex (@marlinsminors), Kevin (@kevin_barral) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Here’s what David Hernandez Beayne had to say about the newest Miami Marlins and the future of his department. Under a new international scouting director, the Marlins made a huge splash on the first day of the 2024-25 international signing period, signing 17 total prospects including 10 who received bonuses of at least $100,000. David Hernandez Beayne spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon about orchestrating these signings and his team’s overall strategy. “We're obviously very excited with the acquisitions that we have currently in place and the players that we've signed today, not just what their potential is, but for what the future holds,” Hernandez Beayne said. “All in all, it was an absolutely beautiful ceremony down here in the Dominican; we also had one in Venezuela and one in Mexico, kind of comprising all the different talents that we have represented within this class. We are very excited with the different profiles that we've been able to add the different players that we're going to that we're going to be adding to our system, and just excited for what the future holds, not just for the players, but the staff as well.” The crown jewel of Wednesday’s inkings is infielder Andrew Salas who was ranked as a top-five player in this class and is expected to enter organizational rankings as a top-three talent. Salas, the youngest of three brothers who were signed as top international prospects, is thought to be the furthest ahead overall at the time of his signing. Salas is the second of the three brothers to sign with Miami; Jose Salas signed with the club in 2019, also earning the team’s top signing bonus in that class. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in January 2023 as part of the Luis Arraez package. andrew salas 2024-25.mp4 According to Hernandez Beayne, the team’s history with and knowledge of the Salas family was paramount in getting a deal done. “It’s one of the things that really attracted us to Andrew at the very beginning. He obviously comes from a very extensive baseball background; his grandfather, his father, his brothers, and the history that we have with his older brother, Jose, being an original Marlin, signed back in 2019,” Hernandez Beayne said. “There’s always been a lot of camaraderie. There's always been a strong connection. We've always felt very comfortable with how professional Jose handles himself." “At his house in Kissimmee, Florida, he literally has a field, baseball field in his backyard. He's somebody that eats, sleeps, breathes baseball and was just kind of built in that way, seeing his older brothers and again, his family in general. From a makeup standpoint, from a competitive standpoint, from a work ethic standpoint, and everything else, we're extremely excited about adding him to the system.“ Hernandez Beayne reiterated the strong ties the Marlins have continued to have with the Salas family since 2019 even amidst Jose being traded. Much of the Salas family, including Jose, were present for Andrew’s signing ceremony. “It was great to see Jose once again. I got to know him back when I was an intern in 2019 and so seeing him again, happy for his brother was obviously a great sight,” Hernandez Beayne said. “We've built a relationship for a long time now, back from when Jose was signed. Understanding the context in which Jose was traded, in order to acquire player for the big league team, it what was best for Jose at that time.” “Ultimately, there is no bad blood at all. On the contrary, it was one of those where the relationship was fostered from that time, Jose was signed and has continued on.” Andrew Salas boasts a present 65-grade hit tool with solid present power from an easy swing and stroke with plenty of room to add more muscle. Defensively, the Marlins love Salas’ versatility. The goal will be for him to gain as much experience as possible with an initial focus on middle infield where Hernandez Beayne believes Salas has the chance to stick long term. That will be his recommendation to player development. “Our intention is to start him at shortstop,” Hernandez Beayne said. “I think the more positions the player plays, ultimately the more flexibility he'll have long term. I wouldn't be surprised if they put him in center field, they put him in second base, third base, just to get his bat in the lineup as much as possible. But the full intention for us, for player development, is to start him at shortstop. We think he has all of the characteristics and traits to stick there and be impactful.” In addition to Salas, the Marlins also officially came to terms with one of the top-heralded pitching prospects in this year’s class, Kevin Defrank. A Dominican righty, Defrank has already made a ton of noise in his amateur career. With a fastball up to 98, a changeup with late arm-side fade, repeatable motions, and the ability to control the strike zone all at age 16, Defrank is already well on his way to a solid floor at the next level. The organization has been incredibly impressed with Defrank’s level of development before turning pro. “He’s one of the most advanced pitchers I've ever seen in my short career of doing international baseball,” Hernandez Beayne said. “We are equally excited with how good our development system is with pitchers, especially Dominican pitchers, and how he's going to further develop an already advanced skill set to begin with. Obviously, he's been involved in our process, coaches are already fully aware of what he brings to the table. I'm equally as excited to begin working with him and getting that process going. I think because he is so advanced in certain areas, he should put himself in a really good position to, for his talent to show up, on the field.” In addition to fellow right-handed pitcher Defrank, Hernandez Beayne pointed out Adrian Peña as a name to keep an eye on. “A guy who just has elite size, still very projectable, very athletic and coordinated, and has already been up to 94 miles an hour for us, with an absolute plus breaking ball that he spends up to 2,700-2,800 [RPM] and just in terms of understanding his development timeline, his age and where he needs to get to, we think that he has one of the highest skill sets of any player in this class.” Hernandez Beayne also called out infielder Steven Herrera. “He's a guy whose arrow has been trending up as well. He's a very dynamic, wiry type athlete that is able to play multiple positions. We don't know if he's going to be able to stick with shorts up. We do know that he's able to be able to play it all over the field. He's a dynamic, explosive player all the tests that we did. Amongst all our players, he's number one in raw explosiveness, bat speed, power. There is a little bit of length to the swing. There's some recognition, things that we've been working on as well. But if it all clicks for him, he's one of the guys that we picked internally as our dark horse to be somebody that can become impactful just because of how explosive and how athletic he actually is.” In comparison to seasons past, particularly 2022, this 17-player class is significantly smaller than what the Marlins have grown accustomed to. Back then, they had an additional Dominican Summer League team to populate from scratch. With both of their DSL teams now established, the club is in a position to go quality over quantity. “As the years have progressed, with more players sticking the system and others progressing to the States, there hasn't been as aggressive a need to add more talent to fill those positions,” Hernandez Beayne said. "This year, I think was more strategic in diversifying part of our portfolio in terms of getting Andrew and kind of adding as much pieces with what we had remaining to kind of fill out the rest of the class.” All but one of the players in the Marlins’ signing day class came from the two most dominant international markets, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. That said, Hernandez Beayne stated the organization has done research and is continuing to expand their department to build a presence in smaller markets. He highlighted the hiring of new scouting coordinators in Columbia and Panama as well as the new pact between MLB and Brazil in his future plans for the department. “Our plans are going to be to cast a really wide net, trying to identify as much talent as possible to see, what makes most sense for the Marlins as a whole. I can tell you that recently, we have been exploring other markets to see if there is any talent that we would want to add going forward. And I think that we positioned ourselves strongly understanding what our process is to feel secure about reaching an agreement with a player to continue with that. But overall, yes, we have been looking.” “It is our plan to add more players, for sure. We always keep our options open. If there are players that pop up and like they normally do, later on in the period, we'll be be aggressive if need be.” The Marlins still have an estimated $570,500 left to spend during this year’s international signing period, which is open through December 15. View full article

How do Marlins fans want to see the organization turn over a new leaf in 2025? We asked. The recent route of the Miami Marlins organization has left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths. From the new front office tearing down what was a playoff team in 2023 to how the team is presented to how their past is showcased and more, even the most die-hard Fish fans want the team to do at least a few things differently as soon as possible. We interviewed a handful of them to compile some of their top requests as we embark on the 33rd year of the franchise’s existence. Keep young stars in South Florida “Aggressively pursue contract extensions with any young stars we may have to show the fans we’re not just going to shop every young star away.” - @TakesWereMade_ In 2021, the Marlins saved a lot of face with fans by inking Sandy Alcantara to an extension that runs through at least 2026 (plus a 2027 club option). Marlins fans had hoped this was a changing of the guard and that the team would continue to spend on players it believes in. Since, the Marlins have balked on handing out any long-term contracts. In years gone by, during the Loria regime, it happened with Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto, Giancarlo Stanton and others. All of those players have one thing in common: they are no longer Marlins and most of the money was mortgaged to other teams. It is evident that those contracts were handed out as a guise rather than a true commitment to creating the next (and first) lifelong Marlins. If Miami wants to keep fans coming back, they will eventually need to show they are willing to commit to keeping players at loanDepot park for their prime years, whether that be homegrown talent like Eury Pérez and Thomas White, or those acquired from other organizations (Xavier Edwards, Deyvison De Los Santos, etc.). Because Miami will likely need to do this very early in a player’s MLB career or maybe even before it starts, they need to develop a lot more fortitude in their approach when it comes to managing talent. The team has started to do this by challenging prospects to higher levels at younger ages. Hope is this approach persists, players get to the big leagues sooner, and spend their best years in a Miami uniform. Since their inception, only 14 players have played more than 600 games as Marlins, tied for the fourth-lowest total amongst MLB teams since 1993. Want to build and keep fan loyalty? Change that narrative. Be honest, front office “I hate how this front office lacks transparency with fans.” - @MC_Baseball10 The Marlins have a lot of conversations. In fact, they’re always having conversations. What those conversations entail, the world may never know. Since the hiring of Peter Bendix, the vague nature of responses to questions from media members has left the media continuing to search for answers and has kept fans in the dark. “Every time (Bendix) is given a question we all want the answer to, he deflects or moves it to a different conversation altogether. We need to and deserve to know more.” When Bendix was asked if the team was done spending following the Tim Anderson signing last season, they were having conversations. When he was asked to elaborate on technology being implemented, they were having conversations. And most recently, when asked about spending post-Jesús Luzardo, conversations were happening. Very little detail in direct response to those inquiries was given. In response to how they were going to replace Jake Burger’s power in the lineup, Bendix swerved away from naming players and/or the potential to explore the free agent market and instead answered with, “There’s lots of ways to score runs.” The refusal to go into more detail on the record has left Marlins fans to believe the team is refusing to be held accountable. Then there’s the half-truths. Everyone remembers Bruce Sherman circa 2023 spring training stating, “We have money, and we will spend it.” They also remember the refusal of the organization to label their current strategy a rebuild. But when the previous quote turns into, “We have money and we will spend it at the right time,” a season later, the Marlins lose trust. “Trust is earned and no front office has earned the trust of fans hence the attendance. How can a fan base on the edge of disaster commit to a team who doesn’t commit to them?” In any business that caters to the public and requires consumer loyalty to be successful, setting proper expectations is key for both your employees and your customers, no matter the scenario. Once the Marlins start doing that from the top down, they will be able to unlock more success on and off the field. Hope is that this practice is implemented as soon as possible. Market differently “They should change how they currently go about marketing (lots of weird decisions there) and give love to the 2006-2011 Marlins.” - @PastyA_ The weird decisions are enumerate and seem to keep coming in terms how the Marlins are portrayed to the South Florida public. As success on the field has been fledging, the Marlins have tried to get “creative” in how they continue to sell tickets. But with creativity has come very little success. The Marlins have been and continue to be one of the least successful teams in baseball in terms of attendance. From a canceled Steve Bartman Appreciation Night (which the organization deemed a mistake after immediate backlash) to actual promotions that seemingly have no rhyme or reason (see ongoing Barbie jersey days, an insignificance since 2023), to the fact that the team will now have to repeat in-stadium bobblehead giveaways for a third straight time due to lack of star power, the struggles have and may continue. The Marlins also haven’t done themselves many favors, forcing the beloved (although embarrassingly remodeled) Billy the Marlin almost completely into the void in favor of a trio of racing roosters. Then there’s the tone-deaf nature of the Marlins’ main social media accounts, which in part have led to the head role being in limbo and the creative team struggling for substance. With the social media manager role in limbo last year, commentary was at best, generic, befitting of a team seemingly using AI to create imagery. In an insurmountable episode of futility, the Marlins in recent seasons have even marketed to opposing fans in an effort to fill seats. This has proven they are willing to commit to other fanbases to sell tickets before they fully commit to their own. To their credit, this season, the team is getting novel. They are offering season tickets at a pretty much name-your-own-price basis with their flex plans which offer 45% off tickets, an ability to pick the games you want to and can attend, how many tickets per game you need, and the ability to switch seat location. While all of that sounds great, the Marlins own a lackluster marketing operation and a park in one of the least desirable and accessible areas of any city, in a market which requires winning over anything. Cheap season tickets isn’t enough. The Marlins must do more. They need to get involved with and stay up to date with social media trends. They need to generate excitement around the long-term success of their minor league assets and make call-ups an event, not just another game. And please, PLEASE, don’t attempt to cater to other fanbases. There are fans here. Marlins fans. Furthermore, many of them are long-time fans. Cater to them and no one else. Inasmuch as there is modern music, an organ grinder needs to be present. Billy the Marlin needs his pedestal back. And we wonder, what is the Marlins’ history-making infield of 2008 doing these days? Create reunions. Create moments fans will remember. And recreate your fanbase. Make the Marlins teal again “Bring back the teal!” - @MiamiMarlins_UK In 2023, the Marlins won back the hearts of many long-time fans when they reinstated the teal pinstripes for their 30th anniversary season. Every Friday home game, the team hosted Flashback Fridays, during which they wore uniforms and caps inspired by the all-teal 1993 squad. The team also welcomed back various alumni throughout the season. The promotion was an immediate hit. On the first Flashback Friday of 2023, with hometown kid Jesús Luzardo adorning the jersey, Miami defeated the Mets 2-1 in front of a crowd of nearly 15,000, a good omen. Eury Pérez made his highly anticipated Marlins debut in the teal jersey and struck out seven in 4 ⅔ innings. When the Marlins wore the teal, the team drew 14,868 per game, attributing greatly to their total average attendance of 14,335. But in 2024, the jerseys and old Florida logo quickly became a thing of the past again. With Nike taking over jersey rights from Majestic came new rules. This coincided with the Marlins wanting to tie an all-blue home jersey into the rotation. Fans had also been clamoring for this to happen. Under Nike’s new guidelines, it would have been impossible for the Marlins to keep each of their City Connect jersey, the new blue jersey and the teal. In short, Nike only permitted a five-jersey rotation and disallowed special occasion jerseys. With the retirement of the red City Connect jerseys, it couldn’t be more straightforward. The Marlins have a great opportunity to reincorporate the uniforms on a part-time basis staring right at them. They must capitalize. Remodel loanDepot park and retire a number “loanDepot should be a shrine to the Marlins, not an empty husk trying to ignore the good because they think they can’t separate it from the past.” - @MarlinsHistory The Marlins could do a lot more when it comes to honoring their past long term. In conjunction with the above mention of the throwback jerseys, the team began to do it in 2022 when they hung larger World Series banners and in 2023 when they built a small museum in homage to their history beyond the left field wall. However, in both cases, nods to their past have seemingly become out of sight out of mind. Firstly, the banners are made of a material that is almost completely see-through. The museum, now, is hardly advertised and isn’t a great representation of the entire franchise’s history; in its current state, it seems lackluster and thrown together. “For some reason they walled off where the old Taste of Miami kitchens were likely because they would have to do a lot of work to remove things for cooking for liability purposes. It was surface level history. The museum at Tropicana Field is better than that.” In comparison, the Rays, who have had less franchise history than Miami, house a museum with alcoves that pay respect to each era in their franchise’s history. It also holds a Tampa Bay Rays Hall of Fame. It is roughly two and a half times the size of the Marlins’ rendition. In addition to its paltry size and subpar execution, the museum has also been at least somewhat deconstructed since its birth. Items have been removed and not replaced, giving fans less of a reason to go out of their way to visit. The museum could be greatly improved not only by expansion but with more advertisement, more marketing around new items/exhibits, and more intuitive design. In its current state, many fans visiting the park may not even know it’s there. The museum exists now as a car that was driven off its lot almost two years ago: depreciating in value with every game gone by; much like the franchise it is representing. The Marlins need to do a better job of keeping their history fresh in the minds of fans, not allowing it to decay. Show me a statue of H. Wayne Huizenga. Show me a model of Josh Beckett being lifted by his teammates in victory. Where is José Fernández’s locker that was previously preserved? Where is his mural that was signed by fans? And why was Luis Arraez’s cycle memorabilia, a moment many Marlins fans thought would never happen, removed last season? Coming into 2024, the Marlins could’ve also continued to build the museum up by retiring a number or two. Recently, our Louis Addeo-Weiss wrote about Miguel Cabrera’s case. A few other deserving candidates also need to be mentioned. Still, the Marlins remain the only team in MLB without a retired number. With Cabrera's playing days finished, it is as good a time as any to put 24 in the rafters and perhaps make him the star of a new attraction in curation. All in all, the Marlins made great strides in 2023 only to walk nearly all of them back. With trust amongst fans at an all-time low both on and off the field, the Marlins desperately need to salvage the ability to celebrate good days gone by and give their most diehard fans a reason to continue to support them. This history belongs to Marlins fans. They deserve to have it, to keep it, and to remember it fondly. This initiative must be saved and kept encased in gold, not shrouded in dust. “If you’re not going to be able to give fans players because you cannot afford it, then build up goodwill with everything else about your brand.” View full article

The Marlins sold on another fan favorite this past week. Here’s a look at the trade return, plus when and how each player could eventually contribute to the major league team. Another domino fell on Sunday morning in the Marlins’ strategy to foster long-term internal success. Seeking to continue to bolster their farm system, Miami parted ways with Broward County resident and fan favorite lefty Jesús Luzardo. Luzardo’s acquisition was viewed as a slam-dunk by Kim Ng when he was swapped for Starling Marte in 2021. There was a lot to like about a fireballing 23-year-old lefty with a wipeout slider coming to the tutelage of Mel Stottlemyre Jr. It took less than a year for Luzardo to start to show off his true potential. With improved control and command, he posted a 6.1 WAR in 25 games with Miami in 2022 and 2023. One thing limited Luzardo’s potential to be a bonafide ace: injuries. In three-and-a-half years with the Marlins, Luzardo spent significant time on the IL, including nearly all of 2024 with left elbow tightness and a lumbar stress reaction. His next game regular season game pitched will be his first in nearly a full calendar year. In parting ways with Luzardo now, the Marlins were clearly not comfortable betting on his health holding up and thus potentially increasing his value at the trade deadline or beyond. He leaves his hometown team with a career 4.15 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.231 WHIP, and 3.08 K/BB ratio in 403.0 IP. What did the Marlins get from the Philadelphia Phillies? How much better did they make their division rival in the short term and will it be worth how much they received for their long-term future? Here’s an in-depth look at the return. Starlyn Caba Caba is a 5’9”, 170-pound switch-hitting infielder from the Dominican Republic. Heading into the 2022-23 international signing period, he was viewed as the 13th-best prospect available by MLB Pipeline, drawing semblance to Francisco Lindor. He exhibited a high floor based on his ability to hit from both sides and to all fields and based on his very advanced defensive skill set. The Phillies signed him for a very lucrative $3 million. From very early on in his pro career, Caba showed two things offensively: patience and speed. In his first career game in the Dominican, he went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. In his first month, he hit .290/.424/.398 and stole nine bases. Overall, he wound up with a .301/.423/.346 slash with more walks than strikeouts. Defensively, Caba frequently put on a show, flashing incredible range and a strong arm in response to any ball hit his way. Caba came stateside this past season, starting 2024 with the FCL Phillies Blue. There, another hot start was achieved. In his stateside debut, Caba hit his first pro homer and walked. On May 25, 2024, he recorded three hits and stole four bases. Through his first 33 games, he had recorded 38 steals. Ultimately, Caba hit .254/.427/.335 while once again walking more than he K’d (34/51 K/BB). That initial stateside production at the plate along with his stellar glove earned him the title of best player in the FCL per Baseball America. At the end of the FCL season, the Phillies had seen enough to give Caba a longer look and extend his 2024 season as he was promoted to Low-A. 9qzxu6.mp4 Though his defense persisted and proved it could play up to full-season levels, Caba struggled to find contact against more advanced stuff. He hit just .189 with a lowly .207 BABIP. That said, he was playing against competition nearly three years his elder as one of the youngest players on the circuit. Caba’s hit tool is still quite raw but is very projectable due to his ability to stay patient. By a continuance of added size and strength as well as more experience, better bat paths and better contact rates, there’s a ton of upside here via an already present quiet, quick-twitch approach. Defensively, Caba is already nearing MLB readiness. He shows extremely intuitive reads off the bat, goes to both sides of the field, has lightning quick hands, and overall, exceptional athleticism. Amongst more than a few prospects at the lower levels of the system, he’s the most sure-fire defensive shortstop which raises his floor considerably. bsky merge-mfkwjr.mp4 With a lot the hard stuff out of the way early and gaps that should be able to be filled naturally, Caba earns his MLB Top 100 prospect status and should come into the Marlins organization as the top positional prospect. Expect him to take part in stateside MiLB camp for the first time this spring before starting 2025 back in the Low-A ranks. He finds himself in an advantageous situation with an organization that has no reason to rush him. The Marlins should remain patient with this player and fully groom him, potentially making him MLB-ready by the end of 2027. This is a mutually beneficial player-organization relationship. Emaarion Boyd Boyd was drafted as a high schooler out of Mississippi in 2022. At 6’, 160 as a senior, he drew praise for his build as well as his mixture of speed, which he flaunted by running a 6.56 60-yard-dash, per Perfect Game. He was also lauded for a strong arm that evaluators thought would play in center field long term. At the plate, Boyd showcased twitchy tools with the ability to stay short with swing decisions while still maintaining aggression. The Phillies selected Boyd with the 332nd overall pick. It took a $647,500 signing bonus to convince him to turn pro, the second-highest sum committed to a player in Philly's draft class that year. Following a cup of coffee in his draft year, Boyd made a good impression in his first full pro season. In 91 games at Low-A, he slashed .262/.366/.324. What he lacked in power he made up for with blazing speed. Boyd’s 56 stolen bases led the entire Florida State League. Boyd also showed a decent ability to work counts, striking out less than 15% of the time and walking at an 8.7% clip. Inhibiting him was the ability to hit the ball in the air: his 60% ground ball rate was easily the highest among all Florida State League qualifiers. A promotion to High-A this past season was met with a decrease in contact and an increase in whiffs. Against better stuff, particularly breaking stuff out of the zone, Boyd struggled. His lack of loft also persisted as he posted a 52% ground ball rate. Despite being on base much less, Boyd’s speed persisted as he stole another 27 bases. His defense was still solid as well as he showed the ability to cover all necessary ground and then some in center field, where he saw more time compared to 2023. 99a362ff-9f0ea41b-a2f786d1-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Overall, Boyd earns top marks for 70-grade speed, which, along with a plus arm, allot him a 50-grade field. He will need to work on making up for a lack of power by finding more consistent contact as he moves up the MiLB ladder. If Boyd can do that and simply get on base at a plus rate in whatever way possible then let his speed go to work for him, he has the ceiling of a starting outfielder. If not, his speed and defense should carry him to at least a bench role at the next level. His 2025 season with a new organization is a big season for his development. View full article

An in-depth look at what the Marlins both added and lost in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. The Marlins were active in both phases of Wednesday's Rule 5 Draft. Altogether, Miami made four selections and two of their unprotected players were selected by other teams. Here’s a look at each of the Marlins' acquisitions as well as the newest former Fish. MLB PHASE Added C Liam Hicks (DET) The release of reliever Mike Baumann earlier in the week created the necessary space for the Marlins to participate in the Rule 5's MLB phase. They called the name of Detroit Tigers catcher Liam Hicks. xaw3ua_2.mp4 Hicks was drafted in the 9th round in 2021 out of Arkansas State. His collegiate career was short but impressive. After breaking in and playing in 16 games during the shortened COVID season, Hicks made noise during his junior year, slashing .344/.464/.548 and leading his team in offense. For his defense prowess at catcher, he was named to the watch list for the Buster Posey National Catcher of the Year Award. Overall, Hicks made enough of an impression to be named one of D1’s most draft-eligible hitters. Texas agreed with that title and took him off the board 254th overall. Following a 10-game cup of coffee in the Arizona Complex League, Hicks flew through three different levels in 2022, starting in rookie ball and ending in High-A. He spent most of his time with the Low-A Down East Wood Ducks where he showcased the same on-base skills that made him stand out as an amateur. In 2023, after just 75 pro games, Hicks cracked the upper minors. Overall, he handled the promotion very well, slashing .269/.408/.368 with a 52/49 K/BB. He then parlayed that performance into a bombastic Arizona Fall League campaign. In 18 games with Surprise, Hicks hit .449/.553/.522 all without the benefit of a home run. He went 31-for-85. This past season in AA, Hicks took a little bit of a step back offensively by his standards but he was still solid even amidst a trade to a new organization. Overall, Hicks, who has a career 124 wRC+, shows great instincts and quick hands at the plate. He controls the zone well and forces pitchers to challenge him. His advanced eye and 60-grade hit tool have carried him through his collegiate and minor league career. His solid bat control gives him the ability to spray the ball to all fields and move the line. What Hicks lacks is the ability to impact the baseball. He has averaged just 21 extra-base hits a season. This will be a main area of focus as he comes to the majors. Also impeding Hicks is his subpar defense. He is an adequate game-caller and has decent arm strength, but he struggles with pop time and arm accuracy. In his MiLB career, he has caught just 31 of 180 runners (17%). This has caused some of his former teams to delegate him to DH and first base. With Miami, Hicks may get a chance to serve as Nick Fortes' primary backup catcher and possible platoon partner. At the very least, he’s a solid lefty bat off the bench. Shortly after his selection, there was a rumor that Hicks may be quickly flipped to the Tampa Bay Rays, but a deal didn’t come to fruition. A native of Toronto, Hicks would become the 10th Canadian to play for the Marlins if he makes their 26-man roster. Lost RHP Anderson Pilar (ATL) Pilar, 26, has been in the minors since he signed as a 16-year-old in 2016. His time with the Marlins was short but pretty sweet. A minor league signing by Miami last year after he declared free agency, Pilar was effective out of three affiliates’ bullpens. Spending most of his Marlins’ tenure at Double-A after he was invited to spring training, Pilar put up a 2.64 ERA in 58 innings. He showed dazzling control numbers limiting his walk rate to a lowly 5.2% and striking batters out at a 31% clip. Pilar has continued to boost his stock since the regular season ended. Pitching for the Dominican Winter League's Gigantes del Cibao, he's made 16 relief appearances with a superb 27/2 K/BB. Pilar’s control will carry him at the next level. Mileage on his arm also hasn’t seemed to bother Pilar as he has remained, for the most part, very durable. Pilar can top out at 96 mph on occasion, but typically sits 93-94 mph, and he hasn’t ever really been able to feel out his changeup. His mixture of cut fastball, a well-commanded two-seamer and a sweeping slider (his best pitch) that can break both to and away from hitters gives him the ability to generate both a respectable amount of whiffs and ground balls. He’s an innings-eating type middle reliever who deserves a look out of a big-league bullpen. He will get that chance with Atlanta. MiLB PHASE Added RHP Ricky DeVito (TEX), INF Jack Winkler (ATH) and RHP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (LAD) Ricky DeVito is a 6’3”, 195-pound righty who has been in affiliated ball since 2019. After the missed 2020 season, he suffered injury in 2021 which limited him to just five games. He was converted to relief work and repeated High-A in 2022 and 2023. This past season, the 26-year-old made it to the upper minors where he held down an even 4.00 ERA in 54 IP. He struck out 74 and walked 53. DeVito throws a four-seam fastball which he can ramp up 98 mph with elevation, a decent 12-6 curveball with good velo separation, a filthy splitter, and a mix-in slider. Along with the high velo, the splitter is a main reason MLB teams have kept close eyes on him. The splitter has been graded as high as 70 on the 20-80 scale by evaluators and can get dead nasty. When it comes to DeVito, his stuff isn’t in question, but his control is and always has been. With a slow wind that quickly turns into a huge explosive effort towards the plate, DeVito struggles to repeat his mechanics and is often off-balance, falling off the mound. Simplifying his delivery and harnessing his explosiveness will be the main challenge for Marlins’ pitching coaches. If they can do that, DeVito could turn into a filthy reliever with late-inning potential. DeVito is a candidate to be invited to spring training in order to glean the tutelage of MLB coaches. With control improvement, we could see him contribute to the Marlins in 2025. Jack Winkler is a 26-year-old infielder drafted by the Athletics in the 10th round in 2021. After suffering a season-ending injury in the second half of 2022 which limited him to just 60 games, Winkler hit .253/.331/.355 with some surprising pop for his size. He also showcased plus speed by stealing 19 bags in High-A. He got the call to Double-A for 46 games to end that season where he hit four more home runs. Winkler spent all of 2024 at Double-A. Offensively, he struggled against Texas League pitching over the full slate, slashing .223/.310/.345, but he did keep his whiff rate at a respectable 21.8%. He also walked at a near 10% rate. The ability to hit for plus contact and keep the ball off the ground as well as some strokes of bad luck are what has stymied Winkler at the Double-A level the past two seasons and for much of his career. With the Midland Rockhounds, his BABIP was .276. Defensively, Winkler has performed wizardry. He is adaptable and has the ability to handle many positions. Early in his career, he spent most of his time at third base, but this past season, he made a near-full-time transition back to shortstop. He proved by way of a solid arm, the same aforementioned good speed, and good reads off the bat that he can still hack it and then some. View the 6’1”, 185-pounder as a glove-first utility player who needs quite a bit of mechanical refinement and unlocking at the plate for him to realize a major league future, likely off the bench. Nasim Nuñez-esque. Orlando Ortiz-Mayr is a 27-year-old righty who went undrafted before being signed by the Dodgers in 2021. He broke into the minor leagues in 2022 where he was humbled at the Low-A level, posting an ERA over 6.00 in 20 games, mostly as a reliever. A promotion to High-A in 2023 brought new hope for Ortiz-Mayr as he shaved over three runs off that metric before ascending to Double-A where he was trusted with a rotation spot. In 60.2 IP, his ERA ballooned back up to 5.79 and his K rate dipped to 17.7%. To his credit, Ortiz-Mayr did keep walks in check. He repeated the level this past season. His ERA fell to 4.71 (5.07 FIP) and his K rate rose to 18%, but his walk rate also rose to 10%. Overall, Ortiz-Mayr allows way too much hard contact. In 2024, he allowed 18 home runs, second-most amongst Texas League pitchers. In 2023, he allowed nine in the aforementioned 60 ⅔ frames. In order to succeed, Ortiz-Mayr—a soft-tosser who doesn’t have overpowering stuff—needs to resolve command issues that have him living in the center of the plate rather than at the bottom of it. The Marlins are hoping they can resolve those issues and get the most out of his best-pitch slider, especially when it’s breaking away from hitters. A move to the bullpen leading to shorter outings seems likely here. Lost LHP Manuel Medina (BOS) Manuel Medina is a 5’10”, 140-pound lefty signed by the Marlins during the 2018-19 international signing period. He came stateside from a solid showing in the DSL in 2022. After holding down an even 3.00 ERA over 30 innings for the FCL squad, Medina made his full season debut that same season. Medina spent most of 2023 with the Low-A Jupiter Hammerheads. His 4.28 ERA and 4.46 FIP were high for the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, but he also posted a solid 30.2% K rate. Despite this, Medina was relegated back to the FCL for 2024. Clearly undermatched at that level, Medina maintained a 0.83 ERA for 20 ⅓ innings. He struck out 36 and walked just five. Still, he only saw a total of four innings at the full-season level. Medina features mid-90’s heat, a very solid curveball and a changeup that can flash plus. He is susceptible to lapses in control, which has led to some high and hard contact rates, but he is also coachable. This season, Medina was named the Marlins’ Student of the Year. With solid stuff albeit still a little raw, there is a route to sudden improvement for Medina with a new organization. View full article

After going unsigned due to eligibility issues in 2023, the Marlins withheld spending a good portion of their 2024 pool until the toolsy shortstop was ready to officially commit. That patience paid off. With the rest of the league likely looking forward to the opening of the next international signing period in January, the Marlins made the final big splash the current signing period. On Saturday, in an unorthodox move, Miami signed Cuban free agent Luis Manuel León for $1.5 million. The bonus made him their highest-priced signing the 2024 period, beating Luis Cova who signed for $1.4 million. León’s timeline to signing is intriguing and equally complicated. Prospects from other foreign countries typically have agreements in place many months and even years ahead of time to coordinate it so that they ink their deals on the first day of an international period. However, Cuban prospects don't get the same runway due to the need to defect and be made available to MLB teams. León first emerged as a candidate to sign during the 2023 signing period and held a showcase in South Florida. Afterwards, he reportedly agreed verbally to sign with the St Louis Cardinals. However, according to Francys Romero, clerical issues involving registration and free agency eligibility caused the Cardinals to pull the plug as he would not be ready to sign before the end of the period. Available again, the Marlins, who were the runners-up to sign him the first time around, didn’t miss their second chance. They earmarked nearly $2 million from their current pool with the foresight of signing León. He was officially declared a free agent in June and Miami finalized the deal with three weeks to spare before the closing of the '24 signing period on December 15. In León, the Marlins are getting what Romero describes as a five-tool player with multiple tools that already grade at 60 on the 20-80 scale. He also has projectable size. At 18, he stands 6’2”, 175. Initial looks at León show a free and easy swing leading to a solid hit tool, present strength that will only get better, and a strong arm and above average speed, which should should allow him to continue to develop at shortstop long term. Miami's former director of international operations, Adrian Lorenzo, is credited with conducting the most recent evaluation of León. León also has a strong pedigree. He is the younger brother of Pedro León, an Astros prospect who had a .252/.356/.446 MiLB career en route to making his MLB debut this past season. Consider this a major win for the Marlins’ minor league system. León should enter organizational rankings as a consensus Top 30 prospect. View full article

On Swimming Upstream, Alex Carver and Kevin Barral analyze the season that catcher Agustín Ramírez had with the Yankees and Marlins organizations. View full video

On Swimming Upstream, Alex Carver and Kevin Barral analyze the season that infielder Deyvison De Los Santos had with the Diamondbacks and Marlins organizations. View full video

On Swimming Upstream, Alex Carver and Kevin Barral analyze the season that Marlins catcher Joe Mack had with High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola. View full video

On Swimming Upstream, Alex Carver and Kevin Barral analyze the season that Marlins outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. had with Triple-A Jacksonville. View full video

On Swimming Upstream, Alex Carver and Kevin Barral analyze the season that Marlins right-hander Jacob Miler had with High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola. View full video

Swimming Upstream—Episode #64 Alex Carver and Kevin Barral discuss stats and scouting notes for key Miami Marlins prospects who spent the 2024 season with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Individual players covered include: OF Kemp Alderman, RHP Nigel Belgrave, OF Jacob Berry, 1B Deyvison De Los Santos, RHP Josh Ekness, C Joe Mack, RHP Adam Mazur, OF Victor Mesa Jr., RHP Jacob Miller, INF Johnny Olmstead, C Agustín Ramírez and LHP Robby Snelling. In case you missed Part I of the super-pod, listen here. Follow Alex (@marlinsminors), Kevin (@kevin_barral) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article