Dodgers Trade Rumors: Pablo Lopez, Anthony Bass Have Been Discussed with Marlins
Aug 2, 2022
MIAMI, FL - JULY 31: Pablo Lopez #49 of the Miami Marlins throws a pitch during the second inning against the New York Mets at loanDepot park on July 31, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
The baseball world is waiting to see whether Juan Soto will be traded ahead of Tuesday's deadline, but he isn't the only potential target the Los Angeles Dodgers are considering.
Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported the Dodgers have discussed a deal for starting pitcher Pablo Lopez and relief pitcher Anthony Bass with the Miami Marlins.
"Given the price of controllable starters this deadline, a deal like this probably depends on whether the Dodgers get Juan Soto," Harris wrote of Lopez in particular.
Lopez has been consistently excellent of late for the Marlins, posting an ERA of 3.61 in 2020 and 3.07 in 2021.
He has started 21 games this year with a 3.41 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 119 strikeouts in 118.2 innings as a bright spot for a Miami team that is 47-55 and in fourth place in the National League East.
A trade to the Dodgers would give him the opportunity to pitch in a playoff race this year and likely in the future considering he is under team control through the 2024 season. That means the right-hander is not a rental at the deadline, giving the Marlins the opportunity to set a higher asking price in the wake of multiple deals for starters.
Most notably, it cost the Seattle Mariners a four-prospect haul to land Luis Castillo in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds:
Adding another ace.
We’ve acquired All-Star RHP Luis Castillo from the Reds in exchange for IF Noelvi Marte, IF Edwin Arroyo, RHP Levi Stoudt and RHP Andrew Moore.
While Lopez isn't Castillo, it gives an idea of what Miami might ask for when looking to potentially deal a 26-year-old who can remain with the team for the foreseeable future under his current contract.
As for Bass, he has a sparkling 1.41 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 44.2 innings this season for the Marlins,
He is the type of reliable relief pitcher who could help Los Angeles shorten games and bridge the gap between the starters and closer Craig Kimbrel come playoff time. He would also provide injury insurance with Brusdar Graterol currently sidelined with shoulder concerns.
Dodgers Trade Rumors: Marlins All-Star Garrett Cooper a Potential Target for LAD
Jul 27, 2022
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 15: Garrett Cooper #26 of the Miami Marlins at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies at loanDepot park on July 15, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
As the Los Angeles Dodgers look for potential upgrades prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, Miami Marlins All-Star Garrett Cooper has popped up on their radar.
Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Dodgers "have been looking" at Cooper as a trade option.
Heyman did note teams in the Juan Soto market, including the Dodgers, may wait for a resolution to that situation before moving to other hitters.
Soto is certainly the biggest domino that could fall before the trade deadline. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that "multiple executives" around MLB are unsure of what the Washington Nationals are planning to do.
One executive told Passan that Soto will be dealt because of the Nationals' ownership situation, with the Lerner family, which has owned the franchise since 2006, looking to sell the club.
"The Nationals currently are up for sale, and the notion that new ownership's first move would be to trade a future Hall of Famer in his early prime, the executive said, is problematic. Dealing Soto now, he said, would offer the new owner a clean slate," Passan wrote.
Heyman and Joel Sherman recently reported the St. Louis Cardinals are emerging as a potential front-runner for Soto, but six other teams are also mentioned as possible landing spots.
The Dodgers are among that group because they have a mix of young players and prospects to offer the Nationals, as well as the financial resources to give Soto a long-term contract extension.
Cooper isn't the same caliber of player as Soto, but he could be a positive addition to Los Angeles' lineup if a deal comes together. The 31-year-old is hitting .279/.347/.426 with seven homers and 40 RBI in 84 games this season.
The Dodgers can use an extra bat at designated hitter down the stretch. Edwin Rios is on the 60-day injured list with a hamstring issue. Max Muncy is having a disappointing season with a .612 OPS in 79 games.
Cooper is only making $2.5 million this season and has one more year of team control before being eligible for free agency. He's not a difference-maker like Soto, but the Dodgers already have a loaded roster and only need to make marginal improvements to solidify their standing as the World Series favorite in the National League.
No matter if a team is buying, selling or somewhere in between at the MLB trade deadline, each one has something to look forward to in the back half of the...
Derek Jeter 'The Captain': Best Fan Tweets from Episode 2 of ESPN Documentary
Jul 22, 2022
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 02: Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter speaks to the media before the start of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at loanDepot park on October 02, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
The second episode of The Captain,the documentary about legendary New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, aired Thursday night on ESPN, and it did not disappoint.
The second chapter of the seven-episode series focused on Jeter's rise to fame and his impact on the Yankees as he helped the team capture a World Series title in his first full season with the club in 1996.
The second episode kicked off with the Yankees discussing trading Mariano Rivera to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Felix Fermin and moving Jeter back to Triple-A after he had an underwhelming Spring Training.
The Yankees almost sent Mariano Rivera to Seattle for Felix Fermin and put Derek Jeter back in Triple A. Definitely a mistake the Yankees are glad they didn’t make 😂 #TheCaptain
The episode then moved into Jeter getting his big opportunity with the Yankees in 1996 after Tony Fernandez broke his arm. He hit a home run in his first big league game, but the Hall of Famer tweeted that he never got that ball back and is unsure what happened to it.
Believe it or not, the fan in Cleveland wouldn’t give me that first HR ball so I have no idea where it ended up. #TheCaptain
Derek Jeter is my childhood hero, one of the best to play the game, guy just won, played hard, star power through the roof. That being said, I have one quarrel…he has a lefty glove fold…he broke that thing in like a lefty and that blows my mind
Hi @derekjeter love watching #TheCaptain this episode is making me flash back to my childhood!. I wanted to share that in your final season in 2014 I made a scrapbook of your season! I think the book Weighs 25 lb pic.twitter.com/APUDaBSJFJ
Derek Jeter had 52 errors his first year in pro ball and didn’t quit. He learned from failure and went on to achieve: 14 All-Star selections, 5 Gold Glove Awards, 5 Silver Slugger Awards, over 3,000 hits, win 5 World Series Championships, and was inducted to Hall of Fame #Legendpic.twitter.com/iRrnQcOSfR
The third episode of The Captain, which is titled "I don't have to be your best friend," will air on July 28 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Episodes are released weekly, with the docuseries set to wrap on Aug. 11.
Derek Jeter on Future in Baseball After Marlins Exit: 'I'm Sure I'll Do Something'
Jul 15, 2022
MADISON, WISCONSIN - JUNE 11: Former Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter walks off the 11th tee box during the Celebrity Foursome at the second round of the American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge Golf Club on June 11, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter is sure he'll return to baseball after stepping down as CEO of the Miami Marlins about five months ago. He's just not sure what his next role will be.
"I love the game. I really do love the game," Jeter said in an interview with ESPN's Hannah Storm when asked if he wants to stay involved in baseball. "I think it's the greatest game in the world. So yeah, at some point, I'm sure I'll do something."
Jeter joined the group led by Bruce Sherman that bought the Marlins in September 2017. He was given a four percent stake in the club and also took on the role of running baseball operations and running the business.
The 48-year-old revealed he was stepping down as CEO of the Marlins in February, saying in a statement that "the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead. Now is the right time for me to step aside as a new season begins."
Jeter further explained his decision to step down during his interview with Storm:
"It's just like the statement I made, I think that the direction of the organization had changed and that was not what I had signed up for and you know you have to believe in the direction, especially if you are going to be the forward face.
"I just couldn't move on and if I didn't agree with the direction that the organization was going."
At the time Jeter relinquished his role, Greg Cote of the Miami Herald (h/t Sports Business Journal) reported that the former Yankee had "grown frustrated" with ownership's "hesitation to spend bigger in free agency for veterans to augment the youthful roster and accelerate the turnaround."
The Marlins have had one of the lowest payrolls in baseball in each of the last three seasons and have the league's fifth-lowest payroll this season, per Spotrac. Only the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians have lower payrolls.
For comparison, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Yankees have the highest payrolls in the league this year and are viewed as World Series contenders.
During Jeter's time with the franchise, the Marlins went 218-327 and made the postseason just once during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. The team reached the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, but fell in three games.
Miami has not made a significant playoff run since winning the World Series against the Yankees in 2003. The team is currently fourth in the NL East with a 43-45 record and on pace to miss the playoffs again.
J.D. Martinez, Carlos Rodon, Garrett Cooper Named 2022 MLB All-Star Game Replacements
Jul 12, 2022
BOSTON, MA - JULY 10: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Boston Red Sox runs after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a game against the New York Yankees on July 10, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Carlos Rodon and Miami Marlins first baseman Garrett Cooper have been named as replacement players for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game.
They'll replace Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader and Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter and defending National League MVP Bryce Harper.
Martinez, 34, is hitting .313 with nine homers, 38 RBI, 50 runs and an .880 OPS. This is his fifth All-Star selection.
Rodon will head to his second All-Star Game. The 29-year-old is 8-5 this season with a 2.70 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 124 strikeouts in 100 innings across 17 starts.
The 31-year-old Cooper will make his All-Star debut. He has hit .299 with seven homers, 40 RBI, 28 runs and an .826 OPS.
Alvarez, 25, is having a fantastic season, blasting 26 homers in 75 games. The Astros put him on the 10-day injured list Sunday, however, with inflammation in his right hand.
"Yordan has been suffering with the injury for a couple weeks and it's gotten worse," Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters. "We decided that hey, the only way to get this well is to try to use these [series] before the All-Star break to coincide with the 10 that he has to be on the IL."
The 28-year-old Hader leads Major League Baseball with 26 saves but will not play in the Midsummer Classic because of "family responsibilities," per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Harper has posted an impressive .985 OPS in 64 games, though a UCL tear in his right elbow has forced the usual right fielder into DH duties. The 29-year-old has been on the injured list since June 26 after fracturing his left thumb and undergoing surgery.
He likely won't return from that injury until late August or September.
It's at the point of the MLB season when it's time for franchises to make tough decisions. With the Aug. 2 trade deadline approaching, they have to decide...
Sometimes, you just can't trust your eyes. If they tell you the Marlins might be good, or that Dansby Swanson could be a fringe-MVP candidate, then it's...
Meet Marlins Pitcher Edward Cabrera, Your New Favorite MLB Flamethrower
Zachary D. Rymer
Jun 10, 2022
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JUNE 07: Edward Cabrera #27 of the Miami Marlins throws a pitch during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at loanDepot park on June 07, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Like with any art form, the rules, limitations and conventions for the art of pitching are constantly being rewritten. All it takes is one guy and one pitch for something that seems impossible in theory to become very much possible in reality.
So it was on June 1 at Coors Field, when a 96 mph changeup suddenly appeared:
There have technically—but maybe not actually, given that it's not unheard of for certain pitches to get misclassified—been faster changeups during the 15-year pitch tracking era, but 96 mph is at least the highest velocity ever achieved on a strikeout by a changeup. Heck, two in five fastballs aren't even touching 96 mph in 2022.
Anyone who can throw a pitch like that is clearly worth knowing. So by all means, get to know Edward Cabrera.
Starting with the pedigree stuff first, he's a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher for the Miami Marlins. He made his major league debut on Aug. 25, 2021, yet he's technically still a rookie and No. 62 on B/R's ranking of the top 100 prospects in Major League Baseball right now.
Though his 96 mph changeup is a highlight unto itself, Cabrera has also engaged in a bit of history making in his two starts for the Marlins this season. Both have seen him log six innings while allowing no more than two hits. As noted by Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, he's the first Marlins pitcher to ever begin his season by hitting those marks in two consecutive outings.
Basically, he's been about as dominant as you'd expect of a guy with that kind of pitch in his repertoire. But while these things alone make Cabrera worth watching, they're not all that make him worth rooting for.
From Passed Up to Throwing Gas
22 JUL 2016: Edward Cabrera of the Marlins during the Gulf Coast League game between the GCL Marlins and the GCL Astros at the Osceola County Stadium complex in Kissimmee, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Every baseball prospect is the hero of his own underdog tale to some degree or another, but Cabrera more than most.
Born in Santiago in the Dominican Republic on April 13, 1998, he was 16 years old when he was first eligible to be signed by major league teams during the 2014 international signing window. There were no takers, however, and he settled for a modest $100,000 bonus from the Marlins the following year. Or, for a mere fraction of the multimillion-dollar bonuses that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the other top international prospects got that year.
Cabrera's fastball only touched 91-92 mph at the time he signed, but the Marlins had one reason to dream big on his potential. At 6'4", 185 pounds, he offered a frame from which far greater velocity might eventually flow.
Sure enough, Cabrera was up to 96 mph by the end of 2015 and sitting at 92-93 mph throughout his first season in the minors in 2016. He hit 100 mph for the first time in 2017, a reminder of which is permanently tattooed on his neck.
Cabrera nonetheless took his lumps throughout his first three professional seasons, and particularly in 2018. He pitched to a 4.22 ERA in 22 starts for Single-A Greensboro, finishing with fewer strikeouts (93) than innings pitched (100.1) in spite of his high-octane stuff. Though Baseball Americagranted that he still had a ceiling as a mid-rotation starter, its report on Cabrera for 2019 hinted at a possible future as a "late-inning, power reliever."
Instead, that turned out to be the year that Cabrera began his ascent in earnest. He kept his velocity up and further honed his secondaries, ultimately benefiting to the tune of a 2.23 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 96.2 innings. He subsequently appeared in top-100 lists for the first time in 2020, and all signs seemed to point to him making his Marlins debut that year.
But then came the COVID-19 pandemic, and his progress was eventually slowed even further by a shoulder injury. And just when he was ready to ramp up for 2021, an inflamed nerve in his biceps sidelined once again in February.
Cabrera resumed his dominance of minor league hitters upon returning in June, posting a 2.93 ERA and whiffing 92 across 61.1 innings at three different levels. On Aug. 23, he finally got the good news that The Show was calling.
Things went great for Cabrera in the majors...at first.
He impressed in his debut against the Washington Nationals, pitching into the seventh inning and allowing three earned runs on four hits and three walks. Yet he failed to last past the fourth inning in any of his next six starts, altogether getting knocked around for a 6.30 ERA with 16 walks and four home runs allowed in just 20 innings.
Cabrera had to come out of his seventh and final start of 2021 with a blister, and still more hurdles appeared in his way after the season ended. The Major League Baseball lockout and a visa issue left him behind schedule when the Marlins opened spring training, and then yet another biceps issue forced him onto the injured list for the start of the minor league season.
Cabrera finally returned to the mound on April 27 and, apart from a six-run dud on May 14, basically picked up where he left off. This performance plus injuries to Jesus Luzardo and Cody Poteet opened the door to his call-up on May 29.
This latest promotion had the potential to be short-lived if Cabrera didn't produce right away, but that's obviously not what's happening.
The Fastball and Slider Are Good, But This Is All About the Changeup
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JUNE 07: Edward Cabrera #27 of the Miami Marlins throws a pitch during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at loanDepot park on June 07, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Even as he was getting humbled by major league hitters, Cabrera at least succeeded in showing off his arm during his cup-of-coffee run with the Marlins last year.
He cranked his fastball up to 100 mph at one point, and hitters basically had no answer for the 98 sliders that he threw. They yielded just two hits in 23 at-bats, 10 of which ended by way of the strikeout.
And now for the part that, provided you didn't skip past the intro, may surprise you: The one pitch of Cabrera's that hitters did handle last year was his changeup. They went 10-for-22 with more home runs (4) than strikeouts (3) against it.
After that, Cabrera would perhaps have been justified in shelving the pitch. Or at the least, relegating it to his No. 3 offering after his fastball and slider. A "show me" pitch, essentially.
Instead, he's done the opposite. At 37.3 percent, the changeup has been Cabrera's most oft-used pitch in 2022. The specifics of this usage also bear little resemblance to those of last season, starting with the average velocity of the pitch:
2021: 92.1 mph
2022: 93.5 mph
That's a 1.4 mph increase, leading to the highest average speed in a single season for any changeup on record. Between that and its lake sinking action, it makes some sense that it basically is a fastball for Cabrera himself.
“The thing is, I throw it like a fastball,” Cabrera said through an interpreter after his 96 mph changeup went viral, according to Manny Randhawa of MLB.com. “That’s the way it goes. I always throw it as a fastball so it has that kind of [action]."
This goes against the conventional wisdom that there should be substantial velocity differential between a pitcher's fastball and changeup, but two things allow Cabrera to get away with not having that kind of differential.
For one, the late sink on Cabrera's changeup pairs well with the arm-side run that he gets on his four-seamer. Any hitter looking for the latter is liable to swing over the ball if he gets the former instead.
For two, Cabrera isn't making mistakes like the one that he made to Michael Conforto last year:
Even right-down-the-middle pitches think that one was too right down the middle. No matter what kind of velocity or movement a pitcher gets on his changeup, he simply can't make it a habit of putting it there.
In 2021, Cabrera did have that habit. In 2022, he does not:
Results-wise, the difference is staggering. The 72 changeups that Cabrera has thrown have produced 17 swings and misses and only 11 balls in play. Of the latter, not a single one crossed the hard-hit threshold of 95 mph.
And thus: one hit in 20 at-bats, with eight strikeouts.
Cabrera's Place in the Terrifying Marlins Rotation of the Future
DENVER, CO - JUNE 1: Starting pitcher Edward Cabrera #27 of the Miami Marlins delivers to home plate in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies in game one of a double header at Coors Field on June 1, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Lest anyone think that Cabrera has put himself on a straight path to perennial All-Star nods and Cy Young Award contention, let's pump the brakes a bit.
As his walk rate has only improved from 15.8 percent in 2021 to 12.5 percent this season, control is still something he needs to work on. He also undercuts his fastball velocity by not getting as much extension on his release as a 6'5", 217-pound hurler probably should. His average extension is the same as that of Chad Kuhl, who's two inches shorter.
And yet if a mid-rotation starter is all Cabrera becomes for the Marlins, it might only be because they have better options for the top of their rotation.
Rather than a slight against Cabrera, this is above all a compliment for Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez. Both were excellent in 2021, and now they have a 1.86 ERA between them through their first 23 starts of this season. Alcantara, in particular, is on one heck of a run:
Pitchers with a 5-start span of 40+ IP & an ERA under 0.45, since 2010:
Apart from Alcantara and Lopez, the Marlins also have two electrifying left-handers in Trevor Rogers and Jesus Luzardo. Rogers was the runner-up in the National League Rookie of the Year voting for 2021, while Luzardo has struck out more than 10 batters per nine innings since coming over from the Oakland Athletics via trade last July.
As talented as Cabrera is, it's also telling that we don't even have him ranked as the best pitching prospect in Miami's system. Or even the second-best, for that matter.
The second-best is right-hander Max Meyer, whose slider was rated by MLB.com's Jim Callis as the best of any prospect coming into the season. The best Marlins prospect is fellow righty Eury Perez, a 6'8", 220-pound dynamo who's whiffed 56 batters in 38 innings for Double-A Pensacola this year.
With this much pitching talent in their midst, the only question the Marlins have to answer going forward is which five they'll want to roll with at any given time. Which is to say that Cabrera will have to continually earn his starting job if he wants to keep it.
It's to his credit, then, that he's pitching like a guy who knows that.
Don Mattingly Says Marlins Had Long Team Meeting: Things Had to Get Out in the Open
Jun 7, 2022
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 27: Manager, Don Mattingly of the Miami Marlins returns to the dugout after a pitching change during the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 27, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Having lost 22 of their last 32 games, Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly called a team meeting prior to Tuesday's matchup against the Washington Nationals.
Speaking to reporters about the 90-minute meeting, Mattingly said everyone on the team spoke and there were "a lot of little things that we felt like the group needed to get out in the open."
Mattingly didn't offer specific details about what was discussed, other than saying it wasn't necessarily about wins as losses so much as airing out any issues anyone might have had. He added it wouldn't be a surprise if the Marlins came out flat against the Nationals.
There's been no indication publicly that anything has been going on with the Marlins. They did have an organizational shake-up coming into the season when Derek Jeter sold his 4 percent ownership stake in February.
"The vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead," Jeter said in his statement. "Now is the right time for me to step aside as a new season begins."
Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Jeter's decision to leave the Marlins stemmed from chairman Bruce Sherman "reneging on a promise" to spend $10-15 million more on payroll this season.
Miami's payroll of $82.44 million ranks 26th out of 30 MLB teams this season. The front office did spend $89 million in free agency to sign Jorge Soler (three years, $36 million) and Avisail Garcia (four years, $53 million).
The team did show promise at the start of the season with a 12-8 record through 20 games in April. Since May 1, though, the Marlins have gone 10-22 with three losing streaks of at least three games during this span.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been one of the breakout stars of the still-young 2022 season. The 24-year-old is hitting .250/.308/.507 through 42 games. Sandy Alcantara (1.81 ERA) and Pablo Lopez (2.18 ERA) have been fantastic at the top of the rotation.
A lack of depth behind that trio of stars is one of the main issues for the Marlins. They are looking to avoid their 12th losing record in the past 13 seasons.
Mattingly is in his seventh season managing the club. The 61-year-old has a 396-524 record in 920 games with the Marlins.
