Latest news with #Marlins'
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cal Quantrill delivers six shutout innings as Marlins down Royals 3-1
Cal Quantrill spent the All-Star break in Ontario, Canada, relaxing by the lake and retreating from the Florida summer humidity. But when the right-hander returned to the mound Saturday afternoon for the Marlins' second game of their home series versus the Kansas City Royals, it was all business. Coming into the 3-1 win, Quantrill carried uneven numbers: a 5.36 ERA over 19 starts, with 68 strikeouts and 24 walks. But beneath the surface, he believed his performance told a better story. 'I think my pitching's been better than the line shows,' he said Friday. 'Now it's time for a fresh start.' And he delivered exactly that. Quantrill turned in six shutout innings, leaning heavily on the sharp execution of his cutter and slider — a refined one-two punch that Manager Clayton McCullough later called 'his weapons.' His efficiency was striking. He exited after just 69 pitches, having scattered two hits, walked none and struck out three. But more than that, he controlled the game's rhythm with poise and precision, mixing his pitches to keep the Royals' hitters off-balance. Quantrill's first big defensive moment didn't even come from the mound, but from his awareness: a third-inning pickoff that erased Tyler Tolbert just after the Royals outfielder had reached on a line-drive single. 'A bonus pick is always a win as a right-handed pitcher,' he noted. And the Marlins' defense had his back the rest of the way — including a back-to-the-wall, 367-foot grab in center by Dane Myers to preserve the shutout in the top of the third. 'There were some nice defensive plays behind Cal,' McCullough said postgame. 'And Cal kept filling it up — [it] was a really great outing [with] great efficiency.' But with six MLB seasons under his belt, Quantrill isn't just chasing strikeouts. 'There's times to go and try and get [a strikeout], and there's times to take the outs that are given to you,' he said. 'Early in my career, I think I chased the swing-and-miss too much. I think I do a better job of that now.' For most of the game, it was a duel on the mound, but the Marlins' bats sparked late. In the eighth, with the score tied 1-1, Graham Pauley reached via walk. After giving up a strike due to a pitch clock violation, Xavier Edwards delivered a crisp, line-drive double to left — 'crisp' being McCullough's word for it — and ignited the go-ahead rally. With Jesús Sánchez intentionally walked to load the bases, Otto Lopez stepped in and cleared the tension with a 370-foot double to left-center, bringing home both Pauley and Edwards. The hit brought Lopez's RBI count for the game to three. 'Otto has been in a really good place for a while now,' McCullough added. 'It goes back to his high-contact ability [and] his improved plate discipline.' With the win, Miami improves to five games under .500 and will look to sweep the Royals on Sunday as they continue to chip away at the standings. THIS AND THAT: No. 7 MLB Draft Pick Aiva Arquette visited loanDepot park on Saturday afternoon. Quantrill's father, Paul, also played for the Marlins in 2005. They are the third father-son duo to ever appear on the Marlins' Janson Junk will take the mound Sunday in the series finale in what will be his second career start versus the Kansas City Royals. He earned his first career victory his start against the Royals on July 27, 2022.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Where things stand: Miami Marlins trade rumors
July is a busy month for baseball — the midway point of the regular season, the All Star Game, the MLB Draft, and to wrap it all up, the trade deadline. While the Miami Marlins front office has until the end of the month to solidify their roster movement, speculations about who could join or leave the team are already flying. Ath the All-Star Break, the Marlins are third in the National League East and 44-51. They have been on an upward trajectory during the last month, including an eight-game winning streak at the beginning of July. For manager Clayton McCullough, that progress was still the focus. heading into the mid-season break. 'We have a lot of work to do,' McCullough said on July 6 after the team's 2-1 series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. 'It's been exciting, the run we've been on, and hopefully we can continue to play that brand of baseball that yields more wins than not, and that is where our focus will continue to be with the 26 we have, and trying to do our best to prepare them and go win that day's game.' Yet, if the playoffs were to begin today, the Fish would be nowhere close to contention, even for a wild card spot. They're still seven games below .500 and 7.5 games off a playoff berth. So now the Marlins must decide whehter to buy or sell at the deadline. One name that has continuously circulated in discussions about who the Marlins might deal is right-handed pitcher Sandy Alcántara. The former Cy Young Award winner has posted a 7.22 ERA this season — one of the worst in the league — as he works his way back from the Tommy John surgery from October 2023. While he's still searching for consistency on the mound, Alcántara continues to climb the Marlins' franchise leaderboards. He currently ranks second in strikeouts in club history and has shown glimpses of the dominance that once made him Miami's ace. 'Look, the guy's not dead,' McCullough said of Alcántara's tumultuous season thus far. 'He has an outing where he gives up some runs and the world is caving in. Is Sandy frustrated? Yes, but he's gonna be fine.' There are a few key factors at play in determining whether Alcántara will finish the season with the Marlins. First, his contract: he's owed $38.3 million over the next two seasons, a manageable number for many teams — but one that, paired with his rocky 2025 performance, could still raise concerns. On the other hand, his track record and flashes of promise this year have intrigued clubs in the playoff hunt seeking a frontline starter. One thing the Marlins front office needs to consider, however, is that moving Alcántara could have ripple effects beyond the rotation. Alcántara shares a close personal and professional bond with 22-year-old Marlins breakout pitcherEury Pérez. Both are natives to the Dominican Republic. Both are represented by the same agent and their lockers are side-by-side in the Marlins' clubhouse. Given that Alcántara has taken on the role of mentor and older brother for Pérez, trading him would remove a crucial support system. Disrupting that relationship could set back Pérez's development at a time when the Marlins are banking on him to be a foundational player in thefuture. Still, Alcántara's name remains on the radar of multiple contending teams. ESPN's Jeff Passan predicts a potential landing spot in Chicago, where the Cubs — armed with a strong offense — could use Alcántara to stabilize their rotation and deepen a playoff push. Other postseason hopefuls like the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox (now firmly in wild card contention) may also join the conversation. The Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox rank second, third, and twelfth in payroll, respectively — meaning Alcántara's contract likely wouldn't scare them off. Despite the growing interest, the Marlins still hold all the cards. With Alcántara under team control through 2027 on a team-friendly deal, Miami has no urgency to sell low. They can afford to wait — and should they choose to hold onto their longtime ace, it wouldn't just preserve their leverage. It might also protect the future of their next one. Other Marlins players in conversation include right-handed starting pitcher Edward Cabrera, who is in the midst of a breakout season. He's pitching with more confidence on the mound, boasting a solid 3.61 ERA, with a 1.26 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 82 innings, through July. 'We just continue to see a more refined version of him as a pitcher,' McCullough said earlier this month of Cabrera's performance. While Cabrera has stabilized Miami's rotation, he has also emerged as one of the most intriguing trade candidates. Teams like the Cubs and the New York Mets have reportedly shown interest in the emerging ace; however, Cabrera's exit from last Friday's game versus the Orioles due to right-elbow discomfort could complicate things. While his MRI revealed no structural damage, meaning he will probably avoid an IL stint, this doesn't help his trade value. Another pitcher with a circle of trade rumors is Janson Junk, who most recently held the Baltimore Orioles scoreless on five hits through seven innings in the Fish's July 12 shutout. Junk's versatility as a starter or reliever ups his trade value, making him a valuable asset. This season Junk is 4-1 with a save. He has 2.68 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He has appeared in 10 games this season, with five of them starts and has 38 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings. At 29 years old, Junk might not fit into Miami's long-term rebuild with up-and-coming talent such as Pérez, making him a real possibility as a pre-August trade. Finally, two offensive sluggers could also be on the trade negotiations table given their production so far this season. Right fielder Jesus Sanchez entered the midseason break with a .259 batting average, the best in his major-league career, and All-Star left fielder Kyle Stowers leads the team with a .293 average. The Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, and Minnesota Twins all have been rumored to have expressed interest in Sanchez, while Stowers' status as an All Star puts him into trade contention, as well. Stowers would likely have a high asking price, even at 27. He has received everyday playing time this season and excelled. He's the reigning National League Player of the Week. With 19 home runs and 54 RBI over 346 plate appearances this season, Stowers is a real asset to the Marlins right now. While his price tag could be quite high, it's unlikely the Marlins will trade away their leading offensive man. With that said, with this team and this front office, anything goes — for Stowers, for Alcántara, and the whole Marlins roster.
Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Marlins go big in MLB Draft, select 6-5 shortstop from Oregon State with No. 7 overall pick
The Miami Marlins have been focused on Aiva Arquette for quite some time. So much so, that the day after last Christmas, one of their scouts cut his vacation short to go see the Oregon State University shortstop at his home in Kailua, Hawai'i. Arquette was a priority, and Sunday night, the Marlins made the 21-year-old their first selection — the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 MLB First-Year Player Draft. 'Very excited right now because we just drafted the best college position player in the draft,' Marlins' president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said on a Zoom video call with reporters after the pick. Arquette (6-5, 220 pounds() is ranked the No. 5 overall prospect by Baseball America and the No. 6 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. He was selected by Arizona in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of high school. After two seasons at the University of Washington, he transferred to Oregon State and delivered a breakout junior year — batting .354 (90 for 254) with career highs in runs (73), doubles (17), home runs (19), and RBI (66) — to help the Beavers reach the College World Series. The right-handed hitter also posted a career-best 16.5 strikeout rate (15 in 310 plate appearances) while recording a 12.6 walk rate (39 in 310 plate appearances). 'He's a guy who can do a lot of different things — somebody that really is exactly what we were looking for and hoping for in this draft,' Bendix noted. The Marlins had three remaining picks in the first three rounds Sunday — numbers 43, 46 and 78 — before Rounds 4 through 20 on Monday. As for Arquette, 'This is a player we're extremely excited about that has both performance presently in college and upside,' said Marlins' director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere, who spoke after Bendix. 'This is going to present a lot of fun opportunities for the Marlins. All of us here just couldn't be more thrilled. I'll echo what Peter said. Our scouting staff did an unbelievable job on this player.' Wearing a vibrant lei around his neck, a smiling Arquette said he celebrated the draft with close friends and family at his home in Hawai'i. 'We're all grateful to be drafted by the Marlins,' he said during a Zoom video call with team media. 'I'm just so excited to get my career started.' Arquette grew up playing football and basketball as well as baseball, and that shows in his athleticism. He said his favorite player growing up was Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith. Arquette is seven inches taller than Smith, but he moves with much more fluidity than expected from a player of his height. And the Marlins aren't looking to move him to another position. 'Where he ends up ultimately, we'll see, but we're drafting him as a shortstop,' said Piliere, adding that Arquette's combination of 'physicality' and 'athleticism' is especially impressive. 'That's a rare combo, and I'll probably end up saying that a lot over the next few days, a few weeks here, but it's rare, and that's why we're so excited.' Said Arquette: 'I'm just excited to get to work, to continue playing the game I love, and just continue my development.'
Miami Herald
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Stowers named to the National League All-Star team as a reserve
Kyle Stowers is heading to the Midsummer Classic. The Miami Marlins' left fielder was named to his first MLB All-Star Game on Sunday and, barring any roster changes, will be the club's lone representative when the showcase is played July 15 in Atlanta. Stowers, 27, found out in a pregame meeting in the clubhouse. 'It's pretty surreal, to be honest,' Stowers said. 'It's something that certainly is on the career bucket list to experience. It's not my mountaintop, per se, but it's something that I definitely wanted to accomplish.' 'The reaction from his teammates said a lot,' said Marlins' manager Clayton McCullough. 'Everyone was ecstatic for Kyle, and he's earned that with his performance. But I think also he's earned a lot of respect from his teammates for the way in which he carries himself and how he handles the good and the bad.' Stowers' production made him the Marlins' likely All-Star choice. He entered Sunday's series finale against the Brewers batting .283 and leading the team's qualifiers in slugging (.519), OPS (.879), home runs (16), extra-base hits (32), RBI (46) and total bases (147). He had five homers in nine games since June 26, tied for second most in the majors during that span, while slashing 355/.429/.903 with a 1.332 OPS. And, of course, there were the two unforgettable walk-offs in the first half of this season — an RBI single to beat the Pirates on Opening Day and a walk-off grand slam against A's flamethrower Mason Miller on May 3, one of only six in franchise history, that snapped a six-game skid. But it hasn't all been smooth. Stowers weathered a 31-game homerless drought and endured a brutal 2-for-30 stretch at the plate from May 24 to June 1. 'He deserves the credit,' McCullough said. 'It's easy to say, 'Well, guys, go make adjustments, and the league will show you.' But it's another thing to be willing to be open to be like, 'OK, I've got to make some real wholesale changes and swing adjustments,' and take what slapped you in the face and push back on it. That shows a lot about Kyle's character. '[Dodgers manager] Dave Roberts has said this a lot: 'The game has a way of rewarding you.' Kyle is one of those, the way he's been rewarded for his stick-to-it-iveness and his openness to getting better. There was a little bit of a dip, and his resiliency shows that this [success] was not a fluky stretch of games.' Said Stowers: 'I'm so grateful to do what I do, but there's a lot of challenges, too, and I care a lot, and so when things weren't going well, it's really hard, and it just makes moments like this that much more special.' Stowers, acquired from the Orioles alongside third baseman Connor Norby in a trade last July 30, reflected Sunday on his early days in Miami. 'I obviously didn't play the baseball that I would have liked to last year,' he said. 'But that being said, within the struggles there's just so many learning opportunities. And honestly, playing so poorly for a stretch of time forced me to kind of lower my expectations, to lower the bar and take one step at a time.' Stowers shared a story from near the end of spring training, when he was 'playing pretty poorly, and I was actually kind of nervous about not making the team'— a notion that seems silly now considering Sunday's news. 'We hadn't booked our living [arrangements] for the season yet,' Stowers said of himself and his wife, Emma. [Assistant hitting coach Derek Shomon] called me before the off day and he goes, 'Are you panicking?' And I go, 'No, I'm not panicking.' Calls me on the off day, asks me the same question. I go, 'I wouldn't use that word.' But maybe what you think I'm feeling is what I'm feeling. He goes, 'Do you want to come in early tomorrow, hit on your own, so you don't have to rush and get your own time?' 'I walk in that morning into the cage, and I go, 'I'm panicking because I've been doing so much good in the cage, and it hasn't shown any results on the field yet.' And he goes, 'Great, we can work with that. You think you're the first guy that's ever struggled in spring and then had a good season?' So he, [hitting coach Pedro Guerrero], and I had a 30-minute conversation, just talking. 'And I think it was the time where they really got to see who I was as a person, what I cared about,' Stowers continued. 'And to be honest with you, if I had to, like, pinpoint one moment that has really shifted things for me here, it was that moment. 'And things didn't get better right after, but just the understanding that we had in that moment, to be able to communicate, for me to be vulnerable to those guys and them to still believe in me and tell me that they have high hopes for me, I genuinely think that's something that's worth noting as a pinpoint for me this year.'
NBC Sports
04-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Jesús Sánchez, Randy Rodríguez and Michael Conforto
FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS Jesús Sánchez (OF Marlins): Rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues The Marlins' recent run has been fueled more by the pitching than by the offense, but things have gotten enough better that it seems worth grabbing Sánchez ahead of a likely trade to a contender this month. He's hit .275/.322/.507 with six homers and five steals in his last 38 games, which has been enough to produce 21 RBI and 23 runs scored. Prior to this stretch, Sánchez had just eight RBI and seven runs scored over his first 27 games. Last year, with the Marlins finishing 27th in the majors in runs per game, Sánchez had only 64 RBI and 60 runs scored in 149 games as a league-average hitter. The lack of help around him made him look like someone with little fantasy upside even with a modest breakthrough. However, that breakthrough does seem to be materializing lately, as Sánchez has a .428 xwOBA over his last 50 plate appearances. He's making more contact while hitting the ball just as hard as he always has; Statcast has him in the 95th percentile for bat speed, the 89th percentile for average exit velocity and the 82nd percentile in xSLG. His chase rate has improved from the 9th percentile last year to the 37th percentile this season. Adding the stolen base to his arsenal is another thing that's made Sánchez more interesting for fantasy purposes. He has nine steals this season and is 25-for-29 since the beginning of last year. He'd been just 4-for-6 in 297 major league games through 2023. As the Marlins' second-most expensive player at $4.5 million, Sánchez is expected to be very much available in trade talks this month. He doesn't hit lefties and he's only a middling defender, so he's probably not part of the team's foundation. Still, Sánchez has yet to peak offensively, and there are several contenders who could use a power-hitting corner outfielder for the middle of their lineup. Sánchez is only a modest fantasy contributor now, but in the right situation, he could take off. Randy Rodríguez (RP Giants): Rostered in 30% of Yahoo leagues Camilo Doval recovered from his ninth-inning blown save Wednesday to pitch a scoreless 10th and get a win, delaying the possibility of another closer switch in San Francisco. Still, Doval has given up 10 earned runs and walked nine in 15 1/3 innings since replacing Ryan Walker in the ninth at the end of May. Randy Rodríguez has given up three earned runs and walked eight in 37 2/3 innings all season. The 25-year-old Rodríguez has demonstrated one of the game's most potent fastball-slider combinations this season and should be an NL All-Star as a result. He's 37.9% strikeout rate places him seventh in the majors among everyone to throw at least 20 innings, and it comes with just a 5.7% walk rate and just one homer allowed to the 140 batters he's faced. He's been scored upon only twice in 37 outings. Doval isn't a bad bet going forward, either, but his strikeout rate is down for a second straight year, making his mediocre walk rate more of a concern. It'd be best for the Giants if Doval could hold on the ninth, allowing the team to employ Rodríguez in big situations earlier in games. Still, they haven't been shy about making changes. Doval lost the job last summer even though his shaky outings rarely led to losses. Walker was pulled from the role in May even though he had blown only two saves. Rodríguez is clearly the No. 2 option now, and Doval's next poor outing could result in a permanent change. Michael Conforto (OF Dodgers): Rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues It's hardly showing up in his actual numbers, but Conforto is swinging the bat better of late, finishing with xwOBAs of .373 in May and .361 in June. Statcast gave him an xBA of .265 and an xSLG of .476 between the two months. If he'd actually done that or at least somewhere close to it, he'd have been well worth using in mixed leagues. It's worth seeing if maybe he'll start to now. While it's a stinging blow for the Dodgers, Max Muncy's absence will probably help Conforto's numbers some. The outfielder moved up to sixth in the lineup Thursday. It's the first time he's hit higher than seventh in a month. He could also get more starts against lefties. He's already played against three of the last six the Dodgers have faced, and while he's typically been far better versus righties in his career, he has no platoon split this year. Most of his offensive improvement, should it materialize, figures to come against righties, but the extra at-bats versus lefties, even if they're not particularly good ones, will still add to his value. So, no, it's not an exciting pickup. But Conforto has generally been an above average hitter in his career, and that he hasn't been one this year is mostly a product of a .215 BABIP that is 80 points lower than his career mark. His strikeout rate is unchanged. His 45% hard-hit rate is considerably better than his career mark of 40%. He's playing his home games in the best offensive ballpark of his three-stop career, and while I don't put much stock in it, his career second-half OPS is about 60 points better than his first-half mark (actually, it's about 80 now, but it hardly seems fair to include the current first half). He should prove helpful. Waiver Wire Quick Hits - Ronny Henriquez seems to be running away with the closer's role in Miami, but he's only 18% rostered right now. Maybe it won't last and maybe he'll even get traded this month, but he's been impressive in striking out 57 over 41 innings. - Ke'Bryan Hayes isn't someone I'd pick up right now, but his contact numbers have been better of late, and he could be interesting if moved to a contender this month. Put him in a better ballpark and situation that would still allow him to do some basestealing, and he wouldn't need to match other third basemen homer for homer in order to be of use.
