<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-mark-vientos-takes-full-responsibility-for-lack-of-hustle-in-loss-vs-marlins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Mark Vientos takes full responsibility for lack of hustle in loss vs Marlins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-1_ba940b.jpg"></figure><h1>Mets’ Mark Vientos takes full responsibility for lack of hustle in loss vs Marlins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T18:24:28-07:00">April 2nd, 6:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T18:24:28-07:00">April 2nd, 6:24pm</time><address><a>Daniel Locke</a>Daniel Locke covers the New Orleans Pelicans and is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints. He will graduate from Auburn University with a degree in Journalism in May. Daniel has covered Auburn Athletics for the entirety of his time as a student, focusing on football, men's basketball, and baseball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Mets picked <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mets-marlins-prediction-odds-pick-4-2-2025">up a 6-5 win over</a> the Miami Marlins on Wednesday afternoon, securing the series win. Third baseman Mark Vientos’ <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6250676/2025/04/02/mets-mark-viento-lack-of-hustle/?source=bsky_hq" rel="noopener">lack of hustle in Tuesday night’s game</a> did not present a distraction after the fact.</p><p>Vientos was frustrated during Tueday night’s game, throwing his helmet in the process.</p><p>“Probably should’ve never done that, too,” Vientos said via The Athletic. “But that’s just the player I am. I am competing out there. I am super focused, and I want to win. Obviously, I gotta tame it down a little bit, but that’s just how I compete.”</p><p>Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke on the importance of making sure Vientos is in a good place mentally.</p><p>“You kind of give it a day, and then the next day you talk to him,” said Mendoza. “You’re just making sure that mentally he is in a good place. They are human. You want to see results right away.</p><p>“Just understanding that it’s a long year. Just stick to the basics, your fundamentals, your process, your preparation and things will be all right. That was basically the whole deal with him. He’s in there today, and he’s a big part of this team.”</p><p>Vientos is looking to bounce back <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mets-news-juan-soto-urges-new-york-make-sandy-alcantara-trade">and help the Mets continue</a> the early success they have had.</p><h2><b>Mets’ Kodai Senga likes assistant coach</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/unnamed-2_096067.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6248531/2025/04/01/mets-kodai-senga-pitching-coach/" rel="noopener">hit it off with assistant pitching coach</a> Desi Druschel.</p><p>“Part of the reason why I am able to be here healthy and why I was able to throw today is partly because of him,” Senga said of Druschel through an interpreter, via The Athletic.</p><p>Druschel talked about how receptive Senga has been of the things he has told him and how he has tried to use the input he has been given.</p><p>“He’s been very receptive to it,” Druschel said. “David Stearns talks about it, the entire organization is about it and it’s something I’m about: evidence-based. That’s what I am trying to provide. It’s, ‘Hey, this is some evidence as to why I suggest this,’ or why it’s worked in the past for others.”</p><p>The relationship seemingly came out of nowhere, but it could set the Mets up for success this season.</p><p>“Things happen organically,” Druschel said. “You gravitate toward certain people. Players gravitate toward certain coaches. We gravitated toward one another. The funny part is, he’s got a really strong will. And one of my attributes is that I just show up every day. I keep coming back.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Mark Vientos takes full responsibility for lack of hustle in loss vs Marlins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-pete-alonso-game-tying-3-run-bomb-vs-marlins-fans-going-wild');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pete Alonso’s game-tying 3-run bomb vs. Marlins has fans going wild');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pete-Alonsos-game-tying-3-run-bomb-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Pete Alonso’s game-tying 3-run bomb vs. Marlins has fans going wild</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T17:00:56-07:00">April 2nd, 5:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T17:00:56-07:00">April 2nd, 5:00pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Pete Alonso struggled during this first series of the season for the New York Mets, but he is starting to heat up during their current series against the Miami Marlins. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-social-media-rejoices-pete-alonso-mashes-grand-slam-vs-marlins">Alonso hit a grand slam</a> in Monday’s game, and he hit a <a href="https://x.com/SNYtv/status/1907569364204740788" rel="noopener">massive three-run shot</a> to tie the game on Wednesday in the eighth inning.</p><p>The Marlins went up 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday against the Mets, and it looked like they were in great position to get a win. Pete Alonso had other plans, however, and the game went to extra innings because of it.</p><p>It was a big home run, but some Marlins fans thought that Alonso <a href="https://x.com/HarrySissons69/status/1907575584936415383" rel="noopener">took things too far</a> with his celebration.</p><p>“Bro is bat flipping a tying HR vs the marlins in game 4/162 🤡🫵🤡🫵 alonso is the EASIEST player to hate,” one fan said on social media.</p><p>Other Marlins fans <a href="https://x.com/TruSchoolSports/status/1907570051734974573" rel="noopener">are wondering</a> why the team was even pitching to Alonso in the first place.</p><p>“Why won’t the Marlins just pitch around or walk Pete Alonso? He’s there only good hitter right now #MarlinsBeisbol,” the fan wrote.</p><p>The bases would’ve been loaded and the winning run would’ve been at the plate, but walking Alonso <a href="https://x.com/MarlinsGBU/status/1907569953911226521" rel="noopener">could’ve saved the game</a>.</p><p>“Honestly I would’ve walked his a** and loaded the bases,” another fan said. “The deeper in the count or more pitches Alonso sees the better that guy locks in and then s**t like that happens.”</p><p>Some Marlins fans <a href="https://x.com/shane_pineda_/status/1907570049046687917" rel="noopener">were upset with</a> the pitch selection from Calvin Faucher, who gave up the homer to Alonso.</p><p>“Bros throwing fastballs down the middle to Pete Alonso,” a fan said. “What a clown.”</p><p>Are the Marlins ever <a href="https://x.com/BeeSupreme_/status/1907569668820287672" rel="noopener">going to learn</a> from their mistakes against Pete Alonso? Miami fans have seen this happen before.</p><p>“The Marlins throw the same pitches to Pete Alonso in the same spot &amp; he continues to hit it out lmao,” one fan posted. “Stupid a** baseball team.”</p><p>It seems like the situation <a href="https://x.com/NewYorkJet1962/status/1907540951716831351" rel="noopener">could’ve been avoided,</a> but Mets fans will take it!</p><p>“I love it more when the pitcher gives Alonso a break,” one fan wrote. “First pitch low and away slider. Swing and miss. Second pitch. Low and away slider. Swing and miss. Great idea!!!! Throw him a fastball where he can extend his arms. Good job Pete. Ridiculous Marlins.”</p><p>The Mets were down by three runs late, but they came back to tie it <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-pete-alonso-truth-meeting-re-signing-new-york">thanks to the Pete Alonso</a> homer. Now, both times are fighting for a victory in extra innings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pete Alonso’s game-tying 3-run bomb vs. Marlins has fans going wild

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-trade-rumors-intriguing-reaction-marlins-president');   ga('set', 'title', 'Sandy Alcantara trade rumors get intriguing reaction from Marlins president');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sandy-Alcantara-trade-rumors-get-intriguing-reaction-from-Miami-president.jpg"></figure><h1>Sandy Alcantara trade rumors get intriguing reaction from Marlins president</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T21:59:44-07:00">March 29th, 9:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T21:59:44-07:00">March 29th, 9:59pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It didn’t take long for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-red-sox-trade-speculation-doused-cold-water">Sandy Alcantara’s name to resurface in trade talks</a>. After a promising Opening Day start — his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in late 2023 — the Miami Marlins’ ace quickly became a hot topic again. And with the organization coming off a 2024 season in which they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/padres-news-san-diego-blockbuster-luis-arraez-trade-marlins">dealt star second baseman Luis Arraez in early May</a>, speculation about another midseason sell-off has only intensified.</p><p>President of baseball operations Peter Bendix addressed those rumors Saturday ahead of Miami’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/peter-bendix-on-sandy-alcantara-trade-rumors" rel="noopener">offering a measured but telling response.</a></p><p>“It’s not even April, so I understand where the questions are coming from,” Bendix said. “But until we get to the point of even considering trades, it’s not really something that I have much to comment on, other than it’s really great to see Sandy looking healthy, looking normal. It’s Game 3 of the season.”</p><p>Still, Bendix didn’t shut the door entirely. When asked if a repeat of the 2024 Arraez trade could be on the table, he left things open-ended.</p><h2><b>Will the Marlins trade Sandy Alcantara?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sandy-Alcantara.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“We’re always open to anything that is going to make our organization better,” he said. “It’s unusual for there to be moves like that, right? But obviously, we’re open-minded to it.”</p><p>That’s all it took for the rumor mill to reignite — especially considering Alcantara’s team-friendly contract and the Marlins’ bare-bones payroll. The 2022 NL Cy Young winner is under contract through 2026, earning $17.3 million annually, with a club option for 2027 at $21 million. He currently accounts for over 25% of Miami’s MLB-low $67.9 million payroll.</p><p>In a recent ESPN survey of MLB executives and scouts, Alcantara was voted the player most likely to be traded before the July 31 deadline, receiving nine of 18 votes. Given the Marlins’ cost-conscious approach, it’s easy to see why. When healthy, Alcantara is one of the premier arms in baseball, and his affordable contract makes him a particularly attractive trade chip for contenders.</p><p>Alcantara’s first outing of 2025 showed flashes of his old self. He struck out seven and gave up two runs in 4.2 innings while walking four. The Marlins went on to win 5-4 in walk-off fashion, a bright moment in what could otherwise be a difficult season.</p><p>Last August, Craig Mish of SportsGrid reported that Miami had told Alcantara he wouldn’t be traded in the offseason. However, Bendix was noncommittal when asked about that again in December, saying: “You said it: We never rule out anything. We listen to everything.” For now, Alcantara remains in Miami, a stabilizing force in a young, unproven rotation. But as the season unfolds, his presence could once again become a valuable bargaining chip — and perhaps the key to the Marlins’ next big rebuild step.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sandy Alcantara trade rumors get intriguing reaction from Marlins president

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-marlins-rookie-kyle-stowers-electric-1st-walk-off-2025-vs-pirates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins rookie Kyle Stowers delivers electric 1st walk off of 2025 vs. Pirates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Marlins-news-Kyle-Stowers-delivers-electric-1st-walk-off-of-2025-vs-Pirates.jpg"></figure><h1>Marlins rookie Kyle Stowers delivers electric 1st walk off of 2025 vs. Pirates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T01:10:59-07:00">March 28th, 1:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T01:10:59-07:00">March 28th, 1:10am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/nationals-news-how-nationals-mackenzie-gore-bob-gibson-mlb-history-opening-day"> 2025 MLB season wasted no time bringing the drama</a>. On Opening Day at loanDepot park, Miami Marlins rookie Kyle Stowers etched his name into the early-season highlight reel with a <a href="https://x.com/mlb/status/1905398436448665930?s=46&amp;t=vnLDgTn4yNZudl1UzUUjJA" rel="noopener">walk-off single</a> in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving Miami a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and spoiling Paul Skenes’ first Opening Day start.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kyle Stowers delivers the first walk-off of the 2025 season! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OpeningDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OpeningDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/zUuXcGdJN5">pic.twitter.com/zUuXcGdJN5</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1905398436448665930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Stowers, acquired in the offseason and making his Marlins debut, came through in a big spot. After Pirates closer David Bednar allowed a leadoff triple to Nick Fortes and issued an intentional walk to Xavier Edwards, Stowers ripped a line drive into right field. Pinch-runner Javier Sanoja raced home to seal the Marlins’ first win and give new manager Clayton McCullough a victory in his debut.</p><p>“That was a great team win,” McCullough said postgame. “Kyle came through with a huge swing, and it’s always fun to start the season with that kind of moment.”</p><h2><b>Kyle Stowers comes up clutch for the Marlins on Opening Day</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Kyle-Stowers.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/how-paul-skenes-pitched-for-pirates-in-first-opening-day-start">back-and-forth affair that featured a duel between Skenes</a>, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, and Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, returning from Tommy John surgery. Alcantara touched 99.6 mph in the first inning and struck out seven but also issued four walks over 4 2/3 innings.</p><p>Skenes, meanwhile, worked 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven and allowing just three hits, though two walks in his final frame contributed to a Marlins rally. The Pirates carried a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth after a two-run homer by Nick Gonzales in the sixth. But Pittsburgh’s bullpen – a known weak spot in 2024 – faltered late. Stowers drew a walk to lead off the eighth and scored on an Otto Lopez RBI single.</p><p>Dane Myers followed with a game-tying hit to even the score at 4-4. In the ninth, Fortes set the stage with a leadoff triple. Edwards followed with a walk and promptly stole second to remove the double-play possibility. That brought up Stowers, who didn’t miss his opportunity.</p><p>“Just wanted to keep it simple,” Stowers said. “Put a good swing on something in the zone. Felt great to help the team win.”</p><p>Despite the Pirates’ bullpen collapse, Skenes flashed his ace potential. His fastball reached 99.9 mph, and he racked up 16 swings and misses across 94 pitches. But Miami’s offense outlasted Pittsburgh’s arms, capitalizing late. Jesús Tinoco (1-0) earned the win after escaping a ninth-inning jam with two runners on, striking out Joey Bart to keep the game tied. Bednar (0-1) took the loss for Pittsburgh. The clubs meet again Friday for Game 2 of the season-opening four-game set. But it’s Stowers’ moment that will be remembered — the first walk-off of 2025, and possibly the first of many in his career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins rookie Kyle Stowers delivers electric 1st walk off of 2025 vs. Pirates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/miami-marlins/mlb-rumors-56-million-marlins-ace-labeled-a-walking-trade-rumor');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: $56 million Marlins ace labeled a ‘walking trade rumor’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MLB-rumors-56-million-Marlins-ace-labeled-a-walking-trade-rumor.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: $56 million Marlins ace labeled a ‘walking trade rumor’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-27T08:19:04-07:00">March 27th, 8:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-27T08:19:04-07:00">March 27th, 8:19am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/pirates-vs-marlins-prediction-odds-pick-3-27-2025">Miami Marlins face the Pittsburgh Pirates</a> in the season opener on Thursday, it comes off another offseason where the team made some moves, dealing stars to other teams for assets in building for the future. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/mlb-rumors-red-sox-predicted-to-land-56-million-marlins-ace-in-trade">Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara has been involved in trade rumors</a> heading into the season and should be one to look out for heading into the deadline in July.</p><p>Alcantara is starting the season after a long recovery from Tommy John surgery where he is looking to return to his Cy Young award-winning production. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal made a column detailing the top storylines of the upcoming MLB season and had Alcantara leading the way in terms of speculation where he called him a<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6232629/2025/03/27/mlb-season-storylines-opening-day-2025/" rel="noopener"> “walking trade rumor”</a> as he had a strong Spring Training.</p><p>“With so many races projected to be close, the deadline should again play a major role in determining the playoff qualifiers,” Rosenthal wrote. “Alcántara, the Miami Marlins’ ace, soon will be a walking trade rumor, a transaction waiting to happen. Spring-training results are largely meaningless, but Alcántara looks sufficiently recovered from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in October 2023.”</p><p>“In 12 1/3 innings of Grapefruit League play, he allowed no earned runs, striking out 10, walking three — and touching 100 mph,” Rosenthal continued. “With salaries of $17.3 million in 2025 and ’26 and a $21 million club option for 2027, he would be available for three pennant races. And the Marlins, bless their payroll-slashing hearts, are virtually certain to move him, even if it puts them at further risk of a grievance by the Players Association.”</p><h2><b>Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara looks to bounce back amidst trade rumors </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sandy-Alcantara-on-Feb.-28-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-earns-opening-day-honor-after-lengthy-injury-recovery">Alcantara got the nod for the Marlins on Opening Day</a>, there is no doubt he will lead the team into the 2025 campaign for the time being. However, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6228831/2025/03/25/mlb-predictions-2025-vladimir-guerrero-extension-kyle-tucker-phillies/" rel="noopener">there are teams that are contending</a> that could use Alcantara if Miami were to trade him, one team constantly being mentioned is the Boston Red Sox which even The Athletic’s Jim Bowden predicted.</p><p>“The Marlins trade Sandy Alcantara to the Red Sox for right fielder Wilyer Abreu and a prospect package of righty Luis Perales, infielder Franklin Arias and righty Juan Valera,” Bowden wrote.</p><p>Alcantara hasn’t played since the 2023 season where he had a relatively down year throwing a 4.14 ERA with 151 strikeouts and a 7-12 record. It was in 2022 where he showed how much of a star earning the Cy Young award throwing a 2.28 ERA with 207 strikeouts and a 14-9 record.</p><p>With his trade status still up in the air for the season, Alcantara will look to have one of his best seasons yet after recovering from the Tommy John surgery. Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix spoke via The Miami Herald about missing Alcantara for a whole season and <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article300215209.html" rel="noopener">now having him back.</a></p><p>“It’s really frustrating for him to miss an entire year,” Bendix said. “It’s really frustrating for the whole team. We know how important he is to the team, and it’s just great to see him out there…For baseball, with Sandy, to have your better players — your star players — back out there is good for the game and certainly good for our fans.”</p><p>Miami looks to improve after having a 62-100 record last season which put them last in the NL East, hoping Alcantara can give them a boost.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: $56 million Marlins ace labeled a ‘walking trade rumor’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-miami-removes-practice-squad-ad-amid-mlb-concerns');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins remove practice squad ad amid MLB’s concerns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Miami-removes-practice-squad-ad-amid-MLBs-concerns.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Marlins remove practice squad ad amid MLB’s concerns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-18T12:55:06-07:00">March 18th, 12:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-18T12:55:06-07:00">March 18th, 12:55pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Marlins have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6211578/2025/03/17/marlins-practice-squad-mlb-minor-leagues/" rel="noopener">scrapped their attempt</a> to recruit players for a practice squad after Major League Baseball (MLB) expressed concerns over the initiative.</p><p>On March 13, the organization posted an advertisement seeking former collegiate and professional baseball players to join a practice squad. The role offered up to $150 per day and required availability from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. for 10 to 15 home games per month from April 1 to September 15.</p><p>According to The Athletic’s Andy McCullough and Sam Blum, MLB officials contacted the Marlins regarding the ad, citing potential conflicts with baseball’s roster rules and labor practices. As a result, the Marlins removed the listing and abandoned the plan.</p><p>“I just think someone ran too quickly with it before getting it finalized,” a Marlins official told The Athletic. “We’re getting to the end of spring training here, and deadlines push action.”</p><h2><b>Marlins’ practice squad initiative halted amid MLB oversight</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Xavier-Edwards-9-is-congratulated-in-the-dugout-by-teammates-after-scoring-against-the-St.-Louis-Cardinals.jpg"><figcaption>© Rhona Wise-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The organization initially viewed the practice squad as a way to bolster competition within its minor-league ranks. The report noted that team officials discussed the concept internally, and prospective players quickly expressed interest.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-news-frustrated-player-leaders-take-action-oust-mlbpa-exec-bruce-meyer">Major League Baseball Players Association, which now represents minor leaguers</a>, inquired about the posting with MLB. However, league officials informed the union that the Marlins had already decided to discontinue the initiative.</p><p>The timing of the Marlins’ attempt to form a practice squad comes as many teams continue to adjust to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-news-explaining-the-rule-changes-post-lockout">MLB’s minor league restructuring</a>. In 2021, the league reduced the number of minor league affiliates to four per team, forcing organizations to find alternative ways to develop talent.</p><p>The Marlins believed their location provided a unique opportunity to experiment with a practice squad model, given the proximity of their minor-league complex in Jupiter and the abundance of baseball talent in South Florida. However, the financial constraints of the most recent collective bargaining agreement covering the minor leagues may have influenced the decision. Under the current agreement, minor league players in Low-A must earn a minimum annual salary of $26,200, while rookie-ball players make a minimum of $19,800.</p><p>A team official told The Athletic that, as of now, the organization does not have plans to relaunch the initiative. If the Miami Marlins revisit the idea in the future, the official added, it would require modifications to their initial approach.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins remove practice squad ad amid MLB’s concerns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-lose-2024-standout-injury-month');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins lose 2024 standout to injury for a month');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Miami-loses-2024-standout-to-injury-for-a-month.jpg"></figure><h1>Marlins lose 2024 standout to injury for a month</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-16T09:07:48-07:00">March 16th, 9:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-16T09:08:12-07:00">March 16th, 9:08am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Marlins are getting slapped with some bad news in spring training. Miami <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44266432/miami-marlins-jesus-sanchez-four-weeks" rel="noopener">is without star outfielder</a> Jesus Sanchez for a month, per ESPN. Sanchez is dealing with a left oblique injury.</p><p>The outfielder suffered a strain of the oblique. Marlins management is optimistic the injury isn’t too serious.</p><p>“It’s like, one-plus, I’m told, kind of between a one and two,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “That’s one of those areas and things that are kind of tricky to nail down. Category one, you’re looking at, probably optimistically, would be like a month from now.”</p><p>Sanchez got hurt in a spring training game on Thursday against the Houston Astros. He is a contender to get a starting outfield spot on the team.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-cy-young-form-braves">The Marlins are rebuilding</a> after finishing the 2024 season with a 62-100 record.</p><h2><b>Marlins looking to rebuild in 2025</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Marlins-SP-Sandy-Alcantara.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-jazz-chisholm-jr-endorsement-will-intrigue-yankees-fans-amid-trade-rumors">The Marlins sold off a good part of the team</a> in the 2024 season, before the trade deadline. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and several others left in the midst of a disastrous campaign.</p><p>Miami is now looking to pick up the pieces. Sanchez is considered a key piece of that rebuild, as he had a solid year last year. The outfielder posted 18 home runs and 64 RBIs for the team. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesus-sanchez-marlins-mlb-54e453b549dc58ae7c49bcdb6c8b4dbb" rel="noopener">He also collected</a> 16 stolen bases.</p><p>“It’s a big piece for us,” Marlins manager McCullough said, per the Associated Press. “We were counting on him, but this is kind of next man up, and it’ll be an opportunity for others to get a chance to get out there.”</p><p>Sanchez has played for the team since 2020. He has been a solid hitter; Sanchez has 59 homers and 190 runs batted in during his career. He has collected more than 1,400 bat appearances while posting a .240 lifetime batting average.</p><p>The outfielder was doing pretty well in spring training this year. In 28 bat appearances, Sanchez had a home run and four RBIs. He had already collected six hits, while posting a .214 batting average.</p><p>The Marlins play the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, in spring training. The first pitch is at 1:10 ET. Miami will undoubtedly be playing with some different lineups to see how best to replace Sanchez. Derek Hill and Dane Myers are expected to help out in the outfield for the next four weeks.</p><p>Miami’s first regular season game is against Pittsburgh on March 27. Marlins fans hope Sanchez has a speedy recovery.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins lose 2024 standout to injury for a month

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-cy-young-form-braves');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara flashes Cy Young form vs. Braves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sandy-Alcantara-flashes-Cy-Young-form-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara flashes Cy Young form vs. Braves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-28T16:29:25-08:00">February 28th, 4:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-28T16:29:25-08:00">February 28th, 4:29pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Marlins exceeded expectations in 2023, but 2024 didn’t go as planned in South Beach. The Marlins finished last season 62-100 and were out of playoff contention for most of the summer.</p><p>A lot of those struggles can be attributed to pitching. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-speaks-return-16-month-tommy-john-absence">Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara missed the entire season</a> last year after undergoing Tommy John Surgery to repair an elbow injury, but he is back this spring and looks like himself through two spring training starts.</p><p>On Friday, Alcantara threw 30 pitches across two innings and didn’t give up a run in a loss against the Atlanta Braves. He was hitting <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/sandy-alcantara-touches-100-mph-spring-training" rel="noopener">triple digits with the fastball</a> and was well into the 90s with his off speed pitches, via Christina De Nicola of MLB.com.</p><p>“Overall, Alcantara maxed out at 100.4 mph with his four-seamer in the second, 93.2 mph with his changeup in the first and 90 mph with his slider in the second,” De Nicola wrote. “Alcantara’s 100.4 mph fastball is the fastest pitch by a starter this spring, and Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the only other starter to reach triple digits.”</p><p>Before Alcantara’s surgery, he hit 100 miles per hour on his fastball just three times during the 2023 season. He has already exceeded that figure this spring.</p><p>This is a great sign for the Marlins, who will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-99-3-mph-first-start-2023">need Alcantara to be at his best this season</a> if they want to compete in a stacked NL East division that includes three elite teams: the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets.</p><p>Alcantara will continue pushing it in his next start, and the plan is to get him to throw three innings next time out. It will be a long process to get him back to throwing full starts, but the fact that Alcantara is already hitting high velocity and retiring batters at a high rate is a great sign.</p><p>The hope is that by the time Opening Day rolls around on March 27, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-earns-opening-day-honor-after-lengthy-injury-recovery">Alcantara is ready to go give the Marlins a quality start</a> and get the season started off on the right foot.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara flashes Cy Young form vs. Braves

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-99-3-mph-first-start-2023');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara hits 99.3 mph on radar gun in first start since 2023');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sandy-Alcantara-hits-99.3-mph-on-radar-gun-in-first-start-since-2023.jpg"></figure><h1>Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara hits 99.3 mph on radar gun in first start since 2023</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-23T14:39:03-08:00">February 23rd, 2:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-23T14:39:20-08:00">February 23rd, 2:39pm</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara is stepping onto the mound for the first time in nearly two years. And the pitcher looks like he hasn’t lost a step.</p><p>Alcantara <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/sandy-alcantara-makes-first-start-in-a-game-since-2023" rel="noopener">threw a smoking-hot</a> 99.3 miles per hour pitch in his first start since 2023. The Marlins hurler made the start for the team Sunday in a spring game against the New York Mets.</p><p>“I say ‘Thanks God’ for giving me the opportunity to be out there and compete and be healthy,” Alcantara said, per MLB.com. “It feels great after a long time without competing. So everything feels great today. Little nervous, but after that first pitch, I forget about everything.”</p><p>Alcantara has frequently used his powerful arm in the past to strike out batters with ease. But in 2023, the pitcher got injured and required Tommy John surgery. He’s not been able to go since, until Sunday.</p><p>“I know that the hard work that I was doing in the offseason, during my rehab, today, my arm feels so good, and I’m just trying to let it go,” Alcantara added. “I was good throwing where I want to throw it, just missed a couple times, trying to be too perfect. But after that, just trying to throw in the middle and let those guys swing.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-earns-opening-day-honor-after-lengthy-injury-recovery">Marlins fans have to be cautiously optimistic</a> about the health of their star pitcher.</p><h2><b>Marlins looking to become a contender again in the National League</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Marlins-SP-Sandy-Alcantara.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Marlins have struggled in the last few years. Miami dealt several players ahead of the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline, including Jazz Chisholm. Chisholm left for the New York Yankees.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-speaks-return-16-month-tommy-john-absence">Alcantara’s injury made the 2024 season even more miserable for Marlins fans</a>. Miami finished the year with a frustrating 62-100 record.</p><p>The franchise is deeply hopeful to have Alcantara return to form in 2025. The 29-year-old pitcher ideally has plenty of solid seasons left in him. Alcantara won the NL Cy Young award in 2022.</p><p>Alcantara’s return to the mound on Sunday was welcomed by many. Several Marlins players traveled to see him pitch, even though they weren’t required to.</p><p>“[It] just shows how much he means to a lot of the guys in our clubhouse,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “It’s a credit to him [for] guys to come up here, just to watch that, knowing how big a deal it was for him and us. So that was really cool.”</p><p>Time will tell if Alcantara can keep throwing heat.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara hits 99.3 mph on radar gun in first start since 2023

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-earns-opening-day-honor-after-lengthy-injury-recovery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara earns Opening Day honor after lengthy injury recovery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sandy-Alcantara-earns-Opening-Day-honor-after-lengthy-injury-recovery.jpg"></figure><h1>Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara earns Opening Day honor after lengthy injury recovery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-13T15:17:44-08:00">February 13th, 3:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-13T15:17:44-08:00">February 13th, 3:17pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While there were <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-red-sox-trade-speculation-doused-cold-water">trade rumors surrounding Miami Marlins star Sandy Alcantara</a>, it appears he’ll be the ace of the team heading into the new season <a href="https://x.com/CDeNicola13/status/1890047020502823241" rel="noopener">as he was announced</a> as the Opening Day starter according to Christina De Nicola. As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-speaks-return-16-month-tommy-john-absence">Marlins pitcher in Alcantara has recovered from a long Tommy John injury</a>, the process has been going well apparently as he’ll be ready to take the mound come the beginning of the season.</p><p>Alcantara missed the entire season in 2024 due to the aforementioned injury where new manager Clayton McCullough would say via The Miami Herald that the choice<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article300215209.html" rel="noopener"> “was an easy one for us.”</a></p><p>“It wasn’t that tough,” McCullough said. “Sandy was an easy one for us. Very, very happy for him, for all the hard work he’s put in now get himself back in position for that.”</p><p>The 29-year-old looks to come back with vengeance after missing a season and a down 2023 where he wants to return to his 2022 form where he was an All-Star and even won the NL Cy Young award. One person who’s excited to have Alcantara back healthy in Miami is the president of baseball operations Peter Bendix.</p><p>“It’s really frustrating for him to miss an entire year,” Bendix said. “It’s really frustrating for the whole team. We know how important he is to the team, and it’s just great to see him out there…For baseball, with Sandy, to have your better players — your star players — back out there is good for the game and certainly good for our fans.”</p><h2><b>How Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara is feeling after Tommy John recovery</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sandy-Alcantara-on-Feb.-13-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Besides Alcantara, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/marlins-news-miami-agree-1-year-contract-rockies-guardians-starter">the Marlins boosted their pitching</a> with Cal Quantril, though the Dominican Republic-born ace looks to not just have a dominant 2025, but a relatively healthy one.</p><p>“<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article299846579.html" rel="noopener">Everything feels great,</a>” Alcantara said via The Miami Herald. “My arm is good. I can’t wait to be out there.”</p><p>“It was the same as when I was a normal person,” Alcantara continued. “Nonstop working every day and trying to get better.”</p><p>Subsequently, there has no doubt been progress as per The Miami Herald, his fastball was hitting speeds of up to 99 miles per hour which is a great sign. Alcantara spoke of how it was to watch games from his home, unable to compete with his teammates.</p><p>“It was very bad, just being able to watch the games,” Alcantara said. “I wasn’t able to compete, and I felt so bad. But right now I just got, I think, positive. … I was waiting too long to be back, and now I’m here.”</p><p>The <a href="https://x.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/1861824766992326890" rel="noopener">pitcher already has made an impression</a> on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/marlins-news-miami-hiring-dodgers-coach-new-manager">Marlins’ new manager McCullough</a> as he spoke highly of him per MLB Network Radio.</p><p>“I had a chance to see him at an outing about a week ago and he looked great, sounded great, felt like he was right on track at this point,” McCullough said. “Sandy’s such a hard worker and such an important part and a leader of this pitching staff and this team. All signs point to things looking very positive for the start of the season.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“He’s such an important leader for this team.”</p><p>Sandy Alcántara returns to the top of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Marlins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Marlins</a> rotation in 2025. <a href="https://twitter.com/Marlins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Marlins</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarlinsBeisbol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarlinsBeisbol</a><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC">https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC</a> <a href="https://t.co/TW3EObscIV">pic.twitter.com/TW3EObscIV</a></p><p>— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/1861824766992326890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara earns Opening Day honor after lengthy injury recovery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/marlins-news-miami-agree-1-year-contract-rockies-guardians-starter');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins agree to 1-year contract with former Rockies, Guardians starter');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Miami-agrees-to-1-year-contract-with-former-Rockies-Guardians-starter.jpg"></figure><h1>Marlins agree to 1-year contract with former Rockies, Guardians starter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-12T11:38:11-08:00">February 12th, 11:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-12T11:38:11-08:00">February 12th, 11:38am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In the middle of a rebuild, the Miami <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-cubs-marlins-trade-swap-top-100-prospects">Marlins have stayed relatively quiet</a> all offseason. But as they look to bolster their pitching staff, the Marlins have hooked an intriguing starter.</p><p>Miami <a href="https://x.com/Alden_Gonzalez/status/1889743167584608363" rel="noopener">has signed</a> Cal Quantril to a one-year major league contract, via Alden Gonzalez of The Athletic. The financial terms of the agreement have not yet been revealed.</p><p>Quantril comes to the Marlins after spending the 2024 campaign with the Colorado Rockies. Over 29 games, he held an 8-11 record with a 4.98 ERA and a 110/69 K/BB ratio. He led the National League in walks.</p><p>It’s always tough pitching in Coors Field and perhaps the Marlins are cutting him some slack. Quantril did have an impressive run with the Cleveland Guardians from 2020-2021. While he struggled in 2022, the right-hander ended his Guardians tenure with a 27-15 record, a 3.58 ERA and a 320/131 K/BB ratio.</p><p>Quantril won’t immediate turn Miami into the pitching capital of MLB. However, the Marlins are in serious need of pitching help entering 2025.</p><p>Sandy Alcantara should be available on Opening Day, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-speaks-return-16-month-tommy-john-absence">he has been away from the diamond</a> for over a year after Tommy John surgery. Two of Miami’s most promising arms in Eury Perez and Braxton Garrett are injured. And while the team has intriguing arms in Ryan Weathers, Edward Cabrera and Max Meyer, this is the same rotation the finished 2024 ranked 29 in ERA (4.73).</p><p>It’s clear that the Marlins aren’t yet looking to truly compete. They’re still building out their future in Peter Bendix’s vision. Cal Quantril will give Miami short-term relief for their pitching staff. He threw nearly 150 innings for the Rockies, something the Marlins will want him to duplicate.</p><p>He will likely fill an end of the rotation role for as long as he is on the team. Maybe a strong performance will lead to a deadline deal. But if nothing else, Miami was able to patch up a need and provide more clarity on their 2025 rotation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins agree to 1-year contract with former Rockies, Guardians starter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-speaks-return-16-month-tommy-john-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara gets honest on return after 16-month Tommy John absence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Marlins-Sandy-Alcantara-gets-honest-on-return-after-16-month-Tommy-John-absence.jpg"></figure><h1>Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara gets honest on return after 16-month Tommy John absence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-07T15:24:29-08:00">February 7th, 3:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-07T15:24:29-08:00">February 7th, 3:24pm</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara was once one of the most dominant starters in the game. In fact, it was only 2022 when he won the NL Cy Young. Since then, however, Alcantara has struggled to stay healthy, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-tommy-john-surgery">undergoing Tommy John in 2023</a>, which sidelined him for the entire 2024 campaign.</p><p>But after a 16-month absence, the Dominican is ready to roll. Speaking at the Marlins’ media day on Friday, Alcantara<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article299846579.html" rel="noopener"> expressed excitement</a> for his return, with spring training right around the corner.</p><p>Via The Miami Herald:</p><p>“Everything feels great,” Alcantara said. “My arm is good. I can’t wait to be out there.”</p><p>Alcantara threw live BP back in September before the season finished and he was hitting 99 mph with his fastball, already showing the Marlins that his old stuff is still there. Surgery took place in October of ’23.</p><p>“It was the same as when I was a normal person,” Alcantara said. “Nonstop working every day and trying to get better.”</p><p>Alcantara revealed he felt very frustrated having to watch from the sidelines last year, especially because the Marlins had such an underwhelming season:</p><p>“It was very bad, just being able to watch the games” Alcantara said. “I wasn’t able to compete, and I felt so bad. But right now I just got, I think, positive. … I was waiting too long to be back, and now I’m here.”</p><p>The 29-year-old made 28 starts in ’23, posting a 7-12 record and 4.14 ERA. That was considered terrible to his standards after going 14-9 with a 2.28 ERA the season prior en route to the Cy Young. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-crucial-injury-update-miami-manager">The Marlins know exactly what the righty brings to the table</a> and they expect him to be back to his dominant self with time:</p><p>“He’s our horse,” starting pitcher Ryan Weathers said. “He’s a machine. He’s 98-100 [mph] every pitch with a good changeup and good breaking ball. Just excited to watch him get going.”</p><p>“Getting Sandy back is a big boost. That’s a great place to start,” said skipper Clayton McCollough.</p><p>Alcantara voiced that his No. 1 goal is to pitch deep into games, but he knows the innings will be monitored at the beginning:</p><p>“But after that,” Alcantara said, “they’ve gotta let me compete. I think the work that I’ve been doing, my preparation, I know that I’ve been [recovering] from surgery, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’ve just gotta give my 100 percent.”</p><p>If the Marlins can get the signature Alcantara back, it’s going to do wonders for the top end of their rotation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara gets honest on return after 16-month Tommy John absence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-red-sox-trade-speculation-doused-cold-water');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara-Red Sox trade speculation gets doused in cold water');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sandy-Alcantara-Red-Sox-trade-speculation-gets-doused-in-cold-water.jpg"></figure><h1>Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara-Red Sox trade speculation gets doused in cold water</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-09T14:10:29-08:00">January 9th, 2:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-09T14:10:29-08:00">January 9th, 2:10pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-craig-breslow-garrett-crochet-trade">Red Sox have already swung one major pitching trade</a> for former Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet. Still, landing Sandy Alcantara from the Miami Marlins would only make the Red Sox scarier.</p><p>However, those<a href="https://x.com/CraigMish/status/1877434613154402562" rel="noopener"> rumors have come to an end</a> almost as quickly as they began. The Marlins have no plans to trade Sandy Alcantara before Opening Day, via Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. Miami has reportedly given their ace, ‘several assurances,’ of this stance.</p><p>It was previously reported that the Red Sox were <a href="https://x.com/tylermilliken_/status/1877364112675557765" rel="noopener">looking to make another big splash</a> and that Alcantara was on their radar, via Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. Perhaps Boston and Miami will restart trade talks around the deadline. But for now, any blockbuster Alcantara deal with the Red Sox or any team is off the table.</p><p>Alcantara missed the entire 2024 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. However, he was the NL Cy Young winner in 2022, pitching to a 14-9 record, 2.28 ERA and a 207/50 K/BB ratio. Over his entire seven year MLB career, Alcantara has pitched to a 3.32 ERA and a 789/273 K/BB ratio.</p><p>Alongside trading for Crochet, the Red Sox also signed Walker Buehler to a one-year deal. If they were to landed Alcantara as well, and assuming everyone is healthy, they’d have one of the scariest three-headed combos in the league.</p><p>But that will remain simply a pipe dream for now. As much as the Marlins have been willing to make trades, Alcantara is one name they have no interest in dealing. If the Red Sox are still keen on making a major move, they’ll continue sniffing around. They’ll just have to take the Marlins’ number out of their phone book.</p><p>For Miami, they’re hoping Sandy Alcantara makes a clean return to the mound before making a decision on him. With this stance in play, it wouldn’t be shocking if he was named the Opening Day starter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara-Red Sox trade speculation gets doused in cold water

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-news-cubs-marlins-trade-swap-top-100-prospects');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs, Marlins swap former top 100 prospects in trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-news-Cubs-Marlins-trade-swap-former-top-100-prospects.jpg"></figure><h1>Cubs, Marlins swap former top 100 prospects in trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-29T12:37:59-08:00">December 29th, 12:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-29T12:37:59-08:00">December 29th, 12:37pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-giants-interested-pete-alonso-after-missing-out-corbin-burnes">MLB offseason is in full swing</a> and trams are swinging deals left and right a they try to finalize their rosters for the 2025 season. Another <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1873435077298016404" rel="noopener">trade went down</a> on Monday when the Chicago Cubs sent first baseman Matt Mervis to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Vidal Bruján, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.</p><p>“Trade news: The Chicago Cubs are acquiring utilityman Vidal Bruján from the Miami Marlins for first baseman Matt Mervis, sources tell ESPN,” Passan reported on X, formerly Twitter. “The deal is done. Both are former top 100 prospects looking to carve out at-bats in a new location.”</p><p>Both former top prospects have struggled to earn a consistent role at the Major League level so far in their careers. Bruján has spent four seasons in the big leagues, spending the first three with the Tampa Bay Rays before joining the Marlins prior to the 2024 season. For his career, Bruján is just a .189 hitter in 550 plate appearances with five home runs and 40 RBI’s.</p><p>Bruján had the best season of his career in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-philadelphia-acquires-jesus-luzardo-trade-marlins">2024 with the Marlins</a>, finishing with a positive WAR for the first time. Bruján played 102 games and filled in all over the place in Miami’s lineup. At the plate, he finished the season batting .222 with 16 RBIs.</p><p>On the other side of the deal, Mervis doesn’t have the same level of experience at the MLB level that Bruján does, but he is still a player with potential that will get a chance to have his first extended stint in the MLB in 2025 with the Marlins. During his career, Mervis has spent four seasons in the minor leagues and has been fairly productive during that time, batting .268 with 82 home runs and 284 RBIs.</p><p>That production hasn’t translated to the majors, where Mervis has only appeared in 36 games across two seasons. During that time, Mervis is hitting just .155 with three homers. He will be looking to bring some of that minor league production to Miami with the Marlins in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs, Marlins swap former top 100 prospects in trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jesus-luzardo-trade-grades-phillies-marlins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jesus Luzardo trade grades for Phillies, Marlins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jesus-Luzardo-trade-grades-for-Phillies-Marlins.jpg"></figure><h1>Jesus Luzardo trade grades for Phillies, Marlins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T12:22:13-08:00">December 22nd, 12:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T12:22:13-08:00">December 22nd, 12:22pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins are on two completely different trajectories heading into the 2025 campaign. Their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-philadelphia-acquires-jesus-luzardo-trade-marlins">Jesus Luzardo trade further demonstrated</a> exactly what both franchises value most.</p><p>The Phillies acquired Luzardo and catcher Paul McIntosh in exchange for prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd. Luzardo will now slot into the middle of Philadelphia’s rotation, while Miami acquired key prospect capital.</p><p>It’s rare to see a player of Luzardo’s status <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43109069/source-phillies-acquire-jesus-luzardo-trade-marlins" rel="noopener">traded between two teams within the same division</a>. However, the Phillies are trying to make a push for the World Series. The Marlins, on the other hand, are in the midst of an aggressive rebuild and are looking to add as much future talent as possible.</p><p>In terms of 2025 alone, Philadelphia comes out on top simply because Luzardo is a major league player; let alone his stats. However, this trade will shape both franchises well beyond just 2025.</p><h2><b>Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo trade grade </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jesus-Luzardo-.jpg"><figcaption>David Frerker-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Phillies ended their 2024 regular season ranked 11th in the league with their 3.85 ERA. They had the eighth-most strikeouts (1,433) and ranked 12th in batting average against (.243). Philadelphia is led by a litany of talented starting pitchers such as Zack Wheeler, Christopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez.</p><p>However, the Phillies were in need of a fifth. Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter were internal options, but they both come with question marks. Walker struggled mightily during the 2024 season while Painter is a top prospect, but working his way back from serious injury. Philadelphia’s Luzardo acquisition provides and answer to the questions and adds a bit more certainty to the rotation.</p><p>The lefty had a down year in 2024, struggling to a 5.00 ERA while injuries held him to just 12 starts. However, in 2023, Luzardo proved the the Phillies and MLB what he can be.</p><p>Over a career-high 32 starts, Luzardo held a 3.58 ERA and a 208/55 K/BB ratio. Through his 105 career appearances, the left-hander has recorded a 4.29 ERA and a 559/180 K/BB ratio. Alongside his work on the diamond, the Phillies will have Luzardo through the 2027 at arbitration prices.</p><p>With the four initial starters already on the roster, Philadelphia had one of the scariest rotations in the league. With Luzardo in tow – assuming he is healthy – there may be no better staff than the Phillies’ entering 2025.</p><p><b>Phillies Trade Grade: A-</b></p><h2><b>Marlins’ Luzardo trade grade </b></h2><p>After making the playoffs in 2023, the Marlins decided to make a swift 180. They gutted their front office and brought in new management with a focus on rebuilding. They’ve traded away some of their biggest stars from Jazz Chisholm to Luis Arraez and more recently Jake Burger. Luzardo has now become the latest in what seems like a never-ending line of players dealt out of Miami.</p><p>In return, the Marlins received a pair of prospects in Caba and Boyd. Caba is well-regarded around the industry and already<a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/marlins/" rel="noopener"> ranks as the No. 3 prospect</a> in the organization, via MLB Pipeline. Furthermore, he is the 81 best prospect in all of baseball.</p><p>Only 19-years-old, Caba spent the 2024 season between Rookie and Single-A ball. He hit .228 with two home runs, 26 RBI and 50 stolen bases. While he’ll need to get more consistent at the plate, there’s no doubting his speed. Furthermore, he’s still getting acclimated to professional pitching.</p><p>If Caba pans out how the Marlins are hoping, he has a chance to be Miami’s shortstop of the future. But that future is in a much further distance. He needs much more seasoning in the minors. And while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-cubs-pushing-for-jesus-luzardo-trade-with-marlins">it seemed inevitable that Luzardo would be traded</a>, the fact that a 19-year-old was the headliner shows that Miami knows their time to compete isn’t coming anytime soon.</p><p>The Marlins did a solid job of landing a prospect to build around in the infield. But eventually, they’ll need to go from dealing away talent to winning games on the diamond.</p><p><b>Marlins Trade Grade: B+</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jesus Luzardo trade grades for Phillies, Marlins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/phillies-news-philadelphia-acquires-jesus-luzardo-trade-marlins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies acquire Jesus Luzardo in trade with Marlins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Phillies-news-Philadelphia-acquires-Jesus-Luzardo-in-trade-with-Marlins.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies acquire Jesus Luzardo in trade with Marlins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T06:54:17-08:00">December 22nd, 6:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T07:28:04-08:00">December 22nd, 7:28am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt started as an editor at ClutchPoints in 2018 and became the head of the editorial team in 2022. He also co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired Miami Marlins lefty Jesus Luzardo <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6011962/2024/12/22/jesus-luzardo-trade-phillies-marlins/" rel="noopener">in a trade</a> that involves prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd going to the Marlins, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The Phillies will also acquire minor league catcher Paul McIntosh in the trade.</p><p>Philadelphia already boasts one of the best rotations in MLB and will only get stronger if Luzardo returns to his form from a couple years ago. Luzardo is set to slot in as the No. 5 starter in Philly behind Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez.</p><p>Luzardo struggled to start his career with the Oakland Athletics but then blossomed into an ace in Miami. The lefty’s initial breakout came in 2022 when he struck out 120 batters in 100 1/3 innings while boasting a 3.32 ERA. Then in 2023, he struck out 208 hitters in 178 2/3 innings with a 3.58 ERA.</p><p>Unfortunately, Luzardo took a major step back in 2024 as he dealt with injury problems. The 27-year-old only pitched 66 2/3 innings and had an ERA of 5.00. His strikeout rate also took a major dip with just 58 punchouts.</p><p>The Marlins held trade negotiations on Luzardo with the Chicago Cubs, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-cubs-jesus-luzardo-trade-talks-with-marlins-are-dead">but those fell apart</a>. Now, the Phillies are betting on Luzardo returning to that form of 2022 and 2023. The 19-year-old Caba was the <a href="https://x.com/Feinsand/status/1870843552844124176" rel="noopener">No. 4 prospect in the organization</a>, according to MLB Pipeline, so Miami is getting a prized young player in this trade. Meanwhile, Boyd was at No. 23 on the list.</p><h2>What’s next for Phillies?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bryce-Harper-with-Philadelphia-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jesus Luzardo has two years left of club control and is set to make about $6 million in 2025 through salary arbitration. With Luzardo in the fold, will Philadelphia look to trade any pitching to help bolster a lineup that struggled in the NLDS loss to the New York Mets?</p><p>Gelb notes the Phillies could look to trade Ranger Suarez for a hitter ahead of his free agency, but he also says that likely won’t happen and the franchise will “lean into run prevention.” Philadelphia’s starters <a href="https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/pitching?split=sp&amp;sortState=asc" rel="noopener">ranked No. 8 in ERA</a> in 2024.</p><p>When it comes to the lineup, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-max-kepler-agrees-1-year-10-million-contract">Phillies did just sign Max Kepler</a> to a one-year deal. There have been trade rumors surrounding Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos, but nothing has come to fruition yet. There’s still plenty of hitting talent in place with Bryce Harper leading the way, but the way Philadelphia struggled in that playoff series has had them seeking changes.</p><p>Whatever else happens, the Phillies are set to have one of the most expensive rosters in baseball as they enter 2025 with World Series expectations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies acquire Jesus Luzardo in trade with Marlins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-unique-pitch-michael-lorenzen-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: The unique pitch Michael Lorenzen is giving interested teams in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-19-24-Lorenzen-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: The unique pitch Michael Lorenzen is giving interested teams in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T10:10:20-08:00">December 19th, 10:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T10:10:20-08:00">December 19th, 10:10am</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago White Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Free agent pitcher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/royals-news-kc-trades-rangers-michael-lorenzen">Michael Lorenzen went under-the-radar last season</a> and was extremely effective for the Kansas City Royals down the stretch. As Lorenzen navigates free agency, he has a shocking plan to make him a more appealing-option to a few teams.</p><p>Lorenzen and his agent, Ryan Hamill of CAA, are planning to market him as a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6005197/2024/12/19/michael-lorenzen-two-way-player/" rel="noopener">two-way player</a> as a way to circumvent Major League Baseball’s 13-pitcher roster limit according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.</p><p>“Hamill, according to sources briefed on his conversations, is talking with such clubs about signing Lorenzen, getting him the necessary plate appearances to qualify for two-way status and then flipping him to a contender that would benefit from carrying him as a 14th pitcher,” Rosenthal wrote.</p><p>“Teams that employ large numbers of platoons might not consider keeping an extra pitcher an advantage,” Rosenthal continued. “But teams with fairly set lineups might welcome the spare arm. The Los Angeles Dodgers will be in that position next season if, as expected, Ohtani resumes pitching. If the Dodgers then traded for a two-way Lorenzen, they could choose from among 15 pitchers. Which would be the most Dodgers thing ever.”</p><p>In order to qualify as a two-way player, Lorenzen would need to pitch 20 innings and appear in 20 games as a position player or designated hitter with at least three plate appearances in each game.</p><h2><b>Why Michael Lorenzen would make sense as a two-way player</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-19-24-lorenzen-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© Peter Aiken-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Rosenthal speculates that rebuilding teams like the Miami Marlins or Chicago White Sox would be potential fits for Lorenzen to sign with as a two-way player, as they are not actively trying to compete and have ample opportunities at designated hitter for Lorenzen to meet to necessary threshold to qualify as a two-way player.</p><p>That way, once Lorenzen qualifies as a two-way player, the Marlins, White Sox, or any other team that signs Lorenzen with the intention of giving him at-bats would be able to trade him to a contender where he would not count against the 13-pitcher limit.</p><p>Before the National League adopted the designated hitter in 2022, Lorenzen had shown that he was a very capable hitter. During the 2018 season with the Cincinnati Reds, Lorenzen hit four home runs in 34 plate appearances. Throughout 147 plate appearances in his career, Lorenzen is slashing slugging .429 with seven home runs and 24 RBI.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/royals-news-michael-lorenzen-big-injury-update-playoffs-draw-near">Lorenzen is a quality arm</a> without the added bonus of the potential production at the plate. Based on the potential haul he would command at the trade deadline as a two-way player should make him a very appealing target for any rebuilding team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: The unique pitch Michael Lorenzen is giving interested teams in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-cubs-jesus-luzardo-trade-talks-with-marlins-are-dead');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Cubs’ Jesus Luzardo trade talks with Marlins are ‘dead’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cubs-Jesus-Luzardo-trade-talks-with-Marlins-are-dead.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Cubs’ Jesus Luzardo trade talks with Marlins are ‘dead’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T10:10:04-08:00">December 19th, 10:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T10:10:04-08:00">December 19th, 10:10am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. A die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic, Brayden further channels his baseball enthusiasm through his podcast, where he delves into the latest in sports with engaging commentary. He also serves as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School. His commitment to sports journalism is evident in his diverse experiences with ContraCosta.news and his dedication to delivering compelling and insightful content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-breaks-silence-chicago-astros-blockbuster-trade">Chicago Cubs’ aggressive approach to the offseason trade market</a> has hit a significant snag. Negotiations between the Cubs and the Miami Marlins for left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo have “appeared to be dead.” This revelation comes after earlier reports indicated serious momentum toward a deal earlier this week. Medical reviews on one side or the other seem to have contributed to the breakdown.</p><p>While many may speculate that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-why-marlins-jesus-luzardo-could-still-be-traded-despite-injury">Luzardo’s medical history is the source of the hesitation</a>, there’s no concrete evidence to confirm this. It’s equally plausible that the Marlins took issue with the health records of one of the Cubs’ prospects involved in the proposed trade. Both sides remain tight-lipped on specifics, but the deal’s collapse underscores the complexities of trading a high-ceiling but injury-prone player like Luzardo.</p><p>Luzardo, 27, has long been seen as a pitcher with ace-level potential. The lefty has shown flashes of brilliance, <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/12/cubs-trade-rumors-jesus-luzardo-marlins-talks-dead.html" rel="noopener">posting a 3.48 ERA</a> with a stellar 28.7% strikeout rate over 279 innings from 2022-23. However, injuries have consistently limited his availability. His career has been marked by stints on the injured list, including time missed in 2024 due to elbow tightness and a lumbar stress reaction that ended his season prematurely. These setbacks, combined with his past Tommy John surgery, have raised legitimate concerns about his durability.</p><h2><b>The Marlins and Cubs have ended discussions about a Jesus Luzardo trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jesus-Luzardo.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite these challenges, Luzardo’s raw talent makes him a rare commodity. A left-handed starter who can touch 96 mph on his fastball, generate high swinging-strike rates, and maintain at least average command is highly valuable. For the Cubs, the potential addition of Luzardo represented a chance to solidify their rotation with a high-upside arm. Unfortunately, the halted talks leave Chicago searching for alternatives.</p><p>The Cubs are far from without options. Having recently offloaded most of Cody Bellinger’s $27.5 million salary in a trade, the team now has ample payroll flexibility. With an estimated payroll of $174 million and luxury tax obligations just over $191 million, Chicago has roughly $50 million of room before hitting the first luxury tax threshold. While Levine dismissed the idea of a Cubs pursuit of Corbin Burnes, the team could pivot toward free-agent relievers or other rotation upgrades.</p><p>Late-inning bullpen options like Kirby Yates, Kenley Jansen, or Tanner Scott could make sense for the Cubs, especially given Jed Hoyer’s preference for short-term commitments in the relief market. While the Luzardo deal may not be salvageable, Chicago’s offseason plans remain dynamic.</p><p>The Cubs’ missed opportunity to land Luzardo underscores the challenges of acquiring high-upside players with injury concerns. Whether Chicago revisits Luzardo or shifts focus elsewhere, their determination to improve remains evident. Fans will be watching closely to see how they address their needs as the offseason unfolds.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Cubs’ Jesus Luzardo trade talks with Marlins are ‘dead’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rangers-news-texas-trade-slugger-marlins-winter-meetings');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rangers trade for infield slugger from Marlins during winter meetings');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Texas-trades-for-infield-slugger-from-Marlins-during-winter-meetings.jpg"></figure><h1>Rangers trade for infield slugger from Marlins during winter meetings</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T22:10:26-08:00">December 10th, 10:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T22:10:26-08:00">December 10th, 10:10pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-giants-emerge-as-front-runners-for-corbin-burnes">arms race in Major League Baseball is heating up</a> and teams all over the league are looking to improve their rosters ahead of spring training and the 2025 season. The Texas Rangers, who won the World Series in 2023 but came crashing down to Earth with a 78-84 season in 2024, are no different.</p><p>On Tuesday night, the Rangers made a big move. They acquired big-hitting infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins in <a href="https://x.com/Alden_Gonzalez/status/1866715450471748074" rel="noopener">exchange for a couple of prospects</a> and a pitcher, according to Alden González of ESPN.</p><p>“Source: The Marlins are getting two prospects, Echedry Vargas and Max Acosta, and a lefty starter, Brayan Mendoza, from the Rangers in exchange for 1B/3B Jake Burger,” González reported on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Burger is a big addition to the lineup for the Rangers, both literally and figuratively. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound slugger can play both first and third base and has a big bat to go along with a great name. Burger has mashed 63 home runs and racked up 156 RBIs over the last two seasons. He has huge power from the middle of the lineup and can change a game with one swing at any time.</p><p>Of course, like many big hitters do, Burger has had problems with strikeouts. He has been sat down on strikes 299 times in the last two seasons, but that is a trade off that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-chris-young-reveals-texas-free-agency-strategy">Rangers are clearly willing to take</a> as they add another dangerous power hitter to the middle of a very strong lineup.</p><p>Burger’s defense is also a slight concern, but the Rangers can also use him as a designated hitter if they find a pair of capable defenders on the corners to play over him. That would limit some of the downsides of having Burger in the lineup and allow him to just focus on what he does best: crushing baseballs.</p><p>On the Marlins side, they get a trio of minor leaguers to add to their farm system as they attempt to regroup after a disappointing season. After reaching the playoffs in 2023, they are already looking at another long-term rebuild.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rangers trade for infield slugger from Marlins during winter meetings

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-marlins-open-to-trading-jesus-luzardo-but-value-comes-with-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Marlins open to trading Jesús Luzardo, but value comes with catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Marlins-open-to-trading-Jesus-Luzardobut-value-comes-with-catch.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Marlins open to trading Jesús Luzardo, but value comes with catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T08:39:21-08:00">December 10th, 8:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T08:41:07-08:00">December 10th, 8:41am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Marlins are coming off a terrible 2024 season in which they finished with a 62-100 record — a major fall-off from their promising 2023 season in which they snuck into the postseason, although they did go winless in the Wild Card round. Another reset appears to be on the cards for the Marlins, as they have a few starting pitchers that will be commanding a ton of interest on the trade market, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-jesus-luzardo-marlins-trade-status-180">one of them being Jesus Luzardo</a>.</p><p>According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Marlins <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5983167/2024/12/09/devin-williams-brewers-trade-mlb-winter-meetings/" rel="noopener">are “open”</a> to trading Luzardo, who has two years of team control remaining. As per the two insiders, the Marlins’ left-handed starting pitcher is “projected to earn $6 million” in arbitration, making him quite an affordable get for any team willing to gamble on the 27-year-old.</p><p>The catch, however, is that Luzardo has not suited up on the mound since June 16 after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-why-marlins-jesus-luzardo-could-still-be-traded-despite-injury">suffering a lumbar stress reaction</a>. It’s not quite clear how healthy the 27-year-old southpaw is, so there is a ton of uncertainty on that front which would make trading for him a major shot in the dark.</p><p>The good news is that Luzardo is not set to make too much money heading into the 2025 season, and any team that will be trading for him will get him until 2026 — boosting his trade value for the Marlins. However, he is coming off a season in which he put up a disappointing 5.00 ERA in 66.2 innings of work (12 starts), which would then give prospective trade partners some pause.</p><p>Any team that will be trading for Luzardo will be hoping that 2024 is simply an outlier and that the 27-year-old will waste no time returning to his 2022 and 2023 form in which he put up a <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jesus-luzardo/19959/stats?position=P" rel="noopener">combined 6.1 WAR</a> (per Fangraphs) in 279 innings pitched.</p><h2><b>Marlins might be better off being patient on the Jesus Luzardo trade front</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jesus-Luzardo-pitches-in-spring-training.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>There is always a risk in holding on to trade assets instead of pulling the trigger on the first available chance; players can either suffer drops in production or an injury that will then keep them out of the trade market entirely. But for the Marlins, they might be best served by being patient on the Jesus Luzardo trade front.</p><p>As Rosenthal and Sammon pointed out, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-marlins-potential-sandy-alcantara-trade-plan-focus">Marlins might be able to get a bigger trade return</a> for Luzardo if the 27-year-old southpaw proves that he is back in form and is healthy following a lost 2024 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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