Sixto Sánchez, Xavier Edwards among Marlins’ latest camp cuts
JUPITER, Fla. — In Tuesday morning’s latest wave of roster moves, the Marlins sent four of their top-30 prospects down.
Below is a breakdown of what each player showed in big league camp:
The 24-year-old Sánchez, who hasn’t played a game since spring 2021 practice because of setbacks in his right shoulder, has thrown four bullpen sessions this spring.
“First, his off-season was as good as anyone else’s,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “Everyone says ‘best figure of my life’. This is like the quote everyone uses when they come into spring. He’s actually in the best shape of his life. He worked hard during spring training. His progression is exactly as we hoped it would be, where they have improved speed and intensity in each bullpen. Its long throw, the whole thing is right where it should be. We hope to see him sometime this year.
INF Xavier Edwards (Prospectus #12)
Statistics 2022: .246/.328/.350, 19 doubles, a triple, five home runs, seven steals in 93 games at Triple-A Durham
Note that stands out: running (60)
Edwards, who was acquired by the Rays along with JT Chargois in November, has one hit in five of his 10 spring games and has scored five of the seven times he has reached base. The 23-year-old, who is a midfielder by trade, will also see time in midfield.
“He’s an attractive player because he can play in multiple positions,” said Schumaker. “He’s going to play a little outfield in Triple-A. He can affect the game in a number of ways – be it on the bases, [as a] Switch hitter – and if you can do that and play on the left side of infield you can help any team and that’s why he’s so valuable to us. He has a great demeanor, good work ethic so we’re glad he’s in this organization.”
INF Nasim Nuñez (Prospectus No. 21)
Statistics 2022: .251/.384/.317 with 17 doubles, three triples, two homers and 70 stolen bases between High-A Beloit (85 games) and Double-A Pensacola (38 games)
Notes that stand out: Race (70), Weapons (65), Field (70)
Nuñez, 22, appeared in seven Grapefruit League games, accumulating three hits in eight at-bat and scoring twice in his second camp in the big league. He walked once, struck once, and was caught stealing once. A shortstop, Nuñez also saw time at second base.
“Nasim was probably the one who opened our eyes the most because I didn’t really know who he was other than that he was a prospect,” Schumaker said. “He came to camp stronger. He influenced baseball a lot more than we expected. The message was that he has to be a hit collector and not have to worry about damage or anything like that, just be the guy who just keeps collecting hits, table sets. He might have the strongest arm in our organization on the infield side, which I didn’t know and obviously the stolen base stuff makes a difference with the new rules. Really good boy, asked the right questions. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does this year.”
RHP George Soriano (leaflet #26)
Statistics 2022: 2.72 ERA, 1.26 WHIP with eight saves between Pensacola (eight games, six starts) and Triple-A Jacksonville (32 games)
Note that stands out: Fast Ball (70)
Soriano, who turns 24 next week, appeared in two Grapefruit League games during his first major league camp. He threw a goalless frame on February 28, walked and hit a batsman. On March 4, Soriano gave up the last batter of an inning after Jesús Luzardo got his pitch count, then struggled with his command as he returned to the mound. He walked two and hit a batsman, with all three runners scoring after his exit.
“I think he will help us at some point. But now it’s up to him,” said Schumaker. “He’s got real stuff. The fastball/slider combo is real. The slider is a wipeout slider. Can he handle both pitches? It’s sort of the next step in his development. He’s shown what he can do, got big- League stuff, it’s right now, can he be a great player and I think he’s very, very close.