Miami Marlins 2018 Season Review: Reliever Jorgan Cavanerio

Jorgan Cavanerio spent eight seasons with the Miami Marlins, and he is now a free agent.

Throughout the 2018/2019 offseason, Marlin Maniac will devote one article each for every player who appeared in the Miami Marlins system for the 2018 season. Every. Single. Player. This is Part 238 of 286.

Jorgan Argenis Cavanerio is a 6’1″, 155 lb. right-handed relief pitcher from Cagua, Venezuela, population 118,290. Cagua has produced three major leaguers to date, including former Florida Marlins first baseman Alex Gonzalez, Ramon Ramirez, and Manny Sarmiento.

Cavanerio was born on August 18th, 1994, and signed his first professional contract with the Florida Marlins on February 16th, 2011, while still just 16-years-old. He was soon afterward assigned to the rookie-level DSL Marlins, in the Dominican Summer League. He pitched 29 innings through his first professional season, striking out 29 batters and holding opponents to a 3.10 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a .259 batting average. Follow Cavanerio on Twitter @JCavanerio18.

In 2012, Cavanerio earned a lateral promotion to the rookie-level, Florida-based Gulf Coast League, with the GCL Marlins. While striking out 35 batters, he posted a 5.13 ERA and allowed opponents to hit .310. In a second season at the level in 2013, he whiffed 29 in 42 2/3 innings, but held the opposition to a 2.74 ERA.

2014 would see Cavanerio spend the entire season with the short-season-A Batavia Muckdogs, in the New York-Penn League. A full (short) season in the rotation meant 14 starts for Cavanerio, who responded with a 4-6 record and a 4.56 ERA, with 55 K’s in 79 frames. Opposing batters lit him up for a .314 batting average.

Despite his struggles, Cavanerio started 2015 with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, in the single-A South Atlantic League. Through the campaign, he also made debuts at high-A with the Florida State League’s Jupiter Hammerheads and the double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the Southern League. All told, he pitched 124 2/3 innings through the season, with 84 K’s and a 1.28 WHIP. Encouragingly, he held batters to only 14 walks for a 0.97 BB/9 rate over a not-small sample size despite his 4-11 record and 4.55 ERA.

2016 would see the still-21-years-old Cavanerio spend all year with the Hammerheads, with 22 of his 26 appearances as a starter. He struck out only 73 in a career-high 128 innings, but again only walked 21 for a 1.47 BB/9 rate. His 8-12 record and 4.70 ERA, as well as his opposing batting average of .299 necessitated another year with Jupiter. On May 7th, Cavanerio pitched six innings of no-hit ball with two walks and three K’s in a 6-0, combined (with Raudel Lazo, Drew Steckenrider, and Jose Adames) nine-inning no-hit win against the Palm Beach Cardinals. He was later named the FSL Pitcher of the Week.

Here’s some of Cavanerio’s no-hitter highlights, courtesy of RogerDeanStadiumTV.

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In 2017, Cavanerio only made seven starts as he made the transition to the bullpen. He appeared 22 times in relief, and held batters to a career-best .229 average with 55 K’s and 17 walks in 73 1/3 innings. His 2.33 ERA was also the best mark of his career.

Cavanerio was assigned to the Jumbo Shrimp to start 2018, and watched as his K rate jumped to 9.24 K/9, with 26 whiffs in 25 1/3 innings. In 13 relief appearances, he posted a 0-1 record and a 4.97 ERA, but opponents tagged him to the tune of a .320 average. Back to Jupiter.

On May 23rd, Cavanerio was reassigned to the Hammerheads for the duration of the season. In 28 trips out of the pen, he went 6-2 with a 2.54 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He only walked five batters in 46 innings. After the season, Cavanerio elected free agency. He has yet to sign a deal with another organization, but is free to pursue a professional association with any team, affiliated or otherwise.

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