Miami Marlins: What the Tyler Kinley Waiving Means

Yesterday, the Colorado Rockies claimed 6-foot-4 right-hander Tyler Kinley off waivers from the Miami Marlins.

Kinley had been a part of the Marlins since getting drafted out of Barry University in the 2013 MLB Amateur Entry Draft, in the 16th round until post-2017. He logged 258 innings of minor league work in the balance, going 11-15 with a 3.57 ERA and 54 saves to his credit.

Post-2017, the Minnesota Twins selected Kinley in that seasons’ rule 5 draft. After allowing nine runs in three innings of work over four contests, the Twins sent him back to the Marlins.

Kinley was notably better with Miami than he had showed with the Twins. In parts of two seasons at Miami’s major league level, he pitched in 61 games and went 3-1 with a 4.11 ERA and 55 K’s in 56 1/3 innings. On the downside, Kinley’s 6.32 BB/9 was a little daunting, offsetting his solid 7.74 H/9 for a troubling 1.56 WHIP.

Kinley joins the Colorado Rockies through the waiver system, clearing a spot on the Marlins 40-man roster with the rule 5 draft quickly approaching. The move indicates that Miami will be a player at the close of the Winter Meetings. Rockies GM Jeff Bridich summed up his feelings about Kinley:

"We had interest in Tyler a few years ago in trying to trade for him. We’ve thought highly of him for a number of years."

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So we’re now waiting to see if the Marlins clear another spot or if they’re content with one rule 5 acquisition.

Another Marlins move was in picking up second baseman Gosuke Katoh out of the New York Yankees system. A 6-foot-2 left-handed batter, Katoh was a second round pick of the bombers in 2013 out of Rancho Bernardo HS in San Diego, CA.

Katoh is in the mold of recent super-infielders Jon Berti, Miguel Rojas, and Derek Dietrich in that he’s able to take any of the positions from three to six. In 649 minor league contests, Katoh has slashed .251/.354/.374, with a solid 13.3 percent walk-rate and a troubling whiff-rate of 25.7 percent. Gosuke has cranked 38 round-trippers and collected 242 RBI, while swiping 80 stolen bases across the minor leagues.