Miami Marlins Add 5 Players to 40-Man Roster

Nov 19, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; The jumbotron shows a photo of Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton after a press conference at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Players Unprotected:

Jarlin Garcia: Garcia was a surprise for me to see the Marlins to not protect. He has a higher ceiling than Nicolino, but is way behind him in reaching the majors. He’s 21 and pitched in Low-A ball last year. Here’s what Mayo had to say about Garcia.

"Like Ramos, it would be difficult for a team to select Garcia in the Rule 5 Draft and keep him in the Majors for an entire season. It’s easier to find innings for Rule 5 pitchers in the bullpen than it is to get at-bats for Rule 5 hitters, but Garcia hasn’t worked above low Class A. He has a more tantalizing ceiling than more highly touted Miami lefty prospect Justin Nicolino, though Miami is obviously hoping that Garcia’s inexperience will help him slide though the Draft. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in August 2010, Garcia spent his first three pro seasons in rookie or short-season leagues and was inconsistent in the early going at low Class A Greensboro this year. He finished strong however, permitting a total of just four earned runs over his final seven starts to finish at 10-5 with a 4.38 ERA. He led the South Atlantic League with a 5.2 K/BB ratio (111/21 in 133 2/3 innings), though he did surrender 152 hits for a .286 opponent average."

Austin Brice: Always being an intriguing talent for the Marlins, Brice finally put together a decent season in 2014, in High-A. In 127 innings, Brice posted a 3.60 ERA and a 3.79 FIP. His strikeout rate dipped to 19.8% but his walk rate dipped to a career best 10.0%. At 21 years old, he’s still an intriguing talent that could put it all together and become a middle of the rotation starter.

Garcia and Brice are both intriguing talents and it would not surprise me at all if the Marlins were to lose both. The Marlins faced a number crunch on space for players on their 40-man roster and had to make a tough decision on both.

Next: Marlins Interested in a Wade Miley-Nathan Eovaldi swap?