Miami Marlins continue to stockpile infielders

With an unthinkable number of injuries in the infield, the Miami Marlins are continue to sift through the bargain bin for depth.

The Miami Marlins haven’t had much go right in the early part of the season. Injuries, coupled with poor play have put them in the basement of the NL East. However, the front office continues to make moves that they think can help bring the team out of their slump.

One of them could be a potential game changer. Once a highly touted prospect, Christian Colon hasn’t really panned out at the Major League level as planned. Perhaps all that was needed was a change of scenery. We’ll soon find out.

After being taken fourth in the 2010 MLB draft, it took Colon four years before he’d appear in a Major League game for the Royals. While a number of his fellow MLB draft classmates have already put together respectable MLB careers, Colon has struggled to find regular success.

More from Marlin Maniac

• Miami Marlins are pursuing Michael Conforto
• Miami Marlins need to spend to win
• Miami Marlins One-Year Wonder 1B
• Miami Marlins can’t afford to botch this trade
• Miami Marlins news: the New York Mets are a risky threat

The Royals expected a lot out of the in fielding prospect when they drafted him. He was taken in front of marquee names like Matt Harvey, Chris Sale, and our own Christian Yelich.

There is an outside hope that Colon will find his swing in South Florida, and begin to resemble the player that Kansas City thought he would be when they drafted him. However, his acquisition isn’t expected to change the direction of the franchise.

In the immediacy, though, he’ll replace Steve Lombardozzi on the Major League roster. Lombardozzi was optioned back to New Orleans; he’s likely to clear waivers, though he can chose to become a free agent if he desires. Colon represents a clear upgrade of Lombardozzi, who was 0-for-8 for the Fish this season.

What he has done

Colon’s stat line doesn’t necessarily inspire. He has played in parts of four seasons throughout his career, but has seen his production nose dive the last two. He was off to a slow start this season, hitting .176 in 17 at-bats.

However, Colon was an integral part of the Royals deep postseason runs in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, he scored the winning run in the 2014 Wild Card game. And in 2015, he drove in the winning run in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series.

If he is able to find the form he had in 2015, in which he hit .290 in 119 at-bats, the Miami Marlins might have found a functional piece for the 2017 season. He was never really given a chance to see extended action at the Major League level with the Royals, that might change in Miami.

Next: Miami Marlins: What has happened to the salad, Tom Koehler

Colon has only logged two years of Major League service time, and so is still under team control. He will be arbitration eligible this season. If he finds his stroke, and starts to produce results, this could be a boon for the Marlins. As it stands, it’s a solid pickup.