Miami Marlins News: Drew Rucinski Selects Free Agency, Bryan Holaday Outrighted

The Miami Marlins are warming up the Hot Stove with a few minor moves.

Drew Rucinski

Drew Rucinski was sent outright to the New Orleans Baby Cakes earlier today, but Rucinski wasn’t having it. He’s declared free agency, and is now available to any team.

Rucinski was a pleasant surprise for the Miami Marlins in 2018, and was one of their more dependable relief pitchers. He posted a 4-2 record with a 4.33 ERA out of the bullpen, with 27 K’s in 35 1/3 innings of work. Rucinski will turn 30 before the end of the calendar year.

Bryan Holaday

Bryan Holaday was outrighted to the Baby Cakes earlier today as well, although he has yet to declare anything, free agency or otherwise. I profiled him in our offseason-long every-Marlins-player series on October 23rd.

Holaday only hit .205 for the Miami Marlins, but he did orchestrate two walkoff hits through the season. He also pitched, caught 357 1/3 errorless innings behind the plate, and threw out 45 percent of basestealers.

For those of you who aren’t sure what the term “outrighted” really means, here’s a short explanation, courtesy of the mlb.com glossary:

"A club attempting to remove a player from the 40-man roster and send him to the Minor Leagues must first place that player on outright waivers, allowing the 29 other Major League clubs the opportunity to claim him. The claiming club assumes responsibility for the remaining money owed to the claimed player, who is placed on his new club’s 40-man roster. Should the player clear waivers, he can be sent to any Minor League affiliate the club chooses. Outright waivers are also used when clubs wish to remove a player who is out of Minor League options from the 25-man roster by sending him to the Minors."

Miguel Del Pozo

Del Pozo spent the entire 2018 season on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. After spending the last three weeks on the Marlins 40-man roster, he was outrighted back to Jacksonville.

Del Pozo, who is 26-years-old, went 5-0 with a 3.97 in 28 games out of the bullpen for the Jumbo Shrimp in 2018. He just completed his eighth season in the Marlins minor league system.

Joseph Gilma

Gilma, who I also profiled in the every-Marlins-player series on September 23rd, was released from the DSL Marlins. Gilma only appeared in 17 games in 2018 for the rookie-level Dominican Summer League club, going nine-for-32 with seven walks for a respectable .425 OBP. The third baseman is also now available to any organization willing to take a chance on him. He’s still 19-years-old.

Juan Borges

Juan Borges was also granted his release. A right-handed pitcher for the DSL Marlins, he just completed his third season at the lowest level of the Miami Marlins system. Borges had pretty good stats, with a 3-3 record and a 1.67 ERA in 39 overall appearances. He also collected 78 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings, and held opponents to a 1.23 WHIP and a .215 batting average.

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