Miami Marlins Spring Training Update: The Bullpen (Part Four)

Through the major league baseball preseason Spring Training, all 30 teams look to fill their rosters that will give them their best chance at winning the most games.

Here at Marlin Maniac we’ll continue to keep you up-to-date as the Miami Marlins Opening Day roster takes shape. On Mondays, we review the rotation. Tuesday we check out the outfield. Every Wednesday the bullpen gets an update. On Thursdays we check in with the catchers, and on Fridays we review the infielders.

The statistics noted are from the last seven days of baseball, covering March 6th through 12th. For last week’s report, check here. Chances of making the Opening Day roster are estimated entirely by me, and do not reflect the official opinion of FanSided. Notice also, the roster chances add up to 800 percent, to reflect the eight roster spots available. We’ll start with the active roster.

On Tuesday, the Miami Marlins exercised the options of four more players to the New Orleans Baby Cakes. LHP Jose Quijada, RHP Jeff Brigham, OF Monte Harrison, and 2B Isan Diaz were sent down. That leaves the “active roster,” not to be confused with the 40-man roster, at 29 players. There’s still 28 more “non-roster” players in the mix. 17 relievers are still in camp for eight roster spots.

Active Roster

Nick Anderson

Nick Anderson pitched the seventh in Miami’s 10-3 win against the New York Mets on Friday, and struck two batters out. He also allowed a solo home run to 20-year-old shortstop Andrew Gimenez, his only blemish of the day. Yesterday, he struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief in Miami’s latest win against the Mets. Opening Day Roster Chance: 55 percent

Austin Brice

Austin Brice took the ball from an ineffective Drew Steckenrider on Wednesday, in the Marlins 11-5 loss to the Houston Astros. He faced four batters, threw a wild pitch, issued a walk, and an earned run. He was better on Sunday in Miami’s win over Atlanta, pitching a near-perfect inning of relief, striking a batter out but also hitting one. Opening Day Roster Chance: 40 percent

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 29: Adam Conley #61 of the Miami Marlins pitches in the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 29, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Adam Conley

Adam Conley pitched the fourth inning of Miami’s split-squad 4-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves last Wednesday. He gave up an unearned run on two hits, striking out one.

On Saturday, Conley allowed a home run to negate a Pablo Lopez / Wei-Yin Chen shutout with two outs in the ninth. He did strike a batter out and was awarded a save, but allowed two hits before it was over. That was twice as many hits as Lopez and Chen allowed over the first eight innings. Opening Day Roster Chance: 95 percent

Riley Ferrell

Riley Ferrell relieved a strong Sandy Alcantara in the fifth inning of the Miami Marlins 5-2 win against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. He earned a win, despite issuing a walk and a hit for one earned run in only 2/3 of an inning. Opening Day Roster Chance: 100 percent

Jarlin Garcia

Jarlin Garcia threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball in the Marlins 10-3 win against the New York Mets on Friday, allowing a hit and getting one batter to miss. Opening Day Roster Chance: 50 percent

Tayron Guerrero

Tayron Guerrero got the final two outs of the fourth inning for Trevor Richards in the Marlins loss to Houston last Wednesday, keeping the bases empty. On Friday, he pitched another scoreless frame in the Marlins win against the Mets, allowing a hit and a walk. Opening Day Roster Chance: 80 percent

Tyler Kinley

Tyler Kinley relieved Jordan Holloway after he had walked a run home in the sixth inning of Miami’s loss to Atlanta on Wednesday. He induced a sacrifice fly and struck out Griffin Benson to end the threat.

Kinley pitched the ninth on Sunday in Miami’s win over Atlanta, and struck out three. He also gave up a run on two hits. Opening Day Roster Chance: 30 percent

Sergio Romo

Sergio Romo pitched the third inning in Miami’s loss to the Braves Wednesday last week, and took the loss, allowing one run on two hits.

As Romo had done in two of his first four appearances, he pitched a flawless inning on Sunday against the Braves. He struck out a batter, and lowered his spring ERA to 2.25. Opening Day Roster Chance: 100 percent

Drew Steckenrider

Drew Steckenrider had a bit of a rough go of it on Wednesday against the Astros. He allowed six-of-seven batters to reach base, allowing six runs and getting only one out.

Steckenrider looked better on Sunday, when he pitched a scoreless seventh inning in Miami’s win over Atlanta. He allowed one hit. Opening Day Roster Chance: 100 percent

Non-Roster Invitees

R.J. Alvarez

R.J. Alvarez relieved an ineffective José Ureña with two outs in the third inning on Thursday, in Houston’s 4-1 win over the Miami Marlins. He induced a force out to get out of an inning that was spiraling out of control, then pitched a scoreless fourth, despite allowing a pair of walks and tossing a wild pitch. Opening Day Roster Chance: 30 percent

Tommy Eveld

Tommy Eveld continued his hot start to the season, allowing a walk and striking a batter out in the ninth inning of Miami’s loss to the Astros on Thursday. Opening Day Roster Chance: 20 percent

Brett Graves

Brett Graves kept Atlanta off the board last Wednesday in the eighth inning, despite allowing a pair of baserunners on a walk and a single. He also struck two out. Opening Day Roster Chance: 25 percent

Mike Kickham

Mike Kickham pitched a nearly clean inning in Miami’s win over New York on Friday. He did allow a baserunner by way of HBP. He allowed his first earned run of the spring yesterday, on two sixth inning hits in the Marlins 8-1 win against the Mets. Opening Day Roster Chance: 15 percent

Dylan Lee

Dylan Lee pitched a scoreless seventh against the Braves last Wednesday, allowing one walk and collecting one strikeout. Opening Day Roster Chance: 20 percent

Ben Meyer

Ben Meyer pitched the seventh against the Astros on Wednesday, and allowed a run on a hit and a walk. He also got one strikeout. Opening Day Roster Chance: 20 percent

Brian Moran

Brian Moran pitched the eighth in Miami’s loss to Houston on Thursday, and struck out one while walking one and keeping the Astros off the board. Opening Day Roster Chance: 10 percent

Hector Noesi

Hector Noesi pitched a perfect eighth inning for the Marlins in their loss to Houston last Wednesday. In yesterday’s affair, he pitched two scoreless frames against the Mets. Opening Day Roster Chance: 10 percent

40-Man Roster Not With Team

Elieser Hernandez

Elieser Hernandez was sent down to the Baby Cakes on Friday, and did not get into a Marlins game this week.

Kyle Keller

Kyle Keller struck out two in a scoreless seventh inning for the Marlins in their loss to Houston on Thursday, but did allow one hit. The Marlins sent him down with Hernandez.

Jose Quijada

Jose Quijada pitched a perfect inning on Friday against the Mets, striking out a pair. The Miami Marlins sent him down yesterday, despite his last three near-perfect outings. Look for Quijada before too long with the parent club.