December Recap: How Have the Miami Marlins Changed?

Jesus Aguilar was a 3.2 WAR player in 2018 for the Milwaukee Brewers when he hit .274/.352/.539 with 35 home runs and 108 RBI in 149 games. After underwhelming the Cheese State with a substandard first four months in 2019, Milwaukee flipped Aguilar to the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline for Jake Faria.

After just 37 games with the Rays, they parted ways with the former all-star via waivers, where the Marlins picked him up. To make room for him (metaphorically), they dropped Tayron Guerrero.

Guerrero touched some serious numbers on the gun during his time in Miami, peaking at 104 MPH. His promise, however, was always colored with a lack of control. In 2018 for the Marlins, he struck out 68 in 58 innings, while walking 30. Not perfect, but workable anyway. Those metrics declined in 2019 to 43 K’s in 46 innings, along with 36 walks. That’s a 7.0 BB/9 rate, unacceptable in a major league reliever – no matter his promise.

As was Riddle, Guerrero was designated for assignment. Four days later, the Chicago White Sox picked him up on waivers.

Continuing our math from earlier, Guerrero was -0.7 WAR in 2019. Along with that 3.2 mark for Aguilar, and the six wins mentioned earlier, the Marlins are 10 games up already – but the Marlins still weren’t (and hopefully aren’t) quite finished.