It’s that time of year and free agency is granted to players and the minor leagues is no different. The Marlins AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp roster is pretty bleak as several players opted for free agency. This is especially important for minor leaguers who are not on the 40-man roster as they can get a significant pay raise through free agency after their rookie contract. Several players on the Marlins AAA team have dropped from the roster but the question remains where will the replacements come from and who will they be?
Marlins Free Agent moves will be many
As it were the Jumbo Shrimp could be the same or very different next year, pending Peter Bendix’s decisions on the current and now former players. Below is a list of the players who opted for free agency rather than minor league assignment, which means they likely want a shot with a different team. Here they are:
Matt Moore, Jose Castillo, Geoff Hartlieb, Dan Castano, Johan Quezada, Sean Nolin, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Devin Smeltzer, Enmanuel De Jesus, Jerar Encarnacion, Tommy Nance
The following declared free agency from the minors:
Jorge Alfaro, Charles LeBlanc, Brian Miller, Austin Allen, Richard Rodriguez
Right now on the Jumbo Shrimp website the roster is listed as having 3 outfielders, 2 infielders, and 6 pitchers. That certainly won’t be the case soon, but right now that’s what they have. I’m sure Bendix will be moving around chess pieces after he evaluates their placement and will adjust rosters after that fact.
In the end Bendix will really put his stamp on the team very quickly. The AAA and 40 man roster will be changed in the near future and it will be clear what kind of team he intends to build. It should be a very exciting off-season for Marlins fans, even if the new players welcomed are not major leaguers.
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