Miami Marlins sign a high upside pitcher for more pitching depth

Yesterday had some great news for us Miami Marlins fans, as Peter Bendix finally filled the hole at SS with Tim Anderson. The Fish however need pitching depth too and the current options are questionable to say the least. The Fish now added another arm, this one with a lot of upside. I'm talking about Vladimir Gutierrez. It's time to take a look at the new depth pitcher...

Will Vladimir Gutierrez be more than just a depth arm for the Miami Marlins?

The 28 year old right-hander from Cuba was a major international signing by the Cincinnati Reds back in 2016. Cincinnati paid $4.75 million for him at the time. Unfortunately for the team and Gutierrez, he struggled in the Minor Leagues, which made his prospect stock fall down considerably. The righty has a 93.0 mph fastball.

Vladimir Gutierrez finally debuted in the Major Leagues in 2021. That season, he produced a 4.74 ERA/5.22 FIP, with 6.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 22 games and 114.0 innings pitched. That wasn't impressive as you can see. The strikeout rate was mediocre and the ERA wasn't anything to be impressed about. The FIP didn't leave much room for optimism either clearly.

Gutierrez followed up that poor 2021 performance, with another forgettable performance in 2022. This season he produced a 7.61 ERA/6.82 FIP, with 7.1 K/9 and 5.9 BB/9 in 10 games and 36.2 innings pitched. The strikeout rate improved, but his lack of control was definitely alarming to say the least. Gutierrez is a free agent after the 2027 season and is eligible for arbitration this upcoming season.

Will there be more upside for Vladimir Gutierrez than a depth arm? I trust that Peter Bendix has a way to bring out is former potential. I hope that there are some tweaks that can be made to his pitches, for them to be more effective. It may also be possible to improve his control. In the worst case scenario, he can be a depth starting pitcher or a long reliever in the bullpen. It's going to be interesting to see what happens with him going forward.