Ultimately yr’s commerce deadline, the Marlins and Padres made a commerce that largely flew beneath the radar on the time however is now proving to be pretty vital. The Fish despatched Garrett Cooper and minor league pitcher Sean Reynolds to the Friars for left-hander Ryan Weathers.
Trades of star gamers like Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer stole the headlines on the time, whereas different notable gamers like Paul Sewald, Jeimer Candelario and Mark Canha additionally modified groups. Even inside Miami, the acquisitions of Jake Burger and Josh Bell garnered much more consideration than the Weathers deal, and that was pretty comprehensible again then. Burger and Bell instantly joined the massive league membership and helped them attain the playoffs, their first full-season postseason look in 20 years.
Cooper has been a good hitter at occasions however has additionally been incessantly damage and was an impending free agent on the time. Reynolds was a 25-year-old who had solely just lately transformed to pitching after spending his earlier skilled seasons as a primary baseman and outfielder.
Weathers had been a giant identify a number of years prior. The previous No. 7 total decide was ranked by Baseball America because the No. 84 prospect within the league going into 2021, however Weathers hadn’t been impressing earlier than the deal. He had thrown 143 massive league innings for the Padres earlier than turning into a Marlin, permitting 5.73 earned runs per 9 frames.
Even within the minors, Weathers wasn’t precisely mowing opponents down. He had a 6.73 ERA in 123 innings for Triple-A El Paso in 2022. That membership performs within the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, however Weathers had a subpar strikeout and stroll charges of 15.6% and 10.1%. With El Paso in 2023, he lowered his ERA to 4.20 and struck out 29.2% of batters however nonetheless gave out walks at an unpleasant 13.5% fee. The Padres known as him up for 44 2/3 innings within the majors final yr, however he had a 6.25 ERA in that point, putting out simply 14.8% of opponents. The truth that the Padres have been prepared to let him go for a reasonably restricted bundle means that they thought of his inventory means down relative to when he was a top-10 decide and top-100 prospect.
Weathers was largely an afterthought coming into this yr. Even with Sandy Alcántara present process Tommy John surgical procedure final yr, Miami’s rotation combine is projected to incorporate Jesús Luzardo, Eury Pérez, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, Max Meyer and Trevor Rogers. Reliever A.J. Puk could be stretched out, giving the membership one other potential starter. Since Weathers nonetheless has an choice yr left, it appeared like he must begin 2024 within the minors and earn his means right into a big-league job.
That’s not how issues have performed out to date. Garrett, Cabrera, and Pérez all began the season on the injured listing because of accidents, with Pérez in the end requiring Tommy John surgical procedure. Luzardo and Puk ultimately hit the IL in the course of the season, with the latter moved again to a reduction position when the beginning experiment failed. Meyer made three good begins however was optioned to the minors so the membership might monitor his workload as he ramps again up from 2022 Tommy John surgical procedure.
Regardless of that, Weathers has been the membership’s greatest and most constant starter this yr. He has taken the ball 12 occasions and logged 68 2/3 innings, whereas nobody else has topped 57. On high of the amount, Weathers has additionally supplied high quality with a 3.41 ERA. His 22.1% strikeout fee is near common, however his 6.9% stroll fee is robust and his 51.5% floor ball fee is superb.
Supervisor Skip Schumaker just lately appeared on MLB Community Radio and mentioned the breakout from Weathers (X hyperlink, with audio). The skipper talked about how he had seen Weathers up shut earlier in his profession, as Schumaker was employed by the Padres by means of the 2021 season. Schumaker spoke about how Weathers managed to rise to the majors shortly because of his fastball, however that hitters began to regulate. That prompted Weathers to spend the latest offseason working to enhance the opposite pitches in his arsenal, which appears to be paying off to this point this yr.
“He purchased a TrackMan and various things and created type of his personal pitching lab again dwelling,” Schumaker stated, “and found out tips on how to spin the ball higher and actually manipulate the changeup right into a means the place he can throw it for strikes and to throw it strike-to-ball when he wanted as effectively to get swing-and-miss.”
Weathers threw his four-seam fastball greater than 50% of the time in his first three massive league seasons, in line with Statcast, however that quantity is down 40.2% in 2024. He’s going to the changeup 26.1% of the time but additionally throwing a sweeper at a 20.4% fee, a sinker at a 12.2% clip and a smattering of sliders. Opponents are hitting .174 towards the changeup with a .349 slugging share, whereas these numbers are simply .132 and .211 towards the sweeper. The changeup has a 40.1% whiff fee and a 36.8% hard-hit fee, with the sweeper getting whiffs on 55.2% of swings and hitting arduous (95 mph or larger) simply 11.8% of the time hitters make contact.
That is nonetheless a small pattern dimension of simply 12 begins, however Weathers was beforehand a touted prospect and has made a concerted effort to evolve. Since he charged so shortly to the majors, his struggles occurred at an age when many pitchers have been nonetheless in faculty or climbing the minor league ladder. He’s nonetheless solely 24 years previous regardless of this technically being his fourth season within the majors.
Maybe the Marlins have discovered a strong piece for his or her rotation from that small commerce final yr, which might be vital. Weathers got here into this season with one yr and 66 days of main league service time. Which means he received’t qualify for arbitration till after 2025 and might be managed by means of 2028.
Although they as soon as appeared overloaded with beginning pitching choices, the group has been thinned out just lately. They traded Pablo López and Jake Eder lately. Alcantara and Pere had Tommy John surgical procedure this yr. Effectively-regarded prospect Dax Fulton had a UCL restore (not a full Tommy John surgical procedure) final summer season and has but to pitch this season. Sixto Sanchez has been constantly hobbled by shoulder accidents. And Miami’s poor efficiency this yr might result in additional promoting, with Luzardo and Rogers speculative prospects.
Even when these arms do find yourself being traded — Luzardo, particularly, appears seemingly — it’s potential to think about the Marlins having a powerful rotation consisting of Weathers, Alcántara, Pérez, Meyer, Cabrera and Garrett by late 2025, with all of these names controllable by means of a minimum of 2027. Trades of Luzardo and others on the roster might additionally usher in additional rotation candidates. Plans hardly ever go that easily, as accidents and adjustments in efficiency will undoubtedly happen, however the continued evolution of Weathers is a big brilliant spot throughout a season that’s in any other case been bleak in Miami.
