The Marlins are designating utilityman Nick Gordon for task, studies Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Miami picked up Gordon in an offseason commerce sending reliever Steven Okert to the Twins. He’s out of minor league choices and thus wasn’t eligible to be despatched down with out first passing by way of waivers — which is the place he’ll head now that he’s been DFA’ed and the commerce deadline has handed. Miami has since introduced the commerce and formally added weekend waiver declare Derek Hill to its energetic roster.
Gordon, 28, has primarily performed left subject for the Fish this season however has additionally logged 16 video games in heart and one other six at second base. The previous No. 5 general choose has swatted eight homers — one shy of his career-high — however carries a usually tepid .227/.258/.369 batting line in 275 plate appearances. This season’s 24.4 % strikeout price is larger than the 22.7 % mark he carried into the season and miles above the 11.8 % mark he confirmed in 93 plate appearances with Minnesota in the course of the 2023 season.
Initially drafted as a shortstop, Gordon by no means noticed a lot run on the place by the point he reached the majors in 2021. The Twins solely gave him 155 innings there from 2021-23 and the Marlins haven’t performed him there for even one inning. Minnesota broke Gordon in primarily as a middle fielder and second baseman, giving him ample reps on the former spot throughout IL stints for oft-injured heart fielder Byron Buxton.
Although Gordon hasn’t lived as much as that draft billing, again in 2022 he seemed to have carved out a pleasant function as a closely used bench/utility piece for supervisor Rocco Baldelli in Minnesota. He hit .272/.316/.427 (111 wRC+) with 9 homers, 28 doubles, 4 triples and 6 steals in 443 plate appearances — all whereas splitting his time between heart subject, left subject and the three non-first-base infield spots. Gordon bought out to an terrible begin in 2023, nonetheless, and compounded that sluggish starting of the 12 months with a serious damage when he fractured his tibia upon fouling a ball into his leg. That proved to be a season-ender, and he’s not but returned to kind following the offseason commerce that shipped him to Miami.
The Marlins gave Gordon a good look within the outfield however are turning issues over to a youthful contingent following their deadline dealings. They acquired nook outfielder Kyle Stowers from the Orioles of their commerce of Trevor Rogers, and Stowers will doubtless step into Gordon’s slot as the first left fielder. (Infield prospect Connor Norby, acquired alongside Stowers, may additionally get a glance in left subject if the Marlins don’t view the bat-first Norby as a long-term choice at second base.) Put up-deadline waiver claims of heart fielders Hill and Cristian Pache additional squeezed Gordon out of the image, it appears.
Each Pache and Hill are actually on the energetic roster. Gordon shall be positioned on outright waivers or launched within the coming days. He has sufficient service time to reject an outright task to the minors if he clears, however doing so would imply forfeiting the rest of this season’s $900K wage, so he’ll very doubtless head to Jacksonville if he’s not claimed by one other membership.
