Marlins Outright Three To Triple-A

The Miami Marlins have made some changes to their 40-man roster, outrighting outfielder Jonathan Davis, left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus, and right-hander Jeff Lindgren, as reported on the team’s official transactions page. Davis and Lindgren have the option to become free agents instead of being assigned to Triple-A, as they have both been outrighted before in their careers. De Jesus is expected to enter minor league free agency.

Davis had to be activated from the 60-day injured list before being outrighted. He had been sidelined since undergoing right meniscus surgery in July. The injury occurred when he was diving for a ball in center field, resulting in him missing the rest of the 2023 season. The expected recovery time for the meniscus surgery is 3-6 months, so Davis may be delayed in his normal offseason routine. However, the hope is that he will be ready for Spring Training, whether with the Marlins or another team.

The Marlins acquired Davis in a trade with the Tigers in May to provide depth in center field while Jazz Chisholm Jr. recovered from turf toe. Davis played in 34 games and had 104 plate appearances before getting injured. Now, after being part of multiple organizations since August 2021, Davis may once again be on the move, likely signing another minor league deal.

In Davis’ 205 games and 464 plate appearances at the major league level, he has a .198/.295/.276 slash line. Despite his lack of offensive production, Davis is known for his baserunning skills and ability to play all outfield positions, making him a valuable depth option in Triple-A or on a major league bench. The outright assignment can be seen as a non-tender for the Marlins, as Davis was eligible for salary arbitration and projected to earn $800K in 2024.

De Jesus made his MLB debut this season, pitching 6 1/3 innings in two appearances and allowing eight earned runs. Despite the high ERA, De Jesus can finally consider himself a big leaguer after a long minor league career that began in the Red Sox system in 2014. He spent the 2022 season with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate before joining the Marlins on a minor league contract.

Throughout his career, De Jesus has worked as both a starter and reliever, maintaining a 4.01 ERA over 749 1/3 innings in the minors and a 4.61 ERA in 191 1/3 innings at Triple-A. However, control has been an issue for the 26-year-old in recent years, impacting his performance in the upper levels of the minors.

Lindgren, a 24th-round pick for the Marlins in the 2019 draft, also made his MLB debut in 2023, appearing in three games and posting a 5.14 ERA over seven innings pitched. This marks the fourth time that Lindgren has been removed from the Marlins’ 40-man roster this year. While he had the option to become a free agent on multiple occasions, he chose to remain with the Marlins. It remains to be seen whether he will make the same decision again.