NL Notes: Marlins, Giants, Cardinals

The Miami Marlins have decided to part ways with D.J. Svihlik, their director of amateur scouting, according to Barry Jackson and Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Svihlik, who had been with the Marlins since 2017 and served as scouting director for six years, will not have his contract renewed after the 2023 season. He will be joining former general manager Kim Ng in leaving the organization. This move is not unexpected, as it has been reported that team CEO Derek Jeter was unhappy with the amateur scouting and player development system.

While Svihlik’s draft picks have not had much impact at the major league level, with the exception of players like Max Meyer and Nick Fortes, the Marlins have used many of their top picks in recent years to acquire key players like Jake Burger, Josh Bell, and A.J. Puk. Finding a replacement for Svihlik will be up to the Marlins’ next baseball operations leader, a search that is already underway. Jeter’s goal for this offseason is to hire a president of baseball operations who can restructure the amateur scouting department and lead the team forward.

More from around the National League…

• The San Francisco Giants are looking for a new manager to replace Gabe Kapler, and one potential candidate, Nick Hundley, has withdrawn his name from consideration, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly. Hundley, who played 12 seasons in the majors, including two with the Giants, declined to interview for the position due to family concerns. He currently works as a special assistant for the Texas Rangers.
• JoJo Romero, a left-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, is recovering well from a knee injury that ended his season, according to Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Romero chose not to return to the team in order to fully recover from the injury and ensure it wouldn’t affect his mechanics in the offseason. He had a strong second half of the season, taking over the closer’s role and putting up impressive numbers. Assuming he is healthy for Spring Training, Romero is expected to play a major role in the Cardinals’ bullpen next year.