Jhan Marinez

JHAN MARINEZ, RIGHT HANDED PITCHER
Born: August 12, 1988
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 200
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Signed: International Free Agent, 2006 (Marlins)
How Acquired: Waiver claim (from Brewers)
Country: Dominican Republic
Agent: Wasserman Media Group

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

Marinez is a reliever who relies strictly on two pitches, a fastball and slider.  The former sits at 94-95 mph and reaches 97.  As a minor leaguer, Marinez developed slowly, not reaching full season ball until his fourth year.  He’s battled control problems and they’ve come and gone throughout his career.  He’s never been a dominant pitcher and his K rates have been on the low side for a reliever in his major league time.  He’s a moderate groundball pitcher and has only a mild platoon split.  As of the time the Pirates acquired him, he had allowed a 283/363/435 line to left-handed hitters and 270/358/402 to right-handed hitters.  The Pirates claimed him off waivers from Milwaukee in May 2017.

2006
DSL:  2-1-1, 7.00 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 36.0 IP, 6.5 BB/9, 5.5 K/9

Marinez pitched mostly in relief in his debut season and struggled, walking more than he struck out and getting hit hard as well.

2007
DSL:  2-3-0, 4.70 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 7.4 BB/9, 9.8 K/9
R:  0-0-0, 10.80 ERA, 2.70 WHIP, 3.1 IP, 10.8 BB/9, 10.8 K/9

The Marlins brought Marinez to the GCL initially, but he struggled through three outings and they sent him back to the DSL, partly due to attitude issues.  He pitched better than in the previous year, but still not well as he had control problems.  He pitched mainly as a starter in the DSL.

2008
R:  1-1-1, 6.11 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, 17.2 IP, 7.1 BB/9, 9.2 K/9

Back in the GCL, Marinez struggled in limited action, still walking a lot of batters.

2009
A+:  1-1-1, 3.14 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 43.0 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 8.8 K/9

The Marlins moved Marinez up to high A and he had a breakout season while pitching entirely in relief.  He cut way down on the walks and held opponents to a .637 OPS.  Baseball America rated him the team’s tenth best prospect after the season.

2010
A+:  0-1-4, 1.42 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 25.1 IP, 5.0 BB/9, 15.6 K/9
AA:  1-0-6, 2.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 10.8 K/9
MLB:  1-1-0, 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 10.1 BB/9, 10.1 K/9

Marinez worked his way up through high A and AA, then got called up to the majors in July.  He made four appearances there before going on the disabled list with a strained elbow.  He still had some control issues, which showed up in his brief time with the Marlins, but he also had very high K rates.  BA rated him the Marlins’ fourth best prospect after the season.

2011
AA:  3-8-3, 3.57 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 58.0 IP, 6.5 BB/9, 11.5 K/9

Possibly still affected by the elbow problems, Marinez spent the season in AA.  The control problems returned, although he continued to strike out a lot of hitters.  Near the end of the major league season, he went to the White Sox in the trade for Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.  BA rated him the Sox’ sixth best prospect after the season.

2012
AAA:  4-2-4, 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 63.0 IP, 4.3 BB/9, 9.3 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 6.8 BB/9, 3.4 K/9

Except for two brief callups, leading to one appearance in each with the White Sox, Marinez spent the season in AAA.  He got the walks back down quite a ways, although they were still high.  BA rated him the Sox’ 13th best prospect after the season.

2013
R+:  0-0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 6.8 BB/9, 23.6 K/9
AAA:  2-4-2, 6.11 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 28.0 IP, 5.1 BB/9, 8.4 K/9

Marinez went back to AAA and struggled, then missed the second half of the season with an unknown injury.  The White Sox outrighted him to AAA late in the season and he became a free agent in the fall.  The Tigers signed him to a minor league deal.

2014
AA (LAD):  7-1-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 22.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 10.2 K/9
AAA (Det):  1-2-0, 8.84 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 18.1 IP, 10.3 BB/9, 10.3 K/9

Marinez started off in AAA, but pitched very badly and Detroit released him in May.  The Dodgers signed him a week later and sent him to AA, where he spent the rest of the season.  He didn’t pitch all that well there, either.  After the season he became a free agent and signed with the Rays.

2015
AA:  0-0-2, 5.68 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 6.1 IP, 4.3 BB/9, 8.5 K/9
AAA:  4-1-5, 1.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 61.0 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 9.6 K/9

Tampa Bay sent Marinez to AA to start the season, then moved him up to AAA after five outings.  He showed much better control and fanned over a batter an inning.  After the season, he again signed a minor league contract with the Rays.

2016
AAA (TB):  2-1-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 8.0 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 10.1 K/9
MLB (TB):  0-0-0, 2.45 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 7.4 K/9
MLB (Mil):  0-1-0, 3.22 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 58.2 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

Marinez opened the season in AAA, but the Rays called him up in late April.  He got into just two games with them before they sent him to Milwaukee for cash considerations.  The Brewers kept Marinez in the majors the rest of the season.  He put up a good ERA, but his peripherals weren’t as good, resulting in a 4.26 xFIP.

2017
MLB (Mil):  0-2-0, 5.40 ERA, 2.04 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 5.9 BB/9, 7.6 K/9

Marinez returned to the Brewers and struggled, with the control problems returning.  Milwaukee designated him for assignment in mid-May and the Pirates claimed him off waivers.

Marinez has no options left and, thus, has to be kept in the majors or go back on waivers.  He’s never been all that impressive, but the Pirates apparently were desperate to shore up their struggling bullpen.  Of course, they could simply have called up Edgar Santana or Dovydas Neverauskas, but many of their moves in the early stages of the 2017 season were difficult to understand.

UPDATE:  Marinez pitched decently for the Pirates, but they designated him for assignment in early August when they acquired George Kontos.

CONTRACT INFORMATION
2017: $540,200
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: N/A
MiLB Debut: 2006
MLB Debut: 7/16/2010
MiLB FA Eligible: N/A
MLB FA Eligible: 2022
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Added to 40-Man: 7/15/10
Options Remaining: 0 (USED:  2011, 2012, 2013)
MLB Service Time: 1.095
TRANSACTIONS
April 25, 2006: Signed as an international free agent with the Florida Marlins.
July 15, 2010: Contract purchased by the Florida Marlins.
September 27, 2011: Traded by the Florida Marlins with Osvaldo Martinez to the Chicago White Sox for Ricardo Andres and manager Ozzie Guillen.
September 6, 2013:  Outrighted to AAA by the Chicago White Sox.
November 5, 2013: Became a free agent.
November 23, 2013: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Detroit Tigers.
May 17, 2014: Released by the Detroit Tigers.
May 24, 2014: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
November 4, 2014: Became a free agent.
December 26, 2014: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Tampa Bay Rays.
November 7, 2015: Became a free agent.
January 12, 2016: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Tampa Bay Rays.
April 24, 2016: Called up by the Tampa Bay Rays.
May 8, 2016: Designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays.
May 12, 2016: Traded by the Tampa Bay Rays to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations.
May 15, 2017: Designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers.
May 19, 2017: Claimed off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.