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The Miami Marlins and infielder Jon Berti avoided salary arbitration on Monday night by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.125 million with a team option for 2024 that is worth $3.5 million. Berti led the majors in stolen bases last year with 41 while hitting .240/.324/.338 with a .662 OPS, four home runs, 28 RBI and 47 runs scored in 404 plate appearances and a career-high 102 games in his fifth major-league campaign. The 33-year-old missed around a month with groin and hip injuries, and there probably isn't more stolen base upside if he's not playing regularly, but Berti will certainly remain plenty attractive in all fantasy leagues because of his speed. He doesn't really have any pop, though, so Berti is pretty much a single-category fantasy asset.
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo won his salary arbitration hearing on Friday against the Marlins, according to a source. He will make $2.45 million in 2023 after the Marlins filed for $2.1 million. Luzardo is one of the bright spots for the Marlins rotation after he had a 3.32 ERA (3.12 FIP), 1.04 WHIP and impressing 30 percent strikeout rate in 100 1/3 innings over 18 starts in his first full season in Miami in 2022. Sandy Alcantara is the clear No. 1 in this rotation, but Luzardo is the clear No. 2 and could be in for a breakout season in 2023 if he can stay healthy all year long. RotoBaller currently has Luzardo ranked as the No. 49 fantasy starter, but he could outperform that ranking easily.
Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez won his salary arbitration case at $6.1 million over the team on Thursday, according to a source. The Minnesota Twins filed a number of $5 million before they traded Arraez to the Marlins this offseason, but the number didn't change following his trade. Arraez won the American League batting title in 2022 with the Twins when he hit .316. The 25-year-old also added a .375 on-base percentage, .420 slugging percentage, .795 OPS, career-high eight home runs, 49 RBI, 88 runs scored and four stolen bases in 603 plate appearances over 144 games. He will be Miami's everyday second baseman and leadoff batter in 2023. Although Miami isn't the best hitting environment and their offense as a whole isn't anything to write home about, Arraez should once again be a great source of average, OBP and runs scored.
The Boston Red Sox and Miami Marlins have reportedly made a deal, per a tweet from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal on Monday morning. According to Rosenthal's tweet, Boston is trading reliever Matt Barnes to Miami for fellow relief pitcher Richard Bleier. Barnes pitched to a 4.31 ERA, a 3.87 FIP, 34 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 39.2 innings for Boston last season while adding eight saves and four holds. Bleier, meanwhile, turned in a 3.55 ERA and a 3.27 FIP in 50.2 innings for the Marlins, while adding 32 strikeouts, 10 walks, seven holds and a save. Of the duo, Barnes likely has more potential for save opportunities this coming season in Miami than Bleier does in Boston given Kenley Jansen's presence at the back end of the Red Sox bullpen.
Free-agent left-hander Devin Smeltzer agreed to a one-year split deal with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. He will make $1 million if he's in the majors and will receive an invitation to major-league spring training, according to sources. The 27-year-old southpaw reliever had a 3.71 ERA (5.23 FIP), 1.22 WHIP and career-low 13.9 percent strikeout rate in a career-high 70 1/3 innings pitched over 15 appearances (12 starts) for the Minnesota Twins last year. There is more opportunity in Miami's starting rotation with Pablo Lopez now in Minnesota, but Smeltzer will likely open the 2023 season as a long man in Miami's bullpen if he makes the Opening Day roster out of spring training.
