Blowing In The Wind 2058.7: Why Did Jacksonville Waive So Many Players?

[aaronweiner]

The Jacksonville Hurricanes abruptly put several players on waivers this week, including Daniel Pepper, Pablo Lara, cleanup hitter Pedro Hozven and starting pitcher Juan Marroquin. Hozven was claimed by Boise, but the rest passed through waivers without a hitch. It was a bit of a surprise, considering the team had been and is still using most of those players today.

"We've seen the trade market this season go cold, but we thought that we might get some traction when people saw that we were serious about trading people," said Jacksonville GM Aaron Weiner. "Boise bit on Hozven, and we're hoping other people start noticing Marroquin."

It had been largely speculated this season that Hozven, the player claimed by the Spuds, would not be offered arbitration this offseason. Hozven had been the team leader in OPS this year, but Jacksonville has a number of DH/1B type players in the high minors, including 1B Hamdan Nuh, who was called up to replace Hozven shortly after he was claimed. With the team cutting costs, Hozven was a logical cap casualty.

"Listen, part of is that we wanted a better situation for Pedro," Weiner said. "He was set to be a free agent after next season, and had he stayed next year we would have probably started reducing his playing time to look at more long-term options, which would have hurt his free agency value. He's been a good player for us and a good teammate and we're sorry to see him go."

With a potential price tag of over $5 million next year and a cash savings of over $1 million this year for waiving Hozven, the decision became easy for the team. Marroquin would have represented a larger savings, closer to $2.5 million, but no one bit on the veteran righty. For contractual reasons there is zero chance that he would get a buyout this season, and so his time is running out to pursue a spot with a contender.

"I'm still sort of shocked there's no market for my services," said Marroquin, who won 15 games in each of the past two years and who, according to advanced statistics, has been throwing as well as ever. "I know that Jacksonville is asking for something substantial in return for my services but you've got to think someone needs a guy like me."

Marroquin is expected to opt out at the end of this season, which might make him a Type B, if not a Type A, free agent, meaning Jacksonville would get a sandwich pick when someone else signs him. The righty is in the fourth year of a six year deal, and that makes him impossible to buy out.

"Listen, we know he's not happy here, and we wish there was some way we could arrange a buyout where we pay him for just the 2058 season, but that's not how this works," said Weiner. "We really have tried to help him out."

No takers were expected for Pepper or Lara, though the lack of interest in Lara is a bit interesting. The veteran outfielder is on pace for almost three wins above replacement this year, and he's a solid player and a good citizen. However, the 32-year old Lara has two more years left on his deal at $6 million per season. As for Pepper, the team was likely hoping that someone would take the $15.4 million he's owed next year off their cap.

"We'll be thrilled to have both of those guys back next year," Weiner said. "They're real professionals and we plan to make sure that Daniel especially is honored for his many years of service."

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[BaseClogger]

Welp, this answers my question in your other post. Marroquin’s stuff lumping to 8 is what kept me away.

[aaronweiner]

Welp, this answers my question in your other post. Marroquin’s stuff lumping to 8 is what kept me away.

Fair enough, but it's hard to do better than him as a rental, which he almost certainly is.