The Texas Rangers and Miami Marlins have reportedly finalized a trade sending corner infielder Jake Burger to Texas in exchange for a trio of prospects. According to sources, Miami will receive infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas, along with pitching prospect Brayan Mendoza.


Burger, a valuable addition to the Rangers' lineup, aims to boost Texas' offense after the team struggled to produce runs this year. The Rangers posted a team batting line of .238/.305/.380, ranking them in the bottom third of the league and finishing 18th in scoring. This was a significant drop from their 2023 championship-winning lineup.


At 28 years old, Burger brings a powerful bat to the middle of the order. Last season, he hit 29 home runs with a .250/.306/.460 slash line over 579 plate appearances. The former first-round pick demonstrated his home run potential, hitting a combined 34 longballs in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox and Marlins. Over the past two seasons, his 63 home runs tie him with notable players like José Ramírez and Corey Seager for 15th place in MLB.


Burger, known for his slugging abilities, has a career batting average of .250/.305/.488 over the last two years. While he strikes out more frequently and draws fewer walks than some of his peers, his power is evident against both left-handed and right-handed pitchers. He holds a career .244/.298/.496 line against lefties and a .253/.308/.478 line against righties.

Miami Marlins lefty starter Jesús Luzardo had a standout 2023 season, but his 2024 campaign was marred by injuries and less success. Despite this, Luzardo, now 27, remains a potential trade target as the Marlins continue their ongoing rebuild.

One complication is that Luzardo did not pitch after June 16 this year due to a lumbar stress reaction. With two years remaining before free agency, similar to Garrett Crochet, Luzardo's trade value is still high.

According to Jon Morosi, the Marlins are receiving trade interest for Luzardo at the winter meetings. While nothing is guaranteed, the Marlins are exploring their options as they navigate their rebuild.

The Miami Marlins are set to hire Carson Vitale from the Seattle Mariners to serve as new manager Clayton McCullough’s bench coach, according to Daniel Kramer ofMLB.com.Vitale brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent the past seven seasons with Seattle, including five as their major league field coordinator.

Carson Vitale's Journey
Vitale, 36, has built an impressive coaching resume. Before his tenure with the Mariners, he served as Seattle’s minor league field coordinator and previously worked as the Dodgers’ international field coordinator from 2016 to 2017. Vitale also spent several years as a hitting coach and manager within the Angels’ minor league system. A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Vitale was drafted in the 38th round as a catcher out of Creighton University by the Rangers in 2010 and played parts of two minor league seasons before transitioning to coaching.

Marlins' Coaching Staff Revamp
The Marlins are undergoing significant changes to their coaching staff following the departure of former manager Skip Schumaker. With McCullough’s appointment as manager only two weeks old, the team is actively filling out its new coaching roster. Reports indicate that the Marlins have also hired former Giants assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero to be their new hitting coach. Both Guerrero and Vitale have connections to Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler. Vitale previously worked with Kapler and McCullough in Los Angeles, while Guerrero was part of Kapler’s coaching teams in San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Building for the Future
​As the Marlins continue to assemble their coaching staff, Vitale’s extensive experience and connections within the baseball community are expected to be valuable assets. The team's efforts to revamp and strengthen their coaching lineup highlight their commitment to building a competitive team for the upcoming season.

The Miami Marlins have made significant additions to their Baseball Operations leadership team, naming Joe Migliaccio as Director of Hitting and Bill Hezel as Director of Pitching. Additionally, Maxx Garrett has been elevated to Director of Catching.

Joe Migliaccio, Director of Hitting: Joe Migliaccio, 33, joins the Marlins after spending six seasons with the New York Yankees organization in various roles. His most recent position was as the Minor League Hitting Coordinator (2022-24), where he led hitting development across multiple levels. Previously, he served as Hitting Coach at Double-A Somerset (2021) and High-A Tampa (2019-20). Migliaccio's coaching career began at the University of Iowa, followed by roles at the University of Missouri, Southeast Missouri State University, and Siena College. A native of West Melbourne, Fla., he played as an infielder at Florida International University, Parkland College, and Oral Roberts University.

Bill Hezel, Director of Pitching: Bill Hezel, 38, brings extensive experience to the Marlins' pitching staff, having spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. He started as the Assistant Major League Pitching Coach (2023) before transitioning to Pitching Integration Strategist. Prior to his time with the Angels, Hezel worked with Driveline Baseball in Seattle, Wash., as Director of Pitching (2020-22) and served as a Pitching Consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hezel's coaching journey began at Northampton Community College and included stints with the Quakertown Blazers and DeSales University. He played collegiate baseball at Lehigh University and East Stroudsburg University.

Maxx Garrett, Director of Catching: Maxx Garrett, 34, has been promoted to Director of Catching after joining the Marlins last year as Hitting and Catching Coordinator. Before his tenure with the Marlins, Garrett spent five years at Driveline Baseball as the Lead Hitting Trainer and Catching Trainer. There, he managed training plans for top-level athletes and used data-driven approaches to develop hitting and catching programs. A native of Kennewick, Wash., Garrett played Division I baseball at Gonzaga University and spent six years in independent leagues, including the Frontier League and the American Association.

​These strategic hires reflect the Marlins' commitment to building a strong foundation for player development. With Migliaccio, Hezel, and Garrett leading key areas of the team's operations, the Marlins are poised for growth and success in the coming seasons. Fans and players alike can look forward to seeing the impact of these experienced professionals on the team's performance.

Via Francys Romeo on Twitter, the Marlins are inviting P Vladimir Gutierrez to their Spring Training camp after signing him to a Minor League deal.

Gutierrez is in his 3rd year in the MLB, after spending his first 2 with the Reds.  He is 10-12 with a 5.44 ERA.
In 2016, the Reds won the bidding war for Gutierrez and paid him $4.75 Million to join the club.  As he progressed, his command struggled, and as he made his debut in 2021, it just never clicked in Cincy.  Hopefully a new start in Miami will get him back on tract.

It has been rumored, but not is has been confirmed, SS Tim Anderson and the Marlins have agreed to a 1-year deal worth $5 Million.

Anderson will be the Marlins starting SS, a position they need some stability...badly.

Jesse Rogers confirmed the signing on Twitter.

Via tweets from Jon Morosi & Ken Rosenthal, Miami has offered a contract to former batting champ Tim Anderson to be their everyday SS.

At 30 years old Anderson has played SS his entire career, except during the WBC where he played 2nd.

Anderson boasts a strong track record, hitting .318 with a 123 wRC+ from 2019 to 2022, and at only 30 years old, he remains a compelling candidate for a bounce-back season.

Currently, the Marlins have Jon Berti slated as their starting shortstop, with trade acquisitions Nick Gordon and Vidal Bruján also capable of filling the position.
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However, Anderson isn’t the sole infielder the Marlins are considering in free agency, according to Rosenthal's report. They are also engaged in discussions with Adalberto Mondesi for the shortstop role and Gio Urshela for potential roles at first base, third base, and designated hitter.

Reigning two-time batting champ Luis Arraez is set up perfectly to get an extension this Spring, but he has yet to hear from the club.

Arraez, who will celebrate his 27th birthday on April 9, recently underwent arbitration against the Marlins and lost. As reported by El ExtraBase, he is set to earn $10.6 million for the 2024 season. With one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining, Arraez will be able to explore the free-agent market after the 2025 season.
Regarding his arbitration outcome, Arraez commented, "Not yet. We just went through the arbitration process. Business is business. Right now, I'm focused on helping my team win, making the playoffs, and hopefully reaching the World Series. We'll see what happens."
During his debut season with the Marlins, Arraez achieved personal bests in several categories, including games played (147), home runs (10), RBIs (69), batting average (.354), slugging percentage (.469), and OPS (.861). He earned the starting second baseman position for the National League at the All-Star Game, received a Silver Slugger Award, and secured an eighth-place finish in NL MVP Award voting. Notably, Arraez also made history for the franchise by hitting the first cycle.
​"Absolutely, without a doubt," Arraez affirmed regarding his desire for an extension. "I'm fully invested in Miami. My family resides here, and it's home to everyone. The fans have been incredibly supportive, and I have a deep affection for the team's uniform. Let's wait and see how things unfold."