With Chris Paddack designated for assignment, Miami faces a pivotal rotation call between phenom Robby Snelling and veteran Braxton Garrett, where timing and minor league schedules dictate the move.
MIAMI — After the Miami Marlins designated veteran starting pitcher Chris Paddack for assignment on Tuesday, a decision will need to be made on who will take his spot.
The decision is basically down between their top pitching prospect, and a longtime arm who has been one of the Marlins' better pitchers since his big-league debut. It may come down to scheduling.
Left-handed pitcher Robby Snelling (No. 2 prospect) last pitched on Friday against Durham, earning International League Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing five no-hit innings with nine strikeouts in Triple-A Jacksonville’s 12-0 win. His next scheduled start lines up with when the Marlins need Paddack’s replacement to go on Friday against the Washington Nationals.
Snelling is tied for the International League lead in strikeouts (44) while ranking second in batting average against (.116), third in both ERA (1.86) and WHIP (0.90), and 14th in innings pitched (29.0). Snelling has a fastball that touched 100 last season, showing he has the raw stuff to take on major-league hitters. In four spring-training appearances this year, Snelling threw 13 strikeouts over 8.1 innings.
Braxton Garrett is the one who has most earned a call-up, but is scheduled to start for the Jumbo Shrimp on Tuesday against Charlotte. Garrett has a 1.71 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26.1 innings over five starts. Two of his five starts involved him throwing a combined 14 hitless innings.
Garrett proved to be a solid pitcher for the Marlins since his MLB debut in 2020. His best season was in 2023, where he recorded a 3.66 ERA with an 8.79 K/9 in 31 outings, as well as starting in Game 2 of the National League wild-card series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Garrett, who missed all of last year due to an injury, missed out on the starting rotation during spring training in favor of Janson Junk. That decision has paid off for manager Clayton McCullough as of Monday. Garrett didn’t exceed rookie limits until 2022, when he started 17 games with a career-best 3.58 ERA for the Marlins. Garrett, 28, is signed for $1.53 million this season and isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2027 and barring an extension, won’t hit free agency until 2029.
Should Garrett pitch as scheduled on Tuesday, the logistics would point to Snelling getting the call-up. If Garrett is scratched, he will most likely return to loanDepot Park.
In the meantime, the Marlins will call up right-handed reliever William Kempner from Triple-A Jacksonville to fill Paddack’s spot in the roster, giving the bullpen a fresh arm leading up to a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. Kempner has struck out 34 batters in 15.1 innings pitched, but he also allowed 11 runs during his time with the Jumbo Shrimp.
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