Despite this string of recent wins, the Miami Marlins still have offensive issues to deal with and it hits the forefront with their catchers. Their two current catchers are Nick Fortes and Christian Bethancourt. Bethancourt was acquired during the offseason from the Tampa Bay Rays after Jacob Stallings left for the Colorado Rockies. There were high expectations for him to really thrive in Miami. As for Fortes, he was drafted by the Marlins and has been playing in the majors since 2021. So far this season, time has been split up pretty evenly between the two. Unfortunately, neither of them has been able to get their bats going. Bethancourt has played in 24 games and has 7 hits in 53 at-bats. He started the season 0-for-33. Fortes is not much better with 10 hits in 79 at-bats. Both are underwhelming and not contributing to the already struggling Marlins offense. Hopefully, the Marlins will explore some replacement options toward the deadline so that they can gain some offensive production from the catcher position.
⚾️MLB Prop #4
Nick Fortes (MIA) Under 0.5 Hits (+105 @ ESPN)
Fortes has started off this season ice cold, and with Christian Bethancourt on the IL the Marlins really have no one else to turn to.
He has started the year 3 for 29 (.103) and to be honest just isn’t a good hitter.… pic.twitter.com/NXo6XEWJF1
— BackDoorCover (@BackDoorProps) April 16, 2024
Potential Trade Replacements to Take Over as Marlins Catcher
Iván Herrera
Iván Herrera, 23, was a top prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals. He eventually made his MLB debut with them in 2022. Throughout these last two seasons, he bounced around between the majors and minors. In 2023, he was named the Cardinals’ Minor League Player of the Year after slashing .297/.451/.500 at Triple-A Memphis. During his short stints in the majors, he was the backup catcher for guys like Yadier Molina, who retired in 2022, and Willson Contreras. As of this season he has played in 29 games and had a .276 average with three home runs and 24 hits in 87 at-bats.
Iván Herrera comes through again!! ?#ForTheLou pic.twitter.com/9F3huCBry0
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 17, 2024
With Contreras recently fracturing his arm, Herrera is now the Cards’ starting catcher. In his last seven games, he has slashed an impressive .440/.517/.460. With this new position opening up, he can really prove to the Cardinals why he should stay. If they still fail to see him as a valuable piece, he could be a great trade target for the Marlins. Herrera is a young catcher with an immense amount of potential and could be a great fit for Miami.
Elias Díaz
Elias Díaz, 33, is currently with the Colorado Rockies, but has split the past nine seasons between the Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates. Last season he played in 141 games and had 14 homers and 130 hits. That season he slashed .267/.316/.409. So far in 2024, he has 41 hits with three home runs in 38 games played.
While he is not quite a superstar, he could help ease the burden of the Marlins offense. If the Marlins decide not to acquire the young Herrera, they could use a guy like Díaz to mentor some of the younger guys. He is in the last year of his contract with the Rockies and is going to be a free agent after this season. The Rockies also just acquired former Marlin Jacob Stallings, so they may be willing to trade Díaz. This could be an under-the-radar acquisition for the Marlins that could seriously strengthen their catching position.
Photo Credit: © Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
