Marlins acquire talented group of prospects in latest trades?

The Marlins made eight moves to deepen their farm system ahead of Tuesday’s Trade Deadline, dealing nine players for 15 Minor Leaguers -- nine of whom move into the organization’s Top 30 Prospects list.

Here’s a rundown of what you need to know about all of the newest members of the Marlins’ system.

Robby Snelling, LHP, Double-A Pensacola (No. 2 prospect, No. 44 overall)

Pipeline scouting report: A college recruit as a pitcher and linebacker, Snelling helped seal his professional place on the mound by setting a Nevada state single-season record with 146 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings as a senior at Reno’s McQueen High School in 2022. The Padres took the southpaw 39th overall in the MLB Draft that July and signed him for well above slot at $3 million. He dominated while reaching Double-A in his first full pro season, then regressed significantly this year before San Diego included him in the Tanner Scott/Bryan Hoeing trade with the Marlins on July 30.

Snelling worked at 92-95 mph and touched 96 late in the season in 2023, but he has operated more at 90-92 this year, still missing some bats thanks to his flat approach angle and deception. His two-plane curveball hasn't been the same plus pitch it was last season, parking in the upper 70s. He continues to fiddle with an 85-87 mph changeup, and more refinement could turn it into an average offering in time.

The 6-foot-3 hurler earned praise from San Diego officials for his ability to make adjustments at each passing level, and his athletic background should help keep him throwing strikes the higher he climbs. His strong 2023 success reinforced his high floor as a future Major League starter, and he could push into at least the middle of a rotation if he can regain his stuff from a year ago.

Organizational fit: Miami has an abundance of MLB starting pitchers, though they are sidelined by injury. It lacks big arms at the upper levels of the Minors, so Snelling will fill that void. The Marlins are no strangers to reclamation projects, having turned things around for southpaws Jesús Luzardo and Ryan Weathers with a change of scenery over the past few years.

ETA: 2025

Connor Norby, 2B/OF, Triple-A Jacksonville (No. 5 prospect)

Pipeline scouting report: After playing sparingly as a freshman at East Carolina and then losing most of his second season to the pandemic, Norby batted .415 and led NCAA Division I hitters with 102 hits in 2022. Signed for $1.7 million as a second-round pick (No. 41 overall) by the Orioles in the 2021 MLB Draft, he continued to produce in the Minors, but found it difficult to crack a loaded big league lineup. That won't be an issue with the Marlins, who acquired Norby and Kyle Stowers in exchange for Trevor Rogers on July 30.

A right-handed hitter with a simple, compact swing, Norby is quick to the ball and makes consistent loud contact. He punishes fastballs and is adept enough at recognizing spin to more than hold his own against breaking stuff, which he slugged .459 against last year (Triple-A average slugging against non-fastballs: .394). Furthermore, subtle changes to his approach have turned what looked like solid extra-base power into at least 20-homer pop.

Norby has average speed and the ability to sneak a stolen base when the opportunity presents itself. He's a fringy defender with arm strength to match at second base. Baltimore began playing him on the outfield corners the last two seasons because it had a logjam of infielders, but he profiles best as an offensive second baseman.

Organizational fit: Not only do the Marlins have one of the lowest-scoring lineups in MLB but they also lack impact bats in the system. Norby is a big league-ready hitter who went deep on July 5 in Miami.

ETA: 2024

Agustin Ramirez, C/1B, Triple-A Jacksonville (No. 6 prospect)

Pipeline scouting report: Ramirez garnered the highest bonus paid to a Dominican catcher in the 2018-19 international class, signing with the Yankees for $400,000. He spent three years in Rookie ball and lost 2020 to the pandemic shutdown, so he didn't arrive in full-season ball until 2023, when he slammed 18 homers while rising from Single-A to Double-A and claimed a spot on New York's 40-man roster. Ramirez mashed 20 homers in 87 games at the upper levels of the Minors this year before the Yankees shipped him to the Marlins as the headline prospect in a July trade for Jazz Chisholm Jr.

With his short right-handed stroke, bat speed and strength, Ramirez makes consistent contact and produces impressive exit velocities. He showed more discipline and did a better job of using the entire field in 2023, fueling optimism that he'll be able to tap into most of his plus raw power. He has struggled in his initial taste of Triple-A this summer, chasing too many pitches and producing a lot of rolled-over grounders to his pull side.

Ramirez stands out much more for his offensive upside than his defensive prowess. He lacks agility and soft hands, so his receiving, framing and blocking all need plenty of work. Ramirez has solid arm strength but a slow release that led to 104 steals in 132 attempts (79 percent) in 80 games last year, and some scouts believe he'll wind up at first base.

Organizational fit: Ramirez, who was added to the 40-man roster but was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville, has knocked 20 homers -- second-most among all Minor League catchers. He joins Double-A Pensacola’s Joe Mack (No. 29 prospect) as Miami’s only ranked catching prospects -- one of the thinnest positions in the organization. In 2024, Marlins catchers had the worst wRC+ (33, entering July 27) in the Majors.

ETA: 2025

Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B/3B, Triple-A Jacksonville (No. 7 prospect)

Pipeline scouting report: Signed for $200,000 out of the Dominican Republic by the Diamondbacks in 2019, De Los Santos burst onto the prospect scene three years later by winning the Single-A California League batting title (.329) and mashing 22 homers between three levels. His subsequent struggles in the Arizona Fall League after the 2022 season and in Double-A at the start of last year prompted Arizona to put him on the development list for the first two weeks of July so he could rework his right-handed swing. Though he batted .322/.340/.596 afterward, the D-backs left De Los Santos unprotected on their 40-man roster, and the Guardians pounced on him in the Rule 5 Draft in December. Returned to Arizona in March, he moved on to the Marlins in a July deal for A.J. Puk.

With raw power and exit velocities that rank among the best in the Minors, De Los Santos offers huge power potential thanks to his bat speed and strength but won't come close to fully tapping into it unless he can tone down his approach. Arizona tried to simplify his load and give him more time to make better swing decisions, yet despite his improved performance, he still chased way too many pitches and produced too many ground balls. Even with his flaws, he led the Minors in homers (28), total bases (217) and RBIs (84) at the time of the trade.

De Los Santos played mostly third base in his first three pro seasons but lacks the tools to stay there. With below-average speed and quickness, average arm strength and a history of erratic play at the hot corner, he'll likely wind up at first base. De Los Santos has spent the majority of his time at first in 2024, but Miami's current roster construction may mean his first big league opportunity comes at third.

Organizational fit: De Los Santos is the other Triple-A slugger president of baseball operations Peter Bendix acquired a few days before the Deadline, and he went deep in his Triple-A Jacksonville debut on July 27 for his Minor League-leading 29th homer. After veteran first baseman Josh Bell landed in Arizona in a separate trade, De Los Santos could present both a short-term and long-term solution at the position. At the time of the De Los Santos trade, the Marlins had the second-fewest homers and second-lowest slugging percentage in the Majors.

ETA: 2024

Adam Mazur, RHP, Triple-A Jacksonville (No. 8 prospect)

Pipeline scouting report: Mazur went from a decent starter at South Dakota State to the 2022 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year for Iowa, and that momentum carried into that year’s Draft, where he went to the Padres in the second round and signed for slightly below slot at $1.25 million. He reached Double-A by the end of his first full pro season and San Diego two months into his second. After he scuffled in three short stints with the Padres, they sent him to the Marlins in the Tanner Scott/Bryan Hoeing deal on July 30.

Standing at a wiry 6-foot-2, Mazur sits at 94-96 mph and touches 98 with his fastball. His control of the pitch was stellar in the Minors out of a fairly high slot, and because he could get ahead of so many batters, he could work in his solid secondaries. A mid-80s slider remains the star with tight, late break, allowing for a healthy amount of chase. His upper-80s changeup has stepped forward, giving him an armside option with fade and sink when it's on, while his 78-81 mph curveball splits the plate with decent vertical break.

Mazur’s athletic delivery helps him repeatedly pump strikes into the zone, though he didn't pitch with the same confidence in San Diego. He didn't challenge big league hitters, fell behind in the count and got hit hard. A lack of more than two above-average pitches dilutes his ceiling some, but so long as he can get through a lineup twice, he should still fit the modern mold of a starting pitcher.

Organizational fit: Like Snelling, Mazur gives the Marlins an upper-level starting-pitcher arm. Mazur made not only his MLB debut but seven other starts earlier this season. Considering the number of starting-pitching injuries to the big league staff, he could slot into the Marlins' rotation by season's end.

ETA: 2024

Jared Serna, SS/2B, High-A Beloit (No. 11 prospect)

Pipeline scouting report: The cousin of Yankees pitching prospect Luis Serna, Jared signed with New York for $10,000 out of Mexico in 2019, but he didn't make his pro debut until two years later because of the pandemic. He made the Single-A Florida State League postseason All-Star team after batting .283/.350/.483 with 19 homers in 95 games there in 2023, though he didn't go deep in 27 contests following a promotion to High-A. Serna rediscovered his pop at that level this year before the Yankees included him in a three-prospect package to acquire Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins in July.

Serna has a naturally compact right-handed stroke and makes good swing decisions, allowing him to make repeated contact. He looks to pull the ball and hits the ball harder than expected for a 5-foot-7, 168-pounder, creating surprisingly solid raw power. He can get too pull-conscious and will put pitches in play that he'd be better off avoiding, leading to some suboptimal groundball contact.

Though he's slow out of the batter's box, Serna can flash plus speed once he gets going and is aggressive on the bases. With average range and arm strength, he's best suited for second base, but has seen more action at shortstop in 2024. Serna made 11 errors in 52 games at short last year, compared to just one in 60 contests at second, and also has played third base and both outfield corners in the past.

Organizational fit: Along with catcher, shortstop was the other position lacking depth in Miami’s system. Serna has spent the bulk of his time there in 2024, and he slots in as the highest-ranked shortstop prospect. Both Ramirez and Serna were managed in Class A Tampa by new Marlins director of player development Rachel Balkovec.

ETA: 2026

Graham Pauley, 3B/2B/OF, Double-A Pensacola (No. 12 prospect)

Pipeline scouting report: Pauley didn’t become a full-time starter for Duke until his junior year, and he was still somewhat of an afterthought heading into the 2022 MLB Draft before going in the 13th round to the Padres. In his first full pro season, he led San Diego farmhands in batting (.308), slugging (.538), OPS (.931), hits (148) and homers (23). He hasn't been as productive in 2024, though he made his big league debut in March before getting sent to the Marlins four months later as part of the Tanner Scott/Bryan Hoeing trade.

The left-handed slugger has a short and sweet swing that’s helped him make a healthy amount of contact since his collegiate days. Midway through last year, Pauley began to prioritize elevating the ball more on contact with a swing change meant to cut down on over-rotation and increase the amount of time his bat stayed in the strike zone. The result was a motion that added loft and allowed the pop to truly play to the pull side, and it’s easier to project Pauley getting to average power in the Majors.

Signed as a third baseman, Pauley has below-average speed and fringy arm strength that limit his effectiveness with the glove. Before the deal, he spent 2024 dividing his time between the hot corner, second base, first base and left field. He's a below-average defender at third and second and may not have the bat to profile as a regular at first or in left, so he may be destined for a reserve role in the big leagues.

Organizational fit: Pauley got a taste of the big leagues early this season, tallying 32 plate appearances and even playing in the Seoul Series in South Korea, but the Marlins are having him start at Double-A rather than Triple-A. He provides defensive versatility and a lefty bat.

ETA: 2024

Jun-Seok Shim, RHP, Rookie level (No. 20 prospect)

Pipeline scouting report: Shim was MLB Pipeline's second-highest ranked pitcher in the 2023 international class, and he opted to sign with the Pirates for $750,000 rather than stay home and get drafted in South Korea's KBO League. Shim has barely pitched since turning pro, with his debut limited to four Rookie-ball outings because of a right pectoral strain. A shoulder injury had sidelined him for all of the 2024 season when Pittsburgh included him in a July trade that brought Bryan De La Cruz from the Marlins.

At 6-foot-4, Shim has the chance to grow into a big power pitcher with a four-pitch mix. His live arm can fire fastballs that flirt with triple digits and comfortably sit in the mid-90s. He generates high spin rates on a pair of solid breaking pitches: a curveball with 12-to-6 break at its best and a harder slider. He’s still working on gaining consistency with his changeup.

Shim has a clean arm action overall and a feel for landing his stuff in the zone, but he needs reps to hone his craft after winding up on the shelf for much of his first two pro seasons. He also missed time with elbow issues in Korea in 2021, so there are legitimate questions about his durability. If he can stay healthy, he has the stuff to pitch in the front half of a big league rotation.

Organizational fit: President of baseball operations Peter Bendix wants to deepen the entire Minor League system, and Shim adds frontline potential to the lower levels. According to Bendix, Shim had been throwing live batting practice.

ETA: 2026

Andrew Pintar, CF, Double-A Pensacola (No. 26 prospect)

Pipeline scouting report: Pintar went from walk-on at Brigham Young to the D-backs in 2022 as a fifth-round pick in three years, though he missed much of his Draft year with a shoulder injury that required surgery. He played in just 51 games during his first full pro season because of a broken ankle before coming back and tearing up High-A to begin this year. Pintar scuffled in his first month in Double-A before Arizona traded him and corner infield prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to the Marlins for A.J. Puk.

Pintar bats from an upright right-handed stance with minimal lower-half load, but he has made the most of his raw power in 2024. He's doing a better job of turning on and lifting pitches, and could produce 15-plus homers per season. Pintar controls the strike zone well and his on-base ability stands out more than his pop.

Pintar has plus speed and has been more aggressive on the bases this year than he has been as a pro. The Diamondbacks shifted him from his college position of second base to center field, where his quickness helps him close on balls in the gaps. He's still working to refine his reads and routes, and his shoulder woes have left him with below-average arm strength.

Organizational fit: Ahead of the 2023 season, Jazz Chisholm Jr. moved from second base to center field in deference to Luis Arraez. Pintar is following a similar path, albeit it in the Minors. Triple-A Jacksonville’s Victor Mesa Jr. (No. 9 prospect) is the highest-ranked natural center fielder in the system. No. 17 prospect Jakob Marsee, who was acquired in the Arraez trade, has struggled at Double-A Pensacola since his arrival and could split time with Pintar. With his all-around game, Pintar fits Bendix’s idea of providing value in different ways.

ETA: 2026

Abrahan Ramirez, INF, Florida Complex League (Not ranked in Top 30)

Scouting report from Marlins press release: Ramirez, 19, is batting .348 with 14 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 24 RBIs and 29 walks against 30 strikeouts in 49 games with the FCL Yankees. The left-handed hitter owns a .333 AVG in 110 games in the Yankees’ system since signing as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2022. The versatile defender has appeared in 49 games (42 starts) at second base, 37 games (36 starts) at third base, 16 games (13 starts) in the outfield, and one game at shortstop.

Organizational fit: Not every player needs to be a masher, but Ramirez did improve his offensive numbers across the board in his first season stateside. Plus, he walked nearly as many times as he struck out for an FCL team that finished with the second-best winning percentage behind the Marlins this season. Ramirez fits the versatile infielder mold like Xavier Edwards and Vidal Bruján on the Major League roster.

ETA: 2027

Garret Forrester, INF, Class A Jupiter (Not ranked)

Pipeline scouting report before Pirates trade: A three-year starter at Oregon State, Forrester left campus with a career .326 average and a .970 OPS. A very strong junior season in 2023 made many scouts think he was one of the best college hitters on the West Coast in the class. The son of former Minor League infielder Gary Forrester, Garret went in the third round of the Draft and played briefly with full-season Bradenton during his pro debut after signing for an under-slot bonus of $772,500.

Forrester is an advanced right-handed hitter who knows what he’s doing at the plate. He makes sound swing decisions and left Oregon State with more walks than strikeouts. He didn’t get to show it much during his stint in the Florida State League, but he has the ability to drive the ball to all fields with opposite-field power. He’s added some strength during the offseason, which hopefully will add to his power profile moving forward.

Almost exclusively a first baseman in college, Forrester had seen a little time at third where his solid arm plays well, and the Pirates had him at the hot corner during his debut even though he’s not exactly fleet afoot. That will continue, as will another defensive wrinkle -- Forrester worked out at the Draft Combine behind the plate, and the Pirates have liked what they’ve seen from him at catcher, with plans to build him up and give him time there, first and third in 2024.

Organizational fit: Forrester, who ranked No. 18 in Pittsburgh's system, helps fill out the system in the lower levels.

ETA: 2026

Wilfredo Lara, INF, High-A Beloit (Not ranked)

Pipeline scouting report before trade for RHP Huascar Brazoban: Lara joined the Mets for just $25,000 in June 2021 and has been a level-per-year player since. After posting an OPS below .700 in both the Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues the previous two seasons, he broke out some in his first trip to full-season ball with a .264/.362/.452 slash line, 14 homers and 17 steals in 99 games with Single-A St. Lucie last summer. His 122 wRC+ tied for seventh-best in the Florida State League, while he was one of only seven players in all of Single-A ball with at least 14 homers and 14 steals.

The right-handed slugger keeps his lower half relatively quiet in his batting setup, relying on his arms and wrists to fire through the zone. He can be caught chasing occasionally and was especially prone to whiffing on offspeed stuff, but he was aggressive on fastballs for good reason, slugging .653 off four-seamers. His exit velocities were roughly league average for the Florida State League, a solid showing for a 19-year-old, and his 90th percentile exit velocity (101.5) was in the same neighborhood as more notable prospects Jett Williams (102.2) and Jacob Reimer (101.6).

Lara ranked in the 82nd percentile for speed among his fellow Florida State Leaguers, and the Mets put those wheels to use all over the diamond with time everywhere except for pitcher and catcher. He has the arm strength for either right field -- where he topped out with a 100.5 mph throw -- or third base, but a more permanent move to a corner puts a strong focus on his bat.

Organizational fit: President of baseball operations Peter Bendix has said value can be found in various ways, and Lara can provide it with his speed and arm strength. He called Lara an under-the-radar prospect in the lower levels he was excited about.

ETA: 2026

Jay Beshears, INF, High-A Beloit (Not ranked)

Pipeline scouting report before Padres trade: Beshears’ breakout season came at Northwestern in 2022, when he hit .335 with a .995 OPS over 49 games. He transferred to Duke for the following season and continued his upward trajectory with a .333/.438/.587 slash line and 15 homers in 59 games, leading the Blue Devils in average and runs scored (58). The Padres selected Beshears in the sixth round last summer and signed him for just below slot at $250,000. He’s been at Single-A Lake Elsinore to begin his first full season and has dominated early on, much like his former Duke teammate Graham Pauley did in the same system before his climb to the Majors.

Standing tall in the box at 6-foot-4, Beshears shows promising raw power from the right side with solid exit velocities, but that hasn’t translated into above-average in-game power in the pros just yet, in part because of a high ground-ball rate. He utilizes a slight leg raise as part of his stance but doesn’t get overly complicated to his benefit. He’s taken a healthy amount of walks against wild arms in the California League, but his K rate has also jumped in pro ball as well. Beshears had swing-and-miss issues with changeups in school, and that might be a reason why he’s posted reverse splits early on in 2024.

Beshears isn’t a big threat to steal bags, but he moves well up the line for someone his size. He’s played all over the diamond the last few years -- from all three outfield spots at Northwestern to second and third base at Duke to even some shortstop and first base in the San Diego system. He’s been exclusively on the left side of the infield in ’24, but fringy arm strength makes him profile best as an all-around utility-type.

Organizational fit: Like several of the other prospects acquired, Beshears' exit velocity and raw power stand out -- something that can also be said for recent first-round Draft pick PJ Morlando. Beshears ranked as San Diego's No. 24 prospect.

ETA: 2026

Will Schomberg, RHP, High-A Beloit (Not ranked)

Marlins press release from JT Chargois trade with Mariners: Schomberg has gone 7-2 with a 2.83 ERA (29 ER/92 1/3 IP) in 19 starts between Single-A Modesto (15 starts) and High-A Everett (four starts) in his first full professional season in 2024, combining to walk 46 batters against 116 strikeouts. At the time of his promotion to High-A, the 5-foot-10 right-hander had gone 6-1 with a 2.69 ERA (21 ER/70 1/3 IP), ranking second in the California League in ERA and leading the league in strikeouts with 97.

The Winston-Salem, N.C., native earned California League Pitcher of the Week honors for May 5-11 and was later named the Pitcher of the Month for May, finishing the campaign with 43 strikeouts and a .145 opponent’s AVG while hurling a 1.50 ERA (5 ER/30 IP). The Davidson College alum was signed by Seattle as a Minor League free agent on July 22, 2023.

Organizational fit: Schomberg gets up to 95 mph with his velocity while sitting around 92 mph. He has a slider-heavy mix, which flashes a 55 grade on the 20-80 scale. According to MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo, he projects as a reliever. If that's the case, he could be a quick riser in an organization that has lost bullpen arms.

ETA: 2026

Kyle Stowers, OF, Triple-A Jacksonville (No longer a prospect)

Marlins press release: Stowers, 26, has batted .306 (11-for-36) with four doubles, one home run, and nine RBIs in 19 games over two stints with the Orioles this season from May 13-June 19 and July 13-19. The left-handed hitter recorded a hit in eight of his nine starts with Baltimore this season, appearing in eight games at right field (two starts), seven games at left field (five starts), and two starts as the designated hitter. He also owns a .240 AVG (55-for-229) with 16 doubles, one triple, 18 homers, 55 RBIs and 26 walks in 58 games with Triple-A Norfolk in 2024.

Selected by Baltimore in the Competitive Balance Round B (71st overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., Stowers owns a .229 AVG (36-for-157), eight doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 20 RBIs in 67 games over parts of three Major League seasons with the Orioles from 2022-24. The Brooks Robinson Minor League Co-Player of the Year with Baltimore in '21 (along with Adley Rutschman), Stowers has slashed .260/.356/.514 with 91 doubles, seven triples, 91 home runs, and 299 RBIs in 407 games in the Orioles' Minor League system over five professional seasons.

Organizational fit: The Marlins wasted no time, starting Stowers in left field and batting third in their July 31 lineup. Stowers, who can play center field -- a position Miami is thin at both in the big leagues and Minors -- was blocked in Baltimore. During Spring Training, the Orioles called Stowers, who lost prospect status in 2022, an emerging player who can hit southpaws as a lefty batter.

ETA: 2024