Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers ’17 — #53 Jhan Mariñez
April 3 minus February 9 equals 53.
One of the fun things about the “Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers” series is that I get to profile players who fans may be well aware of because of the previous season in Milwaukee but who they might not know history about because of the timing of when they came to the Brewers.
Guys like Carlos Torres who signed with the Brewers two days before Opening Day last year simply weren’t around for profiles when they would have gotten one and therefore didn’t appear in the countdown.
Today’s profile subject is another such player as he joined the team in May last year. As you read in the title, I’m talking about…
Jhan Mariñez.
The reason that at this time last year there was no preview for Jhan Carlos Mariñez is because Mariñez was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays were Mariñez’s fifth MLB organization since being signed back in 2006 by the then Florida Marlins.
Mariñez spent six seasons with the Marlins, appearing for them only in the 2010 season and then in just four games. He wasn’t particularly bad in those four games, but he also wasn’t good during his extremely small cup of coffee. Mariñez won a game (still his only career W) but even that came after he blew a save in the same game.
In the minors that season, however, Mariñez was brilliant. In 36 games combined between Class-A Advanced and Class-AA, Mariñez posted a tidy 1.71 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 42.0 innings pitched. His WHIP was 1.00 flat and he allowed just two home runs.
The 2011 season saw additional success with a full season at Double-A for Mariñez, but it ended with his being traded to the Chicago White Sox. The most unique thing about that trade of the 6'1" Dominican is who came back to the Marlins in the September 29th deal.
Along with a shortstop who hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since, Mariñez was traded to the White Sox for manager Ozzie Guillen. I didn’t know the names involved at the time and only learned of Mariñez being in the deal after the Brewers acquired him last year while doing background gathering on the “new guy,” but I vividly recall my reaction to the trade being one of bemusement. To think that a team would need to trade for a manager.
But I digress because we aren’t here to talk about Ozzie Guillen.
Mariñez was with the White Sox for two seasons, appearing in the big leagues in 2012. After becoming a free agent he signed with the Tigers where he would only stay for a month a half of the 2014 season. He finished 2014 in the Dodgers organization. 2015 was a full year with Tampa Bay but he didn’t resurface in the big leagues until 2016.
After being one of the final cuts in camp in 2016 for the Rays, Mariñez was called up in late April. He made three appearances before the Rays needed his roster spot. Being out of minor league options, they designated Mariñez for assignment. The Brewers acquired Mariñez for cash considerations in short order.
The arrival of Mariñez was, at the time, seen by many as just the next guy to fill the last spot in the bullpen. You see, that spot was filled out of Spring Training by Ariel Peña. Peña struggled and was sent out when the Brewers traded for Sam Freeman who had fallen out of favor in Texas. Tyler Cravy and David Goforth were also up and down within the month of April.
May saw Freeman get DFA’d and the Brewers claimed Michael Kirkman off waivers from the San Diego Padres. Kirkman would pitch in one game for the Brewers before being designated for assignment as well when the Brewers acquired Mariñez.
That last spot was in such a state of flux that many people guessed that Mariñez might be the odd man out when it was announced that the Brewers were awarded a waiver claim on Neil Ramirez, late of the Cubs, on May 31st. (That was the day the Colin Walsh experiment finally ended, which opened a roster spot, but that’s neither here nor there.) Mariñez had just allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning on May 30th, so the confluence of circumstances was ripe for another replacement.
Instead, Mariñez would go on to become a very dependable option for manager Craig Counsell, allowing more than one run just three times after that rough May 30th outing. All told, Mariñez posted a 3.22 ERA in 58.2 innings over 43 games for the Brewers.
Mariñez generated ground balls on 50.3% of his balls in play in 2016 (that includes those pitches in three games for the Rays) and generated a full-season FIP of 3.68, or just a half-run higher than his season ERA (3.18).
After a solid season in relief and a positive presence in the clubhouse, I see no reason that Mariñez shouldn’t break camp on the 25-man roster. As mentioned before he’s out of minor league options too so that just adds to the case for the Brewers to keep a proven performer.
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Follow Jhan on Twitter: @jhanmarinez53
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Looking to catch up on this season’s BBtJN? Just click on a name below:
#59 Carlos Torres
#57 Chase Anderson
#56 Ryan Webb
#54 Michael Blazek
