Marlins sign former Yankees prospect to minor-league deal with spring training invite

The Miami Marlins didn’t take long to make their first move — albeit a small one — at the 2019 MLB Winter Meetings.

The Marlins are signing former New York Yankees infield prospect Gosuke Katoh to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training, adding another player with defensive versatility into their system. Katoh, the Yankees’ second-round pick in 2013, finished last season with the Yankees’ Triple A affiliate Scranton RailRaiders.

Katoh has primarily been a second baseman in his seven-year minor-league career, with 366 of his 580 starts coming at the position. However, the 25-year-old has also played third base (100 starts), first base (65 starts), shortstop (40 starts) and left field (nine starts).

The 6-2, 195-pound left-handed hitter has a career .251 batting average over 649 minor-league games with 38 home runs, 115 doubles, 309 runs scored and 80 stolen bases.

His numbers in 83 games at the Triple A level last season: a .279 batting average, .382 on-base percentage and .443 slugging with 11 home runs, 39 RBI, 42 walks, and 45 runs scored. He played all over the field defensively, with 25 starts at second base, 19 at third, 16 at first, 11 at shortstop and two in left field.

Katoh at one point was ranked as high as the No. 11 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system.

“His bat-on-ball skills and his plus speed should help hit for average as he climbs the ladder,” reads Katoh’s scouting report from MLBPipeline. “Katoh also has wiry strength and good pop for a middle infielder. Katoh’s high baseball IQ and athleticism make him a fine defender at second base. He has quick feet and turns the double play well.”

Katoh, a California native of Japanese descent, credited Ichiro Suzuki as one of his main baseball influences in an April Players’ Tribune article shortly after his retirement.

“He was not like the big power hitters that had become so popular in major league baseball,” Katoh wrote. “He was able to succeed despite this because he possessed amazing talent. But his true strength was his work ethic. He worked every day to be as disciplined, thorough and consistent as possible. He was completely dedicated to his craft. To me, that is the secret to his greatness.

“I modeled my game after Ichiro’s. I learned how to bat lefthanded because of him. I tried to emulate his work ethic and dedication to become the best player possible.”

Katoh will most likely begin the 2020 season at Triple A Wichita, where he would presumably join top Marlins hitting prospects Jesus Sanchez, Monte Harrison, Jazz Chisholm and Lewin Diaz. He has the potential to be a utility player off the bench should he receive a call-up during the season.

Katoh is the latest former Yankee to make his way to the Marlins since CEO and part owner (and former Yankee himself) Derek Jeter became part of the front office. The Marlins acquired starting pitcher Caleb Smith and first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper from the Yankees for prospect Michael King in November 2017. A month later, they acquired prospects Jose Devers and Jorge Guzman (as well as now-free agent Starlin Castro) from the Yankees in the Giancarlo Stanton trade.

Front office members Gary Denbo (VP of player development and scouting), Daniel Greenelee (director of player personnel), DJ Shivlik (director of amateur scouting) and Fernando Seguigniol (director of international operations) also have Yankees roots.

Marlins lose Kinley

Marlins relief pitcher Tyler Kinley, a Plantation and Nova High alumnus, was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies.

In 52 relief appearances last season, Kinley had a 3-1 record with a 3.65 ERA and a save over 49.1 innings. The 28-year-old righty pitched at his best down the stretch, posting a 0.82 ERA over his final 15 appearances in 2019 while holding opponents to a .111 batting average in that span.

The Marlins now have an open spot on their 40-man roster, which means they will be eligible to participate in Thursday’s Rule 5 draft unless they fill that spot beforehand.

Miami finished 26th in MLB last season with a 4.97 ERA.

No Marlins on early Sunday Night Baseball schedule

ESPN unveiled its Sunday Night Baseball schedule for the first half of the 2020 season. Unsurprisingly, the Marlins, coming off a National League-worst 57-105 finish, are not included in the nationally televised slate.

The full schedule revealed to this point:

▪ March 29: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers.

▪ April 5: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants.

▪ April 12: St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs.

▪ April 19: Milwaukee Brewers at New York Mets.

▪ April 26: New York Mets at Atlanta Braves.

▪ May 3: St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers.

▪ May 10: Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees.

▪ May 17: New York Yankees at Houston Astros.

▪ May 24: Houston Astros at Boston Red Sox.

▪ May 31: Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets.

▪ June 14: New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox.

▪ June 21: Boston Red Sox at Chicago Cubs.

▪ June 28: Chicago Cubs at New York Yankees.

▪ July 16 (first games post-All Star Break): San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers.

▪ July 19: New York Yankees at St. Louis Cardinals.

▪ Aug. 23 (GEICO MLB Little League Classic): Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles.