Marlins Option Joe Mack, Ryan Gusto

The Marlins announced their latest round of camp cuts this morning, and the most notable among that group were the decisions to option top catching prospect Joe Mack and right-hander Ryan Gusto to the minor leagues.

Mack, 23, is a consensus top-100 prospect and a first rounder from Miami’s 2021 draft class. After setting Double-A on fire for 13 games to open the year last season, Mack was promoted to Triple-A and hit a solid .250/.320/.459 with 18 homers, 18 doubles, and 2 triples in 100 games at the level. That was good for a 107 wRC+ at the level, which isn’t quite up to par for the typical top prospect but is nonetheless impressive considering his age and position. A 27.9% strikeout rate at Triple-A last year exacerbates concerns from scouts about Mack’s contact abilities, but the overall package is undoubtedly impressive.

Those questions are perhaps why it was reported last month that, while Mack would get the opportunity to fight his way onto the MLB roster, the team’s preference was for him to begin the season at Triple-A and hand catching duties over to the combination of Liam Hicks and Agustin Ramirez. Hicks was a pick in the 2024 Rule 5 draft who enjoyed a solid rookie season for the Marlins last year. He turned in a 98 wRC+ in 119 games behind the plate, though lackluster defensive metrics left him to be worth just 1.0 fWAR and 1.3 bWAR. Ramirez was also a rookie last year, and was the prize of the team’s Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade with the Yankees at the 2024 trade deadline. Ramirez slugged 21 homers in 136 games but got on base at just a .287 clip, leaving him with a 91 wRC+. He split time between catcher, first base, and DH in his first year as a big leaguer without showing strong defense at any of those positions.

There’s little doubt that Mack will be the long-term answer for the Marlins behind the plate as long as he hits at an even close to league average clip. He’s a well-regarded defender behind the plate who has been lauded for his strong arm and is far and a way the best defender of the team’s three young catchers according to scouts. With that being said, Mack is still young enough with enough questions about his hitting that it’s somewhat understandable that the Marlins would be interested in giving him more time to develop in the minor leagues. That’s all the more true after a tough spring at the plate, where he went just 3-for-24 with seven strikeouts. There’s little doubt that Mack will make his MLB debut at some point this year so long as he stays healthy, but in the meantime Christina De Nicola of MLB.com writes that the Marlins are encouraging him to work on his approach at the plate and spend more time getting familiar with the ABS strike zone while he waits for that opportunity at Triple-A.

As for Gusto, the right-hander was a key piece of the return for Jesus Sanchez at last year’s trade deadline. Gusto made his big league debut with the Astros just last year and was a solid swing man for Houston, posting a 4.92 ERA with a 4.16 FIP in 86 innings split between ten starts and 14 relief appearances. After being dealt to the Marlins, however, Gusto struggled badly. He made three starts in Miami and allowed 17 runs on 19 hits (including four home runs) and walked (8) nearly as many batters as he struck out (10), ending with a 9.77 ERA in 15 2/3 innings of work. He struggled just as badly at Triple-A, and while he looked a bit better this spring he’s still ultimately squeezed out of a crowded Marlins rotation and better serves the Marlins as stretched-out depth than converting to a short relief role in the bullpen.