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In what will likely be the first of several roster moves before the General Manager and Winter Meetings, the Miami Marlins optioned Jordany Valdespin to Triple-A New Orleans and lost utility man Ed Lucas, who was claimed off of waivers by the Rangers, over the weekend.
MLB.com's Joe Frisaro noted both players were only kept around for depth considering Enrique Hernandez, Derek Dietrich, and Donovan Solano are all candidates to play second base next season.
Both utility players became expendable with the addition of Enrique Hernandez to the roster. Donovan Solano also could facture into a utility role if the Marlins bring in a regular second baseman this offseason.
Lucas batted .251 with just one home run and nine RBIs. In his time with the Marlins, he has started at several positions and has been a versatile option off the bench late in games. Although he is a right-handed hitter, which the Marlins have a notable number of, he was an inexpensive veteran.
While Lucas may not be in the organization's plans moving forward, the fact that they did not let him compete for a roster spot in Spring Training could be indicative of the direction the team is headed. Lucas was efficient defensively and although his offensive numbers were not notable, he may not have received a sufficient amount of playing time to where his offensive capabilities could be adequately measured.
After losing Lucas, the Marlins' decision to option Valdespin proves they are confident in their other second base options. The former Met batted .214 with 10 RBIs and appeared in 52 games, coming off of the bench in many of them.
Valdespin had character issues early in his career, but didn't appear to be a distraction in the Marlins' clubhouse. He has the speed necessary to be at the top of a major league lineup, but Miami will likely turn to Enrique Hernandez to provide speed in spot starts or off of the bench.
Miami is expected to make several more roster moves moving forward in an attempt to clear roster spots for players signed this offseason.