Miami Marlins select contract of Jordany Valdespin

Ed Lucas and Donovan Solano are no longer the answer at second base.

Before Saturday night's game against the visiting San Francisco Giants, the Miami Marlins selected the contract of infielder Jordany Valdespin from Triple-A New Orleans. Valdespin is a left-handed hitter with major league experience.

MLB.com's Joe Frisaro was among the first to report the news.

#Marlins Justin Bour optioned to NOLA; INF Jordany Valdespin (#1) selected from NOLA;

— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) July 19, 2014

Valdespin posted a .270/.374/.437 batting line to complement 29 RBIs and 15 stolen bases while being caught ten times. He will bat second and play second base in his first game as a Marlin on Saturday night.

Miami has reportedly been seeking a consistent second base option since Rafael Furcal went down with an injury for the second time this season. Derek Dietrich has at times had difficulty defensively and was placed on the disabled list on July 4.

Ed Lucas and Donovan Solano have started the majority of the games at second base since Dietrich and Furcal went down, batting .239 and .229, respectively. The move comes a night after Lucas had a rough night defensively against the Giants.

Valdespin was signed to a minor league contract in December, but did not receive an invitation to spring training. He batted .188 and drove in 16 runs for the Mets last season.

In addition to serving a 50 game suspension for being involved in a Biogenesis investigation, a December Newsday article revealed he was not well-liked by his teammates.

A polarizing figure in Queens, Valdespin seemed to infuriate his teammates as much as the opposition, and ultimately the Mets figured he was more trouble than his raw ability was worth.

When Valdespin threw a clubhouse tantrum in front of general manager Sandy Alderson after being notified of his demotion in early July, the team's patience was near its end.

The last straw came a month later when Valdespin received a 50-game suspension for his alleged involvement with Biogenesis, the Miami-based clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.

Valdespin also gained negative attention when he posted a picture of himself in a Miami Marlins hat while he was still a member of the Mets.

Signing Valdespin likely doesn't mean the Marlins won't continue to explore second baseman available via a trade, but Valdespin will have the opportunity to prove he can play second base consistently at the major league level.

In the corresponding move, Justin Bour was once again sent back to Triple-A New Orleans. Bour has had difficulty getting starting time with Garrett Jones serving as Miami's starting first baseman.