clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

After Carter Capps' UCL tear, the Miami Marlins must turn to bullpen depth

After losing Carter Capps to a season ending UCL tear, the Miami Marlins must turn to their bullpen depth to replace him.

By John Butterworth
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Welp, there it is.  As reported by Joe Frisaro, Carter Capps has suffered a UCL tear and will undergo surgery:

As we have covered, this is a huge blow to the Miami Marlins bullpen.  Capps was in competition with A.J. Ramos for the closer spot, but at the very least was expected to take on the set-up role.  It is being reported that the recovery time is expected to be 10-12 months:

The Marlins will need to bolster the bullpen through a trade, or hope that other players step-up.  One player in the organization that people have pegged to have a large role is Kyle Barraclough.  Over 24.1 innings in 2015, he pitched to a 2.59 ERA.  In an interview with Chandal Richardson of the Miami Sun Sentinal, Barraclough stressed that he is ready to compete:

"Right now, [the coaching staff] is just doing their evaluation.  So I'm doing my best to put on a good show and get my name out there. I feel like I did pretty good last year, but it's an ever-changing game, and people are going to have adjustments."

Don Mattingly also had interesting things to say about Barraclough, indicating that he believes the righty has potential:

"Guys like him can really make a jump in the offseason, and then from there, they can either jump or they can get stuck"

The Marlins will also hope that relievers Bryan Morris and Mike Dunn can take on larger roles.  Capps, however, will be difficult to replace.  Furthermore,  as our own Scott Gelman discussed, there is concern moving forward.  It is possible that Capps delivery is unsustainable and it might be worth moving on from him.

There are not many other options to consider. As a result, the Marlins might have to get creative.

More From Fish Stripes