All-Time Marlins: January 28th Birthdays

On January 28th, 15 former associates of the Florida / Miami Marlins enjoy their birthday, including three former major leaguers and one current highly rated prospect.

Jorge Guzman (22)

Jorge Guzman is a 6’2”. 192 lb. right-handed pitcher from Las Matas De Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic. Although undrafted, he’s worked his way into the future-of-the-Marlins conversation, and is currently ranked fourth in Miami’s new-and-improved top 30 prospect list.

In 2015, after signing with the Houston Astros through free agency to play in the DSL, Guzman spent time between three rookie teams, the DSL Astros Blue, the DSL Astros Orange, and the GCL Astros. In total, he started 12 times and came out of the bullpen five other times. He whiffed 29 in 55 ¹⁄₃ innings, and finished with a 5.04 ERA, a 1.681 WHIP, and a 3-4 record with a fastball that has touched 103 MPH.

Guzman split 2016 between GCL once again and also with a slightly-higher echelon rookie league, the Appalachian League with the Greeneville Astros. He started eight more times and again came in from the pen five times in total, finishing at 3-4 with a 4.05 ERA. He dropped his WHIP to a very respectable 1.150 in 40 inning, striking out 54.

Now a known commodity in trade chip circles, Guzman was traded with Albert Abreu to the New York Yankees for Brian McCann, and played 2017 with their low-A Staten Island Yankees in the NYPL. He started 13 times as part of their rotation, going 5-3 with a 2.29 ERA, a baby-sized 1.035 WHIP, and 88 whiffs in 66 ²⁄₃ innings.

A few months ago, Guzman was considered the Yankees’ 28th best prospect, but after the trade with Miami (with Starlin Castro and Jose Devers for Giancarlo Stanton), he’s moved to the #4 Marlins’ prospect. Currently rostered with the Batavia Muckdogs, look for Guzman to start the campaign with the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Though Guzman’s control and command require more refinement, they have improved significantly since he focused on his mechanics during extended spring training this year. That will give him a better chance of remaining a starter, and he’ll be a potential closer if he winds up in the bullpen. - MLB Pipeline

Chadd Krist (28)

Chadd Branden Krist is a 5’10”, 187 lb. catcher from Santa Rosa, California. The Chicago White Sox picked him in 2011 in the 13th round, but he chose instead to finish college. In 2012, the Chicago Cubs chose him in the ninth round of the draft, 284th off the board out of the University of California. In four seasons of PAC-10 baseball, he slashed .300/.366/.479 over 195 games.

Krist played with the Boise Hawks, the Peoria Chiefs, the Kane County Cougars, and the Daytona Cubs while in Chicago’s system, but the Cubs released him in August of 2014. The Marlins signed him later that week and assigned him to the Jupiter Hammerheads.

With Jupiter to close out the 2014 campaign, Krist hit six-for-30 with a pair of doubles in eight games. In 2015, he split the year between the Hammerheads and the Jacksonville Suns, slashing .187/.257/.298 in 52 combined games. The Marlins granted his free agency on November 13th

Krist signed on with the White Sox two weeks later, but was given his outright release before the 2016 commenced.

Cristopher Ynoa (25)

Cristopher Ynoa was a 6’1”, 175 lb. third baseman from Moca, Dominican Republic. Undrafted, the Marlins signed him to play for their DSL developmental club in 2012. He appeared in 41 games and slashed .234/.325/.312 with nine stolen bases and 17 RBI. After going just one-for-six in 2013, the Marlins and Ynoa parted ways.

Jose Ceda (31)

Jose Marti Ceda was a 6’4”, 207 lb. right-handed pitcher from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Although he went undrafted, the San Diego Padres signed him to a minor league deal in 2004.

Ceda didn’t appear for the Friars until 2006, and in eight games (four of them starts) he went 2-0 with a 5.09 ERA for the AZL Padres. In July, San Diego traded him to the Chicago Cubs for Todd Walker. After a few games with the AZL Cubs, he closed the season with the Boise Hawks, striking out 11 in 11 innings and allowing just five hits and two walks.

In 2007, Ceda split the year between the AZL Cubs and the Peoria Chiefs and racked up a 2-2 record with 69 strikeouts in 50 innings. He also held opponents to a 1.000 WHIP despite giving up 34 walks. That’s an aggregated opposing batting average of .097.

His apparent high ceiling at the time vaulted him nearly to the top of Chicago’s prospect ranks, at #4 prior to the 2008 season. Split between the Daytona Cubs and the Tennessee Smokies, Ceda started a dozen games and appeared in 37 in total, going 4-3 with a 3.83 ERA, 95 whiffs in 84 ²⁄₃ innings, and a still better-than-average 1.287 WHIP. After the season, the Cubs traded him to the Marlins for Kevin Gregg.

After sitting out the 2009 season, Ceda spent most of 2010 with the Jacksonville Suns, going 4-1 with a 1.39 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 32 ¹⁄₃ innings. On September 6th, he made his major league debut with the Marlins, but failed to record a single out, allowing a run on two hits and a walk for an ERA of infinity. He ended the season with a mark of 5.19 and nine strikeouts and 11 walks in 8 ²⁄₃ innings. And there was this:

In 2011, Ceda played most of the year with the New Orleans Zephyrs, where he went 3-1 with a 1.36 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 53 K’s in 39 ²⁄₃ innings. He also appeared in 17 games out of the pen for Florida, racking up a 4.43 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and 21 K’s in 20 1/3 innings. After the season, he underwent Tommy John Surgery, and after over a year of rehabilitation pitched four innings of work on the farm. It was the last time he would appear for the Marlins - he was released to free agency on November 7th, 2013.

Doug Waechter (37)

Douglas Michael Waechter was a 6’4”, 200 lb. right-handed pitcher from St. Petersburg, Florida. In 1999, he was chosen out of Northeast HS in the third round of the draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, 85th overall.

In total, Waechter spent nine seasons in the Rays’ organization, eventually rising to the #3 prospect spot in 2004. He made his major league debut for the team in 2003, and in parts of four seasons with the parent club went 14-25 with a 5.61 ERA, 177 K’s in 316 innings, and a 1.46 WHIP.

Florida got Waechter to sign a minor league deal in January 2008. He spent most of the season with the Marlins, getting into 48 games out of the bullpen, going 4-2 with 46 whiffs in 63 ¹⁄₃ innings and posting a 1.33 WHIP. In his best game with the Marlins, going by Wins Probability Added, was when he went four scoreless two-hit innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 29th, but Florida lost, 7-6. After the season, Waechter signed with the Kansas City Royals through free agency.

Waechter appeared in five games for the Royals, allowing nine hits and three walks in five ¹⁄₃ innings. After 2009, he didn’t again appear competitively in professional baseball.

Kedrick Martin (31)

Kedrick D. Martin was a 6’1”, 170 lb left-handed pitcher from Meridian, Mississippi. In 2006, the Marlins chose him in the 28th round of the amateur draft, with the 845th overall selection out of Meridian Community College.

Martin made his professional debut with the GCL Marlins in 2007, going 1-2 over eight starts and two trips out of the pen. He got 43 batters to wave in 34 frames, and turned in a 1.59 WHIP and a 3.71 ERA for the rookie-level GCL Marlins.

In 2008 for the Jamestown Jammers, Martin posted a 3-0 record in 20 relief appearances. He struck out 38 batters in 33 ²⁄₃ innings, with a 4.28 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. He didn’t appear again for the Marlins, or any other major league organization. Over the next three seasons, he played in independent leagues with the Washington Wild Things, the Shreveport-Bossier Captains, and the McAllen Thunder.

Juan Carlos Muniz (42)

Juan Carlos Muniz was a 6’1”, 175 lb. outfielder from Havana, Cuba. Although he went undrafted, Muniz signed with the Marlins through free agency for the 2005 season after making his way from Cuba.

Making his debut with the double-A Carolina Mudcats, the 29-year-old rookie slashed .280/.336/.438 in 106 games, with nine homers and 43 RBI. The following year split between the Mudcats and the Jupiter Hammerheads, he got into a total of 101 games and slashed .245/.319/.429 with 13 homers and 42 RBI, but was out of organized ball after the season.

Kevin Sewell (37)

Kevin Patrick Sewell was a 5’11”, 205 lb. outfielder from Glendale Heights, Illinois. Unselected out of Naperville Central HS, he went to Northern Illinois University, and eventually signed with the Marlins in 2004 at the age of 23.

Assigned to the Jamestown Jammers, Sewell got into 58 games as a rookie, and slashed .294/.332/.507 with six homers and 33 RBI. In 2005 with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, he hit .238/.317/.392 in 49 contests, with four homers and 24 RBI.

Brian Hoff (36)

Brian D. Hoff is a 6’4”, 225 lb. right-handed pitcher from Fullerton, California. The Marlins took him 818th overall in 2004, in the 27th round of the amateur draft out of UC-Riverside. In four collegiate seasons, Hoff posted a 7-11 record with a 5.62 ERA, a 1.76 WHIP, and 98 strikeouts in 141 innings pitched. He finished the 2004 season with the Jamestown Jammers, going 0-3 in 19 relief appearances with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.

Hoff split the 2005 campaign between the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Greensboro Grasshoppers, totaling a 2-4 record and a 5.40 ERA in 40 innings. He struck out 37, but racked up a 1.825 WHIP. He spent 2006 with the Long Beach Armada in the independent Golden Baseball League, posting a 3-4 record over 31 trips out of the bullpen.

Steve Falteisek (46)

Steven James Falteisek was a 6’2”, 200 lb. right-handed pitcher from Mineola, New York. In 1992, the Montreal Expos chose him in the 10th round of the draft, with the 267th pick out of the University of South Alabama. He was 15-8 in 37 collegiate games, including 26 starts and earning a 3.88 ERA.

Falteisek played his way up to the Expos in 1997, with stops for the Jamestown Expos, the Burlington Bees, the West Palm Beach Expos, the Harrisburg Senators, and the Ottawa Lynx. He appeared in five games for Montreal, striking out two and allowing eight hits in as many innings. After a season back with the Lynx, he spent the 1999 season in Milwaukee’s system between the Louisville RiverBats and the Brewers, getting into 10 games for the Crew and closing with a 1.75 WHIP.

Falteisek played the 2000 season with the Calgary Cannons after signing with the Marlins through free agency. He played in a total of five games, including one start, and allowed 17 earned runs in just 7 ²⁄₃ innings for a 19.96 ERA and a 3.65 WHIP.

After not getting retained by the Marlins, Falteisek played for the Baltimore Orioles’ and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ systems, retiring from the Somerset Patriots after the 2003 season.

Oscar Henriquez (44)

Oscar Eduardo Henriquez was an undrafted 6’6”, 220 lb. right-handed pitcher from La Guaira, Venezuela when signed by the Houston Astros to a minor league deal in 1993. After a season with the Asheville Tourists and two with the Kissimmee Cobras in the Astros system, he split 1997 between the New Orleans Zephyrs and the Astros. In four games with Houston, he went 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA over four innings. After that season the Astros traded him with Mark Johnson and Manuel Barrios for Moises Alou.

Henriquez’ lone season in Florida’s organization was split between the Charlotte Knights and the Marlins. In 15 relief appearances with Florida, he went 0-0 with an 8.55 ERA, striking out 19 in 20 frames and racking up a 1.90 WHIP. After the season, the Marlins traded him to the New York Mets for Jorge Fabregas.

Henriquez spent most of the next three seasons at the triple-A level with the Norfolk Tides, with a season also spent in the Mexican League with the Mexico City Red Devils. In 2002, he appeared in 30 games for the Detroit Tigers, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He later played with the Long Island Ducks, the Campeche Piratas in the Mexican League, and the Lancaster Barnstormers.

Juan Gonzalez (43)

Juan E. Gonzalez was a 6’, 177 lb. right-handed pitcher from Bani, Dominican Republic. He made his first professional appearance in 1994 with the AZL Brewers after signing with Milwaukee on a minor league deal. He later appeared with the Helena Brewers and the Beloit Snappers before joining the Florida organization in 1996.

Gonzalez played for the Brevard County Manatees that year, going 1-9 with a 5.32 ERA in 23 games, 17 of them starts. He struck out 48 in 86 ¹⁄₃ innings, while holding batters to a 1.49 WHIP. In 1997 for the Manatees, he dropped his WHIP all the way down to 1.04, going 3-2 with a 2.39 ERA and 28 whiffs in 37 ²⁄₃ innings over 26 relief appearances. Suitably impressed with his progress, the Marlins promoted him to the double-A level for the Portland Sea Dogs, but watched him struggle to a 6.75 ERA in 17 contests, with a WHIP of 1.43.

Out of affiliated ball the following year, Gonzalez played a pair of seasons with the Northeast League Allentown Ambassadors and one year with the Duluth / Superior Dukes, also a Northeast League entity.

Mason Rudolph (48)

Mason Rudolph was a 6’1”, 204 lb. catcher from Phoenix, Arizona. In 1988, the New York Mets chose him in the 17th round of the draft, with the 442nd overall pick out of Dobson HS.

Fox six years, Rudolph played in the Mets’ minor league feeder system, with stops for the GCL Mets, the Kingsport Mets, the Pittsfield Mets, the Columbia Mets, and the St. Lucie.... um.... Mets.

With the high-A FSL club as Rudolph’s apparent ceiling, the Mets cut him loose, and he played 1994 with the St. Paul Saints in the independent Northern League, slashing .267/.277/.413. Florida came calling, and Rudolph joined the Portland Sea Dogs in 1995.

Rudolph went 15-for-76 in 41 contests for Portland, with four homers and 16 RBI. Later, he was one-for-four in two games for the Charlotte Knights, but that was the last of his professional baseball career.

Fred Matthews (45)

Daniel Frederick Matthews, a 6’2”, 200 lb. right-handed pitcher from Longview, Washington, joined the Marlins as a free agent in 1993, and went to play for the GCL Marlins. He pitched in 17 games, and didn’t earn a record with a 3.46 ERA and more walks (23) than strikeouts (15) in 26 innings.

Out of professional baseball following the season, he turned in a successful campaign seven seasons later with the Atlantic League Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds, for whom he turned in a 5-4 record with a 4.02 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and 37 whiffs in 56 innings.

Don Matthews (45)

Don Matthews, also 6’2”, 200 lb. right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Marlins in the 17th round of the 1993 draft, with the 491st selection out of Lower Columbia Community College. He did not sign, and has no traceable stat line that I could find anywhere.