All-Time Marlins Countdown: Chapter 5

Here’s the fifth part of our 165-part off-season-long series on every Marlins player.

All players included in this article are part of the first tier: less than 20 PA/BF, and below replacement level.

602. Cody Hall

Cody Hall, a Savannah, Georgia native, was a right handed pitcher when chosen in the 19th round of the 2011 draft by the San Francisco Giants. Four years later, he debuted at the major league level and pitched to a 1.680 WHIP over 8 ¹⁄₃ innings for them. After the 2015 season, he got traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash.

In May, 2016, the Marlins got the opportunity to claim Hall off waivers from Arizona. In his first appearance for them, on June 3, he struck out three over two innings of relief against the New York Mets, but also gave up a pair of runs as the Marlins lost, 6-2. He got another inning the next day, but walked three and allowed two more runs. Miami decided they had seen enough, and sent him to the New Orleans Zephyrs. They released him outright soon after that.

Hall re-upped with the Giants later on, but never again reached the majors.

601. Reid Brignac

Reid Brignac was a second round choice of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2004. A St. Amant, Louisiana native, the switch-hitting infielder reached the major leagues four seasons later. He played in 256 games for the Rays over five seasons, and slashed .227/.268/.317 with 10 home runs and 67 RBI.

Prior to 2013 Spring Training, the Rays sent Brignac to the Colorado Rockies as part of a conditional deal. Over the following two seasons, he played in a total of 83 games at the top level for the Rockies, the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies but only hit a combined .202/.258/.301 for them.

Brignac joined the Marlins through free agency for their 2015 campaign. In 93 games for the Zephyrs at the Triple-A level, he hit .268 while providing organization depth. Called up to the Marlins for three weeks staring on April 15, he went one-for-13 with three walks.

Brignac later played major league ball for the Atlanta Braves, then signed on as a minor leaguer with the Houston Astros and later the Washington Nationals.

600. Mike Rivera

Mike Rivera is a catcher from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. He signed his first professional deal with the Detroit Tigers in 1997 at the age of 19. He got to the majors with them in 2001 and eventually also played for the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers. In 181 games between then and 2009, he hit .244/.305/.383 while providing adequate plate defense.

After spending most of 2010 with the Los Angeles Dodgers at their Triple-A level, the Marlins picked Rivera up after he was released in late-August. He backstopped four times for Florida, appearing as a pinch hitter three other times. In total, he went 0-for-14, striking out three times, drawing two walks, and getting to base once via HBP.

Rivera spent 2011 with the Milwaukee Brewers, mostly in their minor leagues. He played in one major league game for them, going two-for-six.

599. Matt Whisenant

Left-handed pitcher Matt Whisenant was an 18th round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1989. Prior to him getting to the big leagues, and also prior to the Marlins ever taking the field, Philadelphia traded him with Joel Adamson to Florida for Danny Jackson.

Whisenant worked for four more seasons to get through the minors, finally getting a chance at the major league level for the Marlins in 1997. On July 4, he struck out a batter and allowed an unearned run in a 6-2 loss to the Mets in his debut. In his next appearance, a week later, he allowed five runs on four walks and a hit without generating an out in a 13-3 loss to the Phillies. In four appearances in total, he gave up six runs in 2 ²⁄₃ innings. The Marlins traded him to the Kansas City Royals on July 29 for Matt Treanor.

Whisenant went on to have a moderately successful major league career, pitching for the Royals and later with the San Diego Padres. In 119 ¹⁄₃ innings, he was 7-5 with a 5.05 ERA and 88 whiffs.

598. Cody Ege

Sioux City, Iowa native Cody Ege is a left-handed pitcher drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 15th round in 2013. At the 2015 trade deadline, they sent him to the Marlins with Tomas Telis for Sam Dyson.

Ege made his debut with Miami on April 23 the following season. He ended up pitching three innings over five games, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks. He struck out two, but his Marlins career closed with a 3.333 WHIP. The Los Angeles Angels selected him off waivers from Miami on August 12. He struck out nine over 8 ²⁄₃ innings for LA, giving up only one run, but he never pitched at the major league level again.

597. Brett Eibner

Brett Eibner was a right-handed outfielder when the Royals drafted him in the second round in 2010. In 2016 and 2017, he appeared at the major-league level with Kansas City, the Oakland Athletics, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting .191/.263/.355 in 87 games.

Eibner then quit being an outfielder and went back to the minor leagues to concentrate on pitching in the Texas Rangers organization. They only gave him the year of 2018, then cut him loose despite his whiffing 16 in 15 innings, allowing only 11 hits and four walks. In 2019, in independent league ball, he struck out another 35 in 26 innings, racking up a 0.962 WHIP.

On August 18, 2020, the Marlins signed Eibner to a deal. He came on to pitch out of the bullpen three times, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and four walks over 3 ¹⁄₃ innings. He struck out four. The Marlins designated him for assignment on September 23.

596. Henry Rodríguez

Two players named Henry Rodríguez have played for the Marlins. This Henry Rodriguez is a right-handed pitcher from Santa Barbera, Venezuela. He signed his first professional deal with the Oakland A’s in 2003 at the age of 16.

Rodríguez got to the majors with Oakland in 2009, and also spent time at baseball’s top level with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs. In five major league seasons, he was 5-7 with 11 saves and 150 K’s in 148 ²⁄₃ innings. He put up a 1.507 WHIP and a 4.24 ERA.

Prior to 2014 Spring Training, the Marlins signed Rodríguez to a deal. In 17 games with the Zephyrs, all in relief, he struck out 41 in 25 ¹⁄₃ innings. He also walked 38 and allowed only 10 hits.

Rodríguez joined the Marlins on May 11, and pitched in each of the next two games for them. He walked five in 1 ²⁄₃ innings, giving up two runs on two hits while collecting one strikeout. After playing some minor league ball with the Chicago White Sox, he left affiliated ball.