After months of speculation where he would sign and a few showcases, Cuban right-hander Vladimir Gutiérrez finally has a team and they are none other than the Miami Marlins. Yesterday the hurler agreed to terms with the fish on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.
Gutiérrez caught Miami’s eye during his showcase for various MLB ballclubs on January 24th where he threw 25 pitches to various current MLB and ex-MLB hitters, looking marvelous in the process. The hurler’s fastball was consistently between 94-96 mph, topping out a 97 and his off-speed pitches stood out as well, most notably his changeup.
The @Marlins have signed pitcher @vladimi83418418 to a minor league contract. #Marlins #CubanBaseballDigest #MLB pic.twitter.com/6L3OfP3y8w
— Cuban Baseball Digest (@CBaseballDigest) February 23, 2024
The right-hander from Pinar del Río, Cuba worked out freakishly this offseason and this led him flash his electric repertoire for MLB ballclubs during his showcase. Gutiérrez aside from a mid-90’s fastball and also has an array of sharp breaking pitches in his arsenal. His slider and curveball are good setup pitches for his heater, while his changeup is elite.
In his two year big league career he sports a record of 10-12, 5.44 earned run average and has struck out 117 batters in 150 ⅔ innings of work. The 28-year-old righty still shows a lot of promise and if he returns to his 2021 form could be a future anchor for a pitching staff in the big show.
During that 2021 season Gutiérrez posted a 9-6 record, 4.74 earned run average and 88 strikeouts in 22 starts. His performance netting him some votes in the Rookie of the Year balloting during that campaign. Look for this signing to an under the radar acquisition that pays big dividends for Miami in the not so distant future.