Miami Palms Blog

With the addition of Wandy Peralta and Braden Shipley, and the potential for one more player coming to the Palms bullpen, JP Howell was squeezed out after one middling year in Miami. He signed a new deal with the Southsiders, hoping to reestablish himself as a solid arm in their bullpen

The Palms are looking to expand their bullpen and shorten their bench. As a result they didn’t have much offense to add, even after the departures of Coco Crisp and John Jaso. They have raided their division rivals the Boston Red Sox to add utility man Brock Holt. Holt is a veteran of 7 years, all with Boston, where he has played any position he was asked. The Palms will likely lean on Holt for a similar role in Miami for 2018

Miami added another former Arizona Diamondbacks prospect today, snagging reliever Braden Shipley. Shipley will likely function as a swingman in the Palms bullpen, after starting his career as a starter. He hasn’t really met with much success as of yet, but a good pedigree and durability make it seem as though Shipley could still be valuable.

The Palms knew they were ready to move on in the back of their bullpen, and Francisco Rodriguez was one of the names to see his time on the roster come to a close. Rodriguez saw his production decline significantly last year, and the aging hurler was only able to sign a minor league deal with Cleveland after posting an ERA above 4.00. He may still be effective in middle relief, but pride might get in the way.

After three seasons in Miami, designated hitter and catcher John Jaso is moving on. He was a reliable hitter who spent time at the top of the order, while hitting 73 home runs in his three seasons, with a batting average in the .290s every year. He has indicated that he may retire, but will instead play out one last season with the Texas Rangers.

Brett Hayes has been a bit of a revelation since he joined the Miami Palms, hitting well in a couple of seasons, and even taking over as the starter fo a couple of years. Still his inconsistency has been frustrating. He hit .218 in 2016, for example, but will come back to Miami after hitting  in his walk year after hitting well over .300. He seems to be exposed in greater stretches of play, but is a very good guy to have on the roster if he is not asked t do too much