FSU's Velez signs as non-drafted FA with Marlins

July 10th, 2020

The Marlins announced a series of roster moves Friday, including the signing of undrafted free-agent left-hander Antonio Velez.

Velez, whose signing is retroactive to Thursday, came out of Florida State University, where he allowed just one earned run across 17 1/3 innings (0.52 ERA) to begin the 2020 collegiate season before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. His signature moment came on March 10, when he tossed six shutout innings in FSU’s 2-0 upset over No. 1-ranked University of Florida, who was 16-0 prior to the matchup.

Miami also placed catcher Will Banfield, the club’s No. 25 prospect per MLB Pipeline, on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Wednesday) and added catcher Santiago Chávez to its 60-man player pool to replace Banfield. The Marlins have not disclosed why Banfield is going on the IL.