MIAMI – The Marlins have agreed to a Major League deal with veteran outfielder Austin Slater, a source told MLB.com on Tuesday afternoon.
The club did not confirm the news.
Slater, who exercised the release clause in his contract with the Tigers on Saturday, will round out Miami’s position-player group after injuries to outfielders Kyle Stowers and Esteury Ruiz over the weekend.
When the Marlins held a sim game on Tuesday afternoon at loanDepot park, they only had 12 healthy position players remaining in big league camp. A roster must have at least 13.
The 33-year-old Slater will arrive in South Florida after a strong Spring Training showing at Tigers camp, where he went 8-for-30 (.267) with eight runs, three doubles, one homer and four RBIs in 15 games.
More of role player at this point of his nine-year career, the Jacksonville, Fla., native could serve as a platoon/pinch-hit specialist against lefties. This would come in handy for the left-handed-hitting-heavy Marlins, who have lefty outfield bats in Stowers, Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie and Griffin Conine. The right-handed-hitting Slater has a career .787 OPS against lefties in 1,022 plate appearances.
Slater appeared to be a top fit for the Marlins, and even has a connection to the club: He played for general manager Gabe Kapler’s Giants from 2020-23.
Miami will need to clear a 40-man roster spot for Slater, and can do so by placing right-hander Adam Mazur (elbow surgery) on the 60-day injured list.