Prospects Peters, Riddle among 8 cuts by Marlins
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Marlins got a long look at some of their top prospects over the past month. But for eight, a stint in big league camp came to an end on Friday.
Yefri Perez and J.T. Riddle were optioned to Triple-A New Orleans, while Dillon Peters and Austin Nola were optioned to Double-A Jacksonville. Left-hander Kyle Lobstein was reassigned to Minor League camp.
After the Marlins tied the Nationals, 5-5, on Friday, three additional moves were made. Right-handers Drew Steckenrider and Tayron Guerrero and lefty Jarlin Garcia were optioned to New Orleans. Miami now has 47 in camp.
• Spring Training:Information | Tickets | Schedule | Gear
"We got a real good look at these guys," manager Don Mattingly said. "J.T. we knew from last year. Austin we knew from last year. Dillon was the first time, really, to get our eyes on him. I thought all of these guys were really good in camp.
"It just gets to the point where you want them to get ready for their season. Get them off on a good foot. You don't want to keep them here, not playing on a regular basis."
Perez, a speedster who appeared in 12 games for the Marlins last year, is being groomed as a super-utility player. As a member of the Baby Cakes, the switch-hitter will play center field, second base and shortstop.
"Yefri is another guy that, you like what he's doing," Mattingly said. "Definitely, he's a guy who is continuing to develop. He's learning short, learning second. We want to get him ready for the season, get him regular at-bats and get him into a routine for the season."
Riddle, ranked by MLBPipeline.com as Miami's No. 13 prospect, is a left-handed hitter who projects to play shortstop. Garcia is Miami's No. 4 prospect, with Steckenrider No. 9 and Guerrero No. 20.
Peters, a left-hander, is the Marlins' No. 5 prospect, and he made a strong showing in Spring Training. The 24-year-old posted a 2.00 ERA in nine innings, striking out four, and he ran his fastball between 91 and 94 mph.
The way Peters is progressing, he could be in line for his first big league callup in June, at the earliest. The former University of Texas standout went a combined 14-6 with a 2.38 ERA in 2016 at Class A Advanced Jupiter and Jacksonville.
Nola, a converted middle infielder, is now catching. He played at New Orleans in 2016, but the plan this year is to have him catch every day at Jacksonville. Lobstein, a non-roster invitee, threw 6 1/3 innings in camp.