The Marlins have announced the list of players who have been invited to join their Spring Training camp as non-roster invitees. Among the new additions are right-handed pitcher Matt Andriese and catcher Jhonny Pereda. According to Fish on First, it was reported in early December that Andriese would be signing with Miami, but MLBTR did not report on the move at the time.
Andriese, who is 34 years old, has played in the major leagues for seven seasons. He spent the majority of his time with the Rays, making 99 appearances between 2014 and 2018. During his time in Tampa Bay, he crossed paths with former GM Peter Bendix, who is now the president of baseball operations for the Marlins. Since leaving the Rays, Andriese has played for the D-Backs, Angels, Red Sox, and Mariners.
After being released by the Seattle Mariners at the end of the 2021 season, Andriese signed with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league. However, he only made five appearances at the top level in Japan. He returned to affiliated baseball last year, signing a minor league contract with the Dodgers. Andriese started 19 out of his 21 appearances for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate. He struggled with a high ERA of 6.05 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but he showed good control with a walk rate just below 6%.
Throughout his career in the major leagues, Andriese has maintained a consistent profile. He has a career ERA of 4.63 in over 500 innings pitched. While he may not have exceptional velocity or swing-and-miss stuff, he is known for throwing strikes. If he doesn’t make the Marlins’ roster, he could provide rotation depth or serve in a long relief role for their Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville.
Pereda, who will turn 28 in April, has been a minor league player for 11 years. He was originally signed by the Cubs but was traded to the Red Sox in 2020. Since then, he has had stints with the Giants and Reds, and he played last season for the Reds’ Triple-A team. Pereda had an impressive batting line of .325/.405/.468 in 67 games with the Reds’ top farm team last year. In Miami, he will have the opportunity to reach the major leagues for the first time, as the Marlins currently only have Christian Bethancourt and Nick Fortes as catchers on their 40-man roster.