The Miami Marlins signed veteran outfielder Austin Slater to a major league contract, the team announced Wednesday, filling a critical roster need just days before their season opener against the Colorado Rockies. Miami cleared a 40-man roster spot for Slater by placing right-hander Adam Mazur on the 60-day injured list following elbow surgery. The move came after the Marlins held a sim game Tuesday afternoon at loanDepot park with only 12 healthy position players remaining in big league camp, one short of the required 13-player minimum.
“Really, really excited to have Austin join our club,” manager Clayton McCullough said Wednesday. “I saw him for a number of years as an opponent, [a] competitor. He’ll bring a real high quality at-bat versus left, something that, historically, he’s done, give us some nice options there. Expect him to start versus left, also be a real weapon off the bench versus left-handed relievers.” The 33-year-old Jacksonville, Florida, native took part in the club’s workout Wednesday after opting out of his Detroit Tigers deal last week.
Slater showed strong form during Spring Training at Tigers camp, going 8-for-30 (.267) with eight runs, three doubles, one homer and four RBIs in 15 games before exercising his release clause. “A lot of chaos,” Slater said of the past five days. “Trying to figure out where the next step was. I was able to go home for a little bit, so that was nice, and relaxing, [to] see my son and my wife and my parents, kind of get regrounded, and then now it’s time to go. So kind of a quick reset, and luckily it wasn’t too long, so I still feel like I’m in baseball shape and ready to go.”
The right-handed-hitting Slater brings valuable platoon capabilities to a Marlins roster heavy with left-handed outfield bats including Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie and Griffin Conine. He has compiled a career .787 OPS against lefties in 1,022 plate appearances and posted better career splits off the bench with an .830 OPS in 405 plate appearances. McCullough noted Slater’s defensive versatility as another asset for the club’s roster construction.
“He’s got the ability to play very solid defense in the outfield as well,” McCullough said. “So we think it really rounds out our roster nicely and provides myself with a lot of options. He’s someone that has done this for a very long time at a high level.” Slater becomes the most experienced position player on the Marlins roster after playing nine seasons with the Yankees, White Sox, Giants, Orioles and Reds. Over 699 career games, he has batted .248 with 45 home runs, 184 RBIs, 232 runs and 49 stolen bases.
Slater’s connection to Marlins general manager Gabe Kapler, who managed him with the San Francisco Giants from 2020-23, played a role in the signing. He credited both that relationship and the opportunity to mentor a younger team as key factors in joining Miami. “I was on the other side of it last year,” Slater said. “I got traded over to the Yankees at the Deadline, and we came into Miami and got swept. So seeing that from the other side, it’s definitely exciting. What I love the most is seeing the energy that this team plays with just on the other side. The excitement, the grit. Those are all really cool things to see from a young team, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
With the Marlins facing Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland in Friday night’s season opener at 7:10 ET in Miami, either Slater or Heriberto Hernández could start in left field. The Marlins completed their workout schedule Thursday ahead of the home opener following a 79-83 season that left them third in the National League East. After the Colorado series, Miami will remain home to host the Chicago White Sox beginning March 30.