Major League Baseball

Marlins designate catcher Saltalamacchia for assignment

Published Apr. 27, 2015 3:41 p.m. ET

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MIAMI -- As the Miami Marlins prepared for an early-season series with the division rival New York Mets, they found themselves minus a starter from their Opening Day roster.

The Marlins reinstated catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia from the paternity list before designating him for assignment Monday afternoon. Miami has 10 days to see if there is a viable trade option.

President of baseball operations Michael Hill and general manager Dan Jennings informed Saltalamacchia of the news Sunday over the phone. Both parties wished each other well.

"Salty was a pro, he was a complete pro," Hill said. "I think he was as disappointed as everyone that it hadn't worked out. When we signed him, the goal wasn't for him to be designated for assignment today. The goal was for him to be a part of this ballclub moving forward. In our positions we have tough decisions we have to make all the time, and this is one where the emergence of (J.T.) Realmuto softened the blow."

Saltalamacchia, who signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the organization two winters ago as a free agent, struggled since joining the Marlins.

In 2014, Saltalamacchia hit just .220 with 20 doubles, 11 homers and 44 RBI in 114 games. It marked his lowest production during a full big-league season over his first eight years in the majors. He also committed a position-high 15 errors.

Miami remained patient considering Saltalamacchia, who turns 30 on Saturday, switched leagues and needed to get used to a new pitching staff.

But 2015 started out even worse. He opened 2 for 22 with a double, a homer, two runs, one RBI, three walks and 11 strikeouts through seven games.

Saltalamacchia lost his starting job by April 15 when the Marlins recalled Realmuto, a top prospect, from Triple-A New Orleans. Backup Jeff Mathis had fractured his right hand earlier in the week. Jhonatan Solano, who is currently serving as the backup with Mathis on the disabled list, is out of options.

After taking a smaller role, Saltalmacchia went hitless in seven at-bats over two starts with just a run, a walk and one strikeout. He landed on the paternity list Friday.

"I just think last year was a tough year for him and I think we were looking -- all of us -- for him to respond and come back and be better and just for whatever reason it didn't happen," manager Mike Redmond said. "It wasn't a lot of games, but at the same time, too, we're trying to win ballgames every single day, and we felt like J.T. was our guy moving forward. And he's come up and done a nice job. That's really it."

First baseman Michael Morse, who signed a two-year deal with the team this winter, expects Saltalamacchia to be with another team soon and hopes it's with one that doesn't play the Marlins. All-Star slugger Giancarlo Stanton, whose locker was next to Saltalamacchia's inside the clubhouse, expressed some surprise at the news.

"That's the difficult aspect of it, the tough bit of this sport, of professional sports," Stanton said. "We got a plan, and that's what they chose."

His successor is Realmuto, a converted shortstop who turned 24 last month. Miami selected him in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Carl Albert High School in Oklahoma.

Realmuto made his big-league debut June 5, 2014, when Saltalamacchia went on the disabled list with a concussion. He started five games before going back down to Double-A Jacksonville. After he and the Suns captured the Southern League championship, he returned to the Marlins as a September call-up, playing in another four games. Over 11 appearances, he hit .241 with a double, a triple and nine RBI.

That experience, though limited, has mentally prepared him and built up his confidence. He played in just three games with the Zephyrs before joining the Marlins this season, something he didn't expect.

"Absolutely not," Realmuto said of whether he anticipated this quick turn of events. "I had hoped that it would happen at some point, not in this situation. Me coming up here and hopefully get some playing time, but I didn't see it happening this fast."

Entering Monday, Realmuto is batting .265 (9 for 34) with five runs, two doubles, a triple and two RBI. He has struck out four times and walked once. He has already shown a penchant for working counts with quality at-bats towards the bottom of the order.

With his natural athleticism, Realmuto has handled the pitching staff well behind the plate. He has thrown out one of five base runners and has yet to allow a passed ball in 77 innings.

"An extremely difficult decision just given who Salty has been, what he's done in his career," Hill said. "But really we took a step back and looked at the emergence of J.T. There's no secret that he has been groomed as our catcher of the future. We sent him out of spring training early just so he could get regular at-bats for his eventual ascension to the big leagues.

"When Mathis got hurt and we called (Realmuto) up we weren't going to bring him up to sit. Plain and simple. He's young and athletic. You guys see the talent that he brings to the table. As we looked at salty and the paternity when he left we knew we had a decision to make when he came back."

You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.

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