This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
The Marlins added seven prospects to the system through a combination of the Jake Burger trade and the Rule 5 Draft during last week’s Winter Meetings.
Here’s a breakdown of each player:
INF Echedry Vargas (Marlins No. 16 prospect)
Most recent level: Single-A
2024 stats: .276/.321/.454 with 24 2B, 2 3B, 14 HR, 48 RBIs, 29 SB in 97 G
2025 age-season: 20
What Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said: “He's a little younger, he's a little further away, but he also is really tooled up. He's a really good shortstop right now. He showed excellent ability to impact the baseball. Got solid contact rates, and he did all that at full season at age 19. He's got really good tools. He's a good player now, and somebody that has really tremendous upside long term.”
INF Max Acosta (No. 17 prospect)
Most recent level: Double-A
2024 stats: .288/.353/.425 with 23 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 58 RBIs, 26 SB in 104 G
2025 age-season: 22
What Bendix said: “The performance that he had this past season was special. He's [got a] very low strikeout rate. He hits the ball hard. He's a good defender at shortstop. He did that all as a young player in Double-A, and he's improved tremendously every single year that he's been in pro ball. He started from a high place. He's somebody that we really think can impact the team, hopefully soon, and hopefully for a long time, but he's somebody that checks every box that we're looking for.”
LHP Brayan Mendoza (No. 29 prospect)
Most recent level: High-A
2024 combined stats: 5-4, 2.32 ERA, 24 G, 19 GS, 101 IP, 25 BB, 109 K, 1.12 WHIP
2025 age-season: 21
What Bendix said: “I agree that he's an intriguing arm. I think that you can never have enough pitching. He's somebody that's also very young. He's got a deep repertoire, who does a lot of things well, and he's performed well throughout his career.”
C Liam Hicks
Most recent level: Double-A
2024 combined stats: .264/.379/.357 with 20 2B, 6 HR, 47 RBIs, 64 BB, 58 K in 113 G
2025 age-season: 25
What Marlins director of Minor League operations Hector Crespo said: "Excited about what we could do and what that potential offensive profile can be behind the plate. Defensively, there's some things to be addressed, but excited about what our group can do on the catching side. And I think if [we are] able to make it happen, we can do really good things with this one.”
RHP Ricky DeVito
Most recent level: Double-A
2024 combined stats: 4.00 ERA, 41 G, 3 SV, 54 IP, 53 BB, 74 K, 1.61 WHIP
2025 age-season: 26
What Crespo said: “It's 96-98 [mph]. I think the first thing that stood out with him about watching video in general is just his presence and competitiveness. It’s a guy who’s a power arm, but I think him being over the plate a little bit more is going to be able to upscale what he's going to be able to be, so super pumped to get an arm like that in the system. I think he'll do really well with us.”
RHP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr
Most recent level: Double-A
2024 combined stats: 4.71 ERA, 27 G, 25 GS, 135 2/3 IP, 60 BB, 108 K, 1.42 WHIP
2025 age-season: 27
What Crespo said: “Obviously, coming from the Dodgers’ organization, pitched over 130 innings with their Double-A affiliate, so [that's] really exciting to see. Fastball is 92-95 [mph], there's been talks about how his stuff can uptick in the bullpen."
SS Jack Winkler
Most recent level: Double-A
2024 combined stats: .223/.310/.345 with 31 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 57 RBIs, 28 SB in 127 G
2025 age-season: 26
What Crespo said: “He plays short, second, third base, but it's a unique mixture of impact. He had over 40 extra-base hits this past season in Double-A, stole [28] bags, and obviously the utility aspect of playing multiple positions. I think the first thing that comes to mind: He's a baseball player. Can never have enough shortstops in the system, and he's a guy who could bounce around and help elevate the floor of the system and play multiple positions.”