Vladimir Gutiérrez of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during a game against the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park on June 03, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Cincinnati Reds/Getty Images)
Cuban right-handed pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins on Thursday, Francys Romero of beisbolfr.com reported.
Gutierrez is also a non-roster invitee to major league camp prior to the start of the 2024 season.
Gutierrez, 28, was born in La Habana, Cuba, and has played two seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds from 2021-22.
Gutierrez began his journey to play in MLB after the 2015 Caribbean Series. Shortly after that event, he made his way to Mexico to establish residency until he was declared a free agent by the Commissioner’s Office on July 7, 2015.
Last season, Gutierrez played with Triple-A Louisville in the Reds organization, posting a 1-1 record with a 8.31 ERA in three appearances, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing three hits, four earned runs, one home run, four walks, and four strikeouts while he was making a comeback from Tommy John surgery.
Gutierrez played in two games and started one game at the Arizona Complex Level in 2023 with the Reds and threw two innings, walking two batters and striking out three.
During the 2022 regular season, Gutierrez posted a 1-6 record with a 7.61 ERA in 10 appearances and eight starts, throwing 36.2 innings and allowing 46 hits, 31 earned runs, eight home runs, 24 walks, 29 strikeouts and a 1.909 WHIP.
Gutierrez landed on the 60-day injured list with a first degree strain of his ulnar collateral ligament on June 4, 2022 and underwent Tommy John surgery on July 22, 2022, forcing him to miss the rest of the regular season.
In the 2021 season, Gutierrez threw 114 innings in 22 starts, posting a 9-6 record with a 4.74 ERA. He allowed 115 hits, 60 earned runs, 20 home runs, 46 walks, 88 strikeouts, and a 1.412 WHIP.
Gutierrez also pitched for Triple-A Louisville in 2021 and made three starts posting a 2-0 record with a 2.65 ERA, throwing 17 innings allowing nine hits, five earned runs, three home runs, seven walks, 21 strikeouts, and a 0.941 WHIP.
In his two seasons with the Reds, Gutierrez has a 10-12 record with a lifetime ERA at 5.44 throwing 150.2 innings in 32 appearances and 30 starts allowing 161 hits, 91 earned runs, 28 home runs, 70 walks, 117 strikeouts, and a 1.533 WHIP.
Gutierrez is competing for a role in the back-end of the starting rotation or a long relief role if he makes the opening day roster for Miami out of spring training.
The Marlins will play the Pittsburgh Pirates at home for the first game of the 2024 regular season at 4:10 p.m. EDT on March 28.
