In a trade involving two first-round draft picks, the Miami Marlins bolstered their bullpen by acquiring left-handed reliever AJ Puk from the Oakland Athletics for outfielder JJ Bleday.
Puk, who turns 28 in April, compiled a 1.15 WHIP, 120 ERA+ and four saves in 62 appearances in 2022 – his first full season in the majors. He posted 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings and career-lows in walks per nine innings (3.1) and hits per nine innings (7.2). Puk limited left-handed hitters to a .153 average with just three extra-base hits in 85 at-bats.
The sixth overall pick in the 2016 Amateur Draft out of the University of Florida, Puk is a converted reliever who will not be eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2023 season and a free agent after 2026. The fourth overall pick in 2019, Bleday debuted in 2022 and battled (67 OPS+) in 65 games. With Jazz Chisholm Jr. moving to center field, Avisaíl García back in right field and Bryan De La Cruz the favorite to take over in left field, Bleday didn’t have an easy time making the Opening Day roster. With a rebuilding Oakland team, Bleday would get more playing time.
