Former Suns involved in Marlins-Dodgers Trade
In a frenzied past two days of activity at Baseball's Winter Meetings in San Diego, former Jacksonville Suns have been involved in one of the game's most noteworthy trades.
The Miami Marlins confirmed late last night that former Suns Andrew Heaney, Austin Barnes, and Chris Hatcher along with Enrique Hernandez have been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, and Miguel Rojas.
While Heaney was involved in this trade to the Dodgers, he was quickly dealt across town to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for second baseman Howie Kendrick.
Heaney and Barnes were members of the Suns the past two seasons, and Barnes was a postseason hero in 2014 as the Suns won the Southern League Championship.
Heaney, listed by Baseball America as the Marlins No. 1 prospect and the top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball entering the season, went 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA in nine appearances and eight starts for Jacksonville in 2014. Overall in his time with the Suns in 2013 and 2014, Heaney was 8-3 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 starts. Heaney finished the season mainly with Triple-A New Orleans where he was 5-4 with a 3.87 ERA in 15 starts, and he also had two stints in the big leagues with the Marlins where he was 0-3 with a 5.83 ERA in five starts and seven appearances.
Barnes proved to be one of Jacksonville's most clutch home run hitters during the second half of the 2014 season. In his first 34 games with the Suns Barnes did not homer, but in the final 43 games Barnes hit 12 home runs to help the Suns clinch a Second Half South Division title. Barnes in the regular season for the Suns hit .296 with the 12 homers and 43 RBI. He was also clutch in Game One of the South Division Championship Series, as his 9th inning two-run homer when the Suns were down to their final out pushed Jacksonville to a 5-4 win over Mobile in what turned out to be a four-game series win for the Suns.
Versatility also was key for Barnes in his Jacksonville time. Despite being listed on the roster as a catcher, Barnes made the switch to second base when J.T. Realmuto came back from Miami, helping the Suns have two outsanding hitting prospects in the lineup each game.
Chris Hatcher spent parts of three seasons in Jacksonville from 2009-2011 in one of the most interesting careers in franchise history. After helping the Suns win the Southern League championship in 2009, Hatcher provided Suns fans with one of the most memorable moments in Jacksonville baseball history in 2010, as his 9th inning homer clinched a second-straight league title for the Suns.
Hatcher then made his Marlins debut behind the plate to finish the 2010 season, but he had a different look when he came back to Jacksonville in 2011. He and the Marlins decided that his best fit would be as a pitcher, and Hatcher was a 2011 Southern League All-Star going 2-1 with a 1.90 ERA in 42 appearances for the Suns. He made it back to the Marlins that season as a pitcher, and has been back-and-forth between New Orleans and Miami the past three seasons.
Hernandez never saw playing time with Jacksonville after being traded to the Marlins last July from the Astros.
The players the Marlins received from the Dodgers all have spent time in the Southern League. Haren pitched for the Tennessee Smokies when they were a Cardinals affiliate in 2003, Gordon was with the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2010, and Rojas has suited up the Carolina Mudcats, Pensacola Blue Wahoos, and Lookouts in his career.
We'll have more coverage on former Suns on the move later this week.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between