Miami Marlins add beloved fan favorite Willians Astudillo

The Miami Marlins have begun making moves to improve their stature in the NL East. In adding Avisail Garcia and Jacob Stallings, they have begun to make some of the moves needed to upgrade their lineup to the point where they have the firepower needed to match the rotation. Although there is still plenty of work left to do, the Marlins have begun taking those steps to contend.

The Marlins’ latest move may not make as much of an impact upon the standings, but is notable amongst baseball fans. The beloved Willians Astudillo, La Tortuga himself, has signed a minor league contract to head to Miami.

Willians Astudillo signs with Miami Marlins

It is easy to see why Astudillo has become such a beloved figure. His pure love of the game is obvious and infectious. The way he celebrates his successes, his entertaining way he runs the bases, and his ability to make contact with virtually anything has made Astudillo the type of player that one cannot take their eyes off of.

But he is more than just an entertaining figure on the diamond. He has produced a solid .270/.295/.406 batting line in his 533 plate appearances, hitting 15 homers and 22 doubles. His tendency to swing at and make contact with everything has been evident as he has just ten walks and 25 strikeouts in his time in the majors.

Astudillo can also slot virtually anywhere on the diamond. Over the course of his major league career, he has appeared at every position other than short. While he is primarily a corner infielder/catcher, that willingness to play anywhere gives the Marlins’ bench plenty of versatility. He even made four appearances as a reliever last year, allowing just one run on one hit and two walks in his four innings.

The Miami Marlins have added Willians Astudillo on a minor league deal. The beloved fan favorite could be a valuable piece on their bench.