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Veteran left-hander Randy Wolf has signed with the Miami Marlins, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The 37-year-old had opted out of his deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier today, and was subsequently granted his release before latching on with Miami just hours later.
Per ESPN's Jayson Stark and FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, the deal is a one-year, major league contract and carries a base salary of $1 million. He can also earn an undisclosed amount based on performance incentives.
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This isn't the first time Wolf has opted out of a contract this year. In March, Wolf reportedly requested his release after being faced with the ultimatum of signing a 45-day advance-consent clause or heading to the minors. The clause, which was proposed just a month after originally signing with Seattle, would have given the Mariners a 45-day window in which they could've released Wolf without having to pay him anything. To make matters more interesting, Wolf had already won the team's 5th starter job.
Curiously, Rosenthal reports that Wolf agreed to sign the 45-day advance consent waiver with the Marlins because he was signing in the middle of the season instead of at the beginning. If he struggles with Miami, the team can release him within the next 45 days without having to pay his entire $1 million salary.
He signed a minor league deal with Arizona early last month, but has yet to reach the majors this season. He had a 4.50 ERA and 9.3 K/9 in 6 starts at Triple-A Reno this season.
Wolf last pitched in the majors in 2012, spending the entire 2013 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. A 14-year big league veteran and 2003 NL All-Star, Wolf owns a career 132-117 record, 4.20 ERA (100 ERA+), 4.37 FIP, and 20.5 WAR. He struggled with a 5.65 ERA (though he had a 4.79 FIP) in 30 games for the Brewers and Orioles in 2012, but had posted a combined 3.70 ERA (108 ERA+), 4.36 FIP, and 7.8 WAR from 2009-2011.
Wolf appears likely to take over Jose Fernandez's role in the rotation. The 21-year-old ace recently tore his UCL and looks to be headed towards Tommy John surgery. While Wolf will never be able to completely fill the gaping hole left by Fernandez, he should be an adequate option for the remainder of the year.
The Marlins' rotation has been surprisingly exceptional so far this season, owning a 3.74 ERA and 3.68 FIP that rank 12th and 13th, respectively, in baseball. Even without Fernandez, they still appear to be a solid unit with Nathan Eovaldi, Tom Koehler, and Henderson Alvarez all enjoying strong starts to the season.