Marlins release Jarrod Saltalamacchia

After not being able to work out a trade in the past ten days, the Marlins have officially released catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who was previously designated for assignment. Saltalamacchia is now free to sign with any club, and should sign a new deal within the next week or so.

Any team that signs Saltalamacchia will only have to pay him the pro-rated portion of the major-league minimum, while the Marlins are still required to pay him the full $15 million remaining on his contract through next season. Saltalamacchia originally joined the Marlins on a three-year, $21 million deal prior to last season before a lack of production led to the team parting ways with the backstop.

According to reports over the last week, the Royals and Diamondbacks are among the teams interested in adding Saltalmacchia, with other teams likely involved as well. Though there appears to be a need behind the plate for the Red Sox, Rangers and Rays, reports have indicated that those teams are unlikely to make an effort to sign Saltalamacchia.

Saltalamacchia got off to a rough start with Miami this season, starting the year 2-for-29 with twelve strikeouts after posting a .220/.320/.362 line in 114 games last season. The 30-year old was a solid contributor on the World Series champion Red Sox in 2013, hitting .273/.338/.466 with fourteen home runs and 65 RBI in 121 games before leaving Boston and signing a lucrative deal with Miami during the offseason.T