A fourth-round pick by the Dodgers in 2017 from the Florida prep ranks, Marinan was acquired by Cincinnati in July of 2018 in the trade that sent Dylan Floro to Los Angeles. After starting last season in Extended Spring Training, Marinan had cruised through three AZL starts before the trade and pitched well in the Pioneer League upon becoming a Reds farmhand. I got a look at the big-bodied righty this spring on the backfields.

A physical, durable presence, the 20-year-old Marinan stands 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. He’s built thick through the shoulders and hips, looking the part of a future workhorse. It isn’t the most athletic frame or delivery, though he stays around the zone and posted solid walk rates for his age to date as a pro. The fastball works in the 90-to-94 mph range with natural downhill angle, showing some heft when located low in the zone. Like most young pitchers, Marinan’s control is ahead of his command; he’ll continue to learn his mechanics and extension, hopefully teasing out a bit more ability to locate within the strike zone. His curveball was the primary off-speed in my look, a shapely mid-70s bender with the rough ingredients of a future average pitch.

Marinan will make his full-season debut in the Midwest League to begin 2019. His best-case ceiling isn’t the sexiest—a durable #5 type innings-eater—but pitching prospects with this type of size and control have a way of exceeding expectations. He’s a nice depth prospect for the Reds to let develop over the next few years.