Marlins' Chris O'Grady: Likely ticketed for relief role

O'Grady is a frontrunner to earn a spot in the Marlins' bullpen, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

O'Grady was initially vying for one of the team's final rotation spots, but manager Don Mattingly noted the team would prefer to have the 27-year-old in a more versatile bullpen role. "I think we're looking at [O'Grady] more from a reliever standpoint, but as a reliever who can do multiple things," Mattingly said. With the Marlins' top lefty reliever from 2017, Jarlin Garcia, auditioning for a starting role, O'Grady could slide in as the team's top left-handed bullpen arm while also offering the flexibility to pitch multiple innings. O'Grady held lefty hitters to a .167 average last season, though he's not viewed strictly as a specialist.