Former Oakland A's Now Hitting in the Middle of Miami's Lineup

Jason Burke | Aug 6, 2024

Aug 2, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Miami Marlins first baseman Jonah Bride (41) hits a two run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Marlins currently hold a 42-71 record, they're nearing the end of manager Skip Schumaker's lame duck season, and they traded away seemingly their entire bullpen just last week. You could say that it's been a rough season. Still, there is reason to be excited--at least for Oakland A's fans--because Jonah Bride has been getting regular playing time and hitting in prime spots in the order of late.

Since the July 30 deadline, Bride has been slotted primarily in the cleanup spot beginning on the 31st, with five of the six games played landing Bride in the four hole, and in the other he hit third. Bride had spent a few days with Miami earlier in the year, but has been in the bigs since July 4, getting into 15 of those 27 games, and he has been in the lineup for the past nine straight.

In that span he has gone 9-for-33 (.273) with three home runs and eight RBI while splitting time rotating between first base and DH with Jake Burger.

JONAH. BRIDE. #MarlinsBeisbol pic.twitter.com/0DPLq3WWY2

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 4, 2024

Bride got into 98 games with the A's across two seasons and hit .192 with a .296 OBP and one homer. In 2023, when he was still in the A's system, it looked like he was attempting to drive the ball a bit more, and right now while getting some regular big-league playing time, he's doing just that. The 14 home runs he's produced between Triple-A and Miami is a new career high at any level. His previous high was 13 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League last season.

Bride was also recently joined by another former A's player, Cristian Pache, whom the Marlins claimed off waivers on August 2. The 25-year-old has been primarily playing against left-handers since leaving Oakland as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. They traded him to Baltimore on July 26 as part of the Austin Hays deal, only for the Orioles to put him on waivers a few days later.

While the Marlins included left-hander A.J. Puk in their deadline dealings by shipping him off to Arizona, Miami held onto injured starter (and another former A's player) Jesús Luzardo. With the team not expected to contend in the near future, Bride and Pache should continue to receive playing time while the club determines if they fit into its vision for the future.