When the Marlins acquired Jesús Aguilar on waivers in December 2019, the move was seen as low-cost, high-reward.
Following a breakout 2018 that saw Aguilar hit 35 home runs and drive in 108 runs en route to a selection to the NL All-Star team as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, 2019 was a year marred by transition and adversity. That season, the then-29 year old posted a less-than-stellar .236/.325/.389 slash line, ending the season with 12 home runs in 131 games in year split between Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. Aguilar’s OPS+—a mark where 100 is league average—fell from 135 the previous season to 87 in 2019.