Jake Burger is set to make his Marlins debut on Wednesday evening, and his team is celebrating with a special promotion.
Miami announced that burgers will be sold for $5 at tonight’s game to celebrate their newly acquired third baseman. Burgers at loanDepot Park are normally $13, making this an excellent deal for all fans and an even better marketing idea that the White Sox surprisingly never took advantage of.
Burger, who is batting sixth and playing third base, was traded ahead of Tuesday’s deadline in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Jake Eder. In 88 games this season, Burger is hitting .214/.279/.527 with 25 home runs while also striking out 31.6% of the time. His power was certainly welcomed in Chicago, though the team was still struggling to find the best long-term spot for their slugger in the field.
Eder is certainly an exciting return for the White Sox, someone who could absolutely be up in the major leagues in the near future. The 24-year-old is a southpaw currently in Double-A after coming off of Tommy John Surgery last season. He was ranked as the second overall prospect in the Marlins’ system, per Baseball America, with the following review:
“Before the surgery, Eder showed a dynamic two-pitch mix fronted by a one-two punch of a low-to-mid-90s fastball and slider which each project as plus. His fastball had the type of riding life at the top of the strike zone that is coveted today. Eder also showed a strong feel to lengthen and shorten the break on his slider, with the former version looking like a harder curveball. Eder’s third pitch, a low-80s changeup, had a ceiling as an average offering with further refinement. A small tweak in the way Eder removed the ball from his glove at the beginning of his delivery helped improve his command and control, which projected as plus before the operation. He is a dedicated student of the game who keeps a journal of what worked and didn’t work during each of his starts.”
– Baseball America
On the season, Eder has a 3.94 ERA with a 30.6% strikeout rate and a 12.9% walk rate over 29.2 innings thrown. Before his injury, as a 22-year-old in Double-A in 2021, Eder had a 1.77 ERA in 71.1 innings – certainly an impressive feat for someone his age. He will now get his White Sox career started with the Birmingham Barons.
Despite the solid return, it obviously hurts to see Burger go. Between the work he’s done in the community and the way he has connected with Sox fans, the former first-rounder will certainly be missed in Chicago.
All of us here at Sox On 35th wish Burger and his family nothing but the best!
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Featured Photo: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports