Deep Blue Marlins Prospect Weekly: Arquette Back at Pensacola, Caba and Kozeal Return to Action
By Eric Simmons ·
Deep Blue Marlins Prospect Weekly covers the last 7 days of action for the Marlins farm system.
Arquette's Return Gives Pensacola Its Shortstop Back
Aiva Arquette (AA, SS, Rank: 3) was activated off the seven-day injured list at Pensacola on September 21, returning after missing roughly ten days following a placement on September 12. He has not appeared in a game since the activation, so the immediate box-score evidence is thin, but the return itself is the relevant development for a player who has been one of the more productive bats in the system this season. At Double-A, he is slashing .271/.325/.443 with 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases across 228 plate appearances, a line that sits on top of a short High-A stint in Beloit where he posted a .276/.333/.517 mark in 63 plate appearances before the promotion. The power and speed combination at a premium position makes Arquette one of the more closely watched players in the organization, and getting him back on the field with the season winding down matters even if the stat line does not move much from here.
The full picture across both levels in 2026 shows a player who carried his production when he moved up, which is not a given for a shortstop jumping from High-A to Double-A mid-season. The 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases at Pensacola alone make the combined profile look like a legitimate tools-driven bat, and his .443 slugging at Double-A gives the power grade real footing. The next question, unavoidably, is what he looks like at the plate coming off the layoff. Double-A arms do not get easier in late September, and Arquette will need some at-bats to get back into rhythm. The season has been a strong one regardless, and his return keeps the Blue Wahoos with their most interesting position player in the lineup for the stretch run.
Caba and Kozeal Both Back, System Depth Gets a Boost
Two more shortstops returned from the injured list this week, adding depth at the lower levels of a system that leans heavily on middle-infield prospects. Starlyn Caba (A+, SS, Rank: 14) was activated at Beloit on September 21 after missing nearly four weeks following a placement on September 2. His last appearance came August 25, which means he is returning with the High-A season in its final days and limited time to add to a line that already shows genuine on-base skill: .236/.389/.378 with 7 home runs and 21 stolen bases across 373 plate appearances at Beloit. The batting average is soft, but a .389 on-base mark is not a fluke over that sample. Caba works counts and draws walks at a rate that sets him apart from many players his age at this level, and the 21 stolen bases reflect the speed tool playing in real games. The IL absence cost him several weeks of development time, so even a handful of healthy late-season at-bats have value as he heads toward an offseason evaluation.
Cam Kozeal (A, INF, Rank: 10) returned to Jupiter on the same date after a longer absence, last appearing August 15 before being placed on the IL August 18. He is working with a small sample at Low-A, just 48 plate appearances, but his .214/.313/.405 line with 2 home runs suggests enough raw pop to keep the profile interesting as he builds back up. The season has been interrupted more than anyone would like for Kozeal, and getting back on the field in any capacity before the calendar closes is the priority. Both players returning healthy is the win here, even if neither has appeared in a game post-activation yet.
Quick Hits
- Wikelman González (MLB, RHP, Rank: 58) · was recalled to Miami on September 25, picking up a big-league look in the season's final week. He posted an 18-strikeout, 4.63 ERA line across 11.2 innings at Jacksonville before the call, a stretch that was cleaner than his time at Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the season (6.57 ERA, 34 K in 24.2 IP). The command has been the standing issue, with 11 walks at Jacksonville alongside those 18 strikeouts, but the stuff plays well enough to earn roster consideration at the end of a long season.
- Josh White (AAA, RHP, Rank: 48) · was activated at Jacksonville on September 22 after missing a month following an August 25 IL placement. He was one of the better stories in the system before the injury, posting a 2.41 ERA across 56 innings and 36 appearances at Triple-A with 62 strikeouts against 31 walks. A brief MLB cup of coffee in Miami was rocky, but the Jacksonville line is the more representative sample. No game logs have appeared since the activation, so the focus is simply on getting him back and healthy in time for the offseason.
- Maximo Acosta (AAA, SS, Rank: 51) · returned from the seven-day IL at Jacksonville on September 22, though he too has not appeared in a game post-activation. The season at Triple-A has been rough: a .143/.222/.236 slash in 180 plate appearances is well below where the tools suggest he should be, and the 3 home runs and 14 stolen bases reflect a player whose speed still shows up but whose bat has not found its footing at this level. The IL return keeps the door open for a few more looks before the year ends.
- Brandan Bidois (MLB, RHP, Rank: 42) · also returned at Jacksonville on September 22 after missing since August 28. The combined Triple-A line between Indianapolis and Jacksonville has been difficult, with a combined ERA well above 8.00 across stops, and his MLB time at Pittsburgh (6.32 ERA in 15.2 innings) showed the same inconsistency. No appearances yet since the activation. At this stage of the season, getting back on a mound in any context is the benchmark.