Marlins Notes: Alcantara, First Base, Garrett, Meyer

The Marlins improbably remained alive in the Wild Card race into the season’s final week. While that was enabled largely by the Mets’ collapse, Miami finished just four games under .500 after a 100-loss season in 2024. President of baseball operations Peter Bendix spoke with reporters on Wednesday as he enters his third offseason.

Bendix’s biggest decision is whether to trade Sandy Alcantara. The Marlins held onto the former Cy Young winner at the deadline. Alcantara hadn’t found a groove in his first few months back from Tommy John surgery, and the Fish preferred not to sell low. He looked a lot sharper down the stretch, turning in a 3.70 ERA with a 23.1% strikeout rate in his final 10 starts. He tied for fourth in the majors with 65 2/3 innings pitched after the deadline. Everyone else in the top five had the benefit of an extra start.

The Fish will get calls from teams intrigued by Alcantara’s strong finish. Bendix dodged a question about whether he expected the two-time All-Star to remain in South Florida headed into next season. “I’m not going to speculate on any individual player,” he said (relayed by Isaac Azout of Fish On First). “We’re always looking for ways to improve our club and I’m going to stay as disciplined as possible in doing that.”

It’s the kind of generality that most executives express publicly when asked about specific players. It’s not an especially surprising response, though it does contrast with the club’s approach from last offseason. The Marlins had reportedly informed Alcantara by August that he wouldn’t be moved. Bendix more or less confirmed that publicly during the winter, saying in December that he was “really excited to see him pitch on Opening Day.” A trade this winter seems more plausible now that he’s healthy even if the Fish are closer to contention than they were 12 months ago.

Alcantara is headed into the final guaranteed season of the extension he signed over the 2021-22 offseason. He’ll make $17MM and is guaranteed at least a $2MM buyout on a $21MM club option for ’27. If a deadline trade would’ve been mostly about salary relief, an offseason deal could net a legitimate prospect return. Alcantara finished with an underwhelming 5.36 ERA overall, yet he’d very likely command more than $19MM if he were a free agent this offseason.

Walker Buehler, for instance, pulled $21.05MM coming off a 5.38 ERA in fewer innings because of his pre-injury track record and two good appearances during the World Series. Alex Cobb got a $15MM deal at age 36 after making five combined starts between the regular season and playoffs. If Alcantara carries his second half form into next year, the extra year of control via the club option would also be a bargain.

While payroll is always a consideration for the Marlins, the front office shouldn’t be under financial pressure to deal Alcantara. He’s the only player on the roster making a salary of much significance. They’ll pay Avisaíl García a final $5MM buyout to end that disastrous free agent deal. The owe the Yankees $10MM annually for the next three seasons as part of the Giancarlo Stanton trade. That’s all in terms of guaranteed commitments. They have a lot of arbitration-eligible players — Anthony Bender, Braxton Garrett, Edward Cabrera, Ryan Weathers, Andrew Nardi, Calvin Faucher and Max Meyer — but none who are going to break the bank individually.

Miami did almost nothing in free agency during Bendix’s first two seasons at the helm. They signed three players to major league deals (Tim Anderson, Cal Quantrill and Eric Wagaman) for a combined $8.7MM in guarantees. It’s clear they’ll do more than that this winter. FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun’s Craig Mish indicated over the weekend that they’ll likely pursue a late-inning reliever. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald echoes that sentiment and writes that they’ll try to bring in a free agent offensive upgrade as well.

The Marlins had a middle-of-the-pack offense this past season. They ranked 16th in runs and finished between 11th and 20th in all three slash stats. They were light on power, finishing above only the Padres, Cardinals and Pirates in home runs. Playing at loanDepot Park doesn’t do their hitters many favors, but they were tied for 22nd in road home runs. Kyle Stowers and Agustín Ramírez were their only 20-homer bats.

Miami didn’t get much production out of first base or designated hitter. They’ll probably want to keep at-bats available at the latter position for Ramírez, whose defensive numbers as a rookie catcher were terrible. They should upgrade on Wagaman and Troy Johnston at first base. It’d be a surprise if they made a serious push for Pete Alonso or Josh Naylor, but a mid-level target like Ryan O’Hearn could be within the range of outcomes.

Paul Goldschmidt and Rhys Hoskins will be available on one-year deals and still have a higher floor than the in-house options. The Astros could look to offload part of the Christian Walker contract, while players like Spencer Steer or Triston Casas could be sell-low candidates. It’s not entirely out of the question that the A’s could consider swapping Tyler Soderstrom for a controllable starting pitcher. Maybe there’s a match with a Miami team that has a lot of talented, affordable arms. Almost all of them come with some kind of durability questions, though the Fish finished the season with an impressive front four of Alcantara, Cabrera, Weathers and Eury Pérez.

Garrett missed the entire season after undergoing UCL surgery in January. Meyer suffered a labrum tear in his left hip and went under the knife in June. Bendix told Jackson and other reporters that both pitchers are expected to be ready by the start of Spring Training.