There has been speculation all winter that the Marlins will add hitting help by trading one of their starting pitchers. Eury Perez appears to be the only name that is off limits, as The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal write that the Fish are “at least listening on offers” for pitchers besides the 22-year-old right-hander.
Given how the Marlins have talked about a contract extension with Perez’s camp in the past and are expected revisit those talks this offseason, it’s no surprise that Perez is being held out of any broader trade negotiations. Perez is already under team control through the 2029 season and doesn’t even become arbitration-eligible until next winter, so there is zero urgency on Miami’s part to move a pitcher who looks like a cornerstone. Of course, the Marlins’ stance could change if a team approached them with a truly huge trade proposal for Perez, but barring that type of Godfather offer, Perez will surely be staying put.
There’s also the fact that if the Marlins actually did look to deal Perez now, they’d be doing so at something less than peak value. Perez has still thrown only 186 2/3 innings in the majors, split almost evenly between 91 1/3 innings in his 2023 rookie season and 95 1/3 frames this past year. In between, of course, the 2024 campaign was a total wash for Perez due to Tommy John surgery, and his recovery from the procedure kept the righty from making his 2025 debut until June 9.
The return to action went fairly smoothly, as Perez posted a 4.25 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate, and 8.3% walk rate in 2025. This was an identical match to his 2023 walk rate and only a slight drop from his 28.9K% in his rookie year, and while Perez had a 3.15 ERA in 2023, his SIERA totals over the two seasons (3.94 in 2023, 3.80 in 2025) were pretty much the same. Perez did allow a ton of hard contact in 2025, but his fastball velocity and fastball spin rates both remained elite post-surgery.
Now further removed from the TJ procedure and with a normal offseason, Perez is being eyed as a major piece of the Marlins rotation both in 2026 and into the future. His import to the rotation only grows if the Marlins do end up moving another starter, which seems like a logical tactic for the Fish to address their lineup holes. Sammon and Rosenthal describe a starter trade as “a strong possibility” for the Marlins, while ESPN’s Jeff Passan goes a step further by writing “Miami is almost certain to move a starting pitcher this winter.”
Braxton Garrett missed all of 2025 due to UCL revision surgery and Max Meyer had a season-ending hip surgery in June, so it can be assumed that these two pitchers are probably also unlikely to be dealt coming off such significant injuries. Thomas White and Robby Snelling are two of the Marlins’ top prospects, and since the Fish aren’t far removed from being in full rebuild mode, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix isn’t likely to move such key minor leaguers before they’ve even reached the Show. Any of Dax Fulton, Ryan Gusto, Adam Mazur, or Janson Junk probably wouldn’t bring back much of a trade return.
This leaves perhaps the likeliest trade candidates as Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, or Ryan Weathers. Alcantara is the Marlins’ highest-paid player and has been the subject of trade rumors for years, yet now that Miami is seemingly on the verge of returning to contention, the Fish may be moving away from the idea of moving him whatsoever. Recent reports indicate that Alcantara is now expected still be with the club in 2026, and the Marlins will only move Cabrera for a big trade return.
Cabrera and Weathers are each controlled through 2028, so again, there is no reason Miami necessarily has to move either of these arms prior to Opening Day. Both pitchers have lengthy injury histories, however, and the Marlins might be willing to sell relatively high (on Cabrera in particular) before another health issue impacts future trade value or keeps either pitcher off the Marlins’ own mound.
Remember when they sent him to pitch at Triple-A to “limit” his innings in his Rookie season? Definitely not service time manipulation.
Definitely not service time manipulation.
======================
I’m guessing his 6-7 injuries might’ve had something to do with that.
Sixsevvvven
Why would you demote a guy to pitch in the minors if he’s injured? These demotions in his rookie season weren’t rehab stints.
Dang I was hoping their whole pitching staff was available since it’s the deepest part of their roster. Can’t say I blame them though. I feel like the Marlins would be a better trade fit for the Mets to add a starter than the Twins.
They should keep all of them and sign two big bats. Immediate contender.
During the Winter Meetings the Marlins put the N.L. East on notice by signing Bellinger & Schwarber. Then all eyes in Florida are on Bregman as he comes to town for a visit. Now that would be fun!
2012 marlins offseason unironically felt like this
Well, for one, that’s not how the Marlins operate. Plus, I don’t think they can afford to. They’re running out of spots with all of their young pitchers either making their debut or on the cusp of doing so, and hoarding all of them while they’re starved of offense would be a gross dereliction of duty.
They should definitely trade from their starting depth to acquire some offense to score some runs for those starters.
I am pretty uninformed when it comes to their depth with pitching or budgetary constraints.
If their current guys have more than a year of control it seems like holding them for this year and signing a few bats would be the fastest path to contending. Then trade them at the deadline if one or two younger guys are doing well. Or trade next year.
For cost savings trading one or two now may bring a better return.
Red Sox for Duran and/or Casas? If I am trading a good starter I want someone controllable for at least 3-4 years.
Let me help you out with some info.
Current rotation: Alcántara-Cabrera-Pérez-Weathers-Junk (All of them with at least two years of club control, even Sandy)
Also, Braxton Garrett should be ready this coming spring training as he did not pitch in 2025. He should be in the mix anyways.
Depth staters: Max Meyer-Ryan Gusto-Adam Mazur
Prospects almost-ready to join: Robby Snelling
Could join later in the season: Dax Fulton and Thomas White (#1 prospect)
Budget limitations: ALL IMAGINABLE. Miami has both the lowest payroll and the cheapest owner in all the MLB.
But the POBO is doing a good job building a solid farm system. The team is two above-average bats to truly contend, that why trading is the way to go, and better do it now when the return might be the highest. They might also hold and wait until mid-season, given the surplus.
However, maybe Boston is not the best trade fit for Miami. The Fish will ask for a guy like Mayer, and I don’t think the Red Sox are willing to part ways with him. Casas? Maybe, but not for a top stater.
Thanks for the info I appreciate it. Hope you have a nice XMas season.
I’d agree, they have good prospects and could put together a good trade for Yandy Diaz.
Sign Eugenio Suarez to play 3rd.
2B – Edwards
1B – Diaz
DH – Ramirez
3B – Suarez
LF – Stowers
CF – Marsee
SS – Lopez
C – Hicks / Mack
RF – Conine
Sanoja, Pauley, Hernandez on the bench.
Potentially the best rotation in MLB: Alcantara, Perez, Cabrera, Weathers, Garrett and Meyer – sign a veteran FA on a one year deal for insurance.
Bullpen looks good too. They could have one of the best teams in MLB.
@bleedorangeandblue
There is one thing you seem to not be looking at that’s different between the Twins and Marlins. The Marlins are a division rival of the Mets who they just finished a few games behind of. Why would they help the Mets with a trade? What do the Mets have that the Marlins would want, that helps them contend next season?
The A’s could match up as they need pitching and have bats to offer.
Sacramento As are going to keep their solid hitting and pick up some FA scrap pitchers.
I sort of get why they’re going that route, but at the same time I just don’t see them being able to get even close to enough pitching from free agency to fix their staff. After the Luis Severino debacle, I don’t see any game changing starting pitchers willing to sign there.
There is no such thing as too much pitching ….. unless you don’t have enough hitting
The reds!
So you’re telling me there’s a chance!
That’s word, because, you know
You can’t touch this
You can′t touch this
Break it down!
After seeing this in a many mock trades angels need to trade for Edward Cabrera
another injury prone sp, perfect. gallen or bassitt would do just fine, and would only cost money
Gallen would also cost draft capital. QO attached.
Weathers will eventually have a healthy season and be elite
I can’t tell if the marlins are going to be good or stay in purgatory next year but they should probably keep sandy so that he can regain value
I want the A’s and Marlins to make a trade here, but I don’t really know that it would work. The A’s need pitching, the marlins need offense, but I don’t see the A’s trading Soderstrom, de Vries, or their top pitching prospects, and they don’t have any other elite hitting prospects. I would think a package of Bolte, Muncy, and maybe Tommy White could be offered, which might get it done for Cabrera, but not sure it does
Muncy, Taylor & White
@Roadtrip All Dodgers teammates at one point (Max, Chris, Tyler)
Bring back marlins old logo with the Florida f ugliest jersey and logo by far
I don’t think that would (or should) get it done for Eddy. The Marlins need MLB-ready bats either at 3B, 1B or corner OF. That’s why Soderstrom is a great fit, but the A’s are not willing to trade him, are they?
I don’t think so which is why I think a trade will be tough because I think your analysis is correct
Yeah Soderstrom isn’t going anywhere or the Cincinnati Reds already would have traded one of their starters plus other compensation to get him.
Jealous of the A’s when it comes to Soderstrom. I was hoping with how good Kurtz has shown he is that it would make them think about trading Soderstrom but that’s not happening now. If the A’s can get some pitching they may be really good in another year or two.
For multiple reasons, I don’t see the A’s emptying out the farm for anybody. Bolte, Muncy, White not being considered elite doesn’t really mean anything to me but I think all three are key players of our future.
Last time we had a playoff team we emptied every corner of the system trying to fortify the main roster and it ended with obvious bad results. Hopefully A’s management learned their lesson and will keep the system healthy this time around.
Dodgers are a perennial contender yes because of the big contracts but, they’re champs because of their depth. Without guys like Rojas and Kike they don’t have the trophy.
I think white is Blocked, Bolte is mostly blocked unless they want to form a platoon with Soderstrom, and with muncy you have to give something up to get someone. Rojas and kike were both brought in as free agents, which shows you can use free agency to build out the depth of your roster if you have a core. Also the dodgers trade plenty of young talent. My thing is the A’s need talented controllable pitching, and I’d give up some prospects for that. Not jump, Arnold, or Leo, but other guys I have no problem with giving up. The springs and Lopez trade the A’s dealt prospects and the org is significantly better for it.
That said I get your point of not wanting to sell the farm, but I think you can give up a few pieces while still being set up for the future
I think White forces his way to the 3B job. His defensive flaws are grossly exaggerated imho. Now, I’m probably exaggerating here but every time I watch him at the plate I see a young Justin Turner. With his control of the plate and all fields power he slot in right between Kurtz/Soderstrom and anchor this lineup for a long time.
Bolte isn’t 100% blocked either. Clarke still needs to demonstrate the ability to stay healthy across a full season. Until then, your 4th OF needs to be able to step in for 75-100 games and be productive. And then there’s Butler who’s trending the wrong way offensively (180K’s with a sub-200 ISO) and long term concerns about his health.
We have a lot of controllable pitching (Morales, Perkins, Lopez, Ginn, Hoglund, Barnett, Medina, Morris) what we need is TOR pitching. What I’m not for is trading bats for controllable arms that aren’t significantly better than what we already have.
I probably just disagree on white. I don’t think the offense will be enough to overcome defense at 3b. I think he’s probably a 1b/DH, and those positions are covered for awhile. Id love for you to be right and me to be wrong on that.
Bolte I generally agree on but again you do have to give up something to get something, and I’d rather give up someone with a muddy path to playing time.
The A’s have a lot of young pitching, but I think Cabrera is significantly better and has more upside than all of them except morales. So a trade for Cabrera would be a significant upgrade. I’d trade prospects from positions of depth in the organization for that any day of the week
Hey fair enough. Seems like we just disagree on value and time here. I think it’s too early to pull the trigger on a trade like that. I want my team to be a playoff-caliber team before trading prospects and we’re about 15-20 Wins away from that currently. If we got Cabrera now, we’d be potentially wasting a year or two of his 3 years of control just trying to close that gap which, to me, eats away significantly at the value of that trade.
We can always trade for a Cabrera (or any available #2) at any time, there’s no rush and I think we should wait until next off-season where the prices should be lower/better and the team would be much closer to the playoffs.
Soderstrom would have to be included and I’d say that is short for Cabrera who I view as a top 20 starter in MLB. I’d rather have Cabrera than Gilbert and Kirby from Seattle, I’d take Cabrera over Abbott or Singer in Cincy, over Bubic and Ragans in KC. I’d take Cabrera over Gore too.
I don’t know what I’m missing when it comes to Cabrera, everybody seems to think this guy can be had in a trade and I feel like he is right up there with Eury.
Trading Alcantara also requires a substantial return. He was coasting last season. He is the same pitcher he was before his TJ, Cy Young winner. He has two seasons of control.
I would like the Braves to seek Alacantra but I doubt the Fish is going to do an interdivisional trade and the Braves have enough to compensate. I think the Braves could probably get him on the right track.
I wouldn’t rule out an inter divisional trade. I don’t think teams are as hung up on that anymore. Honestly I don’t think that has ever been as big of a deal as a lot of commenters on here make it out to be.
It would take a major haul from the Braves to acquire Sandy. Highly unlikely Marlins trade with their biggest rival.
If I’m the Marlins I’d approach the Athletics and be ok with Jamie Arnold, Devin Taylor & their Round B Comp Balance Pick as a slight underpayment.
Luckily you are not the Marlins.
Luckily the Marlins are not him either.
A’s are not trading Arnold, Jump, or Lin. It’s not a win now situation for them and it might not be until Vegas which is two more years. They could sit with their current group and continue to let players develop and they will be fine.
I was checking the current A’s roster and the top 30 prospects and two players that could be useful to the Marlins next season are LHP Basso and prospect OF Bolte.
The A’s are needing Staters and a 2B. Maybe a lower profile but still useful trade involving Connor Norby, Braxton Garrett, and or Janson Junk is completely feasible.
But when it comes to Cabrera or Alcántara, I don’t see a great fit with the A’s, unless Soderstrom is involved.
How about getting Yariel Rodriguez from the Blue Jays ?
Jason Junk was a real Steal …
We need to keep him !!
Great read, Mr. Polishuk. The article was informative and insightful, helping us understand the mindset of the Marlins as they head into these winter meetings. I wonder if Breslow has had any conversations with Miami.
I’d bet he has. Likelihood, imo, is that Miami is checking Alcantara’s value. He’s not cheap, so not everyone will be interested. And the injuries are tough to project.
I have no concern about making all his starts, but his 7.3-2.9 K/W per 9 seems no better than 3-4 guys we already have. I’d like to project something closer to 8.0/2.6.
I said it before. The fish have a history of overachieving for 1 season establishing pitching depth leading them to believe they are close to contention. Only to trade from that strength and fall apart the following year. Which usually leads to another rebuild. They need to stay the course and not rush it
Cardinals need pitching and have a few offensive prospects.
Um, why would a team looking to make the playoffs trade away one of the reasons they made the playoffs for prospects?
Duran Casas Arias and some cash should get Red Sox Sandy or Ed. Just do it already
According to who? Red Sox fans?
MLB all star at a position they need help (plus some of his contract paid for), a MLB starting 1B (albeit a lottery ticket at this point, but very cheap and relatively young still), a top 25 prospect in MLB at a premium position… for 1 of 2 pitchers the marlins can afford to give up and can’t afford to re-sign. I don’t think it’s a stretch.
You mean two lefty bats when the Marlins need a right-handed bat, and a prospect to a team that is trying to build to the next step of their rebuild?
Again, this gets done according to Red Sox fans. Marlins fans know that this does not address OUR needs. Or is the Red Sox fan going to argue with a Marlins fan about what we know our needs are?
When you offer a trade that does not address the other team’s needs, it’s a stretch because you essentially made a trade suggestion that did not take into account what the other team’s needs are.
I mean getting an all star OF on a great contract with BOS providing cash to supplement, a lottery ticket 1B (which they need desperately) primed to break out with a change of scenery, a top 25 MLB prospect at SS (which they could easily flip for other needs), and probably another throw in high ceiling low floor prospect. Yes. Fact is the marlins CANNOT afford Sandy and Ed. They could in fact compete with one of them plus the other pitchers they have if they added offense. Otherwise, the marlins are either going to lose both pitchers within a couple years or trade them for more prospects and keep the never ending rebuild going. “Needing a RH bat” shouldn’t prevent them from acquiring MLB talent like Duran and potentially Casas.
Again, according to Red Sox fans.
But I guess you know more about the Marlins than a guy like me who actually roots for the team and follows the team and reports here in our fan base and media – not ESPN (I notice you regurgitated their narrative in a bit of your assumptions about the Marlins).
Maybe you should call up Peter Bendix and read your post.
But I can play Devil’s Advoctae for a moment. Let’s look at “…a lottery ticket 1B (which they need desperately) primed to break out with a change of scenery, a top 25 MLB prospect at SS (which they could easily flip for other needs),” So, essentially they will add a left-hand hitting OF and lottery ticket 1B they don’t need because they have left-handed bats. And they add a prospect at SS that…let me quote you right…”…which they could easily flip for other needs…”. So why make a trade with the Red Sox for these pieces when they will still need a right-hand bat after the trade is done, then they will have two additional left-handed bats which means they’ll need to trade a couple away. And they’ll be adding a prospect that they will then use as a trade chip to fill what they wouldn’t have filled in this trade. So, why not…stay with me on this logic…trade directly with a team that actually has what we need, without using the Red Sox as a middle man? And if the Marlins, as you say cannot afford Sandy and Ed (even after MLBPA files a grievance against them about spending and the upcoming work stoppage that may chase Bruce Sherman out of ownership), again, why not trade them directly to a team that has the pieces the Marlins actually need…again…instead of using the Red Sox as a middle man by picking up pieces that don’t fill their needs, and just adds another pair of bats that they have many of, and a prospect that that will come in only as a trade chip for another trade to acquire the piece we actually do need. Whew, this is some logic!
So, please explain how what I just pointed out makes sense to the Marlins. As I will state again – your trade only works according to Red Sox fans. A little FYI – the Marlins are in business to make themselves better, not make the Red Sox better.
I didn’t regurgitate anything from espn. It’s obvious they need a CF and a 1B. The current CF and 1B are already LH so they wouldn’t be adding additional LH bats to their lineup. I didn’t bother reading the rest of your post but I did read the last few lines. Point is, adding an all star CF and a high ceiling guy like Casas at 1B would make the Marlins better in 2026. And acquiring a top 25 prospect in the process might come in handy at the trade deadline to address another need that they may have by then. I understand it’s frustrating being a self proclaimed expert on all things Marlins, especially when they never seem to listen to your advice.
Yeah, you didn’t regurgutate anything.
So, the Marlins need a CF? It’s obvious you say? Really? Man, they must be already giving up on Jakob Marsee. You clearly know more about the Marlins than I do.
Casas’ value has dminished. To think that the Marlins would automatically add him when they are considering moving Griffin Conie to 1B and at the same time, they might need to move Augustin Ramirez there at some point, but Casas is absolutely the guy that would make them reconsider…and to think it would only cost them Sandy or Ed! Let’s get it done today!
Sorry, but you clearly haven’t even taken five seconds to look at the Marlins roster based on your statement that they obviously need a CF (while it’s been made clear that Marsee is the guy there, and has done nothing to lose his job)…and to think that Casas is the guy that absolutely will convince the Marlins to not take a look at Conine, Norby, Ramirez, Hernandez there or just keep Wagaman and Hicks there.
Maybe we should have a contest. You hold your breath until your trade suggestion happens. I’ll hold my breath for the entire press conferences for both teams when it does. Deal?
If Miami truly wants to add bats without gutting the system, Cabrera should be the one moved, not Pérez.
Every single time I see articles like these about the Marlins talking about what they’ll trade away, even though the team is clear that they will be trying to build on last season where they just fell short of a postseason spot, I know that many national “journalists” do not really check on the Marlins, so they just stick to the same old tired fiction of the Marlins always in sell mode.