Marlins Notes: Fairbanks, Mullins, Matz, Marsee

The Marlins entered the offseason targeting late-inning relief help. They haven’t come away with anything thus far, as they’ve evidently balked at the prices in a free agent bullpen market that has moved quickly.

Pete Fairbanks is one player known to be on their radar. He’s a logical fit as a proven closer who has ties to president of baseball operations Peter Bendix from their time in Tampa Bay. However, Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral of Fish On First wrote this week that Fairbanks’ market is likely to push beyond Miami’s comfort zone.

Fairbanks hit free agency when the Rays bought out his $11MM club option. They were unable to find trade interest at that price point within the first few days of the offseason. Fairbanks could command a two-year contract at a slightly lesser annual sum. His strikeout rates have dropped closer to league average over the past couple seasons, but he’s coming off a 2.83 ERA with 27 saves across 60 1/3 innings. Fairbanks still sits above 97 MPH and got swinging strikes on nearly 13% of his offerings this year. He fits alongside the likes of Emilio Pagán and Kyle Finnegan, who commanded two-year contracts in the $19-20MM range.

The Fish have yet to sign a free agent this offseason. They’ve shown interest in a few players who have wound up elsewhere, including a pair who are headed to Bendix’s old team. Azout noted that the Marlins were involved in the market for swingman Steven Matz before he agreed to a two-year, $15MM contract with the Rays. Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported last week that the Marlins pursued Cedric Mullins prior to his $7MM deal to become Tampa Bay’s new center fielder.

Mullins would not have gotten everyday center field reps in Miami. Jakob Marsee is locked in there after an excellent half-season debut. The 24-year-old hit .292/.363/.478 with five home runs in his first 234 big league plate appearances. His .357 average on balls in play is due for some amount of regression, but he showed excellent plate discipline and contact skills with solid batted ball metrics. Marsee also graded as a slightly above-average defender in 475 innings.

The Marlins could use a veteran outfielder in a corner. Kyle Stowers can play either corner spot, which gives them some flexibility in that regard. Mullins has a below-average arm and would likely have been ticketed for left field, pushing Stowers to right. Griffin Conine, Heriberto Hernandez and Dane Myers would be in the mix for playing time right now. They’re all in their mid-late 20s and have struck out at such alarming rates in the upper minors that it’s unlikely any of them is a long-term regular.

Miami is reportedly willing to spend more than usual this offseason, though they’ve yet to put that into action. They kicked around extension numbers with Stowers but reportedly faced an approximate $50MM divide. They’re planning to reengage with young starter Eury Pérez on a potential long-term deal after beginning those conversations in Spring Training.

Marsee stands as another logical candidate after his impressive first few months. Fish On First reports that there’s some interest on both sides about a long-term deal, though the team has yet to make an offer. Extension conversations frequently pick up later in the offseason and into Spring Training, so there’s plenty of time.

Hitters who sign extensions within their first year of MLB service are often top-tier prospects. That’s not the case with Marsee. He was a sixth-round pick by San Diego who was generally viewed as the second best of the three prospects traded to Miami for Luis Arraez. (The centerpiece, former first-round pick Dillon Head, is coming off a .223/.334/.318 season in A-ball.) Marsee entered the 2025 season as the #12 prospect in the Miami organization, according to Baseball America. He didn’t appear on any Top 100 lists.

The closest recent comparison point is probably Ceddanne Rafaela, though even he’d been more highly regarded before his MLB debut than Marsee was. The Red Sox signed him to an eight-year, $50MM guarantee with a club option for a ninth season. They’re very different players stylistically. Rafaela was an elite defensive outfielder whose extremely aggressive approach led to questions about the hit tool. Marsee isn’t as athletic but is a much more polished hitter who has had more big league success than Rafaela did at the time.

However, Rafaela had garnered some Top 100 fanfare and signed his deal in his age-23 season. Marsee turns 25 in June. The Fish are probably reluctant to put a $50MM offer on the table a couple months into his career. That’s reportedly close to what they offered Stowers, who is two years further along and is coming off an All-Star season. Marsee is under club control through his age-30 campaign.