After months of rumors, the Marlins finally dealt Edward Cabrera in a pitching-for-hitting trade, as the right-hander was dealt to the Cubs for a notable three-prospect package headlined by Owen Caissie. With Caissie ready to make an impact in Miami’s outfield as early as this season, the Marlins bolstered their lineup at the potential expense of their rotation, though the Fish are perhaps one of the few teams with enough rotation depth to withstand the loss of Cabrera.
Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Ryan Weathers, Max Meyer, and Braxton Garrett are tentatively lined up as the starting five, with swingman Janson Junk likely the top depth option. Adam Mazur and Ryan Gusto also have some big league experience, Dax Fulton looks to be ready for his MLB debut, and top prospects Thomas White and Robby Snelling could also both make their first appearance in the Show before 2026 is out.
Given how this group is long on injury history and mostly short on proven track records, however, a case can certainly be made that Miami could or should add to their starter mix. Kevin Barral of Fish On First hears from a source that the Marlins could pursue an innings-eating veteran to add some more stability to the rotation. In the other direction, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic write that “the Marlins remain open to further dealing from their rotation for the right return.”
The latter report doesn’t indicate that such a trade if necessarily likely, and it could just be another example of how president of baseball operations Peter Bendix is broadly open to discussing all offers out of due diligence. Rosenthal and Sammon also note that it is still “unlikely” that Alcantara is traded, echoing multiple reports from throughout the offseason about the Marlins’ lack of appetite in moving the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner.
Trading away one of the younger arms for another MLB-ready young hitter could be more plausible if the right offer emerges, plus Miami could need to create some rotation space anyway if the team did bring in a veteran hurler. This hypothetical veteran arm wouldn’t come with a big price tag, as Barral uses the comp of the Marlins’ signing of Cal Quantrill to a one-year, $3.5MM deal last winter. Naturally Miami would be looking for better results from its next investment, as Quantrill posted a 5.50 ERA over 109 2/3 innings before he was put on waivers in August and claimed away by the Braves.
As one might expect, Bendix didn’t share many hints about adding or subtracting any pitchers when speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola and Jessica Camerato) earlier this week. While acknowledging the “can never have too much pitching” mantra, Bendix feels his team has plenty of internal options already for a spirited rotation battle in Spring Training, with even White or Snelling being candidates to break camp.
“I definitely don’t have a feel of who the starting five are going to be to open up the season,” Bendix said. “I think there’s opportunity there, there’s a competition there, there’s open space there, there’s a chance for a whole bunch of guys to step up and earn a spot, and there’s nothing that we’re writing off at this point.”
Looks like this site can simply be turned off until Spriing Training. It’s silly having a 5 month signing season which turns into a 3 month lull.
The signing season and hot stove do not exist solely to provide entertainment to eager fans.
Clubs build their teams. Good deals often exist around when pitchers and catchers report.
I don’t blame the owner, agents or players because the system mostly works just fine. Like everyone else, I am excited to learn where the remaining free agents will go, but there is no harm with it taking another month for many players to shake out.
Oh. OK.
I much prefer the slow burn of an off season where news can break any time before the season begins, compared to the frenetic pace of the single hour off season of the NBA or NHL.
Yeah but you have to admit we are all glued to our screens and enjoy the frantic pace of trade deadline day
The issue is there is no pressure to sign until spring or before the season starts.
So teams wait out the players. Players try to wait out the teams and nothing really happens.
Exactly. A few years ago it was Boras and the agents slow-rolling the clubs. Now the clubs slow-roll back. The only real deadlines begin as the season approaches. People buy tickets, or not, without knowing which players they’ll see. It’s a poor business model. Not surprising that no other sport copies this.
Janson Junk having a regular role would be a boon to our resident punsters.
I have to really hold back every time they do a Marlins article
Not a bad set of rotation options.
For the teams that cannot afford Ranger, Framber, or Gallen, it would not hurt to add Bassit, Goolito or Quintana to this rotation or many others. Even a guy like Nick Martinez might due well in a pitcher’s park like Miami.
“do” not “due”
I agree I think Martinez would do well there.
Cookie is exactly the kind of over the hill, over priced veteran they need to spend money on. He won’t improve their staff but will improve their chances that the MLBPA doesn’t file a greivance against them that could cost them their revenue sharing money.
Christ Bassitt would fit well. With the Mets, he was like an extra pitching coach and was very helpful to the young pitchers.
He’s chesp and probably available on a 1-year deal.
I hate trading away Eddy Cabrera, but Caissie looks like a solid player. I hope it ends up a win-win.
My wild guess is that the FO will wait until late spring training to add a veteran arm, after monitoring the health statues from Garrett, Weathers, and Meyer.
Junk should be the front candidate for the fifth spot over Meyer, who should be headed to the long reliever/spot start arm.
Both Meyer and Garrett will be under innings limit, so there’s enough opportunities for everyone. Meyer’s slider should be a powerful weapon out of the bullpen.
The prime candidate for a midseason call up is Snelling. Very underrated prospect who was fantastic last season.
Caissie has a nice swing and looks like a good player, I’d agree, but what Bendix doesn’t have a feel for is his team.
Cabrera was a bright spot on that team. He and Sandy and Eury Perez were a unit at the top of that rotation and they could have been great this season.
That Marlins team was in position to win this season but after the trade of a captain for a rookie, that team is scheduled for fourth place in the NL East.
To say you arent going to trade Alcantara now is a load of donkey sh87 – because you just gutted the team when you traded Cabrera.
Sure, they are professionals, the team will meld in some way and they’ll get over it but I dont know that anybody the Marlins have on their roster, on the farm or in free agency, can replace Cabrera this season.
Trading a prospect or two for a veteran bat like Yandy Diaz would have given the team the right motivation heading into camp, would have made a statement that the team is going for it this year. Trading Cabrera for Caissie is a roster move that signals management is more excited about the players on the farm than they are about the team on the field in Miami.
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Gutted the team when they traded Cabrera? You’ve gotta be kidding. Trading a pitcher who’s only gone over 99 innings once is not gutting your team. They have Snelling and White in the pipeline who should be up this year. The rotation will be fine without him. I was listening to the CBS podcast yesterday and they were having the same reaction I did over the way people are viewing this trade. Scott White said, “In what world did Edward Cabrera become a frontline starter?” Indeed.
In this world, that is called Development. Eddy has always had the stuff, but either health or inexperience was hindering his complete development. He pulled many things together last season and looked like a complete #2 in any contender.
Now he need to be consistent and durable, and for sure he has the tools to do so.
Agree with you 100%. The team could even have an outside shot with a 3B/1B free agent and keep that monster trio of starters, but again, the ownership is just way too cheap.
Now we all hope Weathers stays healthy AND takes a step forward – he does have stuff to be a solid #3. Sandy should be better than last year, so should Eury.
The lineup is probably better but the rotation took a huge step back. Not sure if they will do better next season.
My guess is that around the All Star break when they are 8-10 back in the WC race that Bendix will trade Alcantara and Fairbanks.
The only reason either are there now is that the Marlins need to show they are at least trying to spend money. They will probably sign an over the hill starting pitcher for more than they are worth to try to get up into that $100 million range so they don’t get slapped by the MLBPA.
Then when they are out of it they have an excuse to trade away their 2 most expensive players. We tried.
I don’t know – their depth options are junk.
Janson junk was an angel
So what, he still throws junk
They could afford to trade Cabrera because they have two top prospects ready to join the rotation: Robby Snelling and Thomas White.
Between the two they have a 5% shot at either having 4.00 ERA in full season of 30 or more starts in their career. Of course, Cabrera never had a 30 start season in his career.
Subtitle should be: “This is going to be ugly”.
Giolito would be a good veteran presence. Jose Quintana could be a solid, tradeable option as well
Patrick Corbin to the Pirates, Zack Littell to the Marlins.
I’d still prefer the Giants don’t trade Eldridge but if there was high upside pitching available, I’d be ok with it, what about Eldridge for White and Snelling?
No Junk in the rotation is a good start. Will they need a Sixto starter?