Marlins Notes: Stowers, Caissie, Junk

The Marlins and breakout right fielder Kyle Stowers discussed a long-term contract earlier in the winter, and while no deal came together, the 28-year-old slugger told the Marlins beat in camp yesterday that he remains open to a deal (video link via MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola). Stowers pushed back on reports that suggested he’d had a nine-figure asking price, plainly stating, “I didn’t ask for $100MM” and adding that he was never presented a formal offer from the club.

“I’m just so excited to be here,” said Stowers. “So grateful to be in this organization. I was bummed we didn’t get something figured out — would love to some day — but at the same time, let’s take care of this year, and we’ll go from there. … I can’t stress enough how much I love this organization, how much I love being in Miami and playing for this team, [with] this group of guys.”

A well-regarded prospect who came to Miami alongside Connor Norby in the deal sending Trevor Rogers to Baltimore, Stowers broke out with a career-best .288/.368/.544 batting line (149 wRC+) and 25 home runs in only 457 plate appearances last year. He’d very likely have topped 30 home runs and perhaps even garnered some down-ballot MVP votes had an oblique strain not shelved him for about six weeks and limited him to 117 games.

Stowers struggled against lefties, hitting only one of his 24 round-trippers against a southpaw, and he’s probably not going to maintain a .356 average on balls in play. That, coupled with his 27.4% strikeout rate, might  lead to some regression in his rate stats. But even if Stowers doesn’t hit for a particularly high average, his 10.5% walk rate and strong batted-ball metrics suggest he ought to be able to post a quality on-base percentage with plus power contributions.

There’s no major urgency for Miami to complete a deal at this time. Stowers remains under club control for another four seasons and will play the upcoming 2026 campaign at age 28. Any extra seasons tacked on via a contract extension would begin with his age-32 campaign. Miami already controls the slugger for the majority of his remaining prime seasons, so it’s understandable if they’re wary of going particularly long-term on the late-blooming slugger — even on the heels of an All-Star campaign. At the same time, Stowers will be arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter. His gaudy power output should lead to a nice year-one salary in arbitration, which will lessen some of his own urgency to take anything that feels significantly below market value.

Stowers’ path from a well-regarded but somewhat blocked prospect in Baltimore to a starter in Miami is one that fellow outfielder Owen Caissie will hope to follow in 2026. The former Cubs top prospect, acquired as the headliner in this offseason’s Edward Cabrera trade, chatted with SportsGrid’s Craig Mish (video link) about the emotions of being traded and the excitement over what’s clearly a more straightforward path to playing time in South Florida.

“I thought I was pretty blocked,” said Caissie in reply to Mish asking him about the opportunity (or lack thereof) with his former team. “…Chicago is pretty stacked. It’s pretty tough for a guy to break through. There’s a big payroll and everything like that. … The Cubs have had a great squad the last couple years.”

Opportunities have indeed been limited for young outfielders in Chicago. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki have been mainstays on the roster for several years. Cody Bellinger was with the Cubs from 2023-24. The acquisition of Kyle Tucker plugged him into an everyday role in 2025 (after Bellinger’s departure), and Pete Crow-Armstrong has emerged as the primary center fielder (and won’t often be subbed out, due to his brilliant defense).

Caissie has far fewer obstacles in front of him with Miami. Stowers will occupy one corner, and Jakob Marsee is penciled into center after an impressive two-month run to close out the 2025 season. Caissie, who slashed .286/.386/.551 with 22 homers in 99 Triple-A games last year, is the on-paper favorite for work in right field but will likely still need a nice performance in camp to earn the spot rather than have it handed to him.

Elsewhere in camp, there’s at least some mild concern regarding right-hander Janson Junk. The 30-year-old righty had his own breakout showing in Miami last season and is vying for a rotation spot this spring, but he rolled his ankle Tuesday during workouts and was in a walking boot yesterday, De Nicola writes. The team was sending Junk for imaging to determine how severe any damage might be.

Junk, who described himself as “day to day” with the ankle issue, is on his sixth team since 2021 but turned in 110 innings of 4.17 ERA ball for Miami last year. Sixteen of his 21 appearances were starts. He fanned 17.9% of opponents against a microscopic 2.9% walk rate. Whether he ends up being named Miami’s fifth starter or heads to the bullpen for a swing role, Junk figures to make the Opening Day roster as long as he’s healthy. He’s out of minor league options and thus can’t be sent to Triple-A without clearing waivers, which wouldn’t happen after last year’s solid performance.