Marlins Open To Corner Infield/Outfield Addition

The Marlins have a wide array of potential targets as the offseason gets underway. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that the Fish are seeking at least one external addition to both the rotation and the bullpen. According to Jackson, they’re also open to bringing in an everyday position player at either a corner infield or outfield spot.

That leaves the front office with ample roster flexibility, a luxury of being well-positioned up the middle already. Miami has defensive stalwart Joe Mack behind the plate and a strong middle infield duo of Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards. They’re well positioned long term in center field with Jakob Marsee as well, though they could look for a stopgap there because Marsee required postseason internal brace surgery. That came with a six-month recovery window that makes him doubtful for Opening Day if the season begins on time.

Miami was a league average offensive team in 2026. They ranked 18th in scoring, 23rd in home runs, and 16th in slugging percentage. They were in the top ten in batting average and on-base percentage but were a bit light in terms of true impact bats. It’s not surprising they’re open to an offensive acquisition in a corner, where most of their players have positional flexibility.

Kyle Stowers was a full-time first baseman in the second half. He has an outfield background and could move back there if the Fish brought in a first baseman. Javier Sanoja is the projected starter at third base. That looked like the offense’s biggest question mark for a while, but he finished the season on a tear.

Sanoja ended the year with a .295/.333/.458 line across 490 plate appearances. His contact-based approach feels more like a traditional utility profile than an everyday third baseman. He has earned himself regular playing time even if he bounces around the diamond. Sanoja has the defensive chops to play anywhere and already has a utility Gold Glove award to his name.

Griffin Conine, Heriberto Hernández, and Owen Caissie are currently lined up for the corner outfield/designated hitter work. Conine mashed over the final three months after missing most of the first half to a hamstring strain. Hernández led the team with 25 home runs as the primary left fielder, though his .228/.313/.442 slash line is only a little better than average overall. Caissie had a disappointing first year with the team, striking out at a 37.3% clip en route to a .220/.288/.412 line in 330 plate appearances.

Esteury Ruiz is in the mix as a fourth outfielder. He’s an elite basestealer but has a middling career track record offensively. Ruiz is a burner but has never graded highly defensively, as his strong baserunning instincts haven’t translated to the other side of the ball.

There are things to like about everyone in that group, but an outside addition would raise the floor in case of offensive regression from Conine or Sanoja. There’d also be a trickle-down effect on the overall position player depth, as Miami’s projected bench aside from Ruiz is unimpressive.

The Marlins haven’t signed a free agent to a multi-year contract since Peter Bendix assumed baseball operations over the 2023-24 offseason. There’s short-term payroll space to accommodate a few free agent moves, even by Miami’s standards. Sandy Alcantara’s $21MM salary is their only guaranteed obligation. They’re also sending $10MM to the Yankees on the Giancarlo Stanton contract.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects their arbitration class for a combined $29MM in salaries. They don’t have many obvious non-tender candidates but could shave a few million dollars off that projection by dropping Anthony Bender, Andrew Nardi and Tyler Zuber — all of whom are coming off surgeries. Without accounting for non-tenders, the Marlins currently have the third-lowest payroll projection at roughly $79.25MM (as shown on MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker).

Miami probably isn’t going to play at the top of the first base market to sign Jake Bauers, who received a qualifying offer from the Brewers. They could make a run at Ty France with the hope of pushing Stowers back to left field and cutting back on Hernández’s playing time. Alec Bohm could also fit on a one-year deal with the ability to play either corner infield spot. Taylor Ward, Trent Grisham or  Michael Conforto could work as outfield targets.

The trade market could see the likes of Royce Lewis, Spencer Torkelson or Andrew Vaughn come available at first base. Vaughn would be a near lock to move if Bauers accepts the QO and returns to Milwaukee. The Astros could make Isaac Paredes available as a third base possibility. Brandon Marsh or Jarren Duran are change of scenery candidates in the outfield.

Miami can weigh various options against their needs on the pitching side. The rotation is in good shape at the top. They have Alcantara, Eury Pérez, and Max Meyer penciled into three spots with top prospect Thomas White looming as a potential debut. Janson Junk is a fine back-end option, but they’ll need a #4/5 type starter to provide some innings. Shane Bieber, Matthew Boyd, Robbie Ray, Walker Buehler, Brady Singer, Patrick Sandoval, Martín Pérez and NPB veterans Hiromi Itoh and Kona Takahashi could all play that kind of role.

The Fish have a lot of power arms toward the back of the bullpen but few relievers with much late-game experience. Last winter’s Pete Fairbanks signing didn’t go well, leaving them without an established closer. Ronny Henriquez could reclaim the job after missing all of 2026 to UCL surgery. Raisel Iglesias, Emilio Pagán, Kenley Jansen, Bryan Abreu or Kevin Ginkel are likely to sign for one or two years and have spent their careers in leverage roles. Paul Blackburn and Sean Newcomb have the versatility to sign as a potential leverage reliever or compete for the fifth starter role depending on the team’s needs during Spring Training.