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What We’re Actually Learning From Marlins Pitchers and Catchers

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Scott Roche | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 7:57 PM ET

After an offseason that began with so many questions surrounding the Miami Marlins pitching staff, mainly the starting rotation, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix waited until January to give us some answers. You can say it was an offseason of change for the Marlins.

The big question was whether or not Bendix was going to trade any of his starting pitchers or was he going to keep them, run it back, and see how things go until the trade deadline? For a while, it looked like they were going to run it back, but in January, Bendix ended up trading two of his starters.

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First, Edward Cabrera was traded to the Chicago Cubs and then, left-hander Ryan Weathers was traded to the New York Yankees. In both deals, Miami received a handful of prospects and some promising ones. Owen Caissie, acquired as part of the package coming back from the Cubs, has a chance to really make an impact in 2026 and beyond.

The Marlins are a week into spring training and what have we learned so far when it comes to their pitchers and catchers?

What We're Learning About the Rotation

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Things are set at the top of the rotation as long as everyone stays healthy. Sandy Alcantara is going to headline it, but after that, there are open slots with Cabrera and Weathers gone. Eury Pérez is penciled in to slot in behind Alcantara. Max Meyer, Chris Paddack and Braxton Garrett are the front-runners to round out the rotation, but they'll have some competition.

The trades of Cabrera and Weathers certainly are going to shake things up for second-year manager Clayton McCullough. Despite the trade, Miami is a team that has some young pitching depth that is ready to prove that it is major league-ready.

What We're Learning About the Depth

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Janson Junk, Adam Mazur, Ryan Gust and Bradley Blalock could push for a spot. Junk is already dealing with an injury and is battling through an early setback. Non-roster invitee and reigning Marlins minor league pitcher of the year Robby Snelling started Saturday's 2-1 Grapefruit League win over the New York Mets, tossing a scoreless inning.

As far as the bullpen goes, McCullough is going to have a true closer to count on after Miami signed former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks. As far as how the bullpen shakes out as spring training goes along, Junk is someone who, if he doesn't land in the rotation, could be a long relief option or opener option this season.

Catcher Depth

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Agustín Ramírez got the start behind the plate against the Mets on Saturday and he enters camp as the front-runner to win the job. The question facing the Marlins will be, who will be their backup at a position that has sturggled in the past.

Is prospect Joe Mack ready to make the roster? If not, it might be in his best interest and the best interest of the organization that he starts the year in the minors, getting a lot of playing time. Liam Hicks would get the backup spot in that situation.

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