The Miami Marlins reached the playoffs this past season, and Don Mattingly won the NL Manager of the Year award. But general manager Kim Ng, chief executive officer Derek Jeter, and the rest of the Marlins will struggle to compete this coming season.
The Marlins have some worthwhile players to build around, but they did not do much to help themselves during the MLB free agency period. They made some signings, but they also saw a few noteworthy departures.
The Marlins will have a tough time contending in the NL East this season, especially with a dominant Atlanta Braves squad and a resurgent New York Mets team getting in the way.
New addition to the family, Dylan. See ya in spring! pic.twitter.com/8SOWrhFBlq
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) February 12, 2021
Significant Departures
The Marlins opted to move on from many players at the start of the MLB free agency period. The team declined its option with reliever Brandon Kintzler.
He had twelve saves and a 2.22 ERA last season. The team also opted not to resign second baseman Logan Forsythe or outfielder Matt Joyce.
The team also allowed reliever Pat Venditte to move on as a minor league free agent. Expect another team to sign Venditte very soon, as his switch-throwing ability would be a valuable asset to any club.
Starting pitcher Jose Urena left for the Detroit Tigers, while fellow starter Jordan Yamamoto was traded to the Mets shortly after being designated for assignment.
But the Marlins already have one of the most appealing young rotations in the sport, with Sixto Sanchez and Trevor Rogers joining Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez in the main five.
Who Came to Miami?
The Miami Marlins did land a few free agents this season. Most of them are bullpen pitchers. Closer Anthony Bass arrives from the Toronto Blue Jays and will likely split closing duties with Yimi Garcia. Adam Climber also joins the team from the Cleveland Indians, while veteran long reliever Ross Detwiler is coming over from the Chicago White Sox.
The Marlins are sticking with much of the team’s offense. The team has built its offense through multiple trades over the past few years, with third baseman Brian Anderson being the only starter who originally signed with the Marlins when entering the league.
International Signings
Most of the Marlins’ work on the MLB free agency market came from the international free agent market. The team snagged Yiddi Cappe, a Cuban shortstop considered to be one of the best players on this year’s market. Cappe will likely make his way to the United States this season, as he is eighteen years of age.
The Marlins are expected to complete their signing of Dominican outfielder Jorge Perez later this season. The team also acquired a few other prominent international free agents like Venezuelan starting pitcher Luis Baldiris and Dominican outfielder Kevin Guerrero.
But it will take a while for many of these amateur free agents to make their way to Miami, especially as many of them start to get used to American baseball games.
The fact that some of these players are under eighteen also means they can’t start players for the Marlins system just yet. But Yiddi Cappe may come to Miami sooner than people expect.
The Final Verdict
The Miami Marlins did not do much this past season on the free agency market, but the team does have several young players on hand to help them contend well in the future.
From a rising rotation to some of the most interesting amateur free agents on the market, the Marlins have a bright future ahead of them. But the 2021 season isn’t going to be as great as they wish, as the MLB free agency period wasn’t as kind to them as they hoped.
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