Miami Marlins make two year offer to Adam LaRoche

Now that the big piece of their lineup is locked in a long term deal, the Miami Marlins have started to focus on building the remainder of their lineup and those efforts appear to be starting with first baseman Adam LaRoche. The team made LaRoche a contract offer on Wednesday, believed to be for two years and $20 million according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (in a piece filled with quotes and insight into the club’s negotiations with Giancarlo Stanton).

The offer is likely just a starting point to negotiations, as it comes in below what LaRoche earned this past season. He just finished up a two year, $24 million deal with the Washington Nationals. Most predictions have him signing for closer to $30 million this offseason.

LaRoche, 35, hit .259/.362/.455 with 26 home runs this past season in 586 plate appearances. While a big piece of the Nationals lineup, the team appears to have no interest in bringing him back with Ryan Zimmerman moving across the diamond to take over at first base.

Over his 11 year career, LaRoche is a .264/.340/.472 hitter who has averaged 35 doubles and 27 home runs a season. He’d offer an instant upgrade to the Marlins lineup, replacing Garrett Jones at first base. Jones batted .246/.309/.411 this past season.

A key piece to the team’s new contract with Stanton is the payroll flexibility it provides over the first three seasons, specifically designed to give the team room to add in quality players around their cornerstone to ensure that a competitive team is being put on the field. Adding a left-handed bat such as LaRoche would be a solid first step towards accomplishing that and it would also provide the team with some additional veteran leadership (and prior playoff experience).

LaRoche is also said to have some interest from the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres.