Miami Marlins: Bullpen top priority this offseason
The Miami Marlins are looking to remain in the postseason chase in 2021. To do that, they are targeting bullpen help as their top priority.
The Miami Marlins were one of the biggest surprises in baseball last season. An unexpected contender, they not only found themselves in the postseason, but they also swept the Cubs to reach the NLDS. While they eventually fell to the Braves, the 2020 season had to be considered a rousing success.
Understandably, the Marlins are looking to keep those good times rolling. To that end, they are prioritizing the bullpen for the upcoming season.
New Marlins GM Kim Ng, in ongoing press conference, said adding to bullpen will be top priority this offseason (after losses of Kintzler - whose return hasn't been totally ruled out - and Stanek). Said "would love another bat in the lineup" and is open to anything via trade
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 3, 2020
This focus on the bullpen makes sense. The Marlins have an exciting young rotation, fronted by emerging ace Sixto Sanchez. Although the lineup could use another impact bat, as indicated above, revamping the bullpen should be the Marlins’ primary focus.
More Marlins. All quiet on the Kintzler front. light
Miami does have a few holes to fill. Last year’s closer, Brandon Kintzler, is a free agent, and although the Marlins had indicated their interest in bringing him back, nothing has happened on that front. While he served as the Marlins closer in 2020, adding a better option for the ninth inning could be beneficial.
Even if Kintzler comes back, the Marlins have a lot of work to do in the bullpen. Miami had a -1.4 fWAR for their relief corps last season, better than only the Mariners. They ranked 26th in the majors with a 5.50 ERA and a 1.55 WHiP, while their 18.1% strikeout rate was the worst in baseball.
There were some mitigating circumstances to those issues. The Marlins literally cobbled a team together from the scrap heap after 18 players were unavailable due to testing positive for COVID. But that does not change the fact that the bullpen needs a major overhaul, something that the front office is aware of.
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The Miami Marlins plan on building a sustainable contender. Upgrading the bullpen will go a long way towards making that happen.