Miami Marlins: Three low-cost free agents to target
The Miami Marlins likely won’t make any major moves, but they could improve the roster with these three low-cost options.
The Miami Marlins have already won the offseason by hiring Kim Ng to take over the role of general manager this winter. It’s obviously going to take some time to see the effects of this historic signing on the field, but the groundwork has been laid for the Miami Marlins to become a contending team in the near future.
When it comes to the 2020-2021 offseason, the Marlins aren’t expected to be major players for any big-name free agent signings. However, there has already been a good amount of roster turnover and while the Marlins may be slower to dive into the offseason market, Kim Ng and Miami leadership have identified the biggest areas of need and have made a few small moves to start addressing those needs.
As previously reported, the bullpen will be the top focus this winter, where Miami has already traded for Adam Cimber from Cleveland and picked up two bullpen options in the Rule 5 draft.
They selected RHP Paul Campbell from Tampa Bay, an intriguing spot-starter/long-relief option if he can stick on the roster, and they traded for RHP Zach Pop, who was selected by Arizona from Baltimore.
Pop is nearly two years recovered from Tommy John surgery, but hasn’t pitched since 2018 after missing 2019 due to surgery and 2020 due to cancellation of the minor league baseball season. He’s a hard-throwing late-inning option with a swing-and-miss slider and could end up being one of the top pickups of the Rule 5 draft.
But the Miami Marlins still have more moves they are going to make, including more bullpen help. Here are three low-cost free agents who could improve the 2021 roster.
The Miami Marlins are expected to add more relievers to the mix.
Last year’s closer Brandon Kintzler now finds himself on the free agent market, and while the Miami Marlins and Kintzler have expressed interest in a reunion, nothing appears imminent on that front at the moment.
According to Marlins beat writer Craig Mish, the Marlins are active in the reliever market and could end up bringing in someone new soon, but it won’t be any of the names at the top of the market. That doesn’t mean there isn’t still good value on the market.
He may not be an arm the Marlins slot into the closer’s role, but LHP Jake McGee could a solid, cheaper option for Miami.
McGee, 34, went 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA and 1.67 FIP in 24 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He struck out an absurd 41.8% of hitters and walked a career-low 3.8% while limiting opponents to a .184 average across 20+ innings.
It was a pleasant bounce-back season for McGee, who was worth 0.7 Wins Above Replacement out of the bullpen, this after posting a combined -0.5 fWAR over his final two seasons with the Colorado Rockies in 2018-19.
Tony Watson and Chasen Shreve are two other intriguing left-handed bullpen options, with Sean Doolittle also available as a reclamation project, but after Brad Hand, there just isn’t much in terms of left-handed options via free agency.
Can Yasiel Puig and Miami Marlins come to a compromise?
The Miami Marlins have already expressed interest in signing Mel Rojas Jr earlier this offseason before the KBO MVP ended up signing to play in Japan next season, but could Miami turn their attention back to Yasiel Puig to try and work out a deal again?
Miami offered Puig a deal last offseason but Puig ended up not signing, citing demand for more money and his hesitation about playing in front of a crowd of Cuban fans who would have exceedingly high expectations of him.
But maybe, just maybe, Puig’s feelings about playing with Miami have changed, if the Marlins are still interested. There’s good reason to believe that fans will be able to return in 2021 and there’s no doubt that Puig would help sell tickets.
The Marlins have plenty of outfield options, but their interest in Rojas shows that they are looking to make an upgrade if the fit is right.
Puig last played in 2019, hitting 24 home runs with a .267/.327/.458 slash line and a 101 wRC+ with the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland. He had signed with Atlanta to play in 2020, but a positive COVID-19 test derailed those plans.
Puig is now represented by Rachel Luba of Luba Sports, is eager to get back on a major league field in 2021, and has already had a few teams express interest in him, including the Orioles and Red Sox. Any deal reached would likely be an incentive-laden deal and not overly risky for a team like the Marlins.
It’s a long-shot idea, but it’s been a full year since last year’s drama with the two sides and there’s a new general manager in Miami. Odds are low a deal happens, but it’s certainly a fun transaction to think about.
A veteran starter would be a nice addition to a promising Miami Marlins rotation.
A big area of intrigue heading into 2021 will be the Miami Marlins pitching staff. Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Elieser Hernandez, and Sixto Sanchez were all impressive in 2020 and looking to build on that success, but they are a young group (all 25 and under) who will need some veteran help to get through a 162-game schedule.
As of right now, LHP Trevor Rogers is slotted as the fifth starter on Fangraphs’ Roster Resource. He showed some flashes in his few outings last season, but he’s also a young arm (23) who may not be ready for 30+ MLB starts as soon as next season.
Everyone but Rogers is a right-handed option, so let’s look at the veteran LHP market for a low-cost signing to mix it up a bit.
There a few intriguing options here, such as Brett Anderson (58% groundball rate, 5% walk rate), which is the type of signing the Marlins would likely target in this situation, but let’s look at someone who will have to take a very cheap deal yet possesses a notable bit of upside.
How about a Jose Quintana? Quintana threw just 10 innings last season due to thumb surgery, but he’s been a 3-4 WAR pitcher just about every other season in the majors since 2013.
From 2013-2019, Quintana threw at least 170 innings in each season, including four seasons of 200+ inning workloads. He isn’t a high strikeout pitcher but he does a good job of keeping the ball on the ground and a fairly good job of limiting walks.
Quintana may have multiple suitors due to his upside and low cost, but if the Marlins could land him and he’s healthy in 2021, Quintana would be a solid piece to mix into the backend of the rotation and a veteran arm to help out a very young and promising pitching staff.
Next. Wei Yin Chen to remain in Japan. dark
We know the Miami Marlins are going to be quiet this offseason, but they are going to be smart. With Kim Ng running the show now, it’s only a matter of time before the Marlins are a must-watch product.