The Miami Marlins have some of the deepest pitching in MLB, but there’s still a way an Anibal Sanchez reunion could make sense for Miami.
Full disclosure: One of my favorite Miami Marlins of all-time is Anibal Sanchez.
So there’s at least as much heart as head behind making the case that Miami could serve as a perfect landing spot for the veteran if he is indeed serious about attempting another comeback in 2022. Seeing someone throw a no-hitter for the hometown team in person will put those kind of blinders on you, even if that hometown team currently has some of the deepest pitching in all of baseball.
Yet even with that depth, there is a scenario in which this Sanchez reunion makes all kinds of sense for the Miami Marlins, not to mention Sanchez himself. It just all comes down to how the rest of this offseason, whenever it does actually resume, plays out for Miami.
It’s no secret that offense is still the Achilles heel of this Marlins squad. What has been even less of a secret ever since the offseason began is that Miami is willing to move pitching in order to improve it. Thus far, the front office has seen fit to bolster the hitting side of the club with a mix of free agent signings and the trade front, signing Avisail Garcia and trading for Jacob Stallings and Joey Wendle. And there is every expectation that the Marlins have one more big move in them once the lockout ends.
Now, if that move is a surprise signing of one the remaining big name bats on the free agent market, then signing Sanchez right now likely makes zero sense for Miami. As of today, the starting rotation is largely filled out, with plenty of competition for the fourth and fifth spots. Cheap competition.
However, if the Marlins trade for their slugger, Sanchez could make sense very quickly. Such a move would almost certainly be made from their pitching surplus, and would just as certainly require at least one big league ready arm going back the other team’s way in the deal. Maybe that means borderline ace Pablo Lopez, maybe that means someone Jesus Luzardo or Elieser Hernandez. Either way, the Marlins could suddenly find themselves a little short on MLB-proven options, with a gap between stars and prospects.
In this case, an affordable veteran with innings-eating upside like Sanchez has lots of appeal. No rushing of younger arms like Meyer or Eury Perez to the Majors, which could be especially enticing for Miami if service clock rules change in the players favor in the new CBA. Sanchez would also be a safety net in the event of injuries, something that was a huge stumbling block for the Marlins in 2021.
Of course, it takes two sides to make deal. If Sanchez is only looking to come back to chase a ring, then a Miami Marlins return is unlikely. But if Sanchez thinks he has a couple of seasons left in the tank, and just wants to pitch, there could be something to this. Miami does plan to contend in 2022, but there’s contending and contending. An up-and-coming team like Miami can easily promise a back of the rotation spot and an incentive-laden deal, something a playoffs or bust club can’t necessarily do.
Again, this could all be a fan’s wishful thinking. It could also be a really smart move by Miami.