Why the Miami Marlins need to use free agency to add big bat

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The Miami Marlins want to add another big bat before Opening Day- here are three reasons they need to use free agency to do it.

The Miami Marlins have made no secret of the fact they want to keep upgrading their offense.

Last week in this space, the case was made that whether that comes down to the free agent market or the trade market will ride entirely upon the decision on MLB playoff expansion. More chances at a ring, more reasons to get aggressive essentially. Ultimately, I do believe that will still be the determining factor.

However, that’s not to say there aren’t plenty of other reasons to throw money at the team’s offensive problems rather than prospects. At a minimum, three reasons stand out as to why free agency is the best path for the Miami Marlins to take in 2022 in their quest to add more pop to the lineup. Starting with some simple arithmetic…

The Miami Marlins can afford it

Historically, the Miami Marlins aren’t the outfit that scares other MLB clubs when it comes time to have a bidding war.

Understandably, Derek Jeter and friends aside, they’re never going to be the Yankees. But two things stand out for Miami in a way that could make them major players in free agency for the next couple seasons. For one, Miami has a young corp of elite pitching locked up for multiple years. For another, they technically only have $27 million in salary commitments for 2023.

That kind of space leaves plenty of room to take on a big contract, even after allowing for the fact that the Marlins will certainly try to lock up another one of their young stars after this season. Miami may still be a small market (revenue-wise) team, but that current 2023 commitment total is barely more than half of what they get from their television contract. Again, plenty of room.

Especially when the general public knows those figures. Marlins history is littered with disappointing financial decisions. While the marriage of payroll space with competitive young talent is the primary argument for Miami finally trying to land one of those free agent “whales”, the public relations impact of such a move for this particular organization can’t be dismissed out of hand either. Ownership can tinker with the stadium and stock the farm as much as they wish- consistent spending and winning alike are what it’s going to take to shed the baggage of previous regimes. No time like the present.

Of course, money isn’t the only asset the Marlins have plenty of at the moment…

Because the Miami Marlins need to hit on a hitting prospect

The Miami Marlins might have more money than they’re used to having for payroll- but they’re still a lower revenue ballclub that is hardly just one piece away from a championship.

Bottom-line, Miami is going to need to keep developing their own players to really have a chance at contention. Pitching-wise, that is something the Marlins have excelled at, with depth on that front that has become the envy of MLB. Hitting-wise, well the record hasn’t been nearly as sterling.

In point of fact, it’s been pretty terrible. Jazz Chisholm remains an unfinished product, with plenty of question marks. Jesus Sanchez could be good, then again maybe not. But at no point during this ownership regime has a position player done anything to make a fan think that they have the next Hanley Ramirez/Dan Uggla/Giancarlo Stanton/Christian Yelich on their hands. Or for that matter a Mike Lowell or Luis Castillo. Certainly no superstars, but no absolute lineup fixtures either. All of the bats in Miami’s lineup that have proven to be reliable on the MLB stage are older veterans.

That’s a problem if you don’t have Mets money to keep buying your way out of trouble.

Consequently, the Miami Marlins would be best served holding on to as many of their position player prospects as possible. Someone out of Sanchez, JJ Bleday, Peyton Burdick, Khalil Watson, or the rest of the pack is going to need to develop into an All-Star caliber offensive threat if the team is going to start perennially contending anytime soon. Once they have a better sense of who is going to take that step, they can consider depleting the farm further.

Something that might make sense for the organization as soon as midsummer…

Because the pitchers and prospects will be worth more in July

Ultimately, if the Miami Marlins are really bound and determined to make another big trade in 2022, they should wait until July to do it.

The two most coveted things in MLB are pitchers and prospects. The Marlins have plenty of both. Regardless of how Miami’s season is looking come trade deadline time, the team can position itself to take advantage of the annual frenzy if they go into July armed with the same war chest they have right now.

Should Miami have the season they hope to have, with a winning record and a wild card chase in an expanded playoff field, then the organization can spend prospect capital knowing that it is worth it to do so. They can also do having had the benefit of five extra months of evaluation of their system. As noted on the previous slide, the Marlins can’t afford to trade the wrong player. Prospects should never be spent lightly-see almost every trade from the Jeffrey Loria era for reference- and the cost will be higher in summer than in spring. But the reward of knowing this roster is capable of contention, and knowing more about this group of young talent, is worth the extra prospect it would cost to get something done.

Now, if 2022 doesn’t go the way Miami wants to, then that’s even more reason to wait. Because in that scenario, we’re probably talking about MLB ready pitching being dealt for prospects. Which means the Marlins are the team that can charge the premium. Think Pablo Lopez won’t fetch some contender’s top hitting prospect? Think again.

Thus far this offseason, the Miami Marlins have actually done very well in bolstering the MLB roster without blowing up the farm. However, none of those moves have been for the type of talent Miami is purportedly targeting right now.

Next. The Marlins Trade That Has No MLB Equal. dark

No need to break that streak now. Time to pay up and put the finishing touch on the 2022 Marlins.

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