10 great players who finished their MLB careers with the Marlins

[Kevin Barral]

You may be surprised by how many notable stars played their final MLB season with the Fish.

Through the decades, the Marlins have had an interesting tradition of picking up former stars nearing the end of their careers. Maybe they were still valuable in part-time roles and as clubhouse leaders, or the team just wanted them to chase major milestones while wearing a Marlins uniform. These are the ones who spent their last MLB regular season in South Florida.

The following players have been placed in chronological order—from oldest to most recent—with the final year of their MLB career in parentheses. Read until the end for several honorable mentions.

 

Andre Dawson (1996)

Andre Dawson was the 1977 NL Rookie of the Year and 1987 NL MVP who had been an eight-time All-Star selection, Home Run Derby champion, eight-time Gold Glover and four-time Silver Slugger. Dawson already had more than 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases in his career when he signed with his hometown team ahead of the 1995 season at 40 years of age.

In his first year with the young franchise, the Southwest Miami High School product slashed .257/.305/.434/739 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. The Hawk re-signed with the Marlins in 1996. Mainly being used as a pinch-hitter, he slashed .276/.311/.414/.725 with two home runs and 14 RBIs.

Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.

 

Darren Daulton (1997)

The late Darren Daulton was 35 years old when the Marlins acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Billy McMillon. Daulton had spent his whole career with the Phillies up to that point, including two seasons where he finished top 10 in NL MVP voting.

Daulton would be a great midseason addition during the Marlins' run to the World Series. Mainly playing first base, he slashed .262/.371/.429/.799 with three home runs, 21 RBI and a 114 OPS+. In the playoffs, Dalton went 8-for-22 with one home run, three RBI and a 1.081 OPS.

 

Tim Raines (2002)

Tim Raines bounced around the league during the twilight of his career. He played his 23rd and final season with the Florida Marlins. At age 42, Raines slashed .191/.351/.258/.609 with one home run, seven RBI and a 66 OPS+. One of the game's greatest base-stealers ever, he had zero stolen bases in 98 games in 2002.

After it was all said and done, Raines would be a seven-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, Silver Slugger, batting title champion, All-Star Game MVP and—after a long waiting period on the BBWAA ballot—a Hall of Famer.

 

Luis Gonzalez (2008)

Gonzalez was a late bloomer who became one of MLB's most consistent run producers in his 30s, peaking with a 57-homer season for the World Series-winning Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.

It looked as though he still had a lot left in the tank when he came to Florida. He served as the club's everyday left fielder for part of the 2008 season, but his production and playing time dipped in the second half.

Gonzalez totaled 2,591 hits in his long career, including 596 doubles (19th-most in MLB history).

 

Mike Cameron (2011)

The Marlins purchased the contract of Mike Cameron after he got off to a very slow start with the Boston Red Sox. This would not only mark Cameron's final season playing on a Major League team, but the final season of the Florida Marlins, who were preparing to rebrand and move into their new ballpark.

In 45 games with the Fish, Cameron improved and slashed .238/.331/.420/.751 with six home runs, 18 RBI and a 105 OPS+. He also defied the odds by continuing to play center field at age 38.

The three-time Gold Glover was released in September. He attempted a comeback with the Washington Nationals in 2012, but retired early in spring training.

 

Carlos Zambrano (2012)

Carlos Zambrano had spent the previous decade as a big piece of the Chicago Cubs starting rotation, receiving Cy Young votes three separate times. However, he was coming off his worst season when the Marlins traded for him.

During a disappointing 2012 season for the Marlins overall, Zambrano was a solid contributor. Fourth on the team with 132 ⅓ innings pitched, he posted a 4.49 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 6.5 K/9 and a 5.1 BB/9.

Zambrano was just 31 years old after his Marlins tenure. He kept on pitching professionally until 2019, but never again against MLB competition.

 

Plácido Polanco (2013)

Polanco was a .299 career hitter when he joined the rebuilding Marlins. Only two years removed from winning his most recent Gold Glove, the plan was for him to be the everyday third baseman.

Nagging injuries led to a mediocre season, slashing .260/.315/.302 with one home run, 23 RBI and a 72 OPS+.

 

Brad Penny (2014)

Many will forget that 2003 World Series member Brad Penny had a second stint with the Marlins. After being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004, Penny signed with the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals. His career came full circle in 2014.

After building up in the minors, the 36-year-old Penny posted a 6.58 ERA and 5.25 FIP through 26 innings pitched in Miami. Like several others on this list, he tried (unsuccessfully) to extend his career without making it back to the highest level.

 

Curtis Granderson (2019)

Granderson was a late addition to the Marlins shortly before spring training in 2019. He was a former teammate of Derek Jeter's, who was the team's CEO at the time.

Entering the season with 332 career home runs, he went deep in his Marlins debut, but his batting average dipped below .200 in mid-April and never made it back up to that mark. Appearing in 138 games, he slashed .183/.281/.356.

 

Martín Prado (2019)

The Marlins acquired Martín Prado along with pitcher David Phelps in a trade that would send Nathan Eovaldi, Domingo Germán and Garrett Jones to the New York Yankees.

Prado would go on to be widely respected in Miami's clubhouse. He bridged the gap between the Stanton/Yelich/Ozuna years and the Bruce Sherman era. Prado's best season came in 2016 when he slashed .305/.359/.417/.775 with eight home runs, 75 RBIs and a 113 OPS+. By the end of his career, he was considered the captain of the team.

The Venezuelan infielder was clearly in decline in 2019, but he ended his career on a high note by homering in his final game.

 

Honorable mentions

• Charlie Hough (1994)
• Javier Vázquez (2011)
• Juan Pierre (2013)
• Rafael Furcal (2014)
• Jeff Francoeur (2016)

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[THOMAS JOSEPH]

It's great to read more about two homegrown Expos HOFers here. Of the six homegrown Expos players in the team's 36 year history, three wear the Montréal cap. Gary Carter joins Rock and Hawk in that distinction. Honorable mention Javier Vásquez is one of my later Expos favorites and certainly underrated. My ex-wife always said he was the best-looking Expo she'd seen. I'll defer to her on that, but he had electric stuff. Thanks.

[1993 fan from start]

finished their MLB careers with the Marlins was great.

like watching videos of former players highlights .

like to see more charles johnson, gary shelfeild  ,jeff conine , Darren Daulton , kevin brown , and others from past 1993 till 2017