Crowdsourcing 5 New Year’s resolutions for the 2025 Marlins

[Alex Carver]

How do Marlins fans want to see the organization turn over a new leaf in 2025? We asked.

The recent route of the Miami Marlins organization has left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths. From the new front office tearing down what was a playoff team in 2023 to how the team is presented to how their past is showcased and more, even the most die-hard Fish fans want the team to do at least a few things differently as soon as possible. We interviewed a handful of them to compile some of their top requests as we embark on the 33rd year of the franchise’s existence.

Keep young stars in South Florida

“Aggressively pursue contract extensions with any young stars we may have to show the fans we’re not just going to shop every young star away.” - @TakesWereMade_

In 2021, the Marlins saved a lot of face with fans by inking Sandy Alcantara to an extension that runs through at least 2026 (plus a 2027 club option). Marlins fans had hoped this was a changing of the guard and that the team would continue to spend on players it believes in. Since, the Marlins have balked on handing out any long-term contracts.

In years gone by, during the Loria regime, it happened with Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto, Giancarlo Stanton and others. All of those players have one thing in common: they are no longer Marlins and most of the money was mortgaged to other teams. It is evident that those contracts were handed out as a guise rather than a true commitment to creating the next (and first) lifelong Marlins.

If Miami wants to keep fans coming back, they will eventually need to show they are willing to commit to keeping players at loanDepot park for their prime years, whether that be homegrown talent like Eury Pérez and Thomas White, or those acquired from other organizations (Xavier Edwards, Deyvison De Los Santos, etc.). Because Miami will likely need to do this very early in a player’s MLB career or maybe even before it starts, they need to develop a lot more fortitude in their approach when it comes to managing talent. The team has started to do this by challenging prospects to higher levels at younger ages. Hope is this approach persists, players get to the big leagues sooner, and spend their best years in a Miami uniform.

Since their inception, only 14 players have played more than 600 games as Marlins, tied for the fourth-lowest total amongst MLB teams since 1993.

Want to build and keep fan loyalty? Change that narrative.

 

Be honest, front office

“I hate how this front office lacks transparency with fans.” - @MC_Baseball10

The Marlins have a lot of conversations. In fact, they’re always having conversations. What those conversations entail, the world may never know. Since the hiring of Peter Bendix, the vague nature of responses to questions from media members has left the media continuing to search for answers and has kept fans in the dark.

“Every time (Bendix) is given a question we all want the answer to, he deflects or moves it to a different conversation altogether. We need to and deserve to know more.”

When Bendix was asked if the team was done spending following the Tim Anderson signing last season, they were having conversations. When he was asked to elaborate on technology being implemented, they were having conversations. And most recently, when asked about spending post-Jesús Luzardo, conversations were happening. Very little detail in direct response to those inquiries was given. In response to how they were going to replace Jake Burger’s power in the lineup, Bendix swerved away from naming players and/or the potential to explore the free agent market and instead answered with, “There’s lots of ways to score runs.” The refusal to go into more detail on the record has left Marlins fans to believe the team is refusing to be held accountable.

Then there’s the half-truths. Everyone remembers Bruce Sherman circa 2023 spring training stating, “We have money, and we will spend it.” They also remember the refusal of the organization to label their current strategy a rebuild. But when the previous quote turns into, “We have money and we will spend it at the right time,” a season later, the Marlins lose trust.

“Trust is earned and no front office has earned the trust of fans hence the attendance. How can a fan base on the edge of disaster commit to a team who doesn’t commit to them?”

In any business that caters to the public and requires consumer loyalty to be successful, setting proper expectations is key for both your employees and your customers, no matter the scenario. Once the Marlins start doing that from the top down, they will be able to unlock more success on and off the field. Hope is that this practice is implemented as soon as possible.

 

Market differently

“They should change how they currently go about marketing (lots of weird decisions there) and give love to the 2006-2011 Marlins.” - @PastyA_

The weird decisions are enumerate and seem to keep coming in terms how the Marlins are portrayed to the South Florida public. As success on the field has been fledging, the Marlins have tried to get “creative” in how they continue to sell tickets. But with creativity has come very little success. The Marlins have been and continue to be one of the least successful teams in baseball in terms of attendance.

From a canceled Steve Bartman Appreciation Night (which the organization deemed a mistake after immediate backlash) to actual promotions that seemingly have no rhyme or reason (see ongoing Barbie jersey days, an insignificance since 2023), to the fact that the team will now have to repeat in-stadium bobblehead giveaways for a third straight time due to lack of star power, the struggles have and may continue. The Marlins also haven’t done themselves many favors, forcing the beloved (although embarrassingly remodeled) Billy the Marlin almost completely into the void in favor of a trio of racing roosters.

Then there’s the tone-deaf nature of the Marlins’ main social media accounts, which in part have led to the head role being in limbo and the creative team struggling for substance. With the social media manager role in limbo last year, commentary was at best, generic, befitting of a team seemingly using AI to create imagery.

In an insurmountable episode of futility, the Marlins in recent seasons have even marketed to opposing fans in an effort to fill seats. This has proven they are willing to commit to other fanbases to sell tickets before they fully commit to their own.

To their credit, this season, the team is getting novel. They are offering season tickets at a pretty much name-your-own-price basis with their flex plans which offer 45% off tickets, an ability to pick the games you want to and can attend, how many tickets per game you need, and the ability to switch seat location. While all of that sounds great, the Marlins own a lackluster marketing operation and a park in one of the least desirable and accessible areas of any city, in a market which requires winning over anything. Cheap season tickets isn’t enough.

The Marlins must do more. They need to get involved with and stay up to date with social media trends. They need to generate excitement around the long-term success of their minor league assets and make call-ups an event, not just another game. And please, PLEASE, don’t attempt to cater to other fanbases. There are fans here. Marlins fans. Furthermore, many of them are long-time fans. Cater to them and no one else. Inasmuch as there is modern music, an organ grinder needs to be present. Billy the Marlin needs his pedestal back. And we wonder, what is the Marlins’ history-making infield of 2008 doing these days? Create reunions. Create moments fans will remember. And recreate your fanbase.

 

Make the Marlins teal again 

“Bring back the teal!” - @MiamiMarlins_UK

In 2023, the Marlins won back the hearts of many long-time fans when they reinstated the teal pinstripes for their 30th anniversary season. Every Friday home game, the team hosted Flashback Fridays, during which they wore uniforms and caps inspired by the all-teal 1993 squad. The team also welcomed back various alumni throughout the season.

The promotion was an immediate hit. On the first Flashback Friday of 2023, with hometown kid Jesús Luzardo adorning the jersey, Miami defeated the Mets 2-1 in front of a crowd of nearly 15,000, a good omen. Eury Pérez made his highly anticipated Marlins debut in the teal jersey and struck out seven in 4 ⅔ innings. When the Marlins wore the teal, the team drew 14,868 per game, attributing greatly to their total average attendance of 14,335.

But in 2024, the jerseys and old Florida logo quickly became a thing of the past again. With Nike taking over jersey rights from Majestic came new rules. This coincided with the Marlins wanting to tie an all-blue home jersey into the rotation. Fans had also been clamoring for this to happen. Under Nike’s new guidelines, it would have been impossible for the Marlins to keep each of their City Connect jersey, the new blue jersey and the teal. In short, Nike only permitted a five-jersey rotation and disallowed special occasion jerseys.

With the retirement of the red City Connect jerseys, it couldn’t be more straightforward. The Marlins have a great opportunity to reincorporate the uniforms on a part-time basis staring right at them. They must capitalize.

 

Remodel loanDepot park and retire a number

“loanDepot should be a shrine to the Marlins, not an empty husk trying to ignore the good because they think they can’t separate it from the past.” - @MarlinsHistory

The Marlins could do a lot more when it comes to honoring their past long term. In conjunction with the above mention of the throwback jerseys, the team began to do it in 2022 when they hung larger World Series banners and in 2023 when they built a small museum in homage to their history beyond the left field wall. 

However, in both cases, nods to their past have seemingly become out of sight out of mind. Firstly, the banners are made of a material that is almost completely see-through. The museum, now, is hardly advertised and isn’t a great representation of the entire franchise’s history; in its current state, it seems lackluster and thrown together.

“For some reason they walled off where the old Taste of Miami kitchens were likely because they would have to do a lot of work to remove things for cooking for liability purposes. It was surface level history. The museum at Tropicana Field is better than that.”

In comparison, the Rays, who have had less franchise history than Miami, house a museum with alcoves that pay respect to each era in their franchise’s history. It also holds a Tampa Bay Rays Hall of Fame. It is roughly two and a half times the size of the Marlins’ rendition. In addition to its paltry size and subpar execution, the museum has also been at least somewhat deconstructed since its birth. Items have been removed and not replaced, giving fans less of a reason to go out of their way to visit. The museum could be greatly improved not only by expansion but with more advertisement, more marketing around new items/exhibits, and more intuitive design. In its current state, many fans visiting the park may not even know it’s there.

The museum exists now as a car that was driven off its lot almost two years ago: depreciating in value with every game gone by; much like the franchise it is representing.

The Marlins need to do a better job of keeping their history fresh in the minds of fans, not allowing it to decay. Show me a statue of H. Wayne Huizenga. Show me a model of Josh Beckett being lifted by his teammates in victory. Where is José Fernández’s locker that was previously preserved? Where is his mural that was signed by fans? And why was Luis Arraez’s cycle memorabilia, a moment many Marlins fans thought would never happen, removed last season?

Coming into 2024, the Marlins could’ve also continued to build the museum up by retiring a number or two. Recently, our Louis Addeo-Weiss wrote about Miguel Cabrera’s case. A few other deserving candidates also need to be mentioned. Still, the Marlins remain the only team in MLB without a retired number. With Cabrera's playing days finished, it is as good a time as any to put 24 in the rafters and perhaps make him the star of a new attraction in curation.

All in all, the Marlins made great strides in 2023 only to walk nearly all of them back. With trust amongst fans at an all-time low both on and off the field, the Marlins desperately need to salvage the ability to celebrate good days gone by and give their most diehard fans a reason to continue to support them. This history belongs to Marlins fans. They deserve to have it, to keep it, and to remember it fondly. This initiative must be saved and kept encased in gold, not shrouded in dust.

“If you’re not going to be able to give fans players because you cannot afford it, then build up goodwill with everything else about your brand.”

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[rurrusuno]

These New Year's Resolutions could not have been said better.

The Marlins have to copy what their friends 36 miles up north are doing. Yes, I'm talking about the Panthers. They were once an irrelevant franchise in the NHL and now they have most of their core locked up to long-term contracts. Even though Sandy got extended, we all know well that the front office has their eye on trading him in the not-so-distant future. It's true though, how can fans be committed to their team when they're not committed to their players?

If the Marlins want true long-term success, then they will most likely need new ownership. Sherman is entering his 8th season already and we know he won't sign a big free agent name anytime soon. Some of his "biggest" signings thus far have been Avisail Garcia, Corey Dickerson, Jean Segura, and Johnny Cueto. Sigh. 

I got to say, you guys at Fish on First do a better job at marketing the Marlins than they do themselves at times. We shouldn't be catering to other teams at all or giving away random Barbie jerseys ("fans" buy tickets just to get the jersey and then dip). Instead, let's bring out a player from that 2008 team (what's Jorge Cantu up to nowadays?) to throw out the first pitch or have a bobblehead of theirs released. What ever happened to the Marlins throwing concerts after the game? I remember seeing KC & the Sunshine Band and The Beach Boys after Marlins Also, the racing roosters aren't really a good fit. Besides, they don't even try when they race. Billy should be the only mascot for the Marlins getting all the attention.

Almost everyone can agree that the teal uniforms should make a comeback. Most of our success came in the era of those uniforms. Hey, perhaps bringing them back in 2023 gave us some good luck that propelled us into the playoffs? 🤔 Speaking of jerseys, I would love to see the Marlins introduce a Vice City uniform. At this point, some South Florida teams (FIU Panthers, Miami Heat, Florida Panthers) have already released their on touch of it in some fashion. It'll draw fans. 

Yes, and yes to a ballpark remodeling and jersey number retirement. Serious question, besides Sandy and Eury, who even is our most marketable player? The Marlins bread and butter with memorable names would have to be in the past. There's no problem with that though as they have enough great players from the past to advertise around the ballpark. 

[THOMAS JOSEPH]

Well done. I appreciate the tangible things as well as the perceptions. 

[One Regend]

I'm honestly glad the Marlins media finally asked the hard questions.

I've talked with @MarlinsJohn about this a while back, but for a while, I always thought the media felt too scared to press the front office with hard questions and felt we had gotten too soft. It's about time we've directly asked Bendix the real questions.

The fact he has refused to respond to them is a telltale sign of which direction our franchise is going, though. Sit tight. With Bendix at the helm, the next 10 years are going to be brutal.

[Slacker Mills]

What you don;t do if you want fans is trade a top ten lefty starter in the game (Jesus Luzardo) for Nasim Nunez (that's Starlyn Caba). Luzardo is a local guy, a great guy, and struck out over 200 batters in 2023.