Way-too-early 2025 Marlins Opening Day roster projection

The Miami Marlins have nearly six more months to decide on their Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. Between now and then, we expect a lot of moves to be made, though last winter, they were very quiet under new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. Either way, by doing this exercise now, this will give you an idea of how Miami's major league-ready pieces fit together and what areas are most likely to be addressed before the real games begin.

Here is a way-too-early projection of what the Marlins' 26-man active roster could be when the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town on March 27.

Starting rotation: Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Ryan Weathers, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera

If all goes right, Sandy Alcantara will make his fifth career Opening Day start. Alcantara was nearly at full strength last month when he faced Marlins batters in live BP. His recovery from Tommy John surgery has gone smoothly.

Luzardo and Garrett missed most of the 2024 season due to their own injuries, but are expected to be ready to go for spring training. The year before, they both showed that they're capable of sticking in the rotation for a full year. The only question is whether the Marlins trade them before Opening Day (Luzardo in particular has previously been included in trade talks).

Weathers just had a career year (3.63 ERA and 4.11 FIP in 86.2 IP). He missed several months with a sprained finger, but finished on a high note to make it clear that he is one of Miami's five best starting candidates moving forward.

Despite Cabrera's inconsistency, he still has impressive pure stuff and did pretty well during the second half of the season. He also has the advantage of being out of minor league options, so the Marlins might as well see what they have in him.

Bullpen: Andrew Nardi, Calvin Faucher, Declan Cronin, Jesús Tinoco, Anthony Bender, Lake Bachar, Xzavion Curry and John McMillon

Andrew Nardi and Anthony Bender are the vets of this inexperienced bullpen. They have been with the organization the longest and the expectation is that they will be back with the team in 2025 unless offseason trades are made.

Faucher is the leading candidate to be the team's closer come Opening Day. He was one of several under-the-radar Peter Bendix finds that worked out this season, posting a 3.19 ERA, 2.49 FIP, 10.57 K/9, 4.36 BB/9 and six saves through 53 ⅔ innings pitched. Faucher became the closer following the trade deadline, but a right shoulder impingement sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Both claimed off the waiver wire, Cronin had a career year and Tinoco would find a consistent role in his second stint with the Marlins after playing for two other teams in 2024. They should both be used in high leverage. Tinoco specifically was closing out games following Faucher's injury.

Filling out the final three bullpen spots is complicated. Bachar got off to a nice start in his Major League career with the exception of a blow-up appearance against the Atlanta Braves. McMillon stood out with an unhittable slider, but his status for 2025 is unclear after ending the year with a right elbow injury. Curry posted a 3.00 ERA with the Marlins and showed the versatility to pitch in a lot of different roles,

Even after all the trades and injuries that depleted their bullpen, the Marlins ranked second among MLB teams in fWAR, so there is a lot to be excited about going into 2025 with this group.

Starting position players: 1B Deyvison De Los Santos, 2B Otto Lopez, 3B Connor Norby, SS Xavier Edwards, LF Jesús Sánchez, CF Dane Myers, RF Kyle Stowers, C Nick Fortes and DH Jake Burger

My boldest pick is Deyvison De Los Santos, who led the Minor Leagues in home runs. Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in July, he ended the season slashing .294/.343/.571/.914 with 40 home runs and 120 RBI. Helping his case for a roster spot, De Los Santos is also the best defensive first baseman battling for playing time. For the moment, the second-ranked Fish On First prospect isn't even on the Marlins 40-man roster, but that is expected to change in November when he gets protected from the Rule 5 Draft. 

Stowers is another player who could go either way given his struggles in 2024. He posted a 35.4% strikeout rate with the Marlins and some of his swing decisions were questionable. He did have some moments where he showcased impressive power and speed.

The only question about Edwards is which position he'll play. Within the Marlins organization, there's confidence in him sticking at shortstop. Edwards will continue to focus on strengthening his throwing arm this offseason in order to become a better overall defender.

Otto Lopez was Miami's best fielder in 2024 and his bat heated up late in the season. He led all of their position players with 2.5 fWAR.

Jesús Sánchez had a strong second half, slashing .259/.337/.407/.745 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. The Dominican outfielder did see an extended look against left-handed pitching, but struggled, ending the season going 17-for-115 (.148 BA). The expectation is that Sánchez will face right-handed pitching as the large side of a platoon, similar to what the Arizona Diamondbacks have done with Joc Pederson.

Dane Myers ended the season on a high note slashing .263/.333/.442/.775 with three home runs, 19 RBI and a 109 OPS+. He missed out on most of the second half after kicking a door in Cincinnati and fracturing his left ankle. Last spring, Myers was blocked from the Opening Day roster by Avisaíl García, but moving forward, he has the inside track among the club's right-handed-hitting outfielders.

Bench: C Agustín Ramírez, INF/OF Javier Sanoja, INF Jonah Bride and OF Derek Hill

Ramírez made a clear name for himself in the minors this year, slashing .267/.358/.487/.845 with 25 home runs and 93 RBI. His bat is ready, but the issue is his defense behind the plate, especially when it comes to blocking pitches. The Marlins could be shopping for a veteran backup to give Ramírez more time to develop.

Bride became an everyday player for Miami throughout August and September, slashing .276/.357/.461/.818 with 11 home runs, 39 RBI and a 121 OPS+. De Los Santos will be the higher priority for the organization moving forward, but Bride can still play a crucial role off the bench.

Javier Sanoja was a late-season promotion. He only saw action in 15 games, but showed some flashes of what made him the 2024 Marlins Minor League Player of the Year. Sanoja's bat-to-ball skills, speed and defensive versatility may lead Miami to part ways with Vidal Bruján.

As somebody who can play all three outfield spots and hit lefties, Derek Hill earned a chance to stick around. However, he will need to have a strong spring to make the roster.

Just missed: Max Meyer, Adam Mazur, Griffin Conine and Will Banfield

Conine is the first man out right now. What he did with the Marlins in his 30-game sample size was impressive, but is it sustainable? He is mainly in competition with Stowers entering 2025.

Banfield has been with the organization since 2018 and his defense has always been his standout tool. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to build upon his offensive success in 2023. It'd still make sense to bring him to big league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Meyer had an opportunity to audition for a rotation spot after the All-Star break and did not take advantage. Over the course of next season, he'll definitely be needed, whether that be as a starter or reliever.

Mazur also struggled in limited MLB action in 2024 (while with the San Diego Padres). Like Meyer, it may take several injuries or trades to make room for him on the active roster.