What Marlins roster could look like without Avisaíl García

I have said/written very little about Miami Marlins outfielder Avisaíl García during the brief existence of Fish On First. The site went live in May 2023, and by then, what more was there to add? It was already apparent that his $53M contract was a sunk cost.

García was absent for the vast majority of last season's fun due to back and hamstring injuries. When he was on the field, his production was somehow even worse than it had been in 2022. Across 135 total games played as a Marlin, Avi has slashed .215/.260/.316 (59 wRC+) and accrued -1.1 fWAR. Had he been healthier and continued on that same pace, hindering a team with postseason ambitions, he might've been released many months ago despite the financial ramifications.

García is probably going to be on the 2024 Marlins Opening Day roster. During his first offseason as Miami's president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix had several opportunities to designate the struggling 32-year-old for assignment to create openings on the 40-man for new acquisitions—every time, Bendix DFA'd (and subsequently lost control of) other players instead. Entering Thursday, García ranks second on the Marlins with 18 Grapefruit League plate appearances, repeatedly getting chances to put what he learned from training alongside Luis Arraez into practice (he has not capitalized on those chances thus far). All indications are that he will be evaluated in regular season games before facing the risk of unemployment.

But let's spend a few minutes exploring an alternate universe where the painful, appropriate decision has been made. What else could the team do with that valuable roster spot?

Regardless of García's presence, these 12 hitters seem to be locked into active roster spots:

• Catchers Christian Bethancourt and Nick Fortes
• Infielders Tim Anderson, Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, Jon Berti and Jake Burger
• Outfielders Vidal Bruján, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryan De La Cruz, Nick Gordon and Jesús Sánchez

It's a malleable group. Fortes and Bell are limited to catcher and first base, respectively, but every other player could be utilized at multiple positions depending on what the team needs.

Looking inside the organization first, the other hitters on the 40-man roster are INF Jacob Amaya, INF Jonah Bride, INF Xavier Edwards, OF Victor Mesa Jr. and OF Dane Myers. Amaya would contribute the best possible shortstop defense. Edwards went 37-for-41 on MLB/MiLB stolen base attempts last season and looks to be the best bunter in Jupiter. Still relatively new to full-time hitting, Myers is an impressive athlete with the potential to be a good run producer if he elevates the ball more.

Notable non-roster invitees at Marlins big league camp include Jonathan Davis, Tristan Gray, Troy Johnston and Trey Mancini.

Do you dare to dream about the Marlins making a last-minute free agent signing? There aren't any candidates left for a García-esque long-term deal, but available veterans like J.D. Martinez, Adam Duvall and Tommy Pham could help. On the cheaper side, what about betting on the intangibles of future Hall of Famer Joey Votto? Yes, he's still out there.

The Marlins starting rotation looks terrific this spring, even beyond the projected top five starters. An extra roster spot on the position player side would lend itself to a wider variety of trade possibilities, such as swapping one of Miami's arms for a controllable bat. Think Christopher Morel of the Cubs or Ezequiel Duran of the Rangers.

What would you do to fill Avi García's shoes? Let us know in the comments.