Which player will snap Marlins' contract extension drought?

It is only natural for Miami Marlins fans to be envious. Since Opening Day, they've seen the Arizona Diamondbacks (Ketel Marte and Brandon Pfaadt), Boston Red Sox (Garrett Crochet and Kristian Campbell) and San Diego Padres (Jackson Merrill) announce contract extensions that will retain key players into the 2030s, not to mention the handful of similar deals that were completed across the league during spring training.

Meanwhile in Miami, the only constant is change. In early 2024, Luis Arraez and Jesús Luzardo were both transparent about their desire to stay with the club for many years—the Marlins traded them later that year. Pablo López signed an extension shortly after being dealt to the Minnesota Twins in 2023, as did Miguel Rojas upon joining the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Peter Bendix has not extended any player since being hired as president of baseball operations. Neither did Kim Ng during the second half of her tenure as general manager.

The most recent Marlin to agree to an extension was reliever Richard Bleier—that forgettable two-year, $6 million pact was announced more than three years ago (March 22, 2022). In the meantime, 27 of the 30 MLB teams have extended at least one of their own guys, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The only exceptions to that have been the Marlins, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. (Although it was a free agent deal rather than an extension, the Yankees kept the face of their franchise, Aaron Judge, and subsequently named him team captain.)

Why are extensions important? Well, prior to Bleier, the Marlins locked up Sandy Alcantara in November 2021. That shrewd five-year, $56 million deal is the only reason he's still in Miami right now. Had they waited until after his subsequent Cy Young award-winning season to negotiate, Alcantara would have had the leverage to ask for more guaranteed money than the franchise was comfortable committing to an individual pitcher. Without an extension, he was on track to reach free agency following the 2024 season; instead, he's under club control through 2027.

Low-revenue teams like the Marlins should be utilizing extensions even more than average teams because they will inevitably be priced out of premium free agents. They need to roll the dice on young players before their potential is fully realized in order to eventually contend on a tight budget (their payroll is the lowest in the majors entering 2025).

The most logical extension candidates for any club are up-the-middle position players. Catcher Joe Mack had a breakout season at Double-A in 2024, excelling both offensively and defensively against much older competition. If this year mirrors that one, Mack deserves consideration for a pre-debut extension entering 2026.

In the meantime, shortstop Xavier Edwards and second baseman Otto Lopez are top of mind. Both have valuable skill sets, but ones that typically don't pay well in arbitration—Edwards has never and will never hit for power, while Lopez is a standout defender. They are two seasons away from even becoming arb-eligible, so the Marlins wouldn't have to break the bank.

Current Triple-A Jacksonville catcher Agustín Ramírez is a fascinating case. He will inevitably move off of the position, especially if Mack pans out, but his potential with the bat is immense. Poised to debut by the midpoint of 2025, perhaps a positive first impression compels the the front office to sign him next winter.

No player in the Marlins organization has a higher ceiling than Eury Pérez. I'm very skeptical about him being a realistic extension candidate because of his combination of youth and pure stuff. Due to hit free agency as a 26-year-old, he is practically assured of getting a massive contract even if he pitches sparingly between now and then. The Marlins should make an attempt, nonetheless.