Do Marlins regret passing on starting pitchers at trade deadline?

The Miami Marlins have not been fully comfortable with their starting rotation at any point this season.

After an encouraging spring training, free agent acquisition Chris Paddack wilted as soon as the real games began. He was cut to make room for prospect Robby Snelling, but the young left-hander immediately blew out his elbow, requiring season-ending surgery. The Marlins dominated the month of June despite an ultra-thin rotation that was comprised of Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer and a bunch of question marks. Then, just as Eury Pérez found his groove, Meyer landed on the injured list, doubtful to return in 2026.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Marlins were relying on Janson Junk, Tyler Phillips and Ryan Gusto as starters, none of whom would be in those roles had this season gone as planned. The Triple-A depth behind them was also a concern, as the organization's top prospect, Thomas White, was sidelined with a shoulder injury of his own, and Karson Milbrandt had been struggling mightily since being promoted to Jacksonville.

It did not feel as though the Marlins had a realistic path to reaching the postseason unless they made an outside acquisition of some kind to bolster their rotation depth. They brazenly subtracted in that area instead, dealing left-hander Braxton Garrett to the Chicago Cubs. The only major league-ready arm they added, Victor Vodnik, has never made a start in parts of four MLB seasons.

To their credit, this uninspiring approach is working out beautifully. Since deadline day (Aug. 4), Marlins starters have combined for a 2.78 ERA, which is third-best in MLB. The performances haven't been flashy—the staff ranks bottom 10 in strikeout rate while averaging barely five innings per start—but you couldn't have dreamt of better results over that span.

The consistency of Junk, Phillips and Gusto is most impressive. They have made 16 total appearances (14 starts) since the deadline passed, allowing more than two earned runs just once.

Look at how they compare to the veteran SPs who changed teams in pre-deadline deals. Maybe the Marlins would have an extra win had they mortgaged their future for Tarik Skubal. Tyler Mahle and Clay Holmes have been tremdendous pick-ups for the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, respectively. Other than those three? None of the potential "upgrades" would have definitively made the team better.

That is an oversimplification, of course. While the Marlins rotation rides into September with a lot of positive momentum, their bullpen is a vulnerability. Closer Pete Fairbanks is more than a week away from being eligible to return from the IL. The active relievers are tasked with carrying a heavy workload because Junk, Phillips and Gusto are kept on short leashes, rarely sniffing 90 pitches in their outings, much less 100.

Had the Marlins acquired an extra starter, they would've had the flexibility to move one of these solid right-handers to the 'pen. Phillips in particular was great in 2025 when used that way. Instead, rookies Josh Ekness and Jack Ralston are being relied upon in high-leverage situations. That backfired in Monday's loss to the Washington Nationals—Gusto left with a 3-0 lead, but Ekness and Ralston each allowed home runs that flipped the game upside down.

Should the Marlins rally to earn the final National League wild-card spot, they'll be on the road for a best-of-three series. Let's really stretch the imagination and say they clinch early enough to have the luxury of setting their rotation however they want, with Alcantara getting Game 1 and Pérez following him in Game 2. What on earth would they do for a potential winner-take-all Game 3?

While reaching the postseason is still on the table for this team, their complacency at the trade deadline makes it impossible to foresee them going on a deep run.