The best and worst moves of the Peter Bendix era

Later this week, Peter Bendix will be celebrating the third anniversary of his hiring as Miami Marlins president of baseball operations.

For the longtime Tampa Bay Rays executive, this has been his first opportunity running a baseball ops department, and the results have been mixed. The Marlins got off to a historically bad start in 2024 on their way to posting a 62-100 record, trading away many key veterans in the process. However, they surged to 79 games in 2025 and got to 80 wins this past season with improved underlying stats. None of these teams made the playoffs. Overall, Miami's .455 winning percentage under Bendix is slightly better than their .453 winning percentage during the three prior seasons under general manager Kim Ng.

The Marlins have made hundreds of transactions in what we'll refer to as "the Bendix era." Let's go through the three best and the three worst of them.

Best Moves

Claiming Otto Lopez off waivers

There is no question this is the best move of Bendix's tenure so far.

Lopez, originally a highly touted prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system, was designated for assignment and the San Francisco Giants claimed him. He was then claimed by the Marlins soon after the start of the 2024 season.

Lopez made a strong impression in 2024, posting a 92 wRC+, stole 20 bags and had 16 outs above average playing second base. In 2025, although his wRC+ went down, it was a larger sample size. Most importantly, he and Xavier Edwards swapped spots in the infield, allowing Lopez to prove himself as a good defensive shortstop.

In 2026, Lopez had a first half to remember, slashing .334/.368/.505/.874 with nine home runs and 45 RBI. He was named to his first All-Star Game and led the National League batting title race.

Even with Lopez regressing in the second half, he still posted 5.9 fWAR and 6.1 bWAR while leading MLB with 191 total hits. He was the most valuable all-around position player that the Marlins have had in nearly a decade.

Lopez is under club control through 2029 and now going into his first year of arbitration, meaning he is due for a major pay raise. The Marlins are willing to listen on what teams have to offer for the 28-year old shortstop, although a trade is highly unlikely. There also exists an avenue to extend Lopez and keep him in Miami for years to come.

This is a dream scenario for any team: getting an everyday player at a premium position who has an All-Star ceiling without giving anything up. Lopez needed Miami as much as Miami needed him. It's been a perfect fit so far.

Selecting Liam Hicks in Rule 5 Draft

In Bendix's second offseason, he selected catcher Liam Hicks in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Hicks won the backup catcher job in spring training and made the Opening Day roster.

Hicks slashed .247/.346/.346/.693 with six home runs, 45 RBI and a 99 wRC+ in his rookie season. He was very consistent and his role expanded as the year went on, getting occasional playing time at first base in addition to catcher.

In the offseason, Hicks focused on increasing his bat speed and did so without sacrificing his elite contact ability. He appeared in 101 games leading up to the trade deadline, slashing .282/.363/.432/.795 with 14 home runs, 62 RBI and a 120 wRC+. His strikeout rate dropped to 9.5%, ranking second among Marlins players behind only Javier Sanoja.

In less than two years, Hicks went from an unprotected prospect to an impact bat on a World Series contender (to be covered in more detail later). Even with such a short stint as a Marlin, he was the franchise's best Rule 5 pick since Dan Uggla in 2006.

Acquiring Tyler Phillips for cash

On the eve of Opening Day in 2025, the Marlins acquired Phillips from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations (a tiny step up from being a standard waiver claim). The right-hander had no minor league options remaining and his only MLB accomplishment was tossing a complete game shutout in 2024. Outside of that, he had struggled as a starter with the Phillies.

After originally functioning as a low-leverage reliever for the Marlins, Phillips began to pitch well enough to see higher-leverage action. He continued to improve throughout the summer and finished the 2025 season posting a 2.78 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 6.03 K/9 and 2.78 BB/9 in 54 appearances.

Phillips had more success early in the 2026 season out of the bullpen, but a plethora of starting pitching injuries pushed the Marlins to try him as a starter. That meant a huge increase to his workload and the results were solid, totaling 126 ⅔ innings with a 3.34 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 7.18 K/9 and 3.98 BB/9. As a starter, Phillips had a 3.90 ERA, compared to a 1.96 ERA as a reliever.

Having Phillips return to the bullpen in 2027 would make the most sense, but now the Marlins know he can contribute in any role. Also, a pitcher going two full years without missing any time due to injury is a rare accomplishment.

Honorable Mention: Claiming Ronny Henriquez off waivers

Right before 2025 spring training, Henriquez was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. In 69 appearances, Henriquez posted a 2.22 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 12.08 K/9, 3.33 BB/9 and seven saves. His 98 strikeouts tied Edwin Díaz for second-most among National League relievers that year. He didn't spend any time on the IL. Henriquez also recorded strikeouts in 60 separate appearances, which set an all-time Marlins single-season record.

Repeating that production for another season would have been enough for Henriquez to crack the top three, but he missed all of 2026 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. 

He is on track to be fully ready to bounce back in 2027, potentially working the majority of the Marlins' save opportunities.

Worst Moves

Trading Jesús Luzardo to Phillies

Acquiring Luzardo at the 2021 trade deadline in exchange for Starling Marte was one of Kim Ng's best moves. Marte was a pending free agent anyway and the Marlins swapped him for four years of a 4.15 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 9.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and 6.7 bWAR. The Broward kid was critical to the club's 2023 postseason berth, pitching Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series.

Following an injury-shortened 2024 season, Luzardo's value dropped. He was 27 years old at the time and two years away from reaching free agency. He had also spoken publicly about hoping to stay long term with his hometown team. Instead of giving Luzardo an opportunity to reestablish himself, Bendix traded him and minor league catcher Paul McIntosh to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd.

Caba was ranked as Baseball America's No. 54 MLB prospect on the strength of excellent shortstop defense. Boyd was a player who had plus speed and could play all three outfield spots, but a weak hit tool. He was a throw-in.

Luzardo has dominated with the Phillies. They signed him to a five-year contract extension worth $135M going into 2026, and that already looks like a bargain after he posted a 2.86 ERA, 2.78 FIP, 11.07 K/9 and 2.60 BB/9 in 179 ⅔ innings pitched. He has helped them to back-to-back postseason appearances, though no series wins. Luzardo is an ace camouflaged as a mid-rotation starter in Philly where he's surrounded by Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler.

In 2025, Caba missed most of the season due to a left thumb sprain. In a 51 games, he slashed .222/.335/.278/.613 with one home run, 21 RBI, 14 stolen bases and an 85 wRC+. After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, Caba started the 2026 season with High-A Beloit, where in 82 games, he slashed .236/.389/.378/.767 with seven home runs, 47 RBI, 21 stolen bases and a 112 wRC+. The glove has been as good as advertised, but the offensive ceiling isn't the highest given he doesn't hit for much power. He is also coming off a season where he struck out 24.1% of the time, a sharp increase from the previous season. In a best-case scenario, Caba could make it to the majors in 2028.

After posting a 100 wRC+ in 2025 (league average on the dot), Boyd's production plummeted, finishing the 2026 season with a 72 wRC+ in 65 games with Double-A Pensacola.

Without even focusing on the results, Bendix went away from his core principles with this trade, selling low on a talented player entering his prime and going for quality over quantity in return. He got burned for it.

Trading Victor Mesa Jr. to Rays

The logic behind trading Mesa was easier to follow. He had no evidence of MLB success yet and the Marlins felt good about their other left-handed-hitting outfielders.

Mesa suffered an injury during spring training and did not make Tampa Bay's Opening Day roster, but in Triple-A, he had a 145 wRC+ and was called up. In 79 regular season games, Mesa slashed .260/.327/.498/.825 with 14 home runs, 34 RBI and posted a 128 wRC+. Defensively, his eight outs above average ranked in the 93rd percentile, according to Baseball Savant. He has the skill set and instincts to be a perennial contender for Gold Gloves in right field.

In the postseason, Mesa was in the middle of several brilliant defensive plays. He struggled offensively, but hit the go-ahead home run in the American League Divisional Series clincher.

In return, the Marlins acquired minor leaguer Angel Brachi, who in 2026 posted a 112 wRC+ between the complex league and Low-A. Brachi is homeless in 130 career MiLB games.

Trading Liam Hicks to Rays

The foundation for a big move is sometimes laid way in advance. There was some discussion of trading Hicks to the Rays on the day that the Marlins originally picked him in 2024. Eventually, the teams revived those talks.

Miami made this trade because Joe Mack had emerged as their clear catcher of the future. Between that and a supply of other left-handed bats to use at first base and designated hitter, Hicks was less valuable to them than he was to other teams. They may have also had doubts about him sustaining his power hitting from the first half of 2026.

Unfortunately, Kyle Stowers suffered a left hamstring strain almost immediately after the trade. Without Hicks around to fill the void, their offense slumped and the team quickly slipped out of the playoff picture.

With the Rays, Hicks slashed .288/.379/.440/.819 with four home runs, 20 RBI and posted a 130 wRC+. That was a huge win for a franchise that hasn't had a lot of production from the catching position throughout its history. In the postseason, Hicks hit one home run and drove in eight runs, posting a 98 wRC+ and guiding their pitching staff to great effectiveness, catching almost every game.

Looking ahead, losing Hicks could haunt the Marlins for years to come. He is still pre-arbitration eligible and under club control through 2030.

The best of the three prospects acquired, Brayden Taylor, slashed .194/.372/.418/.790 with four home runs, 14 RBI and a 116 wRC+ with the Marlins organization. Right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting posted a 1.88 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 11.63 K/9 and 2.63 BB/9 in five Double-A starts. The final piece, infielder Adrian Santana, slashed .246/.326/.310/.636 with 12 RBI and a 76 wRC+.

Honorable Mention: 2025-26 free agent signings

I'll combine all of these moves into one section since Bendix failed to get his money's worth from any of them. The Marlins signed Christopher Morel, Chris Paddack, John King, Austin Slater and Pete Fairbanks to one-year contracts last winter. By the final game of the 2026 season, none of them were left on the active roster.

Morel joined the Marlins in hopes of looking like his 2023 self. An injury on Opening Day delayed his season debut, but in 22 games with the organization, he posted an 18 wRC+ and had one RBI and three extra-base hits during that tenure. He would be designated for assignment on June 21. He signed with the New York Mets, and after a torrid stretch in Triple-A, he was called up, but only played in 14 games.

King, a left-handed reliever, looked like a great signing early on. The Marlins proposed some pitch-mix changes and he bought into them. Up until July 9, when he was placed on the IL, King threw to a 2.48 ERA and 3.90 FIP. His struggles started when he came off the IL, posting a 10.24 ERA in 10 appearances. He later signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, but did not appear in a MLB game with them.

Paddack joined the Marlins to help the back end of the rotation. Well, in his first start, he allowed eight runs, and it didn't get much better from there. He finished his Marlins tenure making seven appearances (six starts), posting a 7.63 ERA, 4.96 FIP, 7.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. He signed with both the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers, but those were short stints. He finished the year in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Samsung Lions. In 13 KBO appearances (12 starts), he posted a 2.95 ERA.

Slater was signed the day before Opening Day to specialize in facing lefties. He only played in 12 games, sporting a .460 OPS. He was designated for assignment on April 23 and then signed with both the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays.

Fairbanks received $13M guaranteed, more than the other four veterans combined and the biggest contract that Bendix has handed out since he's been in Miami. He converted 19 saves as the team's closer, but had a career-worst year with a 6.31 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 12.4 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9. He also blew four saves and was placed on the injured list three times, all due to nerve irritation. 

Fairbanks underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in October, potentially keeping him out deep into the 2027 season.

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