Barely a year removed from postseason berth, Marlins roster is unrecognizable

Just because there is a method to the madness doesn't mean you have to embrace every aspect of it. In 2023, the Miami Marlins had one of their most successful seasons in franchise history, yet as we close out 2024, the majority of players who made that postseason berth possible are gone.

Generally speaking, new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has gotten fair value in return for those who've been traded. It's still been an uncomfortable process with the Marlins seemingly eager to ship off so many players who accomplished something notable together, especially when it leaves the club with little chance of having the same kind of success in the near-term future.

Only eight of the 26 Marlins included on the National League Wild Card Series roster remain in Miami: Edward Cabrera, Xavier Edwards, Nick Fortes, Braxton Garrett, Andrew Nardi, Jesús Sánchez, George Soriano and Ryan Weathers.

The Washington Nationals' recent signing of Josh Bell means that every NL East team has a member of that postseason roster under contract entering 2025. Depending on how the rest of free agency plays out, former Fish could be scattered across half of all MLB organizations.

Here is another way of looking at. Only the highlighted names below were part of the Marlins organization when Kim Ng departed as general manager. That means 22 members (55%) of the current 40-man roster have been acquired since then.

Fast-forward another year, it's reasonable to assume that several more 2023 Marlins will have new homes. Bendix sees relievers as fungible, so those who perform well in 2025 should garner trade interest. The biggest question is what happens with Sandy Alcantara. Unavailable to contribute during the recent playoff run due to injury, he has completed his Tommy John surgery rehab...just in time for his salary to spike (he'll make $17.3 million each of the next two seasons, followed by a $21 million club option for 2027). Unless the Marlins intend to extend their ace again so that his contract aligns with their realistic competitive window, the end of his tenure could be nearing.