Ely Sussman

Matt Shaw seems gettable. Cubs are reportedly still in the mix for FAs who can take over 3B from him. It would essentially be Cabrera for Shaw straight up. Wouldn't blame the Marlins for shying away from that and seeking multiple quality pieces (but a weaker headliner) instead.

The Miami Marlins have signed right-hander Jack Ralston to a minor league deal. It only appeared on Miami's transaction log this weekend, but Ralston joined the organization officially back on December 16. Ralston was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals out of UCLA in 2019 and has spent his entire professional career with them until now. Although successful as a starter during his draft year, the seventh-rounder was quickly converted to a reliever. Last season, all 38 of his appearances came out of the bullpen. Splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, he posted a 3.61 ERA, 28.0 K% and .248 BAA in 57 ⅓ innings pitched. His sky-high 16.7% walk rate held him back from earning a call-up. The Cardinals also declined to select him to their 40-man roster after the season, so he departed as a minor league free agent. Based on 14 innings of Triple-A data, Ralston's fastball averages 93.4 mph. His go-to secondary pitch is a low-80s splitter. The 6'6" righty also has a cutter and a slider in his arsenal. At the age of 28 with such recent experience at the AAA level, Ralston is almost assured of attending big league spring training as a non-roster invitee, but Fish On First is unable to confirm that at the moment. In addition to Ralston, the Marlins have also signed Jesús Bastidas, Evan McKendry, Brian Navarreto, Samuel Vásquez and Tyler Zuber to minor league deals this offseason. View full rumor

No deal is close as of Sunday morning, but according to Ken Rosenthal and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees are currently in talks regarding a possible Edward Cabrera trade. You know Cabrera's situation by now. In 2025, his fifth MLB season, he demonstrated a career-best combination of control and durability. The Dominican right-hander owns a lifetime 4.07 ERA and 25.9 K% in 431 ⅔ innings pitched as a big leaguer. Entering his age-28 season, Cabrera is still three years away from free agent eligibility. On paper, the Yankees already have great starting rotation depth. However, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt are each expected to begin the 2026 campaign on the injured list. Re-signing Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough are the only offseason moves they've made thus far to address that issue. Talks have progressed to the point that Craig Mish of FanDuel Sports Network says several high-ceiling prospects are headed to Miami if a deal gets done. The Marlins reportedly asked for power-hitting outfield prospect Spencer Jones when they previously talked with the Yankees in late July. Although Jones has a very high ceiling, his vulnerability to strikeouts gives him a dangerously low floor as well. Infielder George Lombard Jr. is generally regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the Yankees system. In my opinion, he should be unavailable in any Cabrera deal. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald corroborates the Yankees negotiations and adds that the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs have shown interest in Cabrera. The San Francisco Giants are another possible suitor, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The timing of these rumors is unsurprising. Japanese star Tatsuya Imai reached an agreement with the Houston Astros earlier this weekend, which ought to open floodgates on what has generally been a slow-moving starting pitching market. View full rumor

To recap, Wagaman was non-tendered by the Angels last offseason. This transaction indicates that his value somehow went up since then despite the thoroughly unproductive year. I don't get what they see in him. He'll fit in nicely in the KBO in 2027, though.

As the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers are accustomed to packing Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. However, the crowd will be nearly doubled its usual size tonight at loanDepot park when they face the New York Rangers in the NHL Winter Classic. "We can host a wide variety of events. And we’ve shown that,” Miami Marlins president of business Caroline O'Connor boasted to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. The Winter Classic comes just a few weeks after the inaugural Miami Tennis Invitational was played at this venue. Among non-baseball events, Monster Jam is next on docket (February 21-22). Although it has been an uneven 2025-26 season for the Panthers, they've been playing much better recently, winning nine of their previous 13 games. For the past two-plus weeks, the LDP roof has remained closed with the air conditioning on full blast to allow workers to painstakingly build a sheet of ice and maintain it. But when the puck drops at 8 p.m. ET, they'll be playing under the night's sky. Watch the game on TNT. Marlins Opening Day is only 84 days away. 🔷 Designated for assignment by the Marlins on Monday, Eric Wagaman remains in limbo. 🔷 Kevin Barral attended Pete Fairbanks' introductory press conference (via Zoom). Fairbanks discussed the free agent process, his comfort level with pitch calls coming from the dugout and the origin of his cutter. He also disclosed that he and his wife are expecting their third child in late March. 🔷 Both Kevin and Sean McCormack analyzed Miami's acquisition of Esteury Ruiz. 🔷 Congratulations to Liam Hicks and Kirsten Grimes on their engagement! 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Houston Astros that includes opt-outs after each season. Tyler Mahle signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. Despite being floated as potential Marlins trade partners earlier this offseason, it's now difficult to see either team making aggressive bids for Edward Cabrera or another major league starter. View full article

On Monday morning, I went out on a limb and assumed that the Miami Marlins wouldn't be making any more trades over the final three days of this calendar year. Whoops! This article has been updated accordingly. Although none of their individual moves in 2025 met the criteria of a blockbuster deal, the cumulative impact of these trades on the organization was substantial. Technically, the Marlins made more than a dozen "trades" if you include Jonah Bride, Jhonny Pereda, Michael Petersen, Tyler Phillips, Austin Roberts, John Rooney and Joey Wiemer each being swapped for cash considerations. Well, I'm not—those amount to glorified waiver claims. That leaves us with the following six transactions: Acquired RHP William Kempner from San Francisco Giants for $250,000 in international bonus pool money (Jan. 15). Annual spending on the international market is restricted by a cap, so parting with this quarter-million dollars essentially transferred amateur talent to the Giants, qualifying as a trade in my book. A full year later, the Marlins ought to be feeling pretty good about their side of it. Kempner posted a 3.06 FIP in 67 ⅔ minor league innings pitched to earn a spot on their 40-man roster. With slight improvements to his control, the hefty right-hander can be an impactful piece of their 2026 bullpen. Acquired RHP Colby Martin from Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Robinson Piña (Jun. 24). At the time of the deal, Martin barely had any experience above Low-A; by the end of the season, he was throwing gas at Triple-A. The 5'11" righty has an overpowering fastball and deceptive delivery. Turning 25 shortly after Opening Day, we should be seeing Martin at Marlins big league camp as a non-roster invitee. Piña is now a free agent after making just one low-leverage relief appearance in a Blue Jays uniform. sau3ry.mp4 Acquired OF Matthew Etzel from Tampa Bay Rays for C Nick Fortes (Jul. 29). The Marlins bought low on Etzel coming off an injury. The early returns have been encouraging. In 36 minor league games following the trade, he slashed .280/.370/.390 with two home runs and 10 stolen bases. He's best suited to playing left field at the major league level. Fortes did well enough defensively to be tendered a contract by Tampa Bay for 2026. The imminent arrival of Joe Mack in Miami made him expendable. Acquired RHP Ryan Gusto, INF Chase Jaworsky and OF Esmil Valencia from Houston Astros for OF Jesús Sánchez (Jul. 31). Gusto and Jaworsky were limited by injuries down the stretch, while Valencia thrived upon joining his new org (.327/.367/.510, 3 HR and 14 SB in 24 G). The toolsy 20-year-old should be batting near the top of High-A Beloit's lineup next season. The Astros have one more year of club control over Sánchez, who is being strictly platooned. Acquired OF Ethan O'Donnell from Cincinnati Reds for OF Dane Myers (Dec. 27). Myers performed brilliantly through the first two-plus months of 2025, but his offensive production cratered from there. He still has impressive raw athleticism and the versatility to handle all three outfield spots. Beginning in 2027, the Marlins hope that O'Donnell become a left-handed-hitting version of Myers. Acquired OF Esteury Ruiz from Los Angeles Dodgers for RHP Adriano Marrero (Dec. 29). On Sunday in Puerto Rican winter ball, Brian Navarreto went 2-for-4 and Orlando Ortiz-Mayr struggled with control in his final regular season start (1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K). Marlins Opening Day is only 88 days away. 🔷 I produced this Dane Myers highlight reel to commemorate his Marlins tenure. 🔷 Agustín Ramírez confirmed to Juanfrank Kranwinkel that he is on the Dominican Republic's preliminary 35-man roster for the World Baseball Classic. Ramírez's playing time would be very limited, so I wouldn't be surprised if he ultimately passes on the opportunity and remains in Marlins camp. 🔷 Declan Cronin spoke extensively about his injury-riddled 2025 season. After tearing his UCL, Cronin was under the impression that the Marlins would retain him throughout the rehab process, but it turns out they released him before his Tommy John surgery even took place. He has since signed a two-year minor league deal with the Texas Rangers. 🔷 With the NHL's Winter Classic approaching on Friday, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now shows us how the rink is set up in the middle of loanDepot park. Tickets are still available in most sections, though the get-in price is $235. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Tyler Soderstrom and the Athletics agreed on a seven-year, $86 million contract extension. The Baltimore Orioles re-signed Zach Eflin to a one-year, $10 million deal and the Chicago Cubs signed Hunter Harvey to a one-year, $6 million deal. Former Marlins first-round draft pick Andrew Heaney announced his retirement from baseball. Used primarily as a starter, Heaney posted a 4.57 ERA in 1,136 ⅔ innings pitched across parts of 12 MLB seasons. He won a World Series title with the Texas Rangers in 2023. View full article

Rewatch the best hits, throws and catches from Dane Myers' three seasons with the Fish. Myers was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. View full video

There is a growing list of players who were designated for assignment by their previous MLB teams, only to very quickly experience newfound success with the Miami Marlins. That list includes Declan Cronin, who was Miami's most effective reliever for an extended stretch of the 2024 season. Cronin showed a lot of versatility as a rookie—he frequently went multiple innings, worked back-to-back days and inherited baserunners depending on what the club needed from him. He pitched a total of 70 ⅓ innings with a pedestrian 4.35 ERA, but a far more encouraging 2.58 FIP. However, Cronin was unable to build upon that campaign in 2025 because of a series of injuries. Anything he achieves once he fully recovers will transpire in a different uniform. Cronin's age-27 season got off to a delayed start. During spring training, he suffered what was publicly announced as a left hip strain. Cronin got much more specific in an interview with Ben Lindbergh on Friday's episode of Effectively Wild, explaining that incorporating a new drill into his workout routine caused damage to "delicate little muscles" in his hip. Rotating his hips while going through his pitching delivery aggravated the injury. "What I probably should've done was taken some serious time off from throwing, just actually allowing the muscles and the tissue to fully heal before putting them through that stress again," Cronin said. "But I wanted to kind of 'go, go, go,' so we 'kept the arm moving,' kept throwing." He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on April 10. While making back-to-back appearances on April 12-13, he had a setback and was "back to square one." A hip specialist in Nashville provided Cronin with a different interpretation of his unique injury and his rehab plan changed accordingly. A month later, he was throwing pain-free and cleared to face live batters again. Although Cronin's velocity and pitch shapes weren't all the way back to his 2024 form, "I and everyone else kinda thought, 'Okay, you're just getting back into the swing of it. You gotta remember this is kinda like a second offseason/on-ramp for you.'" When the Marlins optioned Cronin to Jacksonville on May 31, he believed that he was only a week or two away from being major league-ready. Unfortunately, "I just never got back to what I felt like before the hip injury," Cronin said. "My body had patterned—over months of low-intensity throwing and/or throwing with pain—certain kind of compensatory movement patterns that just totally compromised by ability to throw how I want to throw. Even though I was pain-free, I could not convince myself to throw normally and to use my lower half specifically normally." That led indirectly to shoulder pain. Even when that subsided and Cronin returned from another IL stint in early August, he still felt out of sync. "Something has to give here," he remembered thinking at the time. Indeed, on August 16, his right UCL gave out. "I immediately knew," Cronin said. "I could feel the space in my elbow expand at ball release...I kinda felt that 'pop' and release of tension." After consultation with renowned surgeon Dr. Keith Meister, it was clear that Cronin would need Tommy John surgery. Cronin was under the impression that the Marlins would be retaining him for the 2026 season, placing him on the 60-day IL throughout the year-long rehab process. That's what they will be doing for Ronny Henriquez, who had his own elbow surgery earlier this month. Instead, before the procedure even took place, the Marlins released Cronin on September 6. "It was very surprising," he said. "Certainly not something that I anticipated or anybody close to me anticipated. It also kinda wasn't what we had been told and nothing I'd ever seen before, but check the rulebook, they're allowed to do it, so power to them to exercise their rights." The Marlins apparently had doubts about Cronin reestablishing himself as an impactful pitcher in 2027. Even so, the timing of the release was callous. Rather than making him navigate the surgery and early rehab process on his own, they could have easily waited until the conventional 40-man roster cleanup period in November. In free agency, Cronin signed a two-year minor league deal with the Texas Rangers. Many teams expressed interest in him, but the Rangers were the first to submit a written offer. "I'd play for Skip (Schumaker) any day, so I was really excited to see that he was over there," Cronin said about reuniting with his 2024 manager. His former Fish teammates Jake Burger, Jonah Bride and Anthony Veneziano are also in the Rangers organization. View full article

The Miami Marlins traded Dane Myers to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon. In exchange, they picked up outfielder Ethan O'Donnell. Myers landed in Miami three years ago as a minor league Rule 5 draft pick and immediately surpassed expectations. The converted pitcher raked in the upper minors and made his MLB debut on July 4, 2023. Playing the game with an extremely high motor, he quickly became a fan favorite. The 2025 season was a rollercoaster for Myers. At age 29, he looked to be emerging as the Marlins' everyday center fielder, slashing .333/.377/.481 in 44 games played through June 15. Coincidence or not, he was hit by a pitch on June 16, and from that point forward, Myers became a liability at the plate. His campaign ended prematurely after colliding with the outfield wall at Citizens Bank Park on September 23. Overall across parts of three MLB seasons, Myers is merely a .245/.299/.354 hitter (81 wRC+). However, he's a weapon versus left-handed pitching (.297/.360/.456 and 126 wRC+). O'Donnell was drafted by the Reds out of the University of Virginia in 2023. He spent this past season with Double-A Chattanooga, where he slashed .236/.327/.325 with seven home runs, 20 stolen bases and a 90 wRC+ in 125 games. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs cautions that there is "a huge hole in his swing against fastballs up and away from him." MLB Pipeline had O'Donnell ranked 18th on their Reds top prospects list, while Longenhagen didn't rank him at all among the organization's top 39 prospects. The left-handed hitter has gotten professional reps at all three outfield positions. He turns 24 years old in March and will be Rule 5-eligible after the 2026 season. Fish On First's own Isaac Azout reported that the Reds also attempted to acquire Myers prior to the July 31 trade deadline. It's unclear if he had other suitors back then or during this offseason. Myers' departure fully clears the runway for Heriberto Hernández to make his first career Opening Day roster coming off a productive rookie season. It seems as though the ultra-versatile Javier Sanoja will be utilized as Jakob Marsee's backup in center field. Christopher Morel and Connor Norby could contend for whatever right-handed corner outfield reps are left over. This also creates a temporary opening on the Marlins 40-man roster. That opening should be filled in the coming days when the club's one-year, $13 million deal with reliever Pete Fairbanks is officially announced. View full article

During a Fish On First Twitter space, Ely Sussman and Kevin Barral share their initial reactions to the Marlins signing free agent Pete Fairbanks to a one-year, $13 million deal. View full video

The Miami Marlins are signing Pete Fairbanks to a one-year, $13 million deal. It includes a $12 million salary, $1 million signing bonus, $1 million in incentives based on total appearances and a $500,000 acquisition bonus if he is traded during the 2026 season. The deal is pending a physical. Will Sammon of The Athletic was first to report Tuesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached. Fairbanks, who turned 32 earlier this month, has spent the vast majority of his MLB career with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2025, he set career-highs with 60 ⅓ innings pitched and 27 saves, though his 3.61 FIP was the worst mark since his rookie season. The Rays could've retained him for 2026 on an $11 million club option, but declined it. Fairbanks has generally utilized a two-pitch arsenal, consisting of a four-seam fastball and slider. However, he gradually increased his changeup usage last season to 4.9% and also introduced a cutter in September. The Marlins upped their offer to Fairbanks recently, as Fish On First's Isaac Azout reported last week. Losing Ronny Henriquez to season-ending elbow surgery may have pushed them to sweeten the deal even more. Various other reports linked Fairbanks to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers during his free agent process. Adding Fairbanks along with Christopher Morel (1-YR/$2M) means that the Marlins have signed multiple players to fully guaranteed major league free agent deals in the same offseason. The last time that happened was 2022-23 (Johnny Cueto and Jean Segura). Miami's 40-man roster is full, so there will have to be a corresponding move for them to officially announce the signing of Fairbanks. View full article

The Ronny Henriquez news is a gut punch. After emerging as the most impactful Miami Marlins reliever in 2025, he has been ruled out for the entire 2026 MLB season following Tommy John surgery. Finding somebody to fill his shoes is a daunting task, particularly at this stage of the offseason with many of the most accomplished free agent relievers no longer available. That being said, perhaps it instills confidence in the Marlins front office to remember they originally acquired Henriquez as a waiver claim. Browsing the 40-man rosters of every team, I have identified three arms with many of the same attributes. While we can't count on them getting designated for assignment like Henriquez did, they should be attainable at a very low cost. The following pitchers each meet this criteria: Primarily used as a reliever by their current team Above-average fastball velocity Multiple secondary pitches with at least 10% usage Finished 2025 season healthy Out of minor league options Pre-arbitration eligible RHP Colin Selby (Baltimore Orioles) Major League Baseball made a rule change in recent years to prevent teams from constantly shuttling players back and forth between Triple-A and The Show. The Orioles pushed Colin Selby to the legal limit in 2025, optioning him on five separate occasions before we even reached the halfway mark of the season. A hamstring strain sidelined him throughout most of the second half. Selby's arsenal consists of a sinker, curveball, slider and four-seam fastball. The curve is his most intriguing weapon with massive vertical drop from his high arm slot and an average spin rate of 2,840 rpm. OTc5blFfVjBZQUhRPT1fRGdKWVVWQU1Yd3NBWFZOUVh3QUhCQUJVQUZsUlcxa0FCMU1HQVZBRENRSlhWZ0ZR.mp4 Selby is still under club control for six more years and landed 64.5% of his pitches for strikes in limited action with the O's, so it would almost certainly take a trade of some kind for the Marlins to pry him loose. Then again, Henriquez was in an identical situation last February when the Minnesota Twins surprisingly let him go. RHP Chase Silseth (Los Angeles Angels) Chase Silseth made the transition to full-time reliever last summer. From 2022-2024, his propensity for allowing home runs was a serious issue (19 HR in 89.0 IP). However, in 10 late-season appearances out of the Angels 'pen, the only batter to take him deep was Nick Kurtz. No shame in that. Silseth used to throw as many as seven different pitch types. In 2025, he simplified his approach—four-seamers and splitters to lefties, with the addition of sweepers and sinkers to righties. Although Silseth's upside is alluring, he had a lengthy IL stint for right elbow inflammation in 2024 and has only been tasked with pitching back-to-back days once in his professional career. RHP Carlos Vargas (Seattle Mariners) Carlos Vargas was already out of options entering 2025, so he spent the entire year on Seattle's active roster (excluding one series he missed while on the paternity list). He posted a 3.97 ERA with a 16.3% strikeout rate in 77 innings pitched. He stuck around during their postseason run, too. Leaning heavily on a high-90s sinker, Vargas is a ground ball machine (95th percentile among MLB pitchers in GB%). There were 12 ground ball double plays turned behind him, tied for the second-highest total of any reliever. cf960766-f4a78de5-d3ee3413-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Vargas had jarring reverse platoon splits during his age-25 campaign—lefties slashed .205/.248/.341 while righties slashed .327/.404/.485. He could benefit a lot from learning a sweeper, much like Henriquez did upon being acquired by the Fish. View full article

All Fish On First podcasts are brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. With Christmas and New Year’s around the corner, boats fill up fast—everyone wants that view of the fireworks from the water. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Ely Sussman explains why the recent trade of Shane Baz to the Baltimore Orioles gives us a clear idea of what Edward Cabrera is currently worth. Then, Matt Goudreau, president and general manager of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, discusses all aspects of his role with the Marlins Triple-A affiliate. You can find The Offishial Show on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our audio programming also includes Fish On First LIVE, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. Although Cabrera's major league career has been more successful than Baz's to this point, these right-handed starters have more in common than you might realize at first glance. Both have three remaining years of club control, similar projected salaries for the 2026 season and plus fastball velocity. The quality of contact they've allowed has been comparable as well. Traditionally, a player's last season is weighted heavily when determining their current value. However, this particular MLB offseason has been rife with examples of pitchers who were coveted despite run prevention struggles. All things considered, I estimate that Cabrera's value is only 5-10% higher than Baz's. Matt Goudreau joined the Jumbo Shrimp in June 2021 as assistant general manager after stints at the University of Memphis, San Francisco 49ers, San Jose State University and Pittsburgh Pirates. Goudreau was at the forefront of the multi-year VyStar Ballpark renovations ("Project NEXT"), which included the complete remodel of both home and visiting clubhouses, new video board and ribbon boards, new right field building which includes the team’s new administrative offices, street level team store and the Right Field Hall/Power Alley, the PNC Home Plate Club, and a new main gate. Additionally, he has managed the stadium operations team, been the primary liaison to the Jumbo Shrimp coaching staff and Marlins player development department, and has also helped oversee gameday staff working events at VyStar Ballpark. Earlier this month, Goudreau was promoted to his current role. Shortly after, the Jumbo Shrimp were sold by longtime owner Ken Babby to the Prospector Baseball Group. Swim Around the Diamond At the end of every episode of The Offishial Show, I will be highlighting and recommending Marlins-related content that was posted recently outside of FOF. Here's what I picked this time: Graduates: Welcome to the big leagues (East Carolina University) Edwards' youth camp growing in size, support (MLB.com) Miami Marlins Best to Wear Jersey Number Series (Marlin Maniac) Edward Cabrera exclusive interview (El Primer Out) Follow Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article