Ely Sussman

The Miami Marlins remain open to adding another catcher before Opening Day, but we now know for certain that they won't be reuniting with Jacob Stallings. On Friday, the 34-year-old free agent signed with the Colorado Rockies. Coming off a sub-replacement-level season, Stallings predictably had to settle for a pay cut. He gets $1.5M guaranteed for 2024 plus a mutual option with a $500k buyout that can escalate to $1M, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Last season in Miami, Stallings made a $3.35M salary. He was projected for a slight raise before the Marlins non-tendered him on November 17. When the Marlins traded a package of young players for Stallings, they envisioned him being their primary backstop for the next three seasons (his remaining club-controlled years). Unfortunately, his tenure in Miami was an unequivocal bust, only lasting two campaigns. He disappointed both offensively (63 wRC+) and defensively (-8 DRS). Nick Fortes overtook Stallings as the main Marlins catcher in 2023 despite having his own struggles. https://fishonfirst.com/analysis/2023-marlins-season-review-jacob-stallings/Stallings' top highlights as a Marlin were homering on Opening Day 2022, catching every pitch of Sandy Alcantara's Cy Young-winning season and setting a modern MLB record for most consecutive games caught without allowing a passed ball. https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2022/2022-04/08/2cbe4e3f-5dc225b1-f8134492-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4In Colorado, Stallings will be the backup to All-Star Elías Díaz. Coincidentally, that's the same relationship they had as teammates with the 2019 Pirates. For what it's worth, Stallings owns a career .899 OPS at Coors Field in nine career games there, his best mark at any National League venue. Stallings joins Dylan Floro (Nationals), Garrett Hampson (Royals), Jorge López (Mets) and Joey Wendle (Mets) as 2023 Marlins players who've signed major league deals this offseason. This is your periodic reminder that the Marlins have not signed any free agents to major league deals themselves. Barely a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, the two backstops on the Marlins 40-man roster are Fortes and Christian Bethancourt. Will Banfield and Paul McIntosh are likely to be at big league camp as non-roster invitees. Photo by Jesus Sanchez/Fish On First

There's so much more to baseball fandom than just knowing the start times for regular season games. As this calendar demonstrates, from January through December, the Miami Marlins have events and milestones worth monitoring and celebrating, and there are deadlines that influence how the 2024 team will be assembled. Click any of these shortcuts to skip ahead to a specific month: JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberBirthdays are included for all players on the Marlins 40-man roster and major league injured list. More events will be added once their dates are confirmed. January 11—Deadline to exchange salary arbitration figures The Marlins have 11 arbitration-eligible players for the 2024 season: Luis ArraezAnthony BenderChristian BethancourtJT ChargoisJazz Chisholm Jr.Jesús LuzardoSteven OkertA.J. PukTrevor RogersJesús SánchezTanner ScottJanuary 15—New international signing period opens International amateurs ages 16 and up (predominantly from Latin America and the Caribbean) are eligible to sign with MLB teams.The Marlins' bonus pool will be $6,520,000. Any signings of $10,000 or less do not count against the pool.Although the signing period remains open through December 15, the vast majority of deals will be announced on the first day. These deals are typically agreed upon months if not years in advance.Signings can officially begin at 9:00 a.m. ET.January 22—Jon Berti's birthday (turning 34 years old) January 26—Marlins FanFest The club's annual FanFest will be held at LoanDepot Park from 4:00-10:00 p.m.https://fishonfirst.com/news/2024-marlins-fanfest-announced/February 1—Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s birthday (26) February 3—Anthony Bender's birthday (29) February 5—Kaleb Ort's birthday (32) February 6—Anthony Maldonado's birthday (26) February 9—Vidal Bruján's birthday (26) February 15—Marlins pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training This date also roughly coincides with the return of the 60-day injured list. Marlins players like Sandy Alcantara who are expected to be sidelined through May 2024 (and beyond) can be transferred to the 60-day IL to create room on the 40-man roster.February 20—First Marlins full-squad workout February 22—Spring Training Photo Day February 24—Grapefruit League opener The Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals meet at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.First pitch at 1:05 p.m.The Marlins are scheduled to play 30 Grapefruit League games.February 26—Peyton Burdick's birthday (27) March 6—Dane Myers' birthday (28) March 12—Max Meyer's birthday (25) March 15—Spring Breakout exhibition As part of a new MLB initiative, the Marlins will select 20-25 of their top prospects to face Cardinals prospects in a seven-inning exhibition game at Roger Dean.First pitch is at 2:05 p.m.March 24—George Soriano's birthday (25) March/April Game ScheduleHome Games | Away GamesMarch 28—Marlins Opening Day The Marlins host the Pittsburgh Pirates to begin their 2024 regular season.The Marlins' all-time record on Opening Day is 12-19.First pitch at 4:10 p.m.March 29—Triple-A Jacksonville regular season opener The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are scheduled to play 144 games. This is their 15th season as a Marlins affiliate and fourth season at the Triple-A level.April 5—Double-A Pensacola, High-A Beloit and Low-A Jupiter regular season openers The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are scheduled to play 138 games. This is their fourth season as a Marlins affiliate.The Beloit Sky Carp are scheduled to play 132 games. This is their fourth season as a Marlins affiliate.The Jupiter Hammerheads are scheduled to play 132 games. This is their 22nd season as a Marlins affiliate and fourth season at the Low-A level.April 9—Luis Arraez's birthday (27) April 10—Jake Burger's birthday (28) April 13—Edward Cabrera's birthday (26) April 14—Roddery Muñoz's birthday (24) April 15—Eury Pérez's birthday (21) April 25—A.J. Puk's birthday (29) May Game ScheduleHome Games | Away GamesJune Game ScheduleHome Games | Away GamesJune 12—Avisaíl García's birthday (33) July Game ScheduleHome Games | Away GamesJuly 9—Steven Okert's birthday (33) July 14-16—MLB Draft The Marlins have the 16th, 57th and 72nd overall picks in the draft and the 19th pick in all subsequent rounds.This will be Miami's first draft with Frankie Piliere in charge of the amateur scouting department.July 16—MLB All-Star Game Every MLB team is guaranteed to have at least one All-Star representative.In 2023, the Marlins' All-Star representatives were Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler.July 22—Tanner Scott's birthday (30) July 29—Sixto Sánchez's birthday (26) July 30—MLB Trade Deadline The Marlins have made moves on deadline day each of the last six seasonsTrades must be submitted for MLB approval by 6:00 p.m. ETAugust Game ScheduleHome Games | Away GamesAugust 5—Braxton Garrett's birthday (27) August 9—Xavier Edwards' birthday (25) August 14—Josh Bell's birthday (32) August 18—Andrew Nardi's birthday (26) August 19—Josh Simpson's birthday (27) September Game ScheduleHome Games | Away GamesSeptember 2—Christian Bethancourt's birthday (33) September 3—Jacob Amaya's birthday (26) September 7—Sandy Alcantara's birthday (29) September 8—Victor Mesa Jr.'s birthday (23) September 15—5,000th (regular season) game in Marlins history September 22—Calvin Faucher's birthday (29) September 30—Jesús Luzardo's birthday (27) October 1—MLB postseason begins The Marlins hope to qualify for the postseason in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history.October 7—Jesús Sánchez's birthday (27) October 15—Huascar Brazoban's birthday (35) October 19—Bryan Hoeing's birthday (28) First day after World Series—Eligible players become XX( free agents If not extended beforehand, Josh Bell and Tanner Scott will be granted free agency.November 10—Jordan Groshans' birthday (25) November 11—Nick Fortes' birthday (28) November 13—Trevor Rogers' birthday (27) November 14—Deadline for clubs to file reserve lists Rule 5 Draft-eligible prospects must be selected to the 40-man roster to be protected from the major league phase of the draft.Marlins prospects who will be Rule 5-eligible for the first time in 2024 include Dax Fulton, Patrick Monteverde, Cody Morissette and Paul McIntosh.Deadline at 6:00 p.m. ET.December 3—JT Chargois' birthday (34) December 15—International signing period closes December 16—Bryan De La Cruz's birthday (28) December 17—Ryan Weathers' birthday (25) Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images

Here's what you should know with 83 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Thursday’s winter ball notes: In the Dominican Republic, 3B Vidal Bruján went 1-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases. More than two weeks after being designated for assignment by the Marlins, Ryan Jensen was claimed off waivers by the Twins. The Marlins 40-man roster remains full, so another corresponding move will be needed to make room for any further additions.Nearly three months removed from undergoing turf toe surgery, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is facing live pitching. Also encouraging to see Eury Pérez throwing again after ending 2023 with a back injury.https://fishonfirst.com/news/tracking-miami-marlins-injury-rehab-updates/Elsewhere around baseball, Chris Sale signed an extension (2/$38M) with the Braves, Harrison Bader (1/$10.5M) signed with the Mets and Cody Poteet (one-year split contract) signed with the Yankees. You remember Poteet, right? Drafted and developed by Miami, he showed flashes of being a potential back-end starter in 2021 and 2022 before blowing out his elbow. His contract provides a 40-man spot, but he still has to earn his way onto the Opening Day roster.Beginning today at 12:00 p.m. ET, there's an exclusive spring training tickets presale for Marlins Members.Today is the final day to register for free winter clinics being held for baseball and softball players ages 13-18 through the Marlins Youth Academy at Babcock Park. It's also the deadline to register kids ages 5-12 for the spring baseball and softball season (also being held at Babcock Park).https://www.instagram.com/p/C1sfr0BuyA7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==With 119 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 74.8% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.Kevin Barral is excited to find out how the Marlins will utilize Xavier Edwards this season.Skip Schumaker explains to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com what he learned and observed from meeting Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra at a recent game. "Just to see him and how he interacts with the players and how he interacts with his coaching staff and how he empowers his coaches, it's just everything that you strive for one day.”Glenn Geffner's View from the Bleachers came up with New Year's resolutions for Bruce Sherman, Peter Bendix, Skip Schumaker, Edward Cabrera and Jazz Chisholm Jr.MLB Pipeline picks LHP Thomas White as their Marlins breakout prospect for 2024.Answering a question inspired by the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Effectively Wild's Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley conclude that Billy the Marlin would likely be the tastiest MLB mascot to eat.Marlins Podcast Episodes Photo courtesy of marlinsyouth/Instagram

Here's what you should know with 84 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Wednesday’s winter ball notes: In the Dominican Republic, 3B Vidal Bruján went 2-for-4. His team, Estrellas Orientales, has now won five of their first six postseason games as they inch closer to the LIDOM championship and a Caribbean Series berth. Marlins coaches Luis Urueta and Wellington Cepeda, who both work for Gigantes del Cibao, won LIDOM's GM of the Year and Manager of the Year awards, respectively.Venezuelan outfielder Luis Cova is in agreement with the Marlins on an international free agent deal. He's eligible to sign on January 15. Cova is 27th on Ben Badler's international bonus board at Baseball America, implying a bonus well above $1M (my best guess is $1.4M). I expect him to rank in the top 15 when we next update our Fish On First Top 30 prospects list.https://fishonfirst.com/farm/luis-cova-marlins-signing-details/Jeff Passan of ESPN describes the Marlins as being in "listening mode" regarding every player with the exception of Eury Pérez. Passan estimates that Jesús Luzardo has the highest trade value among Miami's non-Pérez assets—I think that's stating the obvious given his combination of production, salary and club-controlled years. In case you missed it, FOF's most-read article of 2024 thus far is from Alex Carver, citing three Luzardo trade proposals.The Marlins promoted Tiago Pinto to chief marketing officer and Robert Gelman to vice president, head of partnership development and strategy. Also, Sara Sanchez has been hired as vice president of human resources.Ryan Jensen remains in DFA limbo. We should have clarity about his status by the end of this week.Elsewhere around baseball, Korean reliever Woo-Suk Go (2/$4.5M) signed with the Padres.With 109 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 74.3% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.Marlins Podcast Episodes

While we continue to wait on the Miami Marlins to spend on major league free agent deals, they're poised to add international amateur free agents later this month. Ely Sussman previews the 2024 international signing period and future Marlins outfielder Luis Cova, then reflects on the organization's recent track record of international signings. Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every episode of The Offishial Show. Ben Badler of Baseball America reported on Wednesday that toolsy Venezuelan teenager Luis Cova has a deal in place with the Marlins. Dozens of other international amateurs are also expected to sign with the Fish once they're eligible to do so on January 15, though Cova's name is the only one we currently have. https://fishonfirst.com/farm/luis-cova-marlins-signing-details/The international free agent process doesn't garner nearly the same attention as the MLB Draft, but keep in mind, 15 of the players (37.5%) on Miami's current 40-man roster broke into professional baseball that way. That includes Sandy Alcantara, Luis Arraez and Eury Pérez. However, the only Marlins 40-man players who were signed internationally by the Marlins are Pérez, Edward Cabrera, Victor Mesa Jr. and George Soriano—the others originally signed with other clubs and were acquired later in their careers. To build a sustainably competitive organization on a limited budget, the Marlins must become more proficient at identifying international talent. Follow Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

The Marlins are expected to sign Luis Cova, an outfielder from Venezuela, when the next MLB international free agent period opens on January 15, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Cova will receive the 27th-highest signing bonus of the 2024 international class and the highest of any Marlins signee, though Badler doesn't specify what the dollar amount is. https://www.instagram.com/p/C1pJI09OYIQ/?hl=enTurning 17 years old on February 1, Cova is listed by Baseball America at 6'2" and 175 lbs. BA describes him as "one of the most exciting prospects in Venezuela" and MLB Pipeline says he's "among the best pure athletes in this class." He hits and throws righty. Both outlets corroborate that Cova recently transitioned from shortstop to the outfield. BA says he "should be able to stick in center field long term," while Pipeline adds that he "takes good routes to fly balls and has shown solid range." More from Pipeline on Cova: Pipeline gives Cova 50 or better scouting grades for all of his tools, led by 55-hit and 55-field. Despite his inexperience, he'll immediately vault into the conversation for best Marlins position player prospect (not much competition for that distinction at the moment). This agreement between Cova and the Marlins has been in place for well over a year. Cova trained at Venezuela's Just Prospect baseball academy and there are photos of him wearing a Marlins cap on their Instagram account as far back as October 2022. That suggests Miami's former senior director of international operations, Adrian Lorenzo, was heavily involved in the acquisition. Lorenzo told Fish On First's Kevin Barral that the 2024 class would include "a couple centerfield type profiles that are really going to jump out from the tools and physicality standpoint.” Cova seems to fit that description. https://fishonfirst.com/news/marlins-international-free-agency-2024/Just Prospect is the same academy that worked with Marlins OF Andrés Valor before he turned pro. Valor received a $520k signing bonus and enjoyed a productive debut season with DSL Miami (.294/.360/.466, 116 wRC+, 5 HR, 21 SB in 51 G). Similarly, Cova is likely to spend his entire age-17 season in the Dominican Summer League. The 27th-ranked player on Ben Badler's 2023 bonus board, Yoeilin Céspedes, signed with the Boston Red Sox for $1.4M, giving us a pretty good idea of what Cova's bonus from the Marlins will be. That number would make Cova the Marlins' most expensive international free agent signing since Yiddi Cappe (2021) and account for 21.5% of the club's $6.52M total bonus pool for the 2024 signing period.

Here's what you should know with 85 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Tuesday’s winter ball notes: In the Dominican Republic, 3B Vidal Bruján went 1-for-6 with 1 RBI.Skip Schumaker announced that he had to cancel his annual baseball skills camp due to inclement weather. You can still donate here to the Jessie Rees Foundation in the fight against pediatric cancer.Check out our first Fish On First staff roundtable. Read 11 different perspectives on the state of the Marlins.Ryan Jensen remains in DFA limbo. We should have clarity about his status by the end of this week.With 105 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 73.3% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.On the Just Baseball Show (embedded below), Aram Leighton plays Marlins GM. His plan involves trading Edward Cabrera for prospects, trading Tanner Scott to the Rangers for Ezequiel Duran (who would become Miami's shortstop), and signing free agents Travis Jankowski and Kyle Lewis.On the Creative Club Pod, former Marlins executive Adrian Lorenzo reflected on his baseball career and how those experiences have translated to his new venture as a full-time artist.https://fishonfirst.com/news/marlins-international-free-agency-2024/Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors takes an updated look at all the plausible shortstop options that the Marlins could target in free agency and trade talks.Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald examines each of the additions that the Marlins have made so far this offseason.The Marlins enter the new year ranked 21st in MLB.com's power rankings.Marlins Podcast Episodes Photo courtesy of @Arraez_21/Twitter

Here's what you should know with 87 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Ring in the new year by bookmarking our 2024 Marlins calendar! It will guide fans before/during/after the upcoming season with dates and details about significant deadlines, milestones and more.Ryan Jensen spent the holidays in DFA limbo and still remains there. We should have clarity about his status by the end of this week.Elsewhere around baseball, the Red Sox traded Chris Sale and cash to the Braves for Vaughn Grissom. During his long MLB career, Sale has only pitched against the Marlins twice (one start in 2016 and another in 2018).Kevin Barral highlights five remaining free agents who complement the Marlins' roster and should be in their price range on short-term deals.Ryan Schlesinger wants to see the Marlins experiment with Edward Cabrera as a reliever.Following up on our podcast from last week, Louis Addeo-Weiss elaborates further about who he'd vote for on the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.With 100 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 73.0% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.Congrats to Marlins RHP Tyler Eckberg on his wedding last weekend. Eckberg spent the 2023 season as a reliever with High-A Beloit.Wholesome "Happy New Year" social media posts from Marlins players below...https://www.instagram.com/p/C1jJ7-kMH3Q/?hl=en&e=6b76dfa8-b2f8-4af0-92f5-fe54e873311d&g=5https://www.instagram.com/p/C1iMzQIumn5/?hl=en&e=0775f46d-e0ce-42e1-a8d6-b6b388e827c9&g=5https://www.instagram.com/p/C1io0UltxC5/?hl=en&e=79336a43-25d4-4dd7-bc81-07752a3288dd&g=5https://www.instagram.com/p/C1hmC56uTyS/?hl=en&e=bbfb5670-c468-40c9-99c0-7e7b3e98d03a&g=5https://www.instagram.com/p/C1iL5ndubwH/?hl=en&e=6cf759e9-0c18-470f-8d47-abc93a7e1859&g=5Marlins Podcast Episodes Photo courtesy of @Arraez_21/Twitter

Player development has become a year-round process. If you check out after the MLB/MiLB season ends, you may be confused by what you find when familiar faces report to spring training. Easy fix: stay updated with our annual Miami Marlins fall/winter ball tracker! This is where you'll find stats and highlights for Marlins players participating in the Arizona Fall League and various international professional leagues, plus reporting on what specifically they're doing to polish their game. The 2023-24 edition of the tracker includes the following players: IF Jacob Berry (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)RHP Gabe Bierman (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)RHP Huascar Brazoban (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)IF/OF Vidal Bruján (Estrellas Orientales, LIDOM)RHP Ike Buxton (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)IF José Devers (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)OF Diego Infante (Tiburones de La Guaira, LVBP)1B/OF Troy Johnston (Toros del Este, LIDOM)LHP Adam Laskey (Mesa Sola Sox, AFL)RHP Zach McCambley (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)C Paul McIntosh (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)RHP Josan Méndez (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)C Jan Mercado (RA12, LBPRC)OF Dane Myers (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)LHP Luis Palacios (Leones del Caracas, LVBP)RHP Anderson Pilar (Gigantes del Cibao, LIDOM)OF/IF Javier Sanoja (Cardenales de Lara, LVBP)LHP Dale Stanavich (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)LHP Evan Taylor (Peoria Javelinas, AFL)LIDOM (Dominican Republic)Vidal Bruján Regular Season Stats: 186 PA, .262/.405/.324, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 23 SB Bruján was acquired by the Marlins on November 17. He saw action at second base, third base and all three outfield positions while ranking second in the league in walks and first in steals. Bruján's consistency stood out, reaching base safely in 40 of his 43 games played. This was his best LIDOM season offensively (sub-.700 OPS in each of his four previous seasons with Toros del Este). He's still playing for Estrellas Orientales in LIDOM's Round Robin postseason tournament. Troy Johnston Regular Season Stats: 12 PA, .200/.333/.200, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SB Johnston only joined the club for the final week of the regular season. Pretty unconventional. Dane Myers Regular Season Stats: 89 PA, .266/.337/.329, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 SB https://videopress.com/v/hACgeyWz?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffishonfirst.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F11%2FScreenshot-2023-11-07-at-10.11.01%E2%80%AFPM.png&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Myers played all three outfield positions, getting the largest share of his playing time in right. He raked against left-handed pitching in particular (.844 OPS). Myers played his final LIDOM game on November 27. Huascar Brazoban Regular Season Stats: 1 G/0 GS, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 2 K in 1.0 IP Brazoban is still playing for Gigantes del Cibao in LIDOM's Round Robin postseason tournament. José Devers Regular Season Stats: 11 PA, .333/.455/.333, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB Josan Méndez Regular Season Stats: 3 G/0 GS, 5.40 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 0 K in 3.1 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/5b6eea75-388d-47f8-96b7-a2e0a7bbf810.mp4Anderson Pilar Regular Season Stats: 11 G/2 GS, 2.63 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 25 K in 24.0 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/51e7a1af-4248-4d90-8574-73ea9cd76dbb.mp4LVBP (Venezuela)Javier Sanoja Regular Season Stats: 76 PA, .292/.316/.403, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 3 SB Sanoja is being utilized as a corner outfielder. Making contact continues to be Sanoja's forte—he only struck out twice during the regular season! Even in a hitter-friendly environment, he is impressing against much older competition. Luis Palacios Regular Season Stats: 8 G/1 GS, 2.70 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 4 K in 10.0 IP Palacios has been asked to adjust to middle-relief situations this winter after being developed as a starter throughout his professional career. LBPRC (Puerto Rico)Jan Mercado Regular Season Stats: 71 PA, .082/.200/.180, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB It's Mercado's fourth straight winter playing in his native Puerto Rico. His career progress continues to be stunted by a very high strikeout rate. AFLAll Marlins players who participated in the AFL were assigned to the Peoria Javelinas except for Adam Laskey (Mesa Solar Sox), who was in the Chicago Cubs organization at the time IF Jacob BerryRHP Gabe BiermanRHP Ike BuxtonRHP Zach McCambleyC Paul McIntoshLHP Dale StanavichLHP Evan TaylorJacob Berry (Fall Stars Game selection) Regular Season Stats: 76 PA, .265/.329/.441, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-10/05/09013c65-c33678b8-138d3396-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 Berry's slash line was roughly league average by AFL standards. Continuing a trend from the regular season, he was significantly better batting righty (.868) than he was lefty (.712). Berry exclusively played third base for Peoria, starting 16 games at the position. He committed three errors on Oct. 7, but only one in his final 12 starts. Gabe Bierman Regular Season Stats: 5 G/3 GS, 6.75 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 18 K in 16.0 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/cc6e4f0c-45fb-43e4-8a32-1e163cdf8afc.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/b8ce823a-d43d-478f-82cc-2180180655b5.mp4Bierman completed multiple innings and allowed multiple runs in each of his outings, reaching a maximum pitch count of 76. Ike Buxton (Fall Stars Game selection) Regular Season Stats: 5 G/3 GS, 6.11 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 19 K in 17.2 IP https://videopress.com/v/TpDrJYEa?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=trueBuxton made a pitch mix change from the regular season to the AFL, per Just Baseball's Aram Leighton, "phasing out the slider in favor of his sinker, changeup and four seam fastball." Adam Laskey Regular Season Stats: 9 G/0 GS, 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 15 K in 9.0 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/20af8186-a099-46ad-a7b6-8561ce04b0e3.mp4Zach McCambley Regular Season Stats: 8 G/0 GS, 5.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 12 K in 9.0 IP McCambley allowed just one-extra base hit and struck out 29.3% of total batters faced. Paul McIntosh Regular Season Stats: 57 PA, .229/.351/.375, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 SB Dale Stanavich Regular Season Stats: 8 G/0 GS, 8.22 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 6 K in 7.2 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/a6e8a9d2-e547-4984-ae88-2de21b5813b5.mp4Evan Taylor Regular Season Stats: 6 G/0 GS, 10.80 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 8 K in 5.0 IP https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/8b61eea2-9b75-4829-823a-efb716a4c8cf.mp4

Here's what you should know with 91 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Wednesday’s winter ball notes: In the Dominican Republic, 3B Vidal Bruján went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in his first playoff game. In Venezuela, RF Javier Sanoja went 0-for-4 in his regular season finale.Elsewhere around baseball, Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2/$15M) signed with the Blue Jays. Craig Mish of SportsGrid reports that the Marlins pursued IKF, but didn't offer as much as the Blue Jays did. Shortstop was already a thin position in this free agent class and this leaves Miami with even fewer alternatives. If Amed Rosario is willing to take comparable money, that'd be a better fit, in my opinion. More offensive upside.With 60 BBWAA ballots entered into Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, former Marlin Gary Sheffield has received 73.3% of the vote (needs 75.0% for election). I’ll continue updating his status in Offishial News as more ballots come in.Our new episode of The Offishial Show dissects Sheffield and many of the other players on the BBWAA ballot. At the end, Louis Addeo-Weiss and I reveal how we would vote.Carlos Collazo of Baseball America did a 2019 redraft. Factoring in both previous and expected future performance, he has the Marlins taking Gunnar Henderson with the fourth overall pick and Andrew Nardi (who fell all the way to the 16th round in real life) going to the Astros at No. 32. The Marlins' actual top pick from that class, JJ Bleday, didn't make the cut. Yikes!Congrats to the Marlins' Scott Fairbanks on winning 2023 Bill Harper Scout of the Year. Fairbanks scouts amateur players in Northern California and the Northwest. I figure this award is largely about acknowledging his role in the signing of 2023 first-rounder Noble Meyer.Marlins Podcast Episodes Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Who will join former Marlins manager Jim Leyland in the Baseball Hall of Fame's class of 2024? Louis Addeo-Weiss and Ely Sussman dissect the players on the BBWAA ballot, including what to make of Gary Sheffield entering his final year of eligibility. Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every episode of The Offishial Show. There have been 60 BBWAA ballots revealed as of early Thursday morning. Adrián Beltré (98.3%), Todd Helton (81.7%) and Joe Mauer (81.7%) are above the all-important 75% threshold so far, while Sheffield (73.3%) and Billy Wagner (71.7%) have some catching up to do. The voting results will be announced on January 23. Louis' ballot: Bobby Abreu, Carlos Beltrán, Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Joe Mauer, Gary Sheffield, Chase Utley and Billy WagnerEly's ballot: Carlos Beltrán, Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Joe Mauer, Andy Pettitte, Manny Ramírez, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Chase UtleyTell us who you would vote for if given the chance! Follow Louis (@addeo_louis00), Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.