Ely Sussman

As of Monday, Miami Marlins spring training is fully underway in Jupiter. I treat this report date as the unofficial end of the Major League Baseball offseason. President of baseball operations Peter Bendix is famously "always having conversations"—each of his first two seasons on the job, the Marlins have made trades on the literal eve of Opening Day. While we should once again expect to see outside acquisitions over the course of the spring, it's reasonable to assume that the vast majority of candidates to take the field for the Fish on March 27 are already in the organization. With 39 days to go, here is how I project the Marlins to construct their active roster for the 2026 season opener. Position Players Left-handed batters: Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, Graham Pauley, Griffin Conine, Liam Hicks Right-handed batters: Otto Lopez, Agustín Ramírez, Heriberto Hernández, Connor Norby, Javier Sanoja, Christopher Morel, Esteury Ruiz Switch-hitters: Xavier Edwards With a handful of these Marlins players capable of toggling between infield and outfield positions and few true everyday starters, I felt that categorizing them by handedness would be most appropriate. I have ordered the names based on my rough estimate of how many total plate appearances they'd receive. Norby's projected role could fluctuate the most over these next five weeks. Maybe he beats out Pauley and reasserts himself as Miami's primary third baseman...or maybe he doesn't crack the active roster at all. Such is the quandary that the Marlins face due to his blend of offensive upside, defensive awkwardness and poor track record against lefty pitchers. All 13 of these position players have minor league options left except for Lopez and Morel. Just missed: Owen Caissie This would understandably be a frustrating outcome for Caissie after nearly two full seasons at the Triple-A level. Sending him down doesn't benefit the club in any meaningful way either unless they intend to keep him down for multiple months, which is what'd take to push back his free agent eligibility by a year. The opportunity to make his Marlins debut on Opening Day largely hinges on factors outside of his control, such as injuries and Conine's transition to first base. Pitchers Starting rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Eury Pérez, RHP Max Meyer, LHP Braxton Garrett, RHP Chris Paddack Bullpen: RHP Pete Fairbanks, RHP Anthony Bender, RHP Tyler Phillips, RHP Calvin Faucher, LHP Cade Gibson, LHP John King, RHP Janson Junk, RHP Michael Petersen Junk clearly belongs in the majors—his 3.14 FIP was the best of any Marlins pitcher last season! However, these arms are supposed to complement one another. With Meyer, Garrett and Paddack each having negligible professional experience as relievers, I'm expecting them to begin 2026 in familiar roles, with Junk being temporarily relegated to long man duties. There is solid talent in this bullpen, but not much standout velocity. That's where Petersen comes in. It would not have been surprising if the Marlins squeezed him off their 40-man roster at some point of the offseason to make room for new acquisitions. The fact that they prioritized him over many other players in that regard and he's entering his age-32 season suggests they'll let him sink or swim in The Show. Just missed: Lake Bachar, Robby Snelling The Marlins frequently trusted Bachar with inherited baserunners in 2025, but he wasn't proficient at getting out of those jams (allowing 12 of 28 to score). Combining that with his overall slippage in performance during the final quarter of the season, he has moved down the depth chart a bit. If any of the current projected starters get hurt this spring, I suspect Junk will slide into their spot. If an additional rotation injury occurs, that ought to open the door for Snelling.

Have you wondered where the Marlins’ minor league teams play? Who coaches them? Where to find their schedule and rosters? We have the guide for you. As a low-revenue franchise by Major League Baseball’s standards, it is crucial that the Marlins produce plenty of homegrown talent. Whether you’re interested in watching their top prospects develop in person or looking for resources to analyze their progress from afar, let’s get you up to speed. Make sure to bookmark our minor league section for year-round content. Twitter users, our resident farm director Alex Carver aka Fish On First Prospects (@FOFProspects) is a must-follow account. List of Marlins Affiliate Teams Triple-A: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Double-A: Pensacola Blue Wahoos High-A: Beloit Sky Carp Low-A: Jupiter Hammerheads FCL Marlins DSL Marlins & DSL Miami The Marlins (and all other MLB clubs) signed 10-year Player Development Agreements with their full-season affiliates, which run through the 2030 season. Here are the Marlins affiliates. Triple-A: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp League: International League Stadium: VyStar Ballpark 301 A. Philip Randolph Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32202 Website: jaxshrimp.com Mascot: Scampi How long have they been a Marlins affiliate? Since 2009, though for most of that period, Jacksonville was a Double-A affiliate. That changed in 2021. Jacksonville's current team nickname has been in place since the 2017 season. They were previously known as the Jacksonville Suns. Ballpark renovations completed in early 2025 included the additions of the Home Plate Club and Power Alley seats in right field. The Jumbo Shrimp won the 2025 International League championship as well as the Triple-A National Championship Game. 2026 Coaching Staff Manager: David Carpenter Pitching coach: Jerad Eickhoff Hitting coach: Tom DeAngelis Assistant coach: José Ceballos Assistant coach: Luke Terwilliger Athletic trainer: Tyler Lough Athletic trainer: Sandy Krum Strength & conditioning coach: Jordan Reyes Video coach: Ryan Gaynor Player development fellow: Jackson Shelton Clubhouse concierge: Paul Whatley 2026 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp roster 2026 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp schedule 2026 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp stats Double-A: Pensacola Blue Wahoos League: Southern League Stadium: Blue Wahoos Stadium 351 W. Cedar Street Pensacola, FL 32502 Website: bluewahoos.com Mascot: Kazoo How long have they been a Marlins affiliate? Since 2021. The Blue Wahoos won the 2022 Southern League championship. Eury Pérez, Andrew Nardi, Griffin Conine and Patrick Monteverde are among the players who contributed to that title and remain with the Marlins organization. 2026 Coaching Staff Manager: Nelson Prada Pitching coach: Tobey Nagel Hitting coach: Brian Sharp Assistant coach: Mason Sherrill Defensive coach: Jay Weaver Athletic trainer: Adam Sparks Strength & conditioning coach: Brandon Remalia Video coach: Tyler Johnson Player development fellow: Olivia Pelishek Clubhouse concierge: Jackson Hall 2026 Pensacola Blue Wahoos roster 2026 Pensacola Blue Wahoos schedule 2026 Pensacola Blue Wahoos stats High-A: Beloit Sky Carp League: Midwest League Stadium: ABC Supply Stadium 217 Shirland Avenue Beloit, WI 53511 Website: skycarp.com Mascot: Poopsie How long have they been a Marlins affiliate? Since 2021. Beloit's current team nickname has been in place since the 2022 season. They were previously known as the Beloit Snappers. 2026 Coaching Staff Manager: Angel Espada Pitching coach: Jason Erickson Hitting coach: Michael Ryan Assistant coach: Bobby Dorta Assistant coach: Josh Glenn Athletic trainer: Hiroki Yoshimoto Strength & conditioning coach: Keely Fishbach Video coach: Tommy Merlo Player development fellow: Matthew Wilson Clubhouse Concierge: Ryan Hopkins 2026 Beloit Sky Carp roster 2026 Beloit Sky Carp schedule 2026 Beloit Sky Carp stats Low-A: Jupiter Hammerheads League: Florida State League Stadium: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium 4751 Main St. Jupiter, FL 33458 Website: jupiterhammerheads.com Mascot: Hamilton R. Head How long have they been a Marlins affiliate? Since 2002, though for most of that period, Jupiter was a High-A affiliate. That changed in 2021. It's notoriously difficult to hit home runs at Roger Dean. The Hammerheads won the 2023 Florida State League championship. Many of the players who contributed to that title are still with the Marlins organization. 2026 Coaching Staff Manager: Kyle Stahlberg Pitching coach: Tommy Phelps Hitting coach: Easton Waterman Assistant coach: Wilfri Castro Assistant coach: Gabe Ortiz Athletic trainer: Bastian Munoz Strength & conditioning coach: Nick Falbo Video coach: Brent Cosculluela Player development fellow: Kevin Murray Clubhouse concierge: Carina Leiroz 2026 Jupiter Hammerheads roster 2026 Jupiter Hammerheads schedule 2026 Jupiter Hammerheads stats FCL Marlins League: Florida Complex League Stadium: Backfields of the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex The Marlins have had a rookie-level U.S. affiliate throughout their existence. Prior to 2021, the team was called the GCL Marlins and played in the Gulf Coast League. 2026 Coaching Staff (coming soon) 2025 FCL Marlins roster 2025 FCL Marlins schedule DSL Marlins & DSL Miami League: Dominican Summer League Stadium: Miami Marlins Baseball Academy Carr. Jubey-Boca Chica KM 2 Boca Chica, Dominican Republic The Marlins have had a rookie-level affiliate in the Dominican Republic throughout their existence. Beginning in 2022, they have fielded two teams in the Dominican Summer League. 2026 DSL Marlins Coaching Staff (coming soon) 2026 DSL Miami Coaching Staff (coming soon) 2025 DSL Marlins roster 2025 DSL Marlins schedule 2025 DSL Miami roster 2025 DSL Miami schedule

Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough informed right-hander Sandy Alcantara on Friday morning that he will be the club's Opening Day starter again in 2026. The Marlins will host the Colorado Rockies at loanDepot park on March 26. Alcantara has been on the mound for Opening Day in each of the last seven seasons with the exception of 2024, which he missed while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He already held the franchise record with five career Opening Day starts; health permitting, he will do it for the sixth time exactly six weeks from now. The Marlins released a video of McCullough in his Jupiter Academy office delivering the news to Alcantara. In response, the 30-year-old said he is "super excited about another opportunity to be on the mound for the Marlins. I'm very happy." n64CV1R5FHQK5u0i.mp4 The Marlins have a 2-3 record in Alcantara's previous Opening Day starts. Most recently against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025, he carried a shutout into the fifth inning and received a no-decision in what was ultimately a walk-off win. Player Date Team Opp Result IP H R ER UER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF Sandy Alcantara 2020-07-24 MIA @ PHI W, 5-2 6.2 3 2 1 1 1 2 0 7 0 0 0 24 Sandy Alcantara 2021-04-01 MIA TBR L, 0-1 6.0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 7 1 0 0 23 Sandy Alcantara 2022-04-08 MIA @ SFG L, 5-6 (10) 5.0 3 3 2 1 1 5 0 4 0 0 0 21 Sandy Alcantara 2023-03-30 MIA NYM L, 3-5 5.2 3 3 3 0 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 23 Sandy Alcantara 2025-03-27 MIA PIT W, 5-4 4.2 2 2 2 0 0 4 0 7 0 0 0 20 Colorado's projected rotation consists of Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen, José Quintana, Chase Dollander and Tomoyuki Sugano. Freeland, like Alcantara, is a longtime member of his organization who despite coming off an uneven 2025 season—4.98 ERA and 4.18 FIP in 162 ⅔ innings pitched—would be the logical candidate to start their season opener. The left-hander has handled that assignment four previous times in his career.

Enjoy new episodes of our Miami Marlins livestreams throughout 2026 spring training. Every week, Fish On First staffers answer your questions and provide in-depth analysis of the team leading up to Opening Day. Wednesday's show was hosted by Ely Sussman and featured panelists Isaac Azout, Kevin Barral, Alex Carver and Jeremiah Geiger. The following topics were covered: Signings of free agents Chris Paddack and John King Potential corresponding roster moves Key features of the new "Jupiter Academy" Takeaways from the first pitchers and catchers workout Overview of Marlins.TV You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Follow Ely (@RealEly), Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Alex (@FOFProspects), Jeremiah (@JeremiahGeiger2) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter.

For the second time this week, the Miami Marlins have bolstered their pitching depth via free agency. They reached a one-year deal with right-handed starter Chris Paddack on Monday, followed by another one-year deal with left-handed reliever John King on Wednesday afternoon. King is guaranteed $1.5 million. Jeff Passan of ESPN was first to report the contract details, though the Marlins have not announced it yet. King, 31, has split his major league career between the Texas Rangers (2020-2023) and St. Louis Cardinals (2023-2025), with practically identical workloads for each franchise in terms of innings pitched. Across 214 total appearances (all of them in relief), he owns a career 3.80 ERA and 4.04 FIP, never issuing more than 14 walks in a single season. He doesn't have any postseason experience. King's command is particularly sharp against left-handed batters, issuing walks to them at only a 4.4% rate in his career (1.9 BB% in 2025). He's a welcome addition to a Marlins team that ranked 30th in Major League Baseball last season with only 98 relief appearances from lefties. Why was King still on the market this deep into February? He performed poorly in 2025, allowing a lot of hard contact, particularly against his sinker. A career-high eight home runs by his opponents contributed to a 4.66 ERA and 5.00 FIP. The Cardinals non-tendered King rather than pay him a projected $2.1 million via arbitration. Entering this season with four years and 148 days of MLB service time, he'll be arbitration-eligible again in 2027, so the Marlins can turn this one-year deal into two years of club control if they're satisfied with how he performs. Accommodating Paddack on the Marlins 40-man roster seemed simple enough now that Ronny Henriquez (right UCL surgery) is eligible to be placed on the 60-day injured list. With no other major league players known to be suffering from significant injuries, making room for King will require designating somebody for assignment. The Paddack signing is expected to be made official on Thursday.

Relative to other Major League Baseball franchises, the Miami Marlins have a brief and frustrating history. Even so, fans would rather celebrate it than hide from it, and the Marlins have taken steps recently to give the people what they want. That includes the opening of the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame at loanDepot park in 2025. The Marlins use a vague criteria to select their Hall of Famers. As described on the HOF landing page of the team's website, "legends who played a major role in béisbol history" are elected. "Each year, we’ll celebrate former players, coaches, managers, and staff members for their contributions to not just the Marlins organization, but also our South Florida communities," the page continues. The inaugural class of inductees—Luis Castillo, Jeff Conine, Jim Leyland and Jack McKeon—are described as "players and coaches who shaped Marlins history over the years with their memorable plays, legendary leadership, and lasting impact on the game." Fish On First SuperSub @Casey Marika developed his own criteria for discerning which players did enough to distinguish themselves. Focused only on the Marlins portion of each player's career, his "Team Hall of Fame Index" incorporates the following factors: Wins above replacement Longevity & franchise legends All-Star Game appearances Major awards & honors Postseason impact Franchise leaderboards Single-game achievements Peak dominance The index ranks Castillo fourth, with an overall score that places him in the highest tier ("inner-circle Marlins HOF"). Conine is ranked 10th in the "borderline/ballot debate" tier, though that is without accounting for his extensive philanthropic work and contributions to the franchise since retiring as a player. Giancarlo Stanton presumably won't be considered until he hangs up his cleats and Sandy Alcantara is still adding to his Marlins legacy. That leaves Hanley Ramírez, Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, Josh Johnson and Mike Lowell as the index's most deserving individuals. Amusingly, Casey also shared an expanded list of the index's top 150 players. If the Marlins induct two new players every single year through the end of the 21st century, that's the total they would reach. If this franchise is still around in 2099, we can reasonably assume that plenty of new impact players emerged in the interim, supplanting the likes of Wei-Yin Chen, Caleb Smith and José Ureña. Seven active Fish crack the top 150. Any last-minute predictions for who will comprise the class of 2026?

Entering year 15 at loanDepot park, the Miami Marlins are still dealing with a familiar problem regarding home attendance. The mediocre quality of the product on the field and location of the venue are among the factors that perennially have the Fish finishing with the fewest spectators in the National League. It isn't for a lack of effort. Miami's marketing department turns a large share of regular season home games into special events, plus Marlins ticket prices always rank among the cheapest in Major League Baseball. The following table will expand as more special events and theme games are confirmed. Date Theme/Special Event Giveaway Extras March 27 Opening Day Kyle Stowers bobblehead (25k) Postgame fireworks March 29 — Reversible bucket hat (10k) — April 18 Hockey Day — Special ticket package includes jersey April 19 — Basketball jersey (10k) — May 2 Mexican Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey May 3 Star Wars Day Captain's Hat (10k) Special ticket package includes shirt May 10 Mother's Day Mother's Day clutch (5k, moms only) — May 22 Naruto Night — Special ticket package includes jersey May 23 Cuban Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey June 7 Spongebob Squarepants Day — Special ticket package includes shirt June 19 South Florida Black Legacy Celebration — — June 20 Flanigan's Fest Flanigan’s x Marlins cup (10k) Flanigan's food at concession stands June 21 Father's Day Throwback dad hat (10k) — July 11 USA 250th Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey July 12 Top Gun Day Billy the Marlins shoulder plush (10k, kids only) Special ticket package includes cap July 25 Venezuelan Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey July 27 — Javier Sanoja Gold Glove bobblehead (10k) — August 7 Pokémon Go Night — Special ticket package includes "exclusive item" August 8 Colombian Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey August 9 — Kid's lunchbox (5k, kids only) — August 22 Dominican Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey August 23 Harry Potter Day Agustín Ramírez "Gus Bus" bobblehead (10k) Special ticket package includes jersey September 5 Puerto Rican Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey September 6 Marlins Legends Hall of Fame induction #1 Marlins Legends HOF bobblehead #1 (10k) — September 12 Japanese Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey September 13 Marlins Legends Hall of Fame induction #2 Marlins Legends HOF bobblehead #2 (10k) — September 26 Nicaraguan Heritage Celebration — Special ticket package includes jersey September 27 — 2027 magnet schedule (10k) —

Former Miami Marlins outfielder Avisaíl García has hung up his cleats. Here is García's full retirement announcement, which was posted to his Instagram account on Monday: Today I formally announce the end of my career in Major League Baseball after 12 seasons of dedication and hard work. Thank you to God for the blessing of fulfilling my childhood dream—of playing baseball at its highest level. To my family: my eternal gratitude for your unconditional love, constant support, and sacrifices that made every step of this journey possible. To my agent, Gene Mato, and the Mato Sports Management team: thank you for your professional guidance, loyalty, and unwavering support throughout my career. To my teammates, coaches, and staff: thank you for the brotherhood, respect, and shared lessons day in and day out. These good memories will stay in my heart forever… To the teams that trusted me and gave me the opportunity to compete at the highest level… Thank you… Baseball gave me far more than I could have dreamed: achievements, experiences, and values I will carry with me always. I close this chapter with pride and gratitude, ready for new chapters in life. With respect and appreciation, Avisail Garcia The 34-year-old native of Anaco, Venezuela, played for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers prior to joining the Fish. With the 2021 Brewers, he set new career-highs in home runs (29) and walks (38). Starved for offense, Miami signed García to a four-year, $53 million free agent contract during the ensuing offseason, which would account for the majority of his career earnings as it turned out. Almost immediately, the signing looked regrettable. Limited to 153 Marlins games due to injuries, García slashed .217/.260/.322 with 13 home runs, six stolen bases and a 59 wRC+. His -1.4 fWAR is tied with Tim Anderson for the worst mark among all Marlins hitters since 2022. The Marlins released García on June 9, 2024. He underwent lower back surgery in October of that year in an attempt to extend his career, but never played another professional game. May the next chapter of García's life bring him fulfillment and success.

Several weeks after the longtime married couple separated, they are moving forward with a divorce. The Miami Marlins are ditching the regional sports network setup to produce their own television broadcasts in partnership with Major League Baseball. The Marlins and five other teams informed MLB of their plans last weekend, according to John Ourand of Puck. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirmed the report on Monday. The Marlins' TV rights previously belonged to Main Street Sports Group, which distributed their games via FanDuel Sports Network Florida throughout the 2025 season. But Main Street's business model has been steadily deteriorating and it was highly unlikely that they'd be able to continue paying tens of millions of dollars in annual rights fees to the Fish. In an interview with Fish Unfiltered, Marlins president of business Caroline O'Connor said that the Marlins expect to retain much of their TV talent during this transition, specifically mentioning play-by-play announcer Kyle Sielaff and host/reporter Kelly Saco. The Marlins' presence on traditional TV isn't disappearing entirely. "There'll probably be some aspect of simulcasting this year" with CBS 4 and WBFS 33, O'Connor said. The Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals are among the teams making the same transition to MLB for broadcast production/distribution. For context, their products cost $19.99 per month or $99.99 per year. It's unclear whether the Marlins will use those exact price points. We'll find out on February 10 when Marlins.TV subscriptions become available. Fish On First will have an in-depth "how to watch the Marlins" guide for you once all the specifics of this new arrangement are available.