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I'm not implying that the Marlins are already feeling buyer's remorse about their new right-hander. Just out of curiosity, let's peruse the list of other potential starters who received Quantrill-esque contracts from MLB teams this past offseason. It needed to be done. After trading Jesús Luzardo and losing Braxton Garrett to season-ending surgery, the Miami Marlins had insufficient starting rotation depth for 2025. Regardless of how little the team cares about winning games this upcoming season amidst a rebuild, you still have to participate in them, ideally without rushing prospects to the major leagues or stretching unqualified depth players beyond their reasonable limits. Enter Cal Quantrill. The Canadian right-hander is only a couple years removed from starting playoff games. He owned a solid 3.88 ERA and 7.2% walk rate in his MLB career prior to last season's brutal second-half slump. Getting his services for a $3.5 million guarantee with up to $500,000 in performance bonuses is a bargain for the Fish. Which other stopgap starters were available in free agency for a comparable price? I consulted the MLB Trade Rumors contract tracker to generate the following list of pitchers with recent rotation experience who signed guaranteed major league deals worth $5 million or less during the 2024-25 offseason. Kyle Hendricks is the most accomplished of the bunch. He peaked as the National League ERA leader nearly a decade ago. For much of his career since then, Hendricks has produced like a high-end No. 3 starter, though he's coming off a nightmarish 2024 campaign and can't top 90 mph anymore. Martín Pérez is a boring yet safe floor-raiser with 13 years of MLB experience and a deep pitch mix. Griffin Canning shouldered the heaviest workload last season (171.2 IP), following closely by Colin Rea (167.2 IP). The track records of Jakob Junis, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Joe Ross and Bryse Wilson suggest they will be moved back and forth between the rotation and bullpen throughout the year depending on their teams' needs. Considering these alternatives, I have to admit that the Marlins chose well. As long as they can resolve the uncharacteristic control issues that derailed Quantrill last summer, he is as likely as anybody else on this list eat to valuable innings and do so effectively enough to appeal to contending teams come the trade deadline when Miami will be shopping for prospects. Of course, there was a wider universe of arms to choose from if the Marlins weren't so frugal. It would have been difficult to recruit future Hall of Famers Max Scherzer ($15.5M) or Justin Verlander ($15M) to a team of this caliber, but what about Alex Cobb ($15M), Tomoyuki Sugano ($13M) or Mike Soroka ($9M), who also signed one-year deals with no strings attached beyond 2025? I say it's fair game to cite them in this conversation as well. View full article

Aram is doing his annual deep dive on the farm system this weekend, so if nothing else, we'll get him as a guest on our platform before the season to discuss.

The ERA for Marlins starters last season was 5.24 (compared to 4.15 for the 'pen). It looked like Quantrill was on the way to a bounce-back year midway through last season. Didn't have a single "great" start from mid-June onward, unfortunately. Whatever went wrong for him impacted him on the road as well, so can't use Coors as an excuse. Still a good value.

Within minutes of the public announcement, the team had a social media post ready to promote Opening Day tickets. That's what it is all about. Spring training performance will change the rotation hierarchy, but there's obviously the risk of injury between now and then. If it were a pure baseball decision, they would simply wait until he completes his final spring game to announce.

Pretty inconsiderate of the Miami Marlins to make me rip up my latest 2025 roster projection almost immediately after publication! Xzavion Curry is now on the outside looking in and may be off to a different organization entirely. The right-hander was designated for assignment on Tuesday to make room on the 40-man for fellow righty reliever Ronny Henriquez. Beginning with Henriquez, 24, he was signed by the Texas Rangers out of the Dominican Republic in 2017 and traded to the Minnesota Twins in 2022. He made his major league debut toward the end of that season, but got more significant reps last year when the Twins began using him exclusively as a reliever/opener. In 19 career MLB appearances, he has posted a 2.90 ERA, 4.02 FIP and .233 BAA in 31 innings pitched. Here is a look at Henriquez's four-seam fastball/changeup/slider pitch mix. It's difficult for opposing batters to anticipate what's coming because he throws each of them with similar frequency regardless of the batter's handedness. His velocity maxed out at 99.2 mph in 2024. merge-i4c5s9.mp4 Henriquez is out of minor league options, so unless he suffers an injury this spring or performs horribly, he'll be a piece of the 2025 Marlins bullpen. Curry joined the Marlins as a waiver claim last August. He is two years older than Henriquez and his fastball is several ticks slower, but his DFA still comes as a surprise. He did well for them after being claimed (3.00 ERA, 4.22 FIP, .148 BAA in 18.0 IP) with his sharp command really standing out. He has a lot of starting experience and can still be optioned in 2025, which I would've thought the club valued considering their lack of rotation depth. If Curry clears waivers, then the Marlins can outright him to the minors and still bring him to camp as a non-roster invitee. But unless there is an underlying health issue that we aren't aware of, I expect him to be claimed. View full rumor

On the Turn 2 podcast, Marlins minor leaguer Troy Johnston speaks candidly about what he'll have to do in 2025 to earn a long-awaited call-up to the majors. View full video

They will be testing the ABS challenge system at "select ballparks" during spring training games. I assume Roger Dean is one of them. Manfred will be addressing the media about it next week.

We will find out very soon. The vast majority of spring games are fully monitored by Statcast. If you ask the players, they'll often inflate their numbers, which understandably gets people excited at this time of year, but also sets unreasonable expectations.

With major league camp about to get underway, these Marlins players are best positioned to make the initial 26-man active roster. The 2025 baseball season is right around the corner. Very little is expected of the Miami Marlins this year, but the players on the field will ultimately determine the club's fate. Fish On First will be updating their progress every step of the way. Isaac Azout wrote up our most recent roster projection on January 3. Here's what has happened since then: We learned that Braxton Garrett underwent left UCL revision surgery, sidelining him for the entire 2025 season Connor Gillispie was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves Jhonny Pereda was traded to the Athletics for cash considerations Manager Clayton McCullough described Andrew Nardi as being "a little bit behind" in his throwing progression following an offseason injury setback I have updated the projection accordingly as pitchers and catchers report to Jupiter in the coming days. Position players Default starting lineup (vs. RHP): C Nick Fortes, 1B Matt Mervis, 2B Otto Lopez, 3B Connor Norby, SS Xavier Edwards, LF Jesús Sánchez, CF Kyle Stowers, RF Griffin Conine, DH Jonah Bride Bench: C Liam Hicks, OF Dane Myers, OF Derek Hill, UTIL Ronny Simon Just missed: Eric Wagaman, Javier Sanoja In December, the Marlins announced that they had signed free agent Eric Wagaman to a "major league contract," which may have misled the public about his place on the team's depth chart. It is in fact a split contract that does not guarantee any time in the majors, nor does it void his three remaining minor league options. The Marlins signed him before they knew that Matt Mervis would be available. Mervis has more upside as a power hitter and there's a greater urgency to find out what he can do considering his extensive Triple-A experience and only one remaining option. I think it'd be redundant to roster Wagaman, Mervis and Jonah Bride simultaneously, with Wagaman being the odd man out initially. Javier Sanoja's most likely long-term role is utility player, but the Marlins shouldn't be in a rush to make that determination when he's only 22 years old. Sanoja bulked up a bit during the offseason—maybe that improves his game power enough to raise his ceiling. Best way to find out is through everyday reps at Triple-A while another versatile defender warms the bench in Miami. Room on the 40-man roster can be created for Ronny Simon by placing an injured pitcher on the 60-day IL. None of the Marlins outfielders are true lineup fixtures. Although Dane Myers is listed on my bench, he should be getting multiple starts per week and coming off the bench to face lefties in most other games. Derek Hill and Albert Almora Jr. are competing for a defensive replacement/situational pinch-runner job. Hill's 40-man spot gives him a distinct advantage. Pitchers Starting rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara, LHP Ryan Weathers, RHP Edward Cabrera, RHP Max Meyer, RHP Valente Bellozo Bullpen: RHP Calvin Faucher, RHP Anthony Bender, RHP Declan Cronin, RHP Jesús Tinoco, RHP Xzavion Curry, RHP Lake Bachar, LHP Anthony Veneziano, LHP Josh Simpson Just missed: Andrew Nardi, Adam Mazur, Connor Gillispie There is little doubt about the first three starting rotation spots. The fun begins after that. Max Meyer should get an opportunity to flush his disappointing 2024 season. Valente Bellozo's solid rookie year production makes him the most likely No. 5 spot placeholder, but he can be overtaken if one of the other rotation candidates excels during spring training. Do not rule out the possibility of Miami signing an accomplished veteran to a cheap, one-year deal at some point this month. The Marlins bullpen has been overhauled over the last 12 months. Anthony Bender is the only reliever included in both last year's pre-spring projection and this one. Calvin Faucher is best positioned to receive save opportunities. Even with the return of Sandy Alcantara, there are serious concerns about how much length this team's starters will provide. That will prompt the Marlins to carry multiple bulk guys in the 'pen at the same time, in this case Xzavion Curry and Anthony Veneziano, with Connor Gillispie among those contending for the same role. In my experience, whenever a pitcher is less than 100% healthy at the start of camp due to an arm injury, they're doubtful to be on the Opening Day active roster. It helps that Andrew Nardi is rarely used for more than one inning at a time, so once he's cleared to ramp up, that process shouldn't take long. The Marlins could go in a handful of different directions to fill Nardi's spot. I'm making somewhat of a bold pick by projecting NRI Josh Simpson to get the nod. Simpson impressed in Jupiter last year before being derailed by an injury of his own and McCullough would probably appreciate having a conventional left-on-left matchup option. Any differences between your roster projection and mine? Comment to let me know. View full article

As unveiled at Saturday's Marlins FanFest, the inaugural class includes Jeff Conine, Luis Castillo, Jack McKeon and Jim Leyland. The Marlins have taken another step toward properly celebrating the franchise's history by establishing the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame. "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 club says. The class of 2025 consists of former players Jeff Conine and Luis Castillo and former managers Jim Leyland and Jack McKeon, each of whom won at least one World Series title with the Fish. A statement from Marlins chairman & principal owner Bruce Sherman: "We are proud to launch the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame and create a deserving tribute for legends who have played integral roles in shaping our franchise. This year's inaugural class set the standard for what it means to be a Marlin, and we are thrilled to honor them this season. Through inspiring dedication and a lasting legacy, they left indelible marks on our community both on and off the field." Conine was an original Florida Marlin, acquired from the Kansas City Royals in the 1992 expansion draft. From 1993-1997, he made two National League All-Star teams and slashed .291/.360/.467. He was the everyday first baseman for the '97 championship team. Conine returned to Florida in a 2003 midseason trade, contributed to winning another ring that October and stayed through 2005. Since retiring in 2007, most of Conine's post-playing career has been spent working for the Marlins. He's currently a special assistant to Bruce Sherman. His son, Griffin, is on the current Marlins roster. Castillo is the only player to play even more games as a Marlin (1,128) than Conine did. The speedy second baseman is their all-time leader in hits (1,273), runs scored (675) and stolen bases (281). His 10 total seasons is also a record, as is the 35-game hitting streak he had in 2002. 44blrc_1.mp4 Leyland only managed the Marlins for two seasons, but one of those culminated in the '97 title. That team's 92-70 regular season record and plus-71 run differential still stand as all-time franchise bests. Leyland was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024. The hiring of McKeon in 2003 was one of the most effective in-season managerial changes in MLB history. He took over a Marlins team that had started off 16-22 and they went 75-49 (.605 winning percentage) from that point forward. Starting Josh Beckett on short rest in World Series Game 6 is the most iconic managerial decision in franchise history. The elderly cigar aficionado is the only full-time Marlins manager to win the majority of his career games (.522 W-L%). Plaques of each Hall of Fame inductee will be featured at loanDepot park in the newly expanded Marlins Museum. There will be pregame ceremonies on the following days to honor the HOF inductees with special giveaway items for fans who attend: Jeff Conine on March 30 Jim Leyland on July 6 Jack McKeon on August 3 Luis Castillo on August 24 Congrats to Conine, Castillo, Leyland and McKeon on receiving this honor. View full article

There's your answer on this, @rurrusuno

A young broadcaster from the Midwest will be steering Marlins radio coverage in 2025 and he'll be occasionally sharing the booth with former Fish closer AJ Ramos. Jack McMullen has been hired to serve as the Miami Marlins' lead play-by-play radio broadcaster, multiple sources tell Fish On First. The team made it official with an announcement on Friday morning. McMullen's duties previously belonged to Kyle Sielaff from 2023-2024. On January 17, Sielaff became the team's television play-by-play voice, necessitating a quick search for his successor. This will be McMullen's first taste of the major league level. A 2020 graduate of Syracuse University, he was an announcer for the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2022-2024 (sample here). The position involved both play-by-play and color commentary, plus creating digital content and assisting with media relations. He is also Just Baseball's director of podcasting, covering all 30 MLB organizations as host of The Just Baseball Show and The Call-Up. McMullen is originally from Illinois. Follow him on Twitter. McMullen is the fifth different lead radio voice that the Marlins franchise has had, joining Joe Angel, Dave Van Horne, Glenn Geffner and Sielaff. Last season, Sielaff and Paul Severino provided play-by-play for practically every Marlins regular season game on radio and TV, respectively. In 2025, Craig Minervini will have an expanded role on both mediums. For "at least 35 games," McMullen and Minervini will share the radio booth and split up the play-by-play, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. The Marlins have been using a rotation of radio analysts in recent years. In 2024, that included Kelly Saco (52 games), Rod Allen (40 games), Gaby Sanchez (40 games) and Jeff Nelson (22 games). Triple-A Jacksonville broadcaster Scott Kornberg did the remaining eight games in the booth. Kornberg was another candidate for the vacant play-by-play job, per sources. AJ Ramos is being added to the rotation this season, Jackson reports. Ramos pitched parts of six seasons for the Marlins (2012-2017). He posted a 2.78 ERA and 3.24 FIP in 325 relief appearances, recording 92 saves and earning a 2016 NL All-Star selection. xzy6os.mp4 Stephen Strom is entering his third season as Miami's pregame radio host. Before "passing the mic" to McMullen, Sielaff will co-host a two-hour radio show from Saturday's FanFest alongside Strom from 5-7 p.m. It'll be available on NewsRadio 610 WIOD and the Marlins Radio Network social media accounts. You can hear McMullen's game broadcasts locally in South Florida this season on FOX Sports 940 AM or stream them from anywhere via the MLB app. McMullen will be on the call for all 30 Marlins spring training games, beginning with the February 22 Grapefruit League opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. View full article

Jack McMullen is taking over as lead radio play-by-play announcer for the Marlins in 2025. Here's a taste of his broadcasting style from April 18, 2024, one of the final starts that Paul Skenes made with Triple-A Indianapolis before debuting in the majors. View full video

Former Marlins players Dan Uggla and Cody Ross joined former Marlins president David Samson on an episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast to reflect on their experiences with the MLB arbitration process. View full video

In 98 games as a Marlin from 2012-2013, catcher Rob Brantly slashed .235/.298/.325 (71 wRC+) and produced -1.4 fWAR. With the news that he's returning to the club in 2025 as a spring training non-roster invitee, here are some highlights from that largely forgettable period. View full video