Kevin Barral

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #65 Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout bring on guest Alex Krutchik, who provided on-site coverage of the just-completed Winter Meetings in Dallas. They discuss the polarizing Jake Burger trade that netted the Miami Marlins three prospects, the selection of catcher Liam Hicks in the Rule 5 Draft, the inconvenient results of the 2025 MLB Draft Lottery and renewed rumors about Jesús Luzardo being on the trade block. Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. Read more about how Liam Hicks fits with the Marlins moving forward, what the Opening Day roster could look like in Burger's absence and the consequences of receiving the No. 7 overall draft pick. The FOF Top 30 list has been updated to incorporate Burger trade acquisitions INF Max Acosta (#22) and INF Echedry Vargas (#27) as well as Hicks (#30). Follow Kevin ( @kevin_barral), Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Alex (@AlexKrutchikFOF) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

The Marlins' willingness to move Burger now could be a vote of confidence in De Los Santos to provide similar power at the first base and designated hitter spots. On Tuesday night, the Miami Marlins traded Jake Burger to the Texas Rangers in exchange for three prospects: Max Acosta, Echedry Vargas and Brayan Mendoza. Moving an everyday player, proven run producer and popular teammate like Burger has a major impact on the team's 2025 plans, especially when it comes to first base prospect Deyvison De Los Santos. Fish On First's number three prospect is the youngest member of the Marlins 40-man roster, not turning 22 until the middle of next season. He was acquired along with Andrew Pintar in a trade that sent A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dominican power hitter slashed .294/.343/.571/.914 last year with 40 home runs and 120 RBI, becoming the first player to homer 40 times in a minor league season since MJ Melendez in 2021. He spent most of the season at the Triple-A level where he posted a max exit velocity of 116 mph (same as Burger). De Los Santos got off to a hot start with the Marlins organization, but finished his AAA Jacksonville stint slashing .240/.284/.459/.744 with 12 home runs, 36 RBI and an 85 wRC+. His strikeout percentage climbed to 28.4%, way above the International League average of 23.2%. As Sean McCormack wrote about in October, there is a "massive hole up and inside" that pitchers can take advantage of to generate whiffs. By the second half of 2024, Burger was splitting time with the Marlins at first base and designated hitter. His departure opens things up for Jonah Bride to play regularly at those positions, but there's also room for De Los Santos if they think he's ready to be challenged at the big league level. Defensively, he is already better than Bride or the other options on Miami's 40-man roster, recently acquired Liam Hicks and FOF #2 prospect Agustín Ramírez. "We think really highly of him," said president of baseball operations Peter Bendix at the Winter Meetings this week. "I think he's got a very bright future. I don't know the specifics of when (his debut) is going to happen, but I think he's got a really bright future." Bride emerged as a big piece of the Marlins lineup, slashing .276/.357/.461/.818 with 11 home runs, 39 RBI and a 123 wRC+. Hicks doesn't have any Triple-A experience, but as a Rule 5 Draft pick, he is required to be on the 26-man roster when healthy or else be offered back to his previous team. That could leave De Los Santos and Ramírez competing for one Opening Day spot. It's even possible that both of them miss the cut to finish up their development and save the Marlins from using a full year of MLB service time. De Los Santos is attempting to become the youngest Marlins player to earn an Opening Day roster spot since José Fernández. View full article

Connor Norby's first stint with the Marlins was a fun one, but there are more steps he'll need to take next season to prove himself as a true franchise building block. The biggest name that the Miami Marlins acquired at the 2024 MLB trade deadline was Baltimore Orioles prospect Connor Norby. While the other players included in the deal (Kyle Stowers and Trevor Rogers) struggled on their new teams, Norby made a positive impact late in the season. It should be exciting to see what he does over the course of a full season, but there are a few areas where he has room to improve. "He was great with us," said president of baseball operations Peter Bendix during an interview with MLB Network. "He's got power. He's got opposite-field power, which is really unusual to see. He's got the tools to be a good defender and he has that chip on his shoulder. He has that mentality that he's going to prove everybody wrong. He's going to be a Hall of Fame-level player in his own mind and he's really going to outwork everybody and just keep getting better." After the Marlins called Norby up from Triple-A Jacksonville, he immediately went on a 10-game hit streak. Overall, he slashed .247/.315/.445/.760 with seven home runs, 17 RBI and a 108 wRC+ in 36 games played. He found a home in the number two spot of the Marlins lineup. Despite being undersized at 5'10", Norby exceeded expectations in the power department by consistently connecting with the ball on the sweet spot. He posted a 14.8 Barrel%, according to Baseball Savant. That's about the same as All-Star sluggers like Teoscar Hernández, Yordan Alvarez and Fernando Tatís Jr. Although Norby showed he has the potential to be a valuable spark plug, he still has work to do on his plate approach. He was extremely aggressive on the first pitch, swinging at 53.3% of them while with the Marlins, a rate that would've led the major leagues if he had enough playing time to qualify. That approach caused him to frequently fall behind in the count. He also had a two-week stretch without drawing any walks. Chasing pitches was part of it, but the bigger flaw was missing on pitches in the strike zone as well. His Z-Contact% was just 76.5%, very similar to the struggling Stowers (75.9%) and far below the MLB average of 85.2%. Norby struck out in 32.1% of his Miami plate appearances, which is not sustainable for an everyday player. He should be looking for a better balance of power and contact. Maybe that comes from swinging with less intensity. What went overlooked was Norby ranking in the 94th percentile of sprint speed. He was even ahead of teammate Xavier Edwards, who was among baseball's best base-stealers during the second half of the season. Despite that talent, Norby stole only 16 bases combined between AAA and MLB. The Marlins scored the fourth-fewest runs in the majors last season and—at least for now—they barely have any experienced bats around Norby. Creating runs on the basepaths will be important. As first base coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Clayton McCullough played a big role in helping speedy Shohei Ohtani take his baserunning to the next level. With McCullough now managing the Marlins, hopefully Norby can benefit in a similar way. a1puUjBfWGw0TUFRPT1fRGdOUVUxZFJCVk1BQUFNSEJRQUFWUWRUQUZnRlUxY0FDbEFHQmxVTlV3TUVCVllF.mp4 With second base occupied by Otto Lopez, the Marlins made the decision to move Norby to third base. Through 30 games at the position, he posted a -5 DRS and had seven errors. Five of those were throwing errors and he just didn't look smooth there. That can change with a full offseason of work. If the same issues continue in 2025, a transition to left field could be next. Look at the career of former Kansas City Royal Alex Gordon. He thrived after moving from 3B to LF, winning a Gold Glove in his first full season there and receiving the award eight total times. The Marlins would just be grateful for decent defense in that spot after the combination of Bryan De La Cruz and Nick Gordon (no relation to Alex) rated negatively last season. Development is not always straightforward. It would be ideal for Norby to become a well-rounded player in 2025 and one of the faces of the franchise, but the Marlins have to be patient even if there are setbacks. Either way, we will learn a lot more about Norby as a result of him playing regularly for a whole year. View full article

Nardi was excellent in his first full-length MLB season, but he followed it up with a rough 2024. The underlying metrics suggest his true talent is somewhere in between. Lefty Andrew Nardi is the last man standing from the bullpen that pushed the 2023 Miami Marlins to the postseason. Nardi emerged as a great setup man that year, but by comparison, his 2024 season was a disappointment. He posted a 5.07 ERA in 49 ⅔ innings pitched, missing time at the end of the season after suffering a left elbow muscle injury. However, there is reason to believe that luck played a role in his struggles and his 2025 season can be much better. The underlying numbers for Nardi were great. He posted a 2.76 xERA, 3.33 FIP and 3.35 xFIP, ranking in the 92nd percentile among MLB pitchers in Chase% and the 87th percentile in Whiff%. When he slumped early in the season, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker gave him a vote of confidence: "You feel like he's going to snap out of this thing. That's why we were giving him a shot in those leverage spots still with guys on base." What made Nardi so valuable in 2023 was his ability to get outs after inheriting baserunners from his teammates. He only allowed five of 40 inherited runners (12.5%) to score against him, while the MLB average is 33%. This past season, Nardi failed in many of those situations, letting 20 of his 36 inherited runners score (55.6%). He was charged with six blown saves compared to only one in 2023. It's true that opponents were hitting the ball harder off of Nardi (average exit velocity rose from 84.6 mph to 88.2 mph) and putting it in the air more often (groundball rate dropped from 43.8% to 31.7%). That led to an increase in slugging. His fastball and slider went from being very effective pitches to being worth minus-four and minus-five runs, respectively, according to Baseball Savant. That being said, his overall numbers suffered from the unfortunate timing of his mistakes. Nardi was at his worst in March/April and August, entering the regular season and when dealing with his elbow injury. During the three months in between, he posted a 3.38 ERA and allowed only 31.3% of inherited runners to score. Even when including all months, he dominated in bases empty situations. Hitters slashed .192/.269/.309/.578 with a 38.5 K% when there weren't runners on base. 6kzor1.mp4 Nardi's results at the major league level have been inconsistent so far. Somewhere in between is the real Andrew Nardi, who is capable of being the top lefty in the Marlins bullpen. He will first need to prove that he can have success again with runners on base, but if that happens, he could be in the running for the team's closer job at some point in 2025. View full article

While the Marlins have yet to add any experienced major leaguers since the offseason began, these three minor leaguers will reportedly be at big league camp. What could they bring to Miami over the course of the 2025 season? The 2024 Miami Marlins had a record-setting season in terms of total players used. It was a painful reminder that depth is extremely important. Every offseason, MLB teams load up on depth by signing free agents to minor league deals and bringing them to spring training as non-roster invitees. Even if they do not fit on the team's Opening Day roster, they could provide value as the year goes on. Let's dive into the first three NRIs that the Marlins have reportedly signed heading into 2025: Ronny Simon, Heriberto Hernández and Robinson Piña. Ronny Simon Simon was the first minor league signing that the Marlins made, as reported by Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. He began his pro career in 2018 with the Chicago Cubs. After putting up great numbers in the Dominican Summer League, Simon was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in November 2020 as a player to be named later in exchange for Andrew Chafin. The following year, Simon was on the move once again and sent to the Tampa Bay Rays in a swap for Jordan Luplow. In 2024, Simon slashed .283/.356/.429/.785 with 10 home runs, 56 RBI and a 106 wRC+ at the AAA level. Defensively, Simon has played a little bit of everywhere, with his primary home being at second base. He is someone who will provide Vidal Bruján some competition this upcoming spring. Like Bruján, Simon is a switch-hitter. The numbers on each side of the plate are similar as well, with a .786 OPS as a lefty and .781 OPS as a righty. Where Simon may have the slight advantage is in the power department. With AAA Durham this season, he hit four balls that traveled at least 400 feet including a 415-foot home run. The 24-year-old only struck out 18.8% of the time, which was 22nd-lowest in the International League. Simon's patience is also something that stands out. He walked 8.9% of the time in 2024 and his career walk rate in the minors is even higher than that. He also makes great contact on pitches outside the strike zone. Outside of affiliated ball, Simon was named the LIDOM MVP for the 2023-24 season and is currently slashing .229/.311/.333/.644 with 10 RBI in the 2024-25 season. Heriberto Hernández Another former Ray, this signing was reported by Aram Leighton as well. A few months older than Simon, Hernández was also traded following success at the lower minor league levels. He was involved in a six-player deal in December 2020 that sent him from the Texas Rangers to Tampa Bay. He and Simon were MiLB teammates during each of the last three seasons. Entering 2023, Hernández ranked 18th on Baseball America's Rays Top 30 prospects list. In 2024, he slashed .234/.344/.496/.839 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI between AA and AAA. What stood out was his second-half stretch, posting a .583 SLG in 40 games played after the All-Star break. The power potential for Hernández is impressive, reaching a max exit velocity of 110.4 mph in Durham. The main concern is his high strikeout percentage, which has slowly improved, but was still at 27.3% in 2024. Too often, he guesses in two-strike counts and goes down looking when he doesn't get the pitch he was expecting. Perhaps the Marlins can help him with that approach. Before becoming a full-time corner outfielder, Hernández saw time at first base and even catcher. He will likely need to prove himself more at the AAA level before being a serious call-up candidate, but if he produces, there should be opportunities available in the unproven Marlins outfield mix. Robinson Piña Piña could be making spot starts for the 2025 Marlins when their rotation depth is eventually put to the test. He has a four-pitch mix: sinker, slider, split-change and four-seamer. He showed nice control for the Philadelphia Phillies AA/AAA affiliates (27 walks in 129 ⅓ innings pitched) and that has continued in winter ball. Locating his pitches is important for Piña considering his fastball averages only 92 mph. Piña will probably be stretched out as a starter for the Marlins in spring training, but it wouldn't be surprising if he eventually transitions to being a reliever. While he limited right-handed batters to a .557 OPS this season, lefties crushed him for a .957 OPS. View full article

The Marlins hold the third pick in the major league phase of the 2024 Rule 5 draft and all signs point to them making a selection. Through the years, the Miami Marlins have been aggressive and pretty successful at picking up unprotected prospects from other MLB organizations via the Rule 5 draft. Last offseason, the first under president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, the Marlins declined to select anybody in the major league phase of the Rule 5. However, they are No. 3 in the draft order this time around and just opened up a roster spot earlier this week, so we are expecting them to participate. Players picked in the major league phase must spend the entire 2025 season on their new team's 26-man active roster (or MLB injured list), or else be offered back to their original team. Let's take a look through six eligible players who were left unprotected for the Rule 5 and could make sense for the Marlins to select on Wednesday. LHP Ryan Webb, Cleveland Guardians If Webb were to fall to the third pick, it would be surprising. The 6'1," 202-pound lefty was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft and made it to Triple-A this past season. With AAA Columbus, Webb found success quickly, posting a 2.60 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 8.57 K/9 and 3.38 BB/9 through 34 ⅔ innings pitched. Between AA and AAA, he posted a 2.80 ERA, 3.25 FIP, 9.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 through 141 ⅓ innings pitched. Based off his time in AAA, Webb's arsenal consists of a four-seamer, changeup, slider and curveball. His fastball sits in the low 90s, but it's his changeup that truly stands out. It generated a 49.4 chase% and generated a 38.8 whiff%. WGdOdlhfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1Z3bFpVbFFFQndVQVhnUUtBQUFBVjFBRkFBQlFVZ01BVUZZQkF3QU5DVkpVQUZkVw==.mp4 RHP Brandon Young, Baltimore Orioles Somewhat like Webb, Young was also utilized as a starter in 2024 where we was effective against upper-minors competition and showed good command. With that said, below-average fastball velocity (92.5 mph from the right side) could limit his ceiling. Young pitched 89 innings of this past season at AAA, posting a 3.44 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 9.71 K/9 and 3.34 BB/9. His secondary pitches are a curveball, slider and changeup. The 55-grade curve stands out (27.6 chase% and 31.5 whiff%). Despite his name, Young is relatively old for a Rule 5 candidate. He turns 27 in August. INF Blaze Jordan, Boston Red Sox On the other hand, Blaze Jordan will be only 21 on Rule 5 day (turning 22 next week). Famous as a high school prospect, Jordan was selected in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft. After being a consistently productive hitter in the lower minors, he has disappointed in AA. Jordan slashed .261/.305/.388/.693 with seven home runs, 61 RBI and a 98 wRC+ in the 89 games he played in 2024. The right-handed hitter put up a 1.130 OPS vs. lefties, but only a .595 OPS vs. righties. He missed a portion of the season to take care of his mental health. The excellent raw power that Jordan was known for has not fully translated to pro ball. His bat-to-ball ability actually stands out more (career 15.3 K%). On the defensive side of things, it seems as if his days at third base are numbered, limiting him to first base and designated hitter moving forward. Picking Jordan would be a long-term investment, understanding that adjusting to MLB pitching would be a struggle in 2025. LHP Bryan Magdaleno, Texas Rangers After the Marlins offloaded Tanner Scott and A.J. Puk at the 2024 trade deadline, they were short on left-handed bullpen talent the rest of the season. Andrew Nardi was the only established lefty the Marlins could call upon in late-game situations. Bryan Magdaleno would immediately solve that situational issue, so long as he continues improving the way he did throughout the minors. Magdaleno, 23, has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s along with a sweeper/slider and a sinker. The left-handed reliever started 2024 in Low-A in the Texas Rangers organization and moved his way up to Double-A by the end of the year, pitching four scoreless innings. Across all levels, he allowed six earned runs over 42 ⅔ innings and had a 0.94 WHIP. RHP Jack Hartman, Tampa Bay Rays It wouldn’t be a proper Marlins offseason without taking a player away from the Tampa Bay Rays. Jack Hartman is a right-handed reliever with a wipeout slider that induces a lot of swing-and-miss, with a 40 whiff% in 2024. His fastball isn’t his strongest pitch, although it does sit in the mid-to-upper 90s and touches 98 mph. Hartman looked solid when he began the 2024 season in High-A with a 3.08 ERA in 26 ⅓ innings. He was called up to Double-A after the All-Star break. While his ERA ballooned to 3.78 in 16 ⅓ innings, hitters only mustered a .213 batting average against him. The 26-year-old has good stuff on his pitches, along with good command, making him a solid target if the Marlins want to bolster their bullpen for cheap. RHP Evan Reifert, Tampa Bay Rays Another current Ray, Evan Reifert entered professional baseball as an undrafted free agent. He dominated as a Milwaukee Brewers minor league reliever in 2021. Shortly after the season ended, the Brewers dealt him to the Rays for Mike Brosseau and he's been in their farm system ever since, making his way up to their Double-A affiliate. What Reifert brings to the table is an elite slider and a great sinker to pair alongside. The 6’4”, 190-pound right-hander had a 1.96 ERA and a 2.12 xFIP this season. He put up a 40.4 K% and 45.6 whiff%. He lowered his walk rate to 9%, which is a vast improvement from previous seasons. Control used to be the biggest weakness in Reifert's game. Z0dna2JfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1YxUlhWRmNIQUFFQUFGc0JCQUFBQkZCUUFBTlRCZ0lBQ2xVQ0F3VlFCd2NEVmdvRQ==.mp4 Reifert's ability to generate strikeouts and keep the ball in the yard would combine well with any major league club. Perhaps Peter Bendix’s familiarity with Reifert could make him an attractive Rule 5 pick for the Marlins. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #64 The Miami Marlins are entering the first year of Clayton McCullough's managerial tenure and the eighth year of Bruce Sherman's ownership tenure. Kevin Barral, Isaac Azout and Ely Sussman summarize what both men said on Monday, then analyze the club's decision to select prospects Deyvison De Los Santos, Jared Serna and Dax Fulton to the 40-man roster. Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. Neither signing is official yet, but Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reports that the Marlins have inked former Tampa Bay Rays farmhands UTIL Ronny Simon and OF Heriberto Hernández to minor league deals that include invites to spring training. Follow Kevin ( @kevin_barral), Isaac (@IsaacAzout), 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

On Monday, the Miami Marlins introduced Clayton McCullough as the 17th manager in franchise history. MIAMI—Barely two years after selecting Skip Schumaker to be their manager, the Miami Marlins were back at loanDepot park on Monday to introduce his replacement: former Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough. In the franchise's brief history, McCullough is the 17th person to fill the managerial position. "I don't want an 18th manager. I want a 17th manager to stay for many, many years," said Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman to lead off the press conference. "It was a complicated process," explained Sherman in a media scrum following the presser. "I've been involved in two searches, as you know, and this one was extraordinarily thorough. The other one was just a different kind of search. This search was a lot of prepared questions, lot of rigor, lot of people involved, many people in the front office and they put all the candidates through their paces. This was just a perfect fit for us." Prior to joining the Marlins, McCullough spent the last decade with the Dodgers organization, gaining experience as their minor league field coordinator and major league first base coach. Prior to that, he managed in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system. The Marlins, who believe that developing players will be the key to their long-term success, felt that McCullough's background qualifies him to fill Schumaker's shoes. "I think the consistency that I expect him to show up with every day, the positive energy, the work ethic, the desire to emphasize with players no matter where they are in their career, we're going to see that in our players getting better," president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said. "We're going to see that in them making big steps, small steps, everything that we want to see along the way. I think at the end of the season, we're going to look up and most of our players will have improved. That's really a good sign for player development." McCullough is no stranger to the managerial search process. He interviewed with the Marlins two years ago before the team ultimately went with Schumaker. He was also considered by the Chicago White Sox this offseason before they hired Will Venable. "I think the opportunities that I have been presented with in prior years just helped better prepare me," McCullough told Fish On First in an exclusive interview. "I look back on some of the interviews I've gone through and realize where maybe some of my shortcomings were, or just maybe didn't get across as well enough why I would be a person that would commit to such a responsibility to. I think just some of the opportunities and having a little bit more experience as well as timing everything. Kinda the right fit for both sides comes together and that's what this felt like." In getting to know McCullough, Bendix found that they shared many of the same values. "Think it's unusual to find somebody with a combination of positive traits that Clayton has," said Bendix. "For those to align so perfectly with my vision, with Bruce's vision, what sold me here a year ago: the importance of people, the importance of culture, the importance of actually caring for those around you, trying to make them better and how all of those things lead directly to winning, directly to players getting better. He has those beliefs. Before we spoke, he didn't know that what was our vision as well. For that to align so perfectly, it's why he's our manager." McCullough's staff for the 2025 season is far from complete. The only reported name so far has been Pedro Guerrero, who'll become Miami's new hitting coach. "We're gonna get great people around me and I know that I am going to need a lot of help," McCullough told Fish On First. "I am going to entrust our staff and our front office to help me along the way. Everything that we are going to do here is going to have to be a collaborative effort where we are all pursuing the same goal. While we might not all look at it through the same lens, I think the more perspectives we get while we're aligned in what we want to do is important." McCullough has already spoken to several players on the Marlins 40-man roster. The next time he will be addressing the media is during the Winter Meetings, beginning on December 9. View full article

Within the next week, the Miami Marlins have some decisions to make on Rule 5-eligible prospects, including a few they just acquired in trade deadline deals. The annual MLB Rule 5 Draft is still nearly a month away, but this coming Tuesday is the deadline for teams to set their rosters accordingly. It's especially important for the Miami Marlins who are focused on building up their farm system as much as possible and hold the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. This is completely different from the amateur draft, to be clear. Rule 5-eligible players are those who either signed when they were 19 or older and have been in affiliated ball for four or more seasons, or signed when they were 18 or younger and have been in affiliated ball for five or more seasons. In order to protect such players from being taken in the major league phase of the draft, they have to be selected to the 40-man roster. At the moment, the Marlins have 38 players on their 40-man, so there is not room to protect everybody. The following Marlins prospects are eligible this year, per Roster Resource: The Marlins have a couple obvious prospects to select before the deadline. There are also a couple other candidates worth mentioning in case the club is willing to make corresponding moves to fit them on the 40-man. Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B De Los Santos was in this position last year as well and the Arizona Diamondbacks left him unprotected for the Rule 5. The Cleveland Guardians took him, but he was returned to Arizona after struggling in spring training. That was fortunate for the Diamondbacks because he had a lot of success with them in 2024. De Los Santos went on to win the minor league home run title, finishing the season with 40 home runs and 120 RBIs. The Marlins acquired DDLS along with Andrew Pintar in the A.J. Puk deal. He possesses as much power as any Marlins prospect. In his stint with Triple-A Jacksonville, De Los Santos slashed .240/.284/.459/.744 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs and an 85 wRC+. His strikeout rate rose to 28.4%. His current numbers through 14 winter ball games are decent (.302/.326/.372/.698 with five RBIs). That being said, the 21-year-old is almost ready to be tested in the majors. The Marlins would definitely rather give him a shot to prove himself as their first baseman of the future than risk losing him for nothing. Jared Serna, INF Serna, 22, was acquired just a few days after De Los Santos. The Marlins got him, Agustín Ramírez and Abrahan Ramírez from the New York Yankees in exchange for Jazz Chisholm Jr. Serna was promoted to the Double-A level and immediately produced, slashing .266/.343/.390/.732 with two home runs and 23 RBIs. He was promoted to AAA for the final week of the season. KjmDz4eQupkccEcq.mp4 What stood out was Serna's hit tool. He also may have the athleticism to stick at the shortstop position long term. Because Serna has such limited experience at the upper minor league levels, it's possible that he could pass through the Rule 5 without being picked. However, all it takes is one team to do what the Washington Nationals did with Nasim Nuñez last year and hide him on their bench during a rebuilding season. The Marlins should play it safe with Serna. Dax Fulton, LHP Fulton hasn't thrown a pitch in a live game since May 2023. He underwent Tommy John surgery and should be ready for spring training. Prior to the injury, he was looking like one of Miami's best pitching prospects with a combination of swing-and-miss stuff and above-average control. Outside of De Los Santos and Serna, Fulton would seem to have the best chance of being protected, depending on whether the Marlins feel the quality of his stuff is back to what it used to be earlier in his career. Zach McCambley, RHP This is a longshot. McCambley was Rule 5-eligible last year and did not get selected. In 2024, he had issues with walks (18.4 BB%) and his season was shortened by injury again. There is still belief in McCambley's potential as a reliever. His curveball can be unhittable at times. Relievers are the most common Rule 5 picks, so it shouldn't come as a shock if McCambley or one of the other arms listed at the top of the article gets taken to fill a low-leverage role with a new team. View full article

Miami Marlins president of business operations Caroline O'Connor reacts to the tournament and previews what's next for loanDepot park. MIAMI—In the midst of Sunday's Choque de Gigantes championship game, Miami Marlins president of business Caroline O'Connor spoke to the media about her takeaways from the inaugural year of the international winter ball tournament. "We're very excited with the first year of the tournament to have such a turnout," said O'Connor. "We've had a lot of fun, a lot of new fans through the ballpark and we're really excited about connecting people with teams from their countries and bringing the communities." Choque de Gigantes included six games over the last three days. Friday night's matchup between Navegantes de Magallanes and Leones del Caracas had an announced crowd of 31,508, larger than any 2024 Marlins home game with the exception of Opening Day. However, attendance dropped dramatically from there to 7,356 on Saturday night and 5,576 on Sunday night despite Magallanes advancing to the championship and ultimately winning it. "We want to build this into something special," O'Connor said. "We saw the success of the World Baseball Classic and the Caribbean Series...We just love bringing the community into the ballpark and giving them reasons to celebrate the wonderful game of baseball." In addition to Magallanes and Caracas (both from Venezuela), the participating teams included Estrellas Orientales (Dominican Republic), Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rico), Cardenales de Lara (Venezuela) and Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico). In future Choque de Gigantes tournaments, O'Connor would be open to having new teams come play if possible. "We have a wonderful relationship with the Caribbean Baseball Confederation," said O'Connor. "They're great partners to us and we sat down, had conversations about what teams would be available, what would a tournament look like and we plan to continue those discussions and continue to have strong partnerships...We really want to bring Caribbean baseball into this ballpark and really bring a year-round programming—including baseball—to loanDepot park." O'Connor announced that the 2025 edition of Marlins FanFest will take place on Saturday, February 8. FanFest has typically been held on Saturdays, but last year, it was moved to a Friday instead and attendance suffered as a result. In terms of non-Marlins events, Monster Jam makes its annual visit on January 25-26. O'Connor shared that the Savannah Bananas will be back on March 1-2. Their visit to Miami last month attracted a sellout crowd. Regular season baseball returns—and the Clayton McCullough era begins—when the Marlins host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, March 27 at 4:10 pm. View full article

Two key members of the 2023-24 Miami Marlins coaching staff are heading to the Lone Star State. Could Schumaker eventually replace Bruce Bochy as Rangers manager? Former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker has a new job. On Tuesday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News broke that Schumaker will join the Texas Rangers organization as a senior adviser to president of baseball operations Chris Young. Fish On First can confirm the report. The Rangers are also finalizing a deal with his former bench coach, Luis Urueta, who will fill the role previously held by Will Venable. The Chicago White Sox hired Venable last week to be their new manager. This news comes just over a month after Schumaker officially parted ways with Miami. He played parts of 11 MLB seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. He won the World Series with St. Louis in 2011, coincidentally defeating the Rangers to do it. Schumaker coached with the San Diego Padres and Cardinals before being hired by the Marlins two years ago. In his rookie season as manager, Schumaker led the Marlins to a postseason berth, the first time since 2003 that the organization had made the playoffs in a full-length season. He was also named NL Manager of the Year. This year's team, however, was weakened by injuries and trades, finishing last in the NL East. Schumaker finished his Marlins tenure with a 146-178 record. Before the 2024 season even began, Schumaker and the Marlins agreed to void the option on his contract for 2025. Immediately after the season ended, they released a joint statement that he was leaving. The Marlins are the only MLB team that's currently without a manager. Venable and Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz were reportedly finalists for the vacancy, but Venable went to Chicago while Albernaz withdrew from consideration. Luis Urueta was among the candidates who interviewed earlier in the process. The White Sox and Baltimore Orioles were also interested in Urueta as a bench coach candidate before he reached an agreement with Texas, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It is worth noting that Skip's son, Brody, graduates from high school in 2026 and is committed to continuing his baseball career at TCU, which is 30 minutes away from Globe Life Field, home of the Rangers. Bruce Bochy managed the Rangers to their first World Series title in 2023. He finished with a 78-84 record in 2024. He's about to enter the final year of his deal. If the future Hall of Famer chooses to retire following the 2025 season (he turns 70 in April), Schumaker would make for the perfect replacement. The Marlins will travel to Arlington to take on the Rangers from September 19-21. It is their third-to-last series of the season. View full article

Junis posted a career-low ERA this season and he's shown throughout his career that he can consistently throw strikes. During the 2024 season, the Miami Marlins collapsed in large part because they did not have enough quality starting pitching depth. Earlier this week, some of the starters they used—Roddery Muñoz (17 GS), Adam Oller (8 GS), Darren McCaughan (5 GS) and Shaun Anderson (2 GS)—left the organization as waiver claims and free agents. To have any chance of success next year, upgrading in that area is extremely important, which is where Jakob Junis comes in. After a career year, let's discuss the pros and cons of the right-handed swingman. Jakob Junis overview * Previous teams: Kansas City Royals (2017-21), San Francisco Giants (2022-23), Milwaukee Brewers (2024) and Cincinnati Reds (2024) * MLB career: 4.48 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 in 780.1 IP * 2024 season: 2.69 ERA, 3.69 FIP, 0.85 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 1.1 BB/9 in 67.0 IP * Entering age-32 season in 2025 More factors to consider Nasty slider: Whether he is facing lefties or righties, the slider is Junis' main weapon. His spin rate on the pitch (2,545 RPM) was higher than ever this season and it continues to collect plenty of swing-and-miss for him. His slider had a plus-four run value in 2024 after being at 5 RV in 2023 and 6 RV in 2022. UVd4WDZfWGw0TUFRPT1fVUFkWlUxWU5BQVVBQ2xzRVVRQUFDUU5YQUFBRkJnSUFBZ1FGQjFJRUFGSlNVUVJl.mp4 Return of the four-seamer: Junis mostly abandoned his four-seam fastball in recent years, but his usage went up to 10.0% in 2024, especially after he got traded to the Reds in July. The results were great for him—in plate appearances ending with a four-seamer, opponents went 3-for-30 with nine strikeouts and zero extra-base hits. Limited walks: Minimum 50 innings pitched, Jakob Junis had the third-fewest walks per nine in baseball at 1.07. The Marlins as a team had the fifth-highest BB/9. It's safe to assume that Junis would help in that department. Injury history: After being a full-time starter throughout the 2019 season, Junis has spent time on the injured list during every season since then. Most recently, a right shoulder impingement kept him out for nearly half of 2024. He can provide quality innings, but not necessarily quantity. Versatility: It would be a good problem for the Marlins to have if most of their starters who were injured this season stayed healthy in 2025. If there comes a point where Junis doesn't have a clear rotation spot, he can adapt. He has experience pitching in various roles and his production as a reliever has been just as good as what he's done when starting games. Alternatives to Jakob Junis Junis declined a $8M mutual option in favor of a $3M buyout to become a free agent. That tells us he's seeking more than $5M guaranteed on his next contract. In his Marlins offseason blueprint, our own Ely Sussman suggested signing right-hander Spencer Turnbull for a similar amount. Miami's projected rotation without any trades or new signings would be Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Ryan Weathers, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera. Behind them on the depth chart there is Max Meyer, Valente Bellozo and Adam Mazur. The hope is that Eury Pérez returns from Tommy John surgery in the middle of the season. Veteran starters would might be available on minor league deals include Patrick Corbin and Anthony DeSclafani. View full article

The veteran infielder should be in the Marlins' price range and he might benefit from better health and a change of scenery. Once viewed as a can't-miss prospect, Cuban infielder Yoán Moncada is about to become a free agent for the first time. In parts of nine MLB seasons, he had a 106 OPS+ overall and maxed out at a 140 OPS+ in 2019, but injuries have disrupted his career since then. Limited to 12 games this season, it's a lock that the Chicago White Sox will decline his $25M club option. Likely to be available for a low-dollar amount, how would he fit with the Miami Marlins in 2025? Yoán Moncada overview * Previous teams: Boston Red Sox (2016) and Chicago White Sox (2017-24) * MLB career: .254/.331/.424/.756 and 13.9 fWAR in 747 games * 2024 season: .275/.356/.400/.756 and 0.3 fWAR in 12 games * Entering age-30 season in 2025 More factors to consider Injury history: While with the White Sox, Moncada had 10 separate stints on the IL. He missed time with hamstring, shin, back and oblique issues, most recently dealing with a serious left adductor strain. However, he is currently healthy and scheduled to play for his native Cuba in the Premier12 baseball tournament in November. High upside: When Moncada was only 24 years old in 2019, he slashed .315/.367/.548/.915 with 25 home runs, 79 RBI and a 140 OPS+. Third base was a stacked position in the American League, otherwise he would have been an All-Star that season. Even since then, he has produced above-average exit velocities that show there is still the potential for good power. His skill set could be valuable to the Marlins who ranked 27th among MLB teams in home runs and runs scored in 2024. Swing-and-miss issues: One of the negatives with Moncada is his strikeout percentage. For his career, the switch-hitter has posted a 29.2 K%, including 31.7% from the right side of the plate. In 2018, Moncada led Major League Baseball with 217 strikeouts. Short-term commitment: Somebody in Moncada's position will be searching for a one-year deal to re-establish himself. The Marlins have been burned in recent offseasons by signing the wrong free agents to multi-year deals, but the risk would be lower in this case. Defensive position: Moncada has been a full-time third baseman over the last six seasons. What would that mean for Connor Norby, who the Marlins tried to convert to third base after acquiring him at the trade deadline? Norby struggled a lot at third in a small sample, according to both defensive runs saved and outs above average. The Marlins could move Norby to left field instead (where he has some minor league experience), allowing Moncada to take over 3B, with Norby available to return to the infield if Moncada suffers another injury. Alternatives to Yoán Moncada Unless the Marlins believe strongly in Moncada's bounce-back potential, they could simply put trust in the infielders who are already within the organization. Maybe Norby gets another audition at third base to begin the 2025 season, or they'll have Deyvison De Los Santos, Jonah Bride, Javier Sanoja and Vidal Bruján compete for playing time. View full article