Kevin Barral

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Through the decades, the Marlins have had an interesting tradition of picking up former stars nearing the end of their careers. Maybe they were still valuable in part-time roles and as clubhouse leaders, or the team just wanted them to chase major milestones while wearing a Marlins uniform. These are the ones who spent their last MLB regular season in South Florida. The following players have been placed in chronological order—from oldest to most recent—with the final year of their MLB career in parentheses. Read until the end for several honorable mentions. Andre Dawson (1996) Andre Dawson was the 1977 NL Rookie of the Year and 1987 NL MVP who had been an eight-time All-Star selection, Home Run Derby champion, eight-time Gold Glover and four-time Silver Slugger. Dawson already had more than 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases in his career when he signed with his hometown team ahead of the 1995 season at 40 years of age. In his first year with the young franchise, the Southwest Miami High School product slashed .257/.305/.434/739 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. The Hawk re-signed with the Marlins in 1996. Mainly being used as a pinch-hitter, he slashed .276/.311/.414/.725 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. Darren Daulton (1997) The late Darren Daulton was 35 years old when the Marlins acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Billy McMillon. Daulton had spent his whole career with the Phillies up to that point, including two seasons where he finished top 10 in NL MVP voting. Daulton would be a great midseason addition during the Marlins' run to the World Series. Mainly playing first base, he slashed .262/.371/.429/.799 with three home runs, 21 RBI and a 114 OPS+. In the playoffs, Dalton went 8-for-22 with one home run, three RBI and a 1.081 OPS. Tim Raines (2002) Tim Raines bounced around the league during the twilight of his career. He played his 23rd and final season with the Florida Marlins. At age 42, Raines slashed .191/.351/.258/.609 with one home run, seven RBI and a 66 OPS+. One of the game's greatest base-stealers ever, he had zero stolen bases in 98 games in 2002. After it was all said and done, Raines would be a seven-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, Silver Slugger, batting title champion, All-Star Game MVP and—after a long waiting period on the BBWAA ballot—a Hall of Famer. Luis Gonzalez (2008) Gonzalez was a late bloomer who became one of MLB's most consistent run producers in his 30s, peaking with a 57-homer season for the World Series-winning Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. It looked as though he still had a lot left in the tank when he came to Florida. He served as the club's everyday left fielder for part of the 2008 season, but his production and playing time dipped in the second half. Gonzalez totaled 2,591 hits in his long career, including 596 doubles (19th-most in MLB history). Mike Cameron (2011) The Marlins purchased the contract of Mike Cameron after he got off to a very slow start with the Boston Red Sox. This would not only mark Cameron's final season playing on a Major League team, but the final season of the Florida Marlins, who were preparing to rebrand and move into their new ballpark. In 45 games with the Fish, Cameron improved and slashed .238/.331/.420/.751 with six home runs, 18 RBI and a 105 OPS+. He also defied the odds by continuing to play center field at age 38. The three-time Gold Glover was released in September. He attempted a comeback with the Washington Nationals in 2012, but retired early in spring training. Carlos Zambrano (2012) Carlos Zambrano had spent the previous decade as a big piece of the Chicago Cubs starting rotation, receiving Cy Young votes three separate times. However, he was coming off his worst season when the Marlins traded for him. During a disappointing 2012 season for the Marlins overall, Zambrano was a solid contributor. Fourth on the team with 132 ⅓ innings pitched, he posted a 4.49 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 6.5 K/9 and a 5.1 BB/9. Zambrano was just 31 years old after his Marlins tenure. He kept on pitching professionally until 2019, but never again against MLB competition. Plácido Polanco (2013) Polanco was a .299 career hitter when he joined the rebuilding Marlins. Only two years removed from winning his most recent Gold Glove, the plan was for him to be the everyday third baseman. Nagging injuries led to a mediocre season, slashing .260/.315/.302 with one home run, 23 RBI and a 72 OPS+. Brad Penny (2014) Many will forget that 2003 World Series member Brad Penny had a second stint with the Marlins. After being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004, Penny signed with the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals. His career came full circle in 2014. After building up in the minors, the 36-year-old Penny posted a 6.58 ERA and 5.25 FIP through 26 innings pitched in Miami. Like several others on this list, he tried (unsuccessfully) to extend his career without making it back to the highest level. Curtis Granderson (2019) Granderson was a late addition to the Marlins shortly before spring training in 2019. He was a former teammate of Derek Jeter's, who was the team's CEO at the time. Entering the season with 332 career home runs, he went deep in his Marlins debut, but his batting average dipped below .200 in mid-April and never made it back up to that mark. Appearing in 138 games, he slashed .183/.281/.356. Martín Prado (2019) The Marlins acquired Martín Prado along with pitcher David Phelps in a trade that would send Nathan Eovaldi, Domingo Germán and Garrett Jones to the New York Yankees. Prado would go on to be widely respected in Miami's clubhouse. He bridged the gap between the Stanton/Yelich/Ozuna years and the Bruce Sherman era. Prado's best season came in 2016 when he slashed .305/.359/.417/.775 with eight home runs, 75 RBIs and a 113 OPS+. By the end of his career, he was considered the captain of the team. The Venezuelan infielder was clearly in decline in 2019, but he ended his career on a high note by homering in his final game. Honorable mentions Charlie Hough (1994) Javier Vázquez (2011) Juan Pierre (2013) Rafael Furcal (2014) Jeff Francoeur (2016) OTkza3lfWGw0TUFRPT1fRGdWVFVBRU1CUXNBQUZVR1VRQUFCbE5TQUZrTVdsQUFWQU5UVVFjSFV3UlJVd1Jm.mp4

Even the most dedicated Miami Marlins fans may not recognize the name David Ott. Ott is not listed on the team's website or their most recent media guide. Even his LinkedIn profile does not mention the Marlins, only his history with Viking Global Investors, the investment firm he co-founded in 1999. "He does like to play a bit more in the shadows," as Bradley Woodrum discussed this week on The Offishial Show. You should be aware of Ott because not only does he have the second-most money invested in the Marlins behind only principal owner Bruce Sherman, but his role within the organization has grown. Woodrum served as the Marlins coordinator of baseball information services until being let go last month. His tenure began soon after Sherman, Ott, Derek Jeter and others bought the franchise following the 2017 season, with Ott having a 10% ownership stake, per Forbes. "He has been leveraging his own expertise within the analytics space since day one," said Woodrum. Ott was "directly involved" in baseball operations projects, particularly those that included economic principles. Derek Jeter was Miami's CEO until early 2022. Woodrum acknowledges that there was a "rift" between Sherman and Jeter about the role analytics should play in making baseball decisions. "His ability has been leveraged a bit more since Derek (Jeter) departed," said Woodrum. "He's much more in that space of wanting to have analytics feed the decision process from the ground up. That's one of the reasons I think [the] Marlins should have a lot of high hopes for the future for the club is that David's an incredibly intelligent owner." "David's increased role with the organization, I think it's gonna gel really well with Peter (Bendix)'s approach to things too," added Woodrum. "Having tension at that highest level is never a great thing. I think what we're seeing now is a lot more smoothing of that tension."

The Miami Marlins have nearly six more months to decide on their Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. Between now and then, we expect a lot of moves to be made, though last winter, they were very quiet under new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. Either way, by doing this exercise now, this will give you an idea of how Miami's major league-ready pieces fit together and what areas are most likely to be addressed before the real games begin. Here is a way-too-early projection of what the Marlins' 26-man active roster could be when the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town on March 27. Starting rotation: Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Ryan Weathers, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera If all goes right, Sandy Alcantara will make his fifth career Opening Day start. Alcantara was nearly at full strength last month when he faced Marlins batters in live BP. His recovery from Tommy John surgery has gone smoothly. Luzardo and Garrett missed most of the 2024 season due to their own injuries, but are expected to be ready to go for spring training. The year before, they both showed that they're capable of sticking in the rotation for a full year. The only question is whether the Marlins trade them before Opening Day (Luzardo in particular has previously been included in trade talks). Weathers just had a career year (3.63 ERA and 4.11 FIP in 86.2 IP). He missed several months with a sprained finger, but finished on a high note to make it clear that he is one of Miami's five best starting candidates moving forward. Despite Cabrera's inconsistency, he still has impressive pure stuff and did pretty well during the second half of the season. He also has the advantage of being out of minor league options, so the Marlins might as well see what they have in him. Bullpen: Andrew Nardi, Calvin Faucher, Declan Cronin, Jesús Tinoco, Anthony Bender, Lake Bachar, Xzavion Curry and John McMillon Andrew Nardi and Anthony Bender are the vets of this inexperienced bullpen. They have been with the organization the longest and the expectation is that they will be back with the team in 2025 unless offseason trades are made. Faucher is the leading candidate to be the team's closer come Opening Day. He was one of several under-the-radar Peter Bendix finds that worked out this season, posting a 3.19 ERA, 2.49 FIP, 10.57 K/9, 4.36 BB/9 and six saves through 53 ⅔ innings pitched. Faucher became the closer following the trade deadline, but a right shoulder impingement sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Both claimed off the waiver wire, Cronin had a career year and Tinoco would find a consistent role in his second stint with the Marlins after playing for two other teams in 2024. They should both be used in high leverage. Tinoco specifically was closing out games following Faucher's injury. Filling out the final three bullpen spots is complicated. Bachar got off to a nice start in his Major League career with the exception of a blow-up appearance against the Atlanta Braves. McMillon stood out with an unhittable slider, but his status for 2025 is unclear after ending the year with a right elbow injury. Curry posted a 3.00 ERA with the Marlins and showed the versatility to pitch in a lot of different roles, Even after all the trades and injuries that depleted their bullpen, the Marlins ranked second among MLB teams in fWAR, so there is a lot to be excited about going into 2025 with this group. Starting position players: 1B Deyvison De Los Santos, 2B Otto Lopez, 3B Connor Norby, SS Xavier Edwards, LF Jesús Sánchez, CF Dane Myers, RF Kyle Stowers, C Nick Fortes and DH Jake Burger My boldest pick is Deyvison De Los Santos, who led the Minor Leagues in home runs. Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in July, he ended the season slashing .294/.343/.571/.914 with 40 home runs and 120 RBI. Helping his case for a roster spot, De Los Santos is also the best defensive first baseman battling for playing time. For the moment, the second-ranked Fish On First prospect isn't even on the Marlins 40-man roster, but that is expected to change in November when he gets protected from the Rule 5 Draft. Stowers is another player who could go either way given his struggles in 2024. He posted a 35.4% strikeout rate with the Marlins and some of his swing decisions were questionable. He did have some moments where he showcased impressive power and speed. The only question about Edwards is which position he'll play. Within the Marlins organization, there's confidence in him sticking at shortstop. Edwards will continue to focus on strengthening his throwing arm this offseason in order to become a better overall defender. Otto Lopez was Miami's best fielder in 2024 and his bat heated up late in the season. He led all of their position players with 2.5 fWAR. Jesús Sánchez had a strong second half, slashing .259/.337/.407/.745 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. The Dominican outfielder did see an extended look against left-handed pitching, but struggled, ending the season going 17-for-115 (.148 BA). The expectation is that Sánchez will face right-handed pitching as the large side of a platoon, similar to what the Arizona Diamondbacks have done with Joc Pederson. Dane Myers ended the season on a high note slashing .263/.333/.442/.775 with three home runs, 19 RBI and a 109 OPS+. He missed out on most of the second half after kicking a door in Cincinnati and fracturing his left ankle. Last spring, Myers was blocked from the Opening Day roster by Avisaíl García, but moving forward, he has the inside track among the club's right-handed-hitting outfielders. Bench: C Agustín Ramírez, INF/OF Javier Sanoja, INF Jonah Bride and OF Derek Hill Ramírez made a clear name for himself in the minors this year, slashing .267/.358/.487/.845 with 25 home runs and 93 RBI. His bat is ready, but the issue is his defense behind the plate, especially when it comes to blocking pitches. The Marlins could be shopping for a veteran backup to give Ramírez more time to develop. Bride became an everyday player for Miami throughout August and September, slashing .276/.357/.461/.818 with 11 home runs, 39 RBI and a 121 OPS+. De Los Santos will be the higher priority for the organization moving forward, but Bride can still play a crucial role off the bench. Javier Sanoja was a late-season promotion. He only saw action in 15 games, but showed some flashes of what made him the 2024 Marlins Minor League Player of the Year. Sanoja's bat-to-ball skills, speed and defensive versatility may lead Miami to part ways with Vidal Bruján. As somebody who can play all three outfield spots and hit lefties, Derek Hill earned a chance to stick around. However, he will need to have a strong spring to make the roster. Just missed: Max Meyer, Adam Mazur, Griffin Conine and Will Banfield Conine is the first man out right now. What he did with the Marlins in his 30-game sample size was impressive, but is it sustainable? He is mainly in competition with Stowers entering 2025. Banfield has been with the organization since 2018 and his defense has always been his standout tool. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to build upon his offensive success in 2023. It'd still make sense to bring him to big league camp as a non-roster invitee. Meyer had an opportunity to audition for a rotation spot after the All-Star break and did not take advantage. Over the course of next season, he'll definitely be needed, whether that be as a starter or reliever. Mazur also struggled in limited MLB action in 2024 (while with the San Diego Padres). Like Meyer, it may take several injuries or trades to make room for him on the active roster.

Just three days after the Miami Marlins announced that they will be parting ways with manager Skip Schumaker, Fish On First has learned that several of the coaches who worked with the former National League Manager of the Year are following him out the door. That includes longtime pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., sources said. Craig Mish of SportsGrid was first to report regarding Stottlemyre specifically. Stottlemyre, 60, was hired as Miami's major league pitching coach entering the 2019 season when Don Mattingly still served as Marlins skipper. He previously held the same position for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. Stepping into a rebuilding situation, the Marlins pitching staff ranked 29th in fWAR (22nd SP/30th RP) during that year. One of the few bright spots was the emergence of young Sandy Alcantara, who posted a 3.88 ERA (110 ERA+) and was second on the team in bWAR that year while earning an All-Star selection. During the craziness of the shortened 2020 season, Pablo López had a breakout of his own, throwing a team-leading 57 ⅓ innings and posting a 3.61 ERA (126 ERA+) and 3.09 FIP. Alcantara, López and others gained their first taste of postseason baseball that October as the Marlins advanced to the NLDS. The overall performance of Stottlemyre's pitching staff trended upwards in 2021 as they would rank 12th in the league in fWAR. This time, it was Trevor Rogers' turn to burst onto the scene and make the NL All-Star team. The homegrown left-hander also finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Cy Young Sandy became a thing in 2022. He led the majors with 228 ⅔ innings pitched and six complete games, with one being a shutout. Alcantara would post a 2.28 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 8.1 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 en route to becoming the franchise's first-ever Cy Young Award winner. Along with Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo and Braxton Garrett made noticeable improvements. Last year, for the first time since 2003, the Marlins made the playoffs in a full season. Mattingly departed, but Stottlemyre was retained by new manager Skip Schumaker. This would be Stottlemyre's best pitching staff, ranking fifth in the majors in fWAR, largely led by the previously mentioned young arms. Garrett and Luzardo were reliable fixtures in the starting rotation throughout the season while 20-year-old Eury Pérez had immediate success as a rookie. Stottlemyre and the Marlins staff also brought out the best in Tanner Scott, who overcame control issues and from mid-2023 through July 2024 had the most dominant run that any Miami closer has ever had. In 2024, the Marlins were doomed from the start. Alcantara and Pérez were sidelined following Tommy John surgery, while Garrett and Luzardo spent the vast majority of the season on the injured list as well. Through a combination of injuries and trades, Stottlemyre worked with 45 different pitchers, shattering the franchise's single-season record. The Marlins allowed 841 runs, their highest total since moving into loanDepot park. He had his greatest impact on some of the club's inexperienced relievers, particularly Calvin Faucher and Declan Cronin, and in smaller samples, Jesús Tinoco and John McMillon. Schumaker's successor will have the opportunity to decide on his own pitching coach for the 2025 season, though Stottlemyre had one year remaining on his contract and will still be paid by the Marlins. Addressing the media on Tuesday morning, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix would not put a timeline on when he expects to hire a new manager. "There’s a lot of different types of people, different types of ways to do that job really well,” Bendix said. “If you look around the league, there’s a lot of different ways of doing it. And what we need to figure out is what’s the right combination for us.”

During the week leading up to the MLB trade deadline, the Miami Marlins said goodbye to nine major league players in exchange for prospects. How did these deals pan out for the contending teams that acquired them? Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the New York Yankees Chisholm was having a solid season as Miami's center fielder. At the time of the trade, he was leading the team in stolen bases and walks, and most importantly, playing every day without any injured list stints. After being dealt to the Yankees, Chisholm turned it up a notch slashing .273/.325/.500/.825 with 11 home runs, 23 RBI and a 132 wRC+. This stretch was very comparable to the first half of his 2022 season, which resulted in an All-Star selection. He landed on the IL with a left elbow sprain in August, but only missed the minimum 10 days. Chisholm set new career highs in many categories this season, including 24 homers and 40 steals. Chisholm also went through a position change with the Yankees, becoming their regular third baseman. He had never previously played there in the minors or majors. He held his own for the most part (6 OAA and -2 DRS). The Yankees posted a 94-68 record to clinch the No. 1 playoff seed in the American League. Trevor Rogers to the Baltimore Orioles At the moment, the Marlins look like clear winners of this trade. They acquired third baseman Connor Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers in exchange for Trevor Rogers. Leading up to the trade, Rogers' best quality was his availability. He had posted a 4.53 ERA and 4.43 FIIP through 105 ⅓ innings pitched. He was very consistent throughout June and July to build up his value. As desperate as the Orioles were for rotation help, Rogers only made it through four starts where he posted a 7.11 ERA and 5.01 FIP, only completing the fifth inning twice. He was demoted to Triple-A Norfolk and wasn't included on their AL Wild Card Series roster. There is still time for Baltimore to get something out of the trade in future seasons as Rogers has two more years of arbitration eligibility. However, they enter Wednesday on the verge of being eliminated, which would be a disappointing outcome for a club that expected to compete for the World Series title. Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing to the San Diego Padres Scott was regarded as the best rental reliever on the market. He recovered from March/April struggles to allow only two earned runs in a span of 38 innings pitched, posting a 0.47 ERA. He alongside Bryan Hoeing were traded to the Padres in exchange for four prospects. Unlike in Miami, Scott isn't the primary closer for the Padres who have relied on Robert Suarez. He has still made a positive impact with his new team (2.73 ERA, 2.33 FIP and 4 SV). Hoeing has proven to be an equally important piece for the red-hot Padres. As a Marlin, he was pitching in all sorts of situations, totaling a 2.70 ERA and 3.27 FIP through 30 innings. With the Padres thus far, focusing entirely on being a reliever, Hoeing improved to a 1.52 ERA (274 ERA+) in 23 ⅔ innings. Increased usage of his splitter contributed to that. The Padres earned the NL's top Wild Card spot. Bryan De La Cruz traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates would have needed an amazing second half from Bryan De La Cruz to stay in the postseason race. Instead, he struggled with the change of scenery. It took him 17 games to knock in his first extra-base hit and he ended his stint in Pittsburgh slashing .200/.220/.294/.514 with three home runs and 17 RBI. By September, he was only a part-time player. Plate discipline was an issue with both his strikeout and walk rates trending in the wrong direction. DLC had a -1.1 fWAR following the deadline, the second-worst mark of any MLB hitter. Like the Rogers situation, it's too early to reach a final judgement on this trade because of remaining years of club control. Still, the Marlins should be thankful that they got it done while De La Cruz still had some market value. A.J. Puk and Josh Bell to the Arizona Diamondbacks These two players weren't moved in the same trade, but they winded up on the same team. Leading up to the trade, Puk had not allowed an earned run through 16 ⅔ innings pitched (14 appearances). Within that streak, he had allowed four hits and struck out 25 while only walking three. With the Diamondbacks, he continued his scoreless streak for three more games until he allowed a run against the Pirates on August 2. Overall in Arizona, Puk posted a 1.32 ERA through 27 ⅓ innings pitched. The high-leverage reliever is under club control for two additional seasons. Limited to first base/DH and performing below his usual standards, Josh Bell wasn't expected to be moved. With the Marlins, Bell slashed .239/.305/.394/.699 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI. Right before being dealt, Bell was on a hot streak, hitting a home run in four consecutive games. That streak combined with a last-minute injury to Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker led to an agreement on a trade that would send Bell to Arizona for cash. It was the third consecutive year that Bell changed teams at the deadline. Bell hit two home runs in his Diamondbacks debut, one from each side of the plate. He was a regular in their lineup until Walker returned from the IL in early September. Similar to what Bell did in 2023 upon arriving in Miami, he slashed .279/.361/.436/.796 with five home runs, 22 RBI and a 121 OPS+ as a D-back. The reigning NL champions fell short of reaching October, finishing with the same 89-73 record as the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, but losing the tiebreaker to both of them. Huascar Brazoban traded to the New York Mets Brazoban's season got off to a delayed start due to visa issues. In 2024 with Miami, he only pitched in 20 games where he posted a 2.93 ERA, 2.65 FIP and a 3.2 BB/9, though most of that success came in low-leverage situations. The right-hander's walks went up in New York, leading to a 5.14 ERA through 21 innings pitched. He also blew a save against his former team on August 18. Brazoban still made the Mets Wild Card Series roster. He isn't eligible for arbitration until 2026. JT Chargois traded to the Seattle Mariners Like Brazoban, Chargois had a good yet small sample of 2024 production as a low-leverage reliever. In 15 games pitched, there was a big gap between his 1.62 ERA and 5.33 FIP, so it was unclear whether any contenders would go out of their way to get him. With the Mariners, Chargois' ERA went up to 2.75 and the FIP dropped to 4.54. Held back by a bad offense, the Mariners did not clinch a playoff spot.

Kevin Barral debriefs Fish On First reporters Isaac Azout and Alex Krutchik about the end-of-season press conference that president of baseball operations Peter Bendix held at loanDepot park on Tuesday. Additional topics covered during our conversation: Skip Schumaker's departure The fate of his coaching staff Candidates to replace Skip Reviewing the 2024 Marlins season Key player performances (Jake Burger, Jonah Bride, Connor Norby, Xavier Edwards, Nick Fortes, Jesús Sánchez, etc.) 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. As Isaac reported shortly after the podcast recording, there was a "bloodbath" of firings made by the Marlins following the press conference. Major league coaches from the 2024 season were let go along with clubhouse attendants and members of the performance staff. 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.