Kevin Barral

At Marlins Media Day, veteran reliever Pete Fairbanks speaks with Fish On First about getting acclimated to a new team, new MLB rules and more. View full video

MIAMI—Christopher Morel was the only free agent position player this offseason who signed a major league deal with the Miami Marlins. With a salary of two million dollars, he will be the club's highest-paid hitter despite coming off a disappointing 2025. In 105 games with the Tampa Bay Rays, he slashed .219/.289/.396/.684 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI and a 90 wRC+. His 35.7% strikeout rate was the highest in the American League among players with at least 300 plate appearances. The 26-year-old is grateful to still be in MLB—aside from the Marlins, his most serious suitors this offseason were teams in Korea and Japan. “I’m truly going to give my best every moment, every second that the manager gives me the opportunity, I’ll give 100 percent of myself," Morel said in Spanish at Friday's Marlins Media Day. "I've been working extremely hard this season to have an excellent season here. I feel healthy, and I’m going to give my best so we can win and keep pushing forward." Morel has had inconsistencies defensively as well. He was primarily used in left field last season and at second base and third base the year before. In 2026, he is expected to play a lot of first base, a position that he has never played in his career. He jokingly told the media that he is already "dancing bachata" at first base. "We’re already practicing it, getting some movement in, trying to find the coordination. I’ve felt a little more comfortable than the first time I practiced there. But wherever the manager needs me, I’ll be there to help the team.” The bar for Morel to clear is pretty low as the Marlins were one of only seven teams in 2025 to receive sub-replacement-level production at first base. As recently as 2023, he blasted 26 homers with a 120 wRC+. If he bounces back close to that level of production, the Marlins have the flexibility to retain Morel through the 2028 season via arbitration. Morel has a pre-existing relationship with Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez, who is also a native of Santiago, Dominican Republic. They've known each other since they were kids. "(Eury) was really the first person who showed me that love and support to come here," said Morel. "Seeing all those talented young guys who are coming up from the farm system, it really makes you feel it. Honestly, seeing the Latin culture as well, the Latin fans here, I know it’s going to be a very good year.” View full article

MIAMI—Connor Norby entered 2025 looking like a key building block for the Miami Marlins. His unremarkable performance on the field and limited availability pushed him out of the picture. In 88 games, Norby slashed .251/.300/.389/.689 with eight home runs, 34 RBI and a 90 wRC+. "Last year was the most frustrating year of my career," Norby told Fish On First in an exclusive interview at Friday's Marlins Media Day. "Never really been hurt, spending three different stints on the IL and most of it just freak things that popped up. Frustrating overall and just never really got into a rhythm." Norby's season debut was delayed by an oblique strain. Then he underwent left hamate surgery during the All-Star break and missed more time in September due to a quad strain. "I really thought I was playing my best baseball those last six weeks of the season along with the team, which is the most important thing," Norby said. "It was definitely a learning experience for me and it's going to be the most important year of my career. In Norby's final 16 games of the season, he hit .293/.344/.500/.844 with two home runs and 18 RBI. Norby has only played third base since being called up by the Marlins in August 2024 and he'll compete against Graham Pauley for playing time there in 2026. Norby's priority this spring is "to be the best third baseman that I can be." Pauley was clearly the better fielder last season as measured by outs above average (+6 to -4) and defensive runs saved (+3 to -5). "Learning third base is incredibly hard and I'm still learning," the 25-year-old admitted, "but with how I finished defensively and offensively, that last month was where I believe my standard is right there." Norby's natural position is second base, but he continues to be blocked there by Xavier Edwards. He played occasionally in the corner outfield spots during his minor league career with the Baltimore Orioles. Although undersized for first base, the Marlins have plenty of reps available there. "First and foremost, whatever helps the team win," Norby said when asked about the position change and where he feels best. "Secondly, I am an infielder and have always been an infielder...I have some experience [in the outfield]. It's whatever keeps me in the lineup, right? Whether it's third base one day or left field the next, wherever it may be. I'm sure we'll dive more into that when we get to camp." The next couple of weeks, Norby is expecting to take ground balls about two to three times per day with new infield coach Blake Butler. "I'm excited to see what he brings and I'm an open book," said Norby. "I'm eager to learn and try new things and he knows that...I'm eager to turn a lot of heads and prove a lot of people wrong and go out and prove a lot of people right." Last year at Media Day, Norby said that his 2025 goal was to hit 30 home runs. In 2026, he is going to keep the individual goals to himself, but as a team, he wants the Marlins to win the NL East division and make the postseason for the first time since 2023. As currently constructed, he believes they have the talent to achieve that. "My play elevates more when I am focused on team play and think so does everybody else's. It's going to be a hungry group this year and we're coming." View full article

MIAMI—The Miami Marlins held their annual FanFest on Saturday. A total of 20,737 fans attended the event, per a club official, the highest total recorded during Bruce Sherman's ownership tenure. As usual, the Marlins held a variety of Q&A sessions with players and "State of the Marlins" with team leadership. On top of that, the second Marlins Legends Hall of Fame class was revealed and teal uniforms were revived. Entry to the four-hour event was free. All things considered, this was one of the best FanFests that the Marlins have ever hosted. Here's what you may have missed. Player availability From 4:30-6:30 pm on the main stage, Marlins players were organized into small groups. It started with the voice of Marlins Radio, Jack McMullen, talking to pitchers Braxton Garrett, Max Meyer and Pete Fairbanks and outfielder Jakob Marsee. Spanish Marlins radio voices Yiky Quintana and José Luis Nápoles did a panel in Spanish. In that interview, Agustín Ramírez said that his goal is to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs. He was joined by Eury Pérez, Sandy Alcantara and Otto Lopez. The last time a Marlins player reached 30 home runs and 100 RBI in the same season was Giancarlo Stanton (59 HR and 132 RBI) and Marcell Ozuna (37 HR and 124 RBI) in 2017. Stanton won the National League MVP and Ozuna made the All-Star Game and finished 15th in MVP voting. Only 12 Marlins ever have achieved a 30 HR/100 RBI season. In his rookie season, Ramírez slashed .231/.287/.413/.701 with 21 home runs, 67 RBI and a 91 wRC+ through 136 games played. Ramírez also stated that he wants to prove to everyone that he can remain a catcher. He emphasized throughout the interview that he has worked extremely hard to make that possible. State of the Marlins At 6:30 pm, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and manager Clayton McCullough took the stage to answer questions from Marlins.TV play-by-play man Kyle Sielaff. Later on, fans asked questions and let out some of their frustrations. The first question asked was about why the Marlins do not spend more money or value having veteran leadership on their roster. Bendix said that money is being invested in all aspects of the organization. He first mentioned the recently renovated Jupiter Academy. Regarding veteran leadership, he agreed with this fan, and then said that they signed Pete Fairbanks. Fairbanks, 32, is the oldest player on the team and has the second-most service time (6.057) behind Alcantara (7.100). "Pete Fairbanks is here partly for that reason," Bendix said. "I have a relationship with Pete from my time in Tampa Bay. I know what he brings to the table on the mound, and I know what he brings to the table in the clubhouse. I think he's going to be really really good for our clubhouse." Not only does the Marlins media ask McCullough about bullpen management, but fans do as well. One fan asked if sometimes decisions were made for developmental reasons instead of trying to win games. "I definitely hear the feedback," McCullough said. "I think with the bullpen, when we get into a good stretch and we are playing close games every day, I'd love to be able to pitch the same people all the time, but in reality, you just can't do that. In order to get through a full season and have a chance to win a lot of games, everybody has to be able to contribute." McCullough also mentioned that when very high-leverage situations present themselves early in the game, he will "try to go win this moment" instead of limiting his best options to the eighth and ninth innings. One clever fan began his question by naming Marlins infielders and when he got to first, he asked, "Who's first?" Bendix with a smile said, "I don't know," so McCullough took the longer answer noting all the competition that is happening throughout camp, specifically first base. "There will be a lot of competition for playing time and one thing that we tried to put upon our group last year and preach was positional versatility and flexibility," said McCullough. "We have talked to a number of players this offseason about being open-minded about it." Christopher Morel and Griffin Conine were brought up as examples, both of whom are completely inexperienced at the position. For the final question of this session, a fan asked Bendix if we will see players get locked up to contract extensions. No Marlin has been extended in nearly four years (Richard Bleier in March 2022), which was when Kim Ng was still general manager. It was reported this offseason that Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee and Eury Pérez have been engaged in extension talks. Stowers seems to be the least likely of those candidates given that the Marlins already have club control of him through age 31, but Marsee and Pérez are both realistic. "We're expecting that we are going to have a lot of these really good players for a long time," Bendix said. "Right now, we have a lot of players who are 23, 24 and 25. These guys are going to be here for a while. Yes, the answer to your question is we want to keep our best players for as long as possible." Following that final statement, the crowd erupted as Bendix and McCullough walked off the stage. With how much of a closed book Bendix typically is, that statement was likely the most transparent he has ever been in public to fans or media. Marlins Hall of Famers Very briefly, the Marlins announced that they will be inducting pitchers Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis into their Marlins Legends Hall of Fame. Both Beckett and Willis were on the 2003 World Series-winning team. Unlike the players chosen for the inaugural HOF class in 2025, they were not in attendance at FanFest. Isaac Azout has more on the upcoming inductions of both players, which will take place on September 6 (Beckett) and September 13 (Willis). The teal is BACK After months of build-up, the Marlins announced that they will be bringing back teal jerseys for every Sunday home game. The uniform set also includes Florida Marlins caps. The blue jerseys previously used on Sundays are now out of the regular season rotation, but will remain their primary spring training look. What's next? Marlins pitchers and catchers will report to Jupiter, Florida, on Wednesday. The full-squad report day is Monday. February 16. The first spring training game will take place on Saturday, February 21 at 1:10 pm in Port St. Lucie against the New York Mets. View full article

MIAMI—Through the first two months of 2025, Max Meyer was on track to lead the Miami Marlins in innings pitched. Then a hip issue popped up, leading to season-ending surgery. "I feel good," Meyer said when he spoke to the media on Friday. "Had a good offseason, put on some weight and everything feels good—how it should feel. Hoping that I can just continue that throughout the whole season." The Marlins saw a 17-win improvement from the previous year, though Meyer unfortunately had to watch most of that from the dugout due to his injury. While being sidelined, he kept himself involved in team activities and tried to make the best of the situation. "There is a lot you can always learn every day and you just can't stop while going through injuries like that," Meyer said. "You have to be there for your teammates and you always have to be a good guy in the clubhouse. There is a lot you can do when you are even on the shelf for a long time. You can help the team out by being with guys who are maybe down or playing games and having fun in the clubhouse, so you just have to attack it a different way every day." In 2025, Meyer pitched 64 ⅔ innings, posting a 4.73 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 9.46 K/9 and 2.78 BB/9. He had gotten off to a red-hot start, highlighted by his 14-strikeout performance against the Cincinnati Reds. Within his first five outings, he posted a 2.10 ERA and 2.50 FIP. In Meyer's final seven starts before landing on the IL, he posted a 7.01 ERA and 6.16 FIP. He had two games where he surrendered 10 hits. Meyer already began to feel like himself again at the end of the 2025 season. "The whole offseason, I've felt pretty good," he said. "Started running and sprinting probably halfway through and everything just feels good." With the exception of his signature slider, Meyer has made "tweaks" to the other four pitches in his arsenal. He "tightened up" his sweeper and worked on a "more consistent sinker shape." He also focused on "getting my depth back on my changeup and a little more (induced vertical break) on my fastball." The Marlins went into the offseason with a projected 2026 rotation featuring Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers. Now that Cabrera is a Chicago Cub and Weathers is a member of the New York Yankees, there's a lot more room for Meyer...as long as he stays healthy. "I wanna be there when they call my name," said Meyer. "When they call my name, I don't want to be sitting on the sidelines anymore because it's pretty frustrating. I'm gonna miss those guys, fun to be around, but obviously I gotta step it up." View full article

On Friday, the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays agreed on a trade that sent outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. to the Rays in exchange for minor league infielder Angel Brachi. Mesa had been designated for assignment on Tuesday in a corresponding roster move that allowed the Marlins to claim Garrett Acton off waivers. Mesa remains in the state of Florida, but leaves the only professional franchise that he's ever known. The 24-year-old had been the longest-tenured position player in the Marlins organization, signing alongside his brother, Victor Victor Mesa, in October 2018 when both were international free agents. In 2025 at the Triple-A level, Mesa slashed .286/.352/.460/.813 with seven home runs, 33 RBI and a 121 wRC+ in 52 games played. He was called up to the majors and made his debut where in 16 games, he hit .188/.297/.344/.641 with one home run, six RBI and an 81 wRC+. Mesa will have a slightly easier path to regular MLB playing time with Tampa Bay than he had in Miami, but making the Opening Day roster looks like an uphill battle for him. The Rays have three other left-handed-hitting outfielders ahead of him on their depth chart in Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley. If necessary, the Rays can option him to the minor leagues (Mesa has one more option left). As for Brachi, 19, he signed for $800k in the 2024 international signing class. Repeating the Dominican Summer League last season, he slashed .337/.453/.408/.861 with 21 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 142 wRC+ in 51 games. The Cumana, Venezuela, native has led all rookie-level players in Minor League Baseball with 30 HBP since making his pro debut—that is a major reason for his career .403 OBP. Entering the 2025 season, FanGraphs had Brachi as the 49th-best prospect in the Rays organization with a 35+ future value on the 20-80 scale. "He’s a gritty scout favorite with limited tools but advanced baseball acumen and feel to hit," wrote Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan. Brachi's biggest obstacle long term will be producing power (zero homers in his MiLB career thus far). The Marlins and Rays have linked up on at least one trade with each other every year dating back to 2021, so this deal extends that streak to six years. View full article

At Marlins Media Day, right-hander Max Meyer updates his status coming off hip surgery and explains the tweaks he made to each of his pitches entering 2026. View full video

At Marlins Media Day, right-hander Josh White reflects on his dominant 2025 season and looks ahead to his first big league spring training camp. View full video

At Marlins Media Day, outfielder Jakob Marsee speaks with Fish On First about his mindset entering his first full major league season and World Baseball Classic debut. View full video

As unveiled on Thursday night, rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic include 11 players from the Miami Marlins organization, representing seven different countries. In alphabetical order: Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic, second career WBC) Owen Caissie (Canada, second) Yiddi Cappe (Cuba, first) Liam Hicks (Canada, first) Ian Lewis (Great Britain, first) Otto Lopez (Canada, second) Jakob Marsee (Italy, first) Michael Petersen (Great Britain, second) Agustín Ramírez (Dominican Republic, first) Javier Sanoja (Venezuela, first) Jared Serna (Mexico, first) Alcantara is the only Marlins starting pitcher participating this time. He made the Dominican Republic's first start of the tournament in 2023, went 3 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs on five hits, three walks and two strikeouts. The Dominican Republic did not make it past pool play. Ramírez was seemingly on the bubble for the D.R. as they finalized the roster. Although earning a spot on such a talented team at 24 years old is a great accomplishment, he is unlikely to see significant playing time as long as fellow catchers Austin Wells and Yainer Diaz stay healthy. Lopez and Caissie were Canadian teammates in 2023. In their WBC debuts, Lopez slashed .294/.333/.588/.921 with one home run and six RBI in four games. Caissie slashed .231/.286/.462/.748 with one home run and four RBI in three games of action. Canada did not advance in the tournament. Hicks, who was a Rule 5 draft pick last offseason, spent the entire 2025 season on the Marlins major league roster and slashed .247/.346/.346/.693 with six home runs, 45 RBI and a 98 wRC+. Freddie Freeman's decision to withdraw from the tournament made Hicks a easier fit on Canada's roster. He could play a combination of catcher, first base and designated hitter. Cappe, who is 23 years old, played in 62 games last season between High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola. He slashed .278/.328/.392/.722 with six home runs, 32 RBI, 29 stolen bases and a 107 wRC+. The Marlins view him mainly as a second baseman, but he does have significant minor league experience at shortstop and third base as well. Marsee in his rookie campaign slashed .292/.363/.478/.842 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a 133 wRC+. He will slot in as the Marlins Opening Day center fielder. Petersen is the only active big leaguer who was born in the United Kingdom. He made one scoreless relief appearance during the 2023 WBC. ZW5MWjZfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0F3TlRVVjFYQlFRQVdscFVVQUFBQmxWUUFBTUVVQVFBQXdaUlV3SUJBUVVHQlFjRg==.mp4 Bahamians like Lewis are eligible for Great Britain as well. The speedy switch-hitter slashed .278/.357/.431/.788 in 73 MiLB games last season. The very versatile Sanoja finished the 2025 season slashing .243/.287/.396/.683 with six home runs, 38 RBI and an 86 wRC+. His second half of 2025 was encouraging, posting a .777 OPS. Five of his six home runs came in the second half, including a two-homer performance against the New York Yankees. Serna is coming off a very disappointing regular season, but dominated in his native Mexico over the winter. Because their countries are in Pool D, Alcantara, Ramírez and Sanoja won't have to travel far during the WBC—all of their games will be at loanDepot park. View full article

On Tuesday, the Miami Marlins announced that they have claimed right-handed pitcher Garrett Acton off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. To create a spot for him on the 40-man roster, the Marlins designated outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. for assignment. Acton, 27, spent the 2025 season in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Aside from one scoreless relief appearance at the major league level, he pitched for their Triple-A Durham affiliate. In 58 ⅔ innings pitched against AAA competition, he posted a 3.68 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 10.89 K/9 and 4.14 BB/9. He made 45 appearances (four starts). He also picked up some MLB experience with the 2023 Athletics, where he made six appearances, posting a 12.71 ERA. The Rays designated Acton for assignment at the end of the 2025 season. He was then claimed by the Rockies and remained on their roster until they DFA'd him as well on January 22. The right-hander's arsenal consists of a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup. Knowing the Marlins organization and how they are with pitchers, it wouldn't be shocking if they tried teaching him additional pitches. Perhaps being an additional year removed from Tommy John surgery will benefit Acton, whose average fastball velocity dipped from 95.4 mph in 2023 to 93.7 mph last season. He still has two minor league options left. Mesa, 24, signed with the Marlins organization for $1M as an international free agent in 2018. After several injury setbacks, he made his major league debut in 2025. In 16 games for the Marlins, he slashed .188/.297/.344/.641 with one home run, six RBI and an 81 wRC+. This past season in AAA, he slashed .286/.352/.460/.813 with seven home runs, 33 RBI and a 121 wRC+ in 52 games played. Just two years ago, Mesa was considered one of the top position player prospects in the Marlins system, but a handful of outfielders have surpassed him on the depth chart since then. Even with the ability to play all three outfield spots and a solid hit tool, he was unlikely to crack Miami's Opening Day roster. Now with one minor league option remaining, Mesa will hope to land somewhere with a clearer path to consistent playing time. The Marlins have seven days to negotiate a trade with interested teams. View full article

The Miami Marlins are set to hold their annual FanFest this Saturday from 4:00-8:00 pm. The following tips and event details will help fans enjoy themselves to the fullest. “This event is all about bringing our fans and the South Florida market closer to our brand, through player interactions, exclusive sneak peeks at what’s coming in 2026, and capping it off with a fireworks show,” said Marlins chief brand officer Alex Parker. “We can’t wait to see Marlins fans at the ballpark to mark the start of baseball season.” You can claim free FanFest tickets here (up to six tickets available for each MLB.com account). More than 31,000 tickets have been claimed as of Monday afternoon, according to club sources. Tickets will be delivered to the Ballpark app. A personal suggestion for my fellow iPhone users would be to add them to your digital wallet—that will keep the line moving as fast as possible on Saturday. Parking is complimentary for this event. You will be able to use any of the ballpark's four garages at no additional cost. To ensure that you and your children can participate in all FanFest activities, make sure to fill out this waiver in advance. Who will be there? In addition to president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and manager Clayton McCullough, the vast majority of Marlins major league players are expected to be at FanFest (Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Xavier Edwards, Jakob Marsee, Agustín Ramírez, etc.). This is your first opportunity to meet players who were acquired this offseason via trade and free agency like reliever Pete Fairbanks, infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel, outfielder Owen Caissie and outfielder Esteury Ruiz. Most spring training non-roster invitees attend, including top prospects Thomas White, Robby Snelling and Kemp Alderman. One notable absence will be 2025 Marlins All-Star representative Kyle Stowers. He and his wife, Emma, are expecting the birth of their first child in the days leading up to FanFest. Activities "Access has been a big thing for us—making sure that there is enough activities for everyone to be occupied the whole time," said Marlins president of business operations Caroline O'Connor in an exclusive interview with Fish On First. Similar to last year, there will be an arcade trailer on the West Plaza, behind-the-scenes tours, a pop-up challenge, speed pitch contest and wiffle ball home run derby. The Marlins Museum, located on the Legends Level behind home plate, will be open. A new addition to FanFest will be the youth clinics. Kids from ages 5-13 will be able to play on the field with current Marlins players in one-hour sessions. The available time slots for this are 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Weather permitting, the roof will be open for a fireworks show at 8:00 pm. Photo Ops Active players and Marlins alumni will be stationed throughout the ballpark. Fans can take selfies with them in Sections 1, 32 and 205. Only Marlins Members will be able to get autographs from players. For non-members, keep in mind that if you attend spring training in Jupiter, players may be willing to sign for free if approached politely before or after games. The World Series trophies from both 1997 and 2003 will also be on display for photos. Main Stage The FanFest main stage will be located in center field this year. Exclusive to Marlins Members before the rest of the event begins, Peter Bendix and Clayton McCullough will discuss the 2026 team during their annual "State of the Fish" Q&A. The Marlins have a tradition of making announcements at FanFest. That will be the case again with the unveiling of new Sunday alternate uniforms and this year's Marlins Legends Hall of Fame class. The main stage will also have various player and alumni segments and an animal show hosted by Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill. Food & Drink Add-ons For fans 21 years of age or older, you'll have the option to add the Foodie Passport and Beerfest access to your FanFest experience. The Foodie Passport is your ticket to eating and drinking your way around the ballpark, with five separate stops featuring exclusive bites and specialty drinks. Beerfest will take place in the Bullpen Bar and Grill from 4:00-6:00 pm, offering 20 domestic, international and local craft brews. Each add-on costs $25 plus taxes/fees. Dollar hot dogs from Sahlen's will also be available for purchase at FanFest. View full article