Isaac Azout

Forecasting the outcomes of roster battles was a headache at this time a year ago for a Miami Marlins team relying on so many inexperienced and unheralded players. Following a franchise-best 17-win improvement from the previous season, the exercise is slightly easier entering 2026, and expectations will be higher for the players who make the cut. “I think that in 2026, we’re going to have a really competitive, exciting team. The goal remains to be as good as we can for as long as possible and to build a team that’s competing for the NL East division every single year,” president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said at his annual end-of-year press conference. Agustín Ramírez, Jakob Marsee and several other members of Miami's historically successful rookie class have earned opportunities to stick at the big league level. In the rotation, assuming everyone remains healthy and with the team, the Marlins could feature one of the most formidable starting fives in all of baseball. As the season unfolds, another wave of high-upside prospects is due to arrive at loanDepot park, reinforcing both the lineup and pitching staff. However, keep in mind that this projection applies specifically to Opening Day. These are not necessarily the 26 "best" players in the Marlins organization—they are the ones with the easiest path to begin the 2026 season on the active roster. Position Players Default starting lineup: C Agustín Ramírez, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 2B Xavier Edwards, 3B Connor Norby, SS Otto Lopez, LF Kyle Stowers, CF Jakob Marsee, RF Griffin Conine, DH Heriberto Hernández Bench: C/1B Liam Hicks, UTIL Javier Sanoja, 3B Graham Pauley, OF Joey Wiemer After remaining in the playoff picture mathematically until the final week of the season, it’s fair to assume Miami will be more aggressive in free agency than in years past. Reports already indicate that the Marlins will look for outside help at the corner infield spots as well as in the bullpen. If there’s one position that desperately needs an upgrade in production, it’s first base. That’s where future Hall of Famer Paul Goldschmidt comes in. Goldschmidt, 38, while long removed from his MVP days, can still provide meaningful offense and defense in 2026—should he decide to continue playing. The right-handed hitter slashed .274/.328/.403 for the New York Yankees in 2025. As a unit, Marlins first basemen in 2025—primarily a combination of Eric Wagaman, Matt Mervis, and Liam Hicks—ranked 24th in MLB in fWAR (-0.5) and 28th in wRC+ (83). Even after one of the least productive seasons of his career, Goldschmidt would be an instant upgrade at the position and bring much-needed veteran leadership to a young clubhouse. 2026 could be a make-or-break year for Connor Norby, who struggled to stay healthy and produce in his second year with Miami. He posted a below-average 90 wRC+ in 88 games with minus-4 outs above average at third base. The Marlins seem adamant about keeping Norby at third base for the time being. On the catching front, it’s only a matter of time until Fish On First’s No. 2 prospect Joe Mack fully takes over the position, mercifully sparing fans from watching Ramírez behind the plate as often. Delaying Mack's call-up until mid-April would delay his free agent eligibility until after the 2032 season. The outfield promises to be a strength for Miami, highlighted by Stowers and Marsee, who figure to anchor the top of the lineup for years to come. Conine, who missed a large chunk of the 2025 season due to a left shoulder dislocation, will get most of his opportunities against right-handed pitching. He’ll likely platoon with Wiemer or Dane Myers. Just missed: C Joe Mack, OF Dane Myers Pitchers Starting rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Edward Cabrera, RHP Eury Pérez, LHP Ryan Weathers, RHP Janson Junk Bullpen: RHP Ronny Henriquez, RHP Calvin Faucher, RHP Lake Bachar, RHP Tyler Phillips, RHP Michael Petersen, LHP Josh Simpson, RHP Anthony Bender, LHP Cade Gibson Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez both successfully returned from Tommy John surgery in 2025 and finished the year healthy with solid performances down the stretch. Alcantara is owed $17.3 million next season before a club option worth $21 million for 2027. Unlike last winter, Bendix was noncommittal about Alcantara’s future with the club. “I’m not going to speculate on any individual player,” Bendix said. “We’re always looking for ways to improve our club, and I’m going to stay as disciplined as possible in doing that.” Weathers, if he can stay healthy, will continue to serve as the lone left-hander in the rotation. Junk, a minor league free agent signee last winter, is out of minor league options and will likely be given every opportunity to break camp with the Marlins. As for the bullpen, Ronny Henriquez will remain their highest-leverage arm following a historically dominant 2025 season. Despite a rough campaign, Josh Simpson figures to stay in the mix—especially after a strong finish, allowing no earned runs in his final six appearances. Lefties Braxton Garrett and Andrew Nardi used to be integral pieces of Miami's pitching staff, but it's premature to project either of them to earn back their jobs coming off extended injury absences. Just missed: LHP Braxton Garrett, LHP Andrew Nardi, RHP Max Meyer View full article

DENVER—An incredible rookie class has propelled the Marlins to a much-improved record in 2025. Headlined by Agustín Ramírez and Jakob Marsee, Miami currently features eight rookie position players on its active roster. In Wednesday night’s 8-4 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, seven rookies were in the starting lineup—and they accounted for seven of the team’s runs in the series-clinching victory. “The maturity in their at-bats and their understanding of situations and approaches has really improved throughout the course of this season,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. “The understanding that to perform at a high level here, it’s not just ‘see ball, hit ball.’ You need to have a plan, be stubborn, and stay disciplined—and they’ve done that.” The top three hitters in McCullough’s lineup—Marsee, Ramírez, and Liam Hicks—combined to go 3-for-10 with five RBI and four walks. Ramírez capped his night with a 422-foot moonshot in the eighth inning, his 21st home run of the season. “This is a hard game, and you have Gus hitting 21 homers and stealing 10 bags as a rookie—it’s really good, it’s exciting,” starter Ryan Weathers said postgame. Rookies Troy Johnston, Heriberto Hernández and Javier Sanoja also all contributed by combining to drive in two runs and score four times. "One of the best at-bats of the night was Troy's," McCullough said. "Leading off the third after Ryan (Weathers) had a long inning, he went out there and worked a terrific at bat and those are really positive things for our group, that there's 'team at-bats' that are required throughout games and our guys are learning how to appreciate that Weathers, making just his seventh start of the season and his second since returning from the 60-day IL on September 12 after a lat strain, struggled to put hitters away on Wednesday. McCullough told reporters pregame that the left-hander would be limited to six “ups” or 85 pitches. After a clean, 18-pitch first inning, Weathers labored through a 31-pitch second in which he surrendered a pair of runs. “They put up some really good ABs, weren’t really chasing the changeup tonight, so they forced me to go in a different direction,” Weathers said. He allowed another run in a grinding fourth inning, finishing with 80 pitches over four frames. His final line: three runs allowed on two walks and two strikeouts. “It was a grind tonight. He had to work hard to get through it, but he buckled down,” McCullough said. “He got through four without his best stuff, kept it to three runs, and that’s a positive takeaway.” Weathers utilized all five pitches in his arsenal, topping out at 98 mph with his fastball. His changeup was his second-most used pitch, averaging 88.5 mph—up from his season norm. Once Weathers’ night was done, Miami’s bullpen carried the load. Lake Bachar, Ronny Henriquez, Calvin Faucher, and George Soriano combined for five strong innings to close it out. “They were fantastic,” McCullough said of his relievers. “Coming in right behind Weathers, you’re just trying to put up as many zeroes as you can—or at least avoid a crooked number. All those guys passed it off to one another and did a fantastic job giving our offense a chance to tack on more runs.” With their eight runs on Tuesday, the Marlins have now scored 668 this season, surpassing their 2023 total of 666. It marks their highest single-season run output since 2017, when they scored 778. With the win, Miami improved to 72-80 while Colorado dropped its league-worst 111th game of the year. The Marlins also clinched a finish ahead of the Nationals in the NL East, thanks to Washington’s loss. Sandy Alcantara will look to complete the sweep on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field. View full article

DENVER—In a cold, wet, delay-filled night, Eury Pérez’s masterful outing nearly went to waste as the Colorado Rockies rallied late. With the tying run on third and the winning run on first in the bottom of the ninth, Rockies star and Marlin killer Hunter Goodman stepped in in the pouring rain. On a 2-1 slider, Goodman lined out sharply to third baseman Connor Norby to end the game, sealing a 6-5 Miami win. Ronny Henriquez recorded the final four outs for the save, earning Perez the win. Miami carried a 6-0 lead into a one-hour, one-minute rain delay in the sixth, only to watch Colorado claw back and threaten in the late innings. The Marlins’ bullpen entered the night riding a streak of 20 ⅓ consecutive innings without an earned run allowed, dating back to September 9 against Washington. Tyler Phillips extended it to 22 ⅓ with two scoreless frames after the delay. But right-hander Michael Petersen surrendered a three-run homer to Mickey Moniak, snapping the streak and cutting the lead in half. That set the stage for Henriquez, who was able to come through with his seventh save of the season. “In this ballpark, no lead is safe,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “All it takes is a couple of baserunners and a decent swing.” Dominant Eury Making his 18th start, Pérez came in searching for consistency. After a stellar first 10 outings—50 innings with just 15 earned runs allowed (2.70 ERA)—the 21-year-old right-hander had struggled, giving up 27 runs across his last 31 frames. “I think it all comes from the command,” McCullough said pregame. “He’s gotten in bad counts, become too predictable, left pitches in bad spots, and let hitters box him in.” Pérez flipped the script in Denver, navigating one of baseball’s toughest pitching environments with ease. He fired five scoreless innings, facing just one over the minimum before the delay cut short his night. His final line: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K on 71 pitches (46 strikes). “Eury was fantastic,” McCullough said afterward. “The quality of his breaking stuff, in this environment where spin usually doesn’t play as well, was great. His ability to miss bats goes back to the strike-throwing and command, something he hadn’t been doing these past few outings.” While Pérez’s fastball has graded out as one of Miami’s best weapons per Baseball Savant, it was his slider that shined Tuesday. He threw it 23 times (32%), collecting four of his six strikeouts with the pitch. Having undergone Tommy John surgery in April 2024, the Marlins remain focused on keeping their young ace healthy. “It’s going to be a good feeling for him to finish these last few starts on a high note,” McCullough added. “From a health standpoint, he’s recovered well, and the stuff has been fantastic.” Offensive Support Miami’s bats gave Pérez plenty of cushion. Jakob Marsee opened the scoring with a two-run double in the third inning, and Dane Myers—activated from the injured list earlier in the day along with infielders Connor Norby and Graham Pauley—added a two-run double in the sixth to make it 5-0. Myers later scored on a Javier Sanoja double. With the win, Miami improved to 71-80, taking four of its last five. The Rockies, meanwhile, dropped to a major league-worst 41-110. View full article

MIAMI—In a marquee matchup between two former Cy Young Award winners, Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara came out on top, delivering his fifth quality start in his last six outings as Miami earned its third straight win, defeating the Detroit Tigers 8-2. Alcantara was opposed by reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, who entered Friday’s contest amid a dominant campaign—improving on his award-winning 2024 season in virtually every category. The left-hander began the night with an AL-best 2.10 ERA and 6.5 bWAR across 28 starts and 180 innings, and a .195 opponent batting average. His 222 strikeouts were just six shy of his career-high. Miami’s offense, however, struck early against Skubal. Catcher Agustín Ramírez opened the scoring in the first with a solo homer to left, his 20th of the season, making him the first Marlins rookie to reach that mark since Justin Bour in 2015. Fellow rookie Heriberto Hernández added to the lead with an opposite-field shot in the second, his eighth. Alcantara breezed through a potent Tigers lineup fresh off a series win over the Yankees in which they had outscored New York 26-12. The lone blemish came in the fourth inning, when All-Star Riley Greene launched his 34th homer of the year—a 39-degree moonshot off a curveball. “I think it was the right pitch, but I just missed my location a little bit,” Alcantara said. “He’s a power hitter, but I don’t know how he got that ball out of the field.” Detroit’s bigger concern arrived later that inning. With less than a month until the postseason, the AL Central leaders watched their ace exit with left side tightness, forcing him from the game after just 3 ⅓ innings—his shortest outing since September 2021. He will undergo imaging Saturday. 7m4mt9_1.mp4 Earlier, shortstop Javier Báez also left after fouling a ball off his face. The Marlins capitalized quickly, as Javier Sanoja delivered a two-out, two-run double in the fourth to extend the lead to 5-1. “It feels good when the offense gives you run support,” Alcantara said. “My teammates did a great job—making plays behind me and putting up runs.” Alcantara went on to post what manager Clayton McCullough called his “most complete” start of the season, tossing seven innings of four-hit ball with eight strikeouts, two earned runs, no walks, and 72 strikes on 96 pitches. “Tonight felt like vintage Sandy,” McCullough said. “His last five or six starts have been such a 180 from how his season began. The command and execution are back to the level that made him great.” u7isw4.mp4 Alcantara’s season ERA is down to 5.53 after peaking at 8.47 in June. He surrendered 73 earned runs in 18 first-half starts, but only 26 in 11 outings since the All-Star break. “This was going to happen,” McCullough added. “It wasn’t a matter of if, but when. Right now, he feels great about where he’s at, and we’re hoping to finish strong.” Joey Wiemer later blew the game open with a three-run homer in the sixth—his third as a Marlin. “He’s put together some big hits for us,” McCullough said. “He gives us quality at-bats, he slugs, and his defense has been top shelf.” With the win, Miami secured its first three-game win streak since sweeping the Yankees in early August. The Marlins will look to clinch the series Saturday afternoon behind Janson Junk, Skubal’s former college teammate at Seattle University. View full article

A crucial piece of Miami’s rotation, both now and for the future, returned to the mound Thursday night at loanDepot park. Left-hander Ryan Weathers made his first major league start since June 7 and earned the win as the Marlins shut out the Washington Nationals, 5-0. It has been an injury-riddled season for the 25-year-old southpaw. After missing the first six weeks with a forearm strain suffered in spring training, Weathers made just five starts before returning to the IL with a lat strain. Following Thursday’s five scoreless innings, the former seventh overall pick lowered his season ERA to 2.73. “Very good rhythm for him tonight, and he kept himself in a good pitch count, which was great for us. The fact we kept him healthy was a success,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. Weathers allowed a leadoff single to CJ Abrams but quickly settled in, retiring seven straight—including four strikeouts. He leaned heavily on his changeup (38%) while mixing in his four-seam fastball (29%), which topped out at 99 mph. Overall, he threw 46 of his 68 pitches for strikes. “The walk was something we really struggled with early in the season, and it felt like we started to turn things around as a team,” McCullough added. “We believe a lot of our pitchers have tremendous talent and high-quality stuff, but if you can’t get it in the zone, it’s no good.” At the time of Weathers' most recent outing three-plus months ago, the Marlins pitching staff had MLB's eighth-highest walk rate; since then, their walk rate has been third-lowest. Weathers’ final line: 5 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, facing only four batters over the minimum. Pregame, McCullough said his pitch limit would be around 80–85. He was satisfied with the efficiency. “He could have reached that 80 mark, but it was either that or the five ups,” McCullough said. “Nineteen hitters on 68 pitches speaks to how efficient he was and sets him up well for his next start.” The bullpen completed the shutout with scoreless outings from Tyler Phillips, Ronny Henriquez, and Michael Petersen. Henriquez, Miami’s top bullpen arm, became just the fourth reliever in franchise history to record 90 strikeouts in a season, joining Tanner Scott (2023), Kyle Barraclough (2016), and Robb Nen (1996). Offensively, Miami struck early against Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore, who was also making his first start back from the IL. The Marlins plated two runs in the first inning, highlighted by an RBI single from Eric Wagaman. Gore held Miami scoreless over his remaining four innings. Wagaman came through again in the eighth, delivering a two-run double to put the game out of reach. “Wagaman had a nice night. That was a really big hit in the eighth to extend the lead,” McCullough said. With the win, the Marlins clinched the season series against Washington and improved to 68-79. They’ll turn to Sandy Alcantara on Friday night against the first-place Detroit Tigers, who will counter with ace Tarik Skubal. View full article

Marlins Twitter had a meltdown over this one. Manager Clayton McCullough takes us through his bullpen usage from the August 15 walk-off loss at Fenway Park. View full video

Following a promising series win over the rival New York Mets at Citi Field that snapped a stretch of seven consecutive series losses, the Marlins have immediately reverted to their losing ways. They dropped their second straight game to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, 5-2. Fish On First’s No. 10 prospect Adam Mazur made his third start in a Marlins uniform, and it was arguably his most encouraging to date. The 24-year-old right-hander showed flashes of promise with each of the six pitches in his arsenal, but also experienced some growing pains against the last-place Nationals. After retiring the side in the first, Mazur surrendered a pair of softly-hit doubles to Daylen Lile and Riley Adams that put Washington on the board. Jacob Young followed with a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0. Young, a career .247 hitter across three seasons with the Nationals, has now lifted his lifetime average against Miami to .417—earning himself the “Marlin Killer” label. “His stuff, as a whole, looked good again tonight,” said manager Clayton McCullough. “They were able to find some grass on some balls and score some early runs.” Lile struck again in the third with an RBI single that made it 3-0. Miami’s bats, held scoreless the night before by one of the league’s weakest pitching staffs, were quiet again for much of Tuesday’s contest. The lone breakthrough came in the fourth when infielder Connor Norby—playing in just his fourth game since coming off the injured list—delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit to one. Norby, who has struggled in his first full season with Miami, has shown some improvement since returning, going 5-for-14 since rejoining the club in New York. His base hit would account for all of the Marlins’ offense on the night against starter Cade Cavalli and the Nationals bullpen. “We just missed too many fastballs and had too many empty at-bats,” McCullough said. “The times that we created some innings, we just haven’t come through. When we’re at our best, there’s more ‘pass the baton’ and more competitive at-bats one through nine. For whatever reason, the last couple days we haven’t done that.” The Nationals immediately responded in the fifth, when All-Star James Wood crushed an opposite-field, two-run homer—his team-leading 27th of the season—to restore the cushion. It was the second home run Mazur has allowed since joining Miami and proved to be the decisive blow. d4015426-91a0bafa-1773fc83-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 To his credit, Mazur settled in and completed six innings for just the second time in his young career, the first coming in his major league debut with the Padres on June 4, 2024. His best sequence came in the sixth, when Washington put two runners in scoring position with one out. Facing the dangerous duo of Wood and CJ Abrams, Mazur struck out Wood and retired Abrams to escape unscathed. In three starts with Miami, Mazur owns a 5.74 ERA across 15 ⅔ innings with 12 strikeouts against five walks. “It was nice to see him get out of that jam there,” McCullough noted. “Good for him to go out there, leave those runners on base, and keep the game where it was to give us a chance.” Due to recent injuries that have sidelined starters Edward Cabrera and Ryan Gusto, there is room for Mazur to potentially stick in the club's rotation throughout September, The Marlins never mounted another serious threat, as the Nationals bullpen closed the door with ease. With the loss, Miami has now dropped eight of its last nine series, falling to 65-74 on the year. Washington improved to 55-83. The Marlins will look to salvage the finale on Wednesday afternoon behind young ace Eury Pérez. View full article

The Marlins dropped their seventh straight series on Wednesday afternoon, falling to the Atlanta Braves by a final score of 12-1. Atlanta tagged Miami starter Ryan Gusto for three home runs in what was the roughest outing of his young big league career, though those weren’t the only fireworks at loanDepot park. Coming off Tuesday night’s contest, when the Braves scored nine runs in the ninth inning en route to an 11-2 win, Atlanta carried that momentum into the getaway day matinee. Leadoff hitter Jurickson Profar wasted no time, opening the game with his 11th home run of the season, a solo shot off Gusto. The 26-year-old right-hander settled down for a stretch before the Braves broke through again in the third. With a runner on, Matt Olson crushed a 426-foot two-run homer to straightaway center to extend Atlanta’s lead to 3-0. The very next pitch added drama. Ronald Acuña Jr. was hit on the elbow guard by a 93.3 mph fastball, prompting him to immediately drop his bat and bark at Gusto as he walked toward the mound. Gusto, making just his third start for Miami since being acquired in the Jesús Sánchez trade, had no reason to intentionally target Acuña. Still, Atlanta’s star saw it differently. Manager Brian Snitker was ejected after protesting the umpiring crew's decision to issue warnings to both benches. fc2573e2-9942fcbf-9eb329d9-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 It’s worth noting there was no bad blood between the two clubs this season, and the warnings appeared to stem more from Acuña’s reaction than Gusto’s intent. "On the scouting report, it says to throw sinkers in," Gusto said postgame. "I threw a sinker in and it obviously ran off a little bit too far." The right-hander mentioned that he was trying to tell Acuña that in real time, it seemed like his arm dropped into the pitch accidentally. "I was trying to tell him when he was staring me down that he went down into it and obviously, 'I'm not targeting you, I'm not throwing a two-seam at you,' so it was kind of interesting to me that that escalated as much as it did," Gusto added. Snitker wanted Gusto tossed in the heat of the moment, telling him "you have to go" following the incident. However, Snitker would ultimately be the only person on either side to get ejected. Of course, the tension between Acuña and Miami pitching staff is nothing new. Their history dates back to 2018, Acuña’s rookie year, when he went on a torrid stretch that included five consecutive games with a home run—three of them to lead off against the Marlins. On the first pitch of their next meeting, José Ureña drilled Acuña with a 97.5 mph fastball, sparking a saga that has lingered ever since. Since that infamous moment, Marlins pitchers have hit Acuña eight more times in regular season play, including Wednesday’s incident. The only hitters Miami has plunked more often are former NL East rivals Victor Robles (11) and Michael Conforto (10). While Ureña’s 2018 beanball was widely viewed as intentional, the Marlins roster, coaching staff and front office have been completely overhauled since then. Even if the old Marlins had some absurd agenda to antagonize Acuña, that is no longer relevant. Also, Acuña’s batting stance—open at setup before he closes and hovers over the plate—leaves him vulnerable up and in, where pitchers often attack to get him out, occasionally resulting in inadvertent HBPs. Acuña is hardly the only one who takes his lumps. Marlins rookie catcher Agustín Ramírez, for example, has been hit eight times just this month. Unlike Acuña, Ramírez has kept his composure, never spiking bats or confronting pitchers. Since his debut in 2018, Acuña ranks 26th in MLB in hit-by-pitches. That’s been a consistent storyline with Acuña—the superstar’s hyperbolic reactions tend to escalate otherwise routine HBPs. Getting hit is painful, no doubt, but his tendency to create a scene has become a familiar sight around the league. While that subplot grabbed attention, the game itself got away from Miami quickly. Gusto was tagged for nine earned runs in 3 ⅔ innings, forcing utility man Javier Sanoja to make his second pitching appearance in as many days. Atlanta cruised to a 12-1 victory and outscored the Fish by a 24-5 margin over the course of the series. View full article

A competitive ballgame unraveled in the ninth inning as the Marlins suffered an 11-2 loss to the division-rival Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night at loanDepot park. The lopsided final score belied how close the contest was for most of the evening. Miami entered the ninth tied at two following another strong performance from ace Sandy Alcantara, but a couple of low-leverage arms and some questionable decision-making from the coaching staff turned the game into a rout. “There were some tough breaks, and once things started rolling downhill, we couldn’t stop it,” manager Clayton McCullough said afterward. “Unfortunately for us, that ninth inning just got away.” McCullough turned to journeyman reliever Tyler Zuber to open the frame against former All-Stars Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies. After recording one out in between a double and a walk, Zuber gave way to struggling left-hander Josh Simpson. Both Zuber and Simpson were used the night before and had been able to keep Atlanta off the scoreboard. This time, it was a completely different outcome. Seven of the next nine Braves reached base after Simpson entered and he was tagged for seven earned runs in just one-third of an inning. The rally festered long enough that McCullough called on infielder Javier Sanoja to record the final out, marking his fifth relief appearance of the year “It’s tough. You’re feeling for him,” McCullough said regarding Simpson. “It’s tough to come into a spot and not be able to get the job done there and for things to turn the way they did. They started rolling downhill and couldn’t really get it to stop." The decision not to use closer Ronny Henriquez, who has thrown just 7 ⅔ innings this month, was questioned. McCullough insisted Henriquez was “unavailable,” but also admitted “nothing is wrong” with the right-hander. That explanation left many wondering why Miami continues to carry its top bullpen arm without deploying him in high-leverage situations. It's worth noting Henriquez has surpassed his previous career-high in innings pitched, so it could be argued Miami is erring on the side of caution with one of their most valuable relievers. Miami will most likely need to make a roster move prior to Wednesday's midday contest against Atlanta. Before the ninth-inning collapse, Alcantara’s resurgence continued. Though he labored through a 23-pitch first inning that included a bases-loaded jam, he quickly settled in, retiring 10 straight at one point. Over seven innings, he limited Atlanta to two runs while striking out six. His strikeout of Acuña in the sixth marked the 900th of the Dominican right-hander's career. 6aosdb_1.mp4 Over his last three starts, Alcantara has allowed only four earned runs in 20 innings pitched. He saved some of his best stuff for late in the ballgame, very reminiscent of his 2022 Cy Young self. His ERA is now below 6.00 for the first time since April. "He was terrific," McCullough added. "He's really rounded into form in so many ways and I think it goes back to the way he's executing his pitches that's gotten him back to the place he's accustomed of being." Braves rookie starter Hurston Waldrep wasn't nearly as sharp, but the Marlins missed chances to break the game open. Jakob Marsee drove in Miami’s first run with an RBI single in the opening frame (the only run surrendered by Waldrep), while the Braves answered with an Albies solo homer in the fourth—Albies is up to 20 career long balls against the Marlins. Miami later tied the game on a wild pitch in the seventh. With the loss, the Marlins fell to 62-70, eight games below .500, and will look to avoid dropping their seventh straight series in Wednesday’s matinee. Miami has now lost the season series vs. the Braves for the 11th consecutive year. Newly acquired Ryan Gusto is scheduled to start. View full article

MIAMI—It’s been a tough August for the Miami Marlins. During the first weekend of the month, they completed their climb back to .500 for the first time since April 15, but Miami has dropped 12 of 16 games since then. With Tuesday night’s loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at loanDepot park, they've now been beaten in five consecutive series. Edward Cabrera took the mound looking to rebound from allowing a season-high five earned runs in Cleveland. But his struggles continued against a Cardinals lineup that has scuffled for most of the season. St. Louis forced Cabrera to labor from the start, pushing across a run in a 29-pitch first inning. Though he escaped further damage with back-to-back strikeouts of Masyn Winn and Nolan Gorman, the Cardinals' bats continued to fight. They tagged Cabrera for a career-high 11 hits and six runs (four earned) over 4 ⅓ innings, putting the leadoff man on base in every inning he pitched. Cade Gibson relieved him in the fifth. “They did a nice job staying inside his mix and using the other side of the field,” manager Clayton McCullough said afterward. “They had a really good approach coming in, and Cabby just wasn’t able to land his secondary pitches in the zone like he has in previous outings.” a530ddf7-b90f39fb-81fcf273-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Cabrera actually threw strikes consistently—he opened 88.5% of at-bats with a first-pitch strike—but the Cardinals found success with soft contact. “What can I say? I went out there to attack, and they hit the ball soft sometimes and it fell in for hits,” Cabrera said through interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “My secondary pitches—curveball and slider—weren’t landing, so I had to throw more fastballs and sinkers, and they took advantage.” Defense also didn't help the right-hander as his battery mate, Agustín Ramírez, was tagged with a throwing error and a passed ball during Tuesday's contest. He leads all MLB catchers with 12 passed balls despite starting only half of his games behind the plate. "We're going to continue to rally around Gus because we believe in the person and the ability," McCullough said. "It's been a couple of tough nights for Gus. I would imagine all of us have had a couple of tough days in a row at work. He's going to go out there with (catching coach Joe Singley) and get right back to work tomorrow." The loss marked Cabrera’s first time this season being charged with defeats in back-to-back starts. Even so, he still holds a solid 3.52 ERA on the year. Miami’s offense tried to rally. Rookie Jakob Marsee sparked the scoring with an RBI triple in the fourth inning and scored on a throwing error by Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy. In the sixth, Otto Lopez delivered a two-out, two-run single to cut the deficit to 6-4. But St. Louis tacked on an insurance run in the seventh against Gibson and the Marlins couldn't capitalize on a pair of walks in the bottom of the ninth. "We just haven't been executing the way we had been in other portions of the season," McCullough added. "I'm not going to ever use youth or anything else as an excuse for why things are happening because this is the major leagues and fatigue is a part of all of us." With the defeat, the Marlins fell to 59-67 while the Cardinals moved to 63-64. Miami will send Sandy Alcantara to the mound in Wednesday’s series finale against Andre Pallante. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. View full article

MIAMI—Following a relatively quiet trade deadline, Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix addressed the media Friday evening ahead of the club’s series opener against the New York Yankees. Expectations entering the 2025 season were modest. After suffering 100 losses in 2024, many anticipated Miami would once again be active at the deadline, dealing away established big leaguers in an effort to stockpile young players and continue building toward long-term, sustainable success. Instead, the front office took a slightly different approach, holding firm on its asking prices for key players. In contrast to last year’s flurry of activity—which saw the Marlins trade away 11 major leaguers over the course of the season—Bendix opted for a more measured “soft sell” in his second deadline at the helm. Miami completed just two trades. On July 29, catcher Nick Fortes was dealt to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Double-A outfielder Matthew Etzel. Then, on deadline day, the Marlins sent outfielder Jesús Sánchez to the Houston Astros for right-hander Ryan Gusto and prospects Chase Jaworsky (ranked No. 13 in Houston’s system) and Esmil Valencia. Notably, the Marlins held onto several players who had been the subject of trade rumors, including starters Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, and Cal Quantrill, as well as reliever Anthony Bender. “We continued to build on the plan we’ve had,” Bendix said. “That means adding as much talent to this organization as we can, helping our current players get better, and continuing on a path we’re really excited about.” Asked whether the team’s recent surge (five straight series wins entering the deadline) influenced the front office’s approach, Bendix acknowledged ""it certainly played a role." “Everything that goes into building a sustainably successful team is taken into consideration at the deadline. Our job is to be disciplined—that means listening, having conversations, and making the best possible decisions at every point.” Entering Friday’s game, the Marlins sat at 52–55, seven games back of the final NL Wild Card spot. While a playoff run remains a long shot, the message from the front office was clear. “You’ll have to ask [the players] what message they took,” Bendix said. “But I believe we have a fantastic group. You can see it coming together—in individual performances and as a team. That’s really exciting.” Manager Clayton McCullough felt the same. “Our group was very excited that we were able to keep most of it intact,” McCullough said. “We’re happy we still have a chance with what we’ve got. Peter and I were in constant communication throughout, and we’re going to keep pushing to improve.” Given Miami’s recent stretch of strong play, it’s fair to wonder whether the front office considered adding major league talent in a hybrid buy/sell approach. “We talk about everything, because that’s my job,” Bendix said. “We really believe in the talent we have here and want to make sure we’re giving this group every opportunity.” No one was more relieved than Alcantara, the team’s ace and longest-tenured player. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner had drawn interest from clubs around the league but made it clear he wanted to remain in Miami. “There’s nothing I wanted more than to stay here,” Alcantara said. “I was nervous all day, but after six o’clock, it all went away. This is my home. The Marlins gave me this opportunity back in 2018 when I was just a kid. My hometown is an hour and a half away, my family’s here—I’m happy.” While holding onto controllable young pitchers like Alcantara and Cabrera was expected, the decision not to trade Quantrill—who’s set to become a free agent this winter—raised some eyebrows. “He’s been pitching incredibly well and continues to get better as the season goes on,” Bendix explained. “He’s a leader in the clubhouse and a good example for a lot of our young pitchers.” Trades that didn’t happen According to sources close to Fish On First, contending teams were unwilling to meet the Marlins’ asking price for their young, controllable players. The Chicago Cubs were willing to include top prospect Owen Caissie in a deal for Edward Cabrera, but not much else, so Miami declined. The Marlins also held discussions with the Cincinnati Reds regarding outfielder Dane Myers, but those talks ultimately did not result in a deal. View full article

The Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres have both been a little too quiet during the 2025 trade season. They've combined for only one recent deal entering deadline day, and that involved Nick Fortes, whose job in Miami was becoming obsolete. It would be unsurprising if these clubs conducted some business with each other between now and 6:00 p.m. ET. The Marlins and Padres general manager A.J. Preller are no strangers on the trade front. They made a creative deadline day swap in 2023, which sent Garrett Cooper and Sean Reynolds out west and Ryan Weathers the other way. The stakes were even higher in 2024. Last May, the Marlins agreed to trade the two-time reigning batting champion Luis Arraez to San Diego in exchange for outfielder Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee, Nathan Martorella and Woo-Suk Go. A few months later on deadline day, the Marlins parted with All-Star closer Tanner Scott and right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing for Robby Snelling, Adam Mazur, Graham Pauley and Jay Beshears. Overall, the Fish ought to be satisfied with those returns. Several of the players are already make major league impacts, with Marsee and Snelling on the cusp of doing the same. One of Miami's longest-tenured players, Jesús Sánchez is an awkward fit with the organization moving forward, in part due to the breakout of the aforementioned Marsee. Sánchez is still plenty useful to a contender, though. He enters Thursday with a .256/.320/.420 slash line and 10 home runs in 86 games this season. In his final pre-deadline performance, he blasted his longest homer of the year. San Diego is well-situated in right field and center field, deploying Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, respectively. However, it's messier in left. A lot of Gavin Sheets' run production is negated by a poor glove. His platoon partner and defensive sub, Bryce Johnson, is a 29-year-old with no track record of hitting in the majors (career 61 wRC+). Acquiring Sánchez to play left would allow Sheets to be San Diego’s DH against right-handed pitching. Johnson would be sent to the very end of the bench, if not the minors. The Marlins are not under pressure to simply give Sánchez away. He is under club control for two more years via arbitration. In the midst of a campaign where he's striking out at a career-low rate and providing arguably his best defense, the compensation going back to Miami would have to be significant. As a reference point, the Chicago White Sox extracted Baseball America's 18th-ranked New York Yankees prospect in exchange for the lefty-mashing Austin Slater, a rental who fills the small side of an outfield platoon (facing RHP, Sánchez's role would be larger). A realistic best-case scenario would be getting Boston Bateman (Padres #6 prospect, per BA). That would give the Marlins another strong left-handed starting pitching prospect who projects as a mid-rotation arm. Taken in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Bateman has made 15 starts in his professional career, all with Low-A Lake Elsinore. He's gone 5-5 with a 4.08 ERA in 68.1 IP. The towering 6'8" lefty has immense upside. SzQ2S0JfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0IxVURYRkFHQkFjQVhnUUtCQUFIQkFJQ0FGZ0NCd1FBVVFOUVVsRlFCRkVBQVFOZQ==.mp4 If the Marlins and Padres uncharacteristically fail to find common ground in this instance, The Athletic reports that the Houston Astros are a potential landing spot for Sánchez. View full article

MIAMI—In what may have been his final home start as a Miami Marlin, Sandy Alcantara delivered his best outing of the season on Wednesday afternoon. Behind their longtime ace, the Marlins edged the Padres, 3–2, to secure both the game and the series. Miami has now won both series since the All-Star break and seven of its last nine overall. “Very, very happy with how we came out of the break,” said manager Clayton McCullough. “Finished the first half strong in Baltimore, and to win both series here at home was very important.” The Marlins gave Alcantara some early cushion. With two on and two out in the first, rookie Agustín Ramírez ripped a 104.9 mph line drive into center field to put Miami on the board. It marked Ramírez’s 45th RBI of the season, most among National League rookies. After allowing 22 earned runs over his previous four starts, the Marlins needed Alcantara to rebound in a big way—and he did. With a chance to win the series against a contending San Diego team and the trade deadline looming, the stakes were high Wednesday. Alcantara set the tone right away. The 29-year-old retired the first 10 batters he faced, striking out four along the way. The first Padre to reach base was his former teammate, Luis Arraez, who singled through a hole on the left side. Moments later, catcher Nick Fortes airmailed a pickoff attempt into right field, allowing Arraez to advance. Manny Machado followed with an RBI single, tying the game at 1–1. The run was unearned. “Everything was working very well today,” Alcantara said postgame. “Sinker was great, changeup was good, slider, curve—everything was working.” Alcantara cruised through seven innings, facing just two over the minimum while inducing a pair of signature double plays. merge-epmhdh.mp4 His final line: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 4 K on 98 pitches (67 strikes). Alcantara later revealed a subtle adjustment that may have helped. For the first time in his career, he lowered his vertical release point on some breaking balls to below 5.5 feet—something he had considered trying earlier this year. “I was thinking of doing it a couple months ago and I wasn’t able to,” he said. “But today I decided to do it and it felt great.” Miami reclaimed the lead in the fifth on a two-run homer by Jesús Sánchez, his eighth of the season. Josh Simpson gave up a run in the eighth, but Calvin Faucher nailed down a five-out save—his longest appearance of the season—to lock up the win. The Marlins improved to 48–53, while the Padres dropped to 55–47. With the MLB trade deadline just eight days away, Alcantara’s outing couldn’t have come at a better time. Once expected to be a clear trade candidate, the right-hander’s up-and-down return from Tommy John surgery has complicated the Marlins’ plans. Even accounting for Wednesday's outing, his ERA is a hideous 6.66 with a 4.48 FIP that's the worst mark since his rookie campaign. If this was indeed his final home start in a Marlins uniform, Alcantara reflected on his time in Miami with gratitude. “I’m just a guy who loved to take advantage of the opportunity,” he said. “I like to learn and compete—and if the fans want to remember me as ‘El Caballo,’ I’ll take it.” According to sources, the Marlins are open to moving nearly anyone not named Eury Pérez, Kyle Stowers or Agustín Ramírez. Among those most likely to be dealt: reliever Anthony Bender, catcher Nick Fortes and outfielder Jesús Sánchez. Starting pitchers Alcantara and Edward Cabrera remain 50/50 candidates, per club sources. The Marlins are off Thursday before beginning a three-game weekend series in Milwaukee against the Brewers. View full article