Offseason has ‘calmed down.’ A look at Miami Marlins’ priorities during lockout
All is quiet on the Miami Marlins’ front.
For the most part.
That’s life during MLB’s lockout.
Transactions regarding the big-league club are frozen. Interactions with players on the team’s 40-man roster are forbidden.
“It’s calmed down,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said.
But not all movement has come to a standstill as the league’s lockout of its players following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement nears its third week.
For Ng and the Marlins, there is still work that is able to be done, although most of it is more under-the-radar and housekeeping compared to the “fast and furious tempo” that took place in the days before Dec. 2 when they gave pitcher Sandy Alcantara a contract extension, signed outfielder Avisail Garcia to a four-year deal, and traded for catcher Jacob Stallings and infielder Joey Wendle.
Among those tasks, according to Ng:
▪ Reflecting on the moves they made so far and taking “a good look at other clubs as well.” The Marlins took a big step toward their main offseason goal: Improving their offense. Garcia is a middle-of-the-order bat. Wendle is a career .274 hitter who gives the Marlins flexibility and depth in the infield. Meanwhile, the Marlins hope the Stallings acquisition stabilizes their catching situation and provides a steady player for their starting pitching.
And Miami made the acquisitions without having to give up a lot of capital. The Marlins dipped into their organizational outfielder and starting pitching depth for the Stallings and Wendle trades but didn’t have to trade their top prospects or MLB-ready prospects to make the deals happen.
However, were these moves alone enough on their own for the Marlins to gain ground on the rest of the National League East after finishing fourth in the division in 2021? At the very least, Miami is still looking up to at least two teams.
The Atlanta Braves will remain the frontrunner in the division until they are upended. They won the World Series last season and have won the NL East each of the last four seasons. And remember: They made their run last season without both Ronald Acuna Jr and Mike Soroka, giving the Braves a pair of quality pieces just by returning from injury.
And then there’s the New York Mets, who added Max Scherzer, Eduardo Escobar, Starling Marte and Mark Canha this offseason.
▪ Internal preparation for arbitration. Under the structure of the now-expired CBA, the Marlins would have 10 players eligible for arbitration. The group, with their estimated salaries according to MLB Trade rumors: First baseman Jesus Aguilar ($7.4 million), third baseman Brian Anderson ($4.5 million), utility infielder Jon Berti ($1.2 million), left-handed pitcher Richard Bleier ($2.5 million), first baseman/right fielder Garrett Cooper ($3 million), right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro ($2.4 million), right-handed pitcher Elieser Hernandez ($1.4 million), right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez ($2.5 million), Stallings ($2.6 million) and Wendle ($4 million).
“Our roster is a bit on the younger side and with that you generally have a fair number of players who are eligible for arbitration,” Ng said. “I think this has given the staff some time to take a look at that situation a little bit earlier than in years past.”
▪ Keeping tabs on minor-league development. While teams are not allowed to have any contact with players on 40-man rosters, everything at the minor-league level remains business as usual. The Marlins recently had a 10-day hitter’s camp and have another camp set to take place in January. Ng said plans for offseason pitchers camps, both domestically and internationally at their complex in the Dominican Republic, are in the works.
▪ Preparing for spring training. While nothing will be official until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, the Marlins are still getting things organized for when spring training tentatively begins in mid-February.
One new aspect for the Marlins this year: They moved Eric Duncan into a quality control coach position this year, a role Ng said she hopes will help streamline information — “how we’re using it, presenting it, distributing it,” Ng said.
“There’s a lot of planning that goes on with that,” Ng added.
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