Four acquisitions highlighted Marlins’ offseason. Get to know Garcia, Soler, Wendle, Stallings

The Miami Marlins’ biggest priority this offseason was improving their lineup.

Four additions this offseason — outfielders Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler, infielder Joey Wendle and catcher Jacob Stallings — highlight that effort.

Here’s what you need to know about the Marlins’ four new position players.

Avisail Garcia

▪ How he was acquired: Free agency (four-year, $53 million deal with club option for fifth year).

▪ What he brings to the team: Garcia will be a regular in the middle of the Marlins’ lineup. He has 127 career home runs, including at least 18 in each of the last four full MLB seasons (Garcia had only two home runs in the shortened 2020 season), and 475 career RBI. He’s annually among MLB leaders for maximum exit velocity and sprint speed. Defensively, he will primarily play right field but can slide over to center field if needed.

▪ Quotable: “I was confident that I’m going to come to Miami. ... I’m that kind of guy that likes to play hard. I prepare myself. I sacrifice a lot. That’s what they’re looking for.” — Garcia on why he signed with the Marlins

▪ Notable: One of Garcia’s nicknames is “Little Miggy” because of his physical resemblance to Miguel Cabrera, with whom Garcia was a teammate from 2012 to 2013 while playing for the Detroit Tigers. “He’s a good friend of mine,” Garcia said. “I think it’s big to represent Miggy, one of the most important players from Venezuela.”

Jorge Soler

▪ How he was acquired: Free agency (three-year, $36 million deal with opt-outs after both the 2022 and 2023 seasons).

▪ What he brings to the team: Soler gives the Marlins another power bat whom they can slot anywhere in the lineup. He’s a career .246 hitter through eight MLB seasons with 307 runs scored, 343 RBI and 121 home runs — 83 of which have come during the past three seasons. He led the American League with 48 home runs in 2019 while with the Kansas City Royals and hit 14 homers in 55 games with the Atlanta Braves to close out the 2021 regular season after being dealt by Kansas City at the trade deadline.

He was the 2021 World Series MVP and has been part of two World Series-winning teams.

▪ Quotable: “I feel I can hit in any park, in any place. Any decision that [manager Don Mattingly] decides, any spot in the lineup, any position, I’ll be ready to play ball.” — Soler on where he thinks he fits best in the lineup

▪ Notable: Soler is slated to be just the 10th Cuban-born player to ever play for the Marlins in the regular season. The others: Odrisamer Despaigne (2016-2018), Adeiny Hechavarria (2013-2017), Jose Fernandez (2013-2016), Raudel Lazo (2015), Michael Tejera (1999, 2002-2004), Vladimir Nunez (1999-2003), Hansel Izquierdo (2002), Livan Hernandez (1996-1999) and Orestes Destrade (1993-1994).

Joey Wendle

▪ How he was acquired: Trade with Tampa Bay Rays (Marlins received Wendle for outfielder prospect Kameron Misner).

▪ What he brings to the team: Wendle is a career .274 hitter with 27 home runs, 167 RBI, 42 stolen bases and 205 runs scored in 436 career MLB games. He will get most of his starts at third base but is also able to play second base and shortstop, which gives the Marlins flexibility when Jazz Chisholm Jr. or Miguel Rojas need a day off. It also frees up Brian Anderson to be more of a utility player, with Anderson able to spell Wendle at third base and play in the outfield.

▪ Quotable: “You don’t bring guys over just to catch it. You can find guys that can catch it. You want that offense and you want the total package, and that’s what Joey’s been. He’s been good in our work. He’s the first guy in to run bases and things like that. He’s going hard all the time. This guy plays with a little bit of an edge and that’s something we like.” — Mattingly

▪ Notable: Wendle doesn’t wear batting gloves when he’s hitting — and never has. “To me, it’s just natural,” Wendle said. “One, I like to feel my hands on the bat. And two, I just don’t like to have a lot of stuff with me when I got to bat. I just have a helmet and a bat.”

Jacob Stallings

▪ How he was acquired: Trade with Pittsburgh Pirates (Marlins received Stallings for right-handed pitcher Zach Thompson, pitcher prospect Kyle Nicolas and outfielder prospect Connor Scott).

▪ What he brings to the team: Stallings was primarily brought in for his defense — he won a Gold Glove in 2021 and should help unleash some untapped potential from Miami’s pitching staff — but he also can be a serviceable bottom-of-the-lineup hitter. The 32-year-old has a .251 batting average with 17 home runs, 50 total extra-base hits and 84 RBI since 2019.

▪ Quotable: “That position gets overlooked a lot, and I think the value of a veteran guy that’s pitcher-first — you want him to hit but he’s a pitcher-first guy — that brings confidence to your rotation, especially when you have a little bit of a younger rotation. It’s starting to be a young, experienced rotation but still young. It’s nice to have that veteran back there that’s doing a lot of the work and taking some pressure off of them, of what they want to throw.” — Mattingly

▪ Notable: His father, Kevin Stallings, was formerly the head men’s basketball coach of Illinois State (1993-1999), Vanderbilt (1999-2016), and Pittsburgh (2016-2018).

This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 7:00 AM.

Jordan McPherson

Miami Herald

305-376-2129

Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.