MLB proposal’s huge potential Marlins impact. And Perez, Milbrandt, Alderman, Morel
A six-pack of Marlins notes on a Thursday, as the team takes a day off after losing two of three in Toronto:
▪ The Marlins (26-31) would need to raise their player payroll by more than $70 million next season under terms of a new Major League Baseball proposal that is expected to be rejected by the players union.
As expected, MLB proposed a hard salary cap to union officials, per ESPN. Under terms of that proposal, the salary floor for teams beginning in 2027 would be set at $171.2 million, which includes player benefits. The ceiling for spending would be $245.3 million. (So, in layman’s terms, the cap would be $245.3 million.)
Teams paid an estimated $17.5 million in benefits last season. This year, the Marlins have a prebenefits payroll of $80 million, per spotrac. (Fangraphs puts the number at $74 million.) Both figures are the lowest in baseball.
Last year, the Marlins’ $68.7 million payroll also was the lowest in baseball.
The Marlins support a salary cap floor and ceiling, sources say. But a $170 million floor would require owner Bruce Sherman to pay players far more than he ever has. Associates insist Sherman has the money to do that, and his net worth reportedly is close to $3 billion.
But in his 8 1/2 years of ownership, the Marlins have reached $100 million in payroll only once ($114.3 million in 2023). During his eight full years of ownership, the Marlins have ranked 23rd, 29th, 27th, 28th, 26th, 24th, 26th and 30th in payroll.
Sherman, over the years, has declined to publicly discuss whether the team’s low payroll is a result of financial limitations, a personal preference not to spend, or whether his business partners are unwilling to accept cash calls.
But Sherman has said he’s not making money on the team and has said the team spends money in ways that fans don’t necessarily see, including expensive upgrades to their facilities in Jupiter and Latin America.
The players union almost assuredly will reject this proposal and any attempts by MLB to institute a salary cap. The only question is whether the owners have the stomach to lock out the players for many months, beginning Dec. 1, in order to try pressure the union to acquiesce. That likely would extend a work stoppage well into next season.
Commissioner Rob Manfred, citing the $446 million payroll disparity between the top spenders (the Dodgers) and the Marlins, told ESPN’s Pat McAfee show this week that the current economic structure “is not a fair fight. Fans want competition, and that’s what it’s about at the end of the day, and that’s what we need to get fixed.”
The Marlins have only $5 million committed in salary for next season and none beyond, per fangraphs. That’s by far the lowest in baseball. (Sandy Alcantara has a $21 million team option, with a $2 million buyout, for 2027.) The Marlins would need to take on enormous amounts of money in free agency and trades to reach a hypothetical $171 million floor.
Interim MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer, responding to baseball’s proposal, said MLB’s “demand for a salary cap system [is] something generations of players have fought against. The last time the owners made such an explicit push for a cap — over 30 years ago — it led to the longest work stoppage in MLB history.
“For generations, our members have fought against cap systems because they harm players at all levels, erode or eliminate contractual guarantees, pit player against player, lead to more work stoppages, not less, and get worse for players over time. Caps don’t lower ticket prices for fans, eliminate tanking or ensure teams are run with equal competence. They suffocate competition by offering owners an all-purpose excuse for inaction and mediocrity.
“Baseball is experiencing unprecedented momentum and owners are enjoying record viewership, revenues and franchise values. Billionaire owners are not seeking to cap their profits or asset values, only player salaries. This isn’t out of generosity or a desire to protect the game’s well-being. It’s a play to control costs, increase profits and maximize franchise values — all at the expense of players past, present and future. We’ll continue our review of the owners’ proposal and stand ready to negotiate system improvements that benefit players and fans alike.”
▪ The Marlins are awaiting word on the severity of the hamstring injury that forced Eury Perez to leave Wednesday’s game against Toronto in the fifth inning. Perez was set to undergo imaging testing in New York City, where the Marlins open a three-game series against the Mets on Friday.
The injury, identified at the time as a right hamstring spasm, came at a particularly inauspicious moment, with Perez in the midst of one of his best starts in the season, with nine strikeouts in four scoreless innings.
Afterward, he told MLB.com that between the fourth and fifth innings, “I was just having a conversation with our pitching coach and suddenly I felt tightness right there in my leg and I couldn’t get up.
“I would say on a scale from 1-10, I would give a 10. It was very painful. I knew I was not going to be able to go out there, and that was the same thought from our coaches, and we decided to go inside and just take a look at it.”
He said the pain level diminished to a 7 after the game.
Perez has had an uneven start to the season, with a 3-6 record and 4.60 ERA in an NL-leading 12 starts, compared with 7-6 and a 4.25 ERA in 20 starts last season.
Perez pitched very well in his last two starts but overall has allowed 79 baserunners with 72 strikeouts in 62 ⅔ innings.
If he misses any time, the Marlins could promote Ryan Gusto (4-2, 4.01 ERA), Braxton Garrett (0-2, 2.30), Dax Fulton (2-3, 6.17) or Bradley Blaylock (1-4, 5.44) from Triple A.
Garrett struggled through two starts before his May 20 demotion, and the Marlins want him to work out the kinks in Triple A; though pitchers must remain in the minors 15 days after being optioned, there is an exception if a pitcher is placed on the injured list.
The Marlins plan to keep Tyler Phillips, a former reliever, in their rotation at this time.
▪ What about right-hander Karson Milbrandt, who is pitching as well as anyone in the minors? He certainly cannot be ruled out as an immediate option, but the Marlins ideally would like to stretch him out past 90 pitches and give him a few more starts at Double A Pensacola before a potential promotion to the majors in June.
Baseball America recently moved Milbrandt into its top 100, at No. 99, recognizing a strong arsenal that is highlighted by a high-90s fastball and very effective sweeper.
He’s 4-1 with a 1.06 ERA, with just 24 hits allowed in 42 ⅓ innings, to go with 63 strikeouts. Batters are hitting just .164 against him in his eight starts after hitting .203 against him in 22 starts at three levels last season.
Milbrandt, who struck out 12 over six scoreless innings in a recent start, leads all minor-league pitchers in ERA and as of last week was tied for the most strikeouts. The Marlins drafted him in the third round in 2022 out of a Missouri high school.
▪ First baseman Christopher Morel (.169, .222 on-base in 19 games) keeps struggling, and he’s not going to be given a forever-leash to turn it around. Don’t be surprised if the Marlins move on if he doesn’t start hitting after another couple of weeks.
Morel — who was signed to a one-year, $2 million deal in the offseason — has just 10 hits (seven singles) and three walks in 63 plate appearances.
▪ Outfielder Kemp Alderman, perhaps the Marlins’ most big-league ready position prospect, had made several appearances at first base at Jacksonville before a recent elbow injury that has him temporarily sidelined.
Though he’s not a great defender, the Marlins now view him as an option in the outfield and first base.
So if Morel doesn’t start hitting, first base could be handled by a combination of Connor Norby and DH/catcher Liam Hicks, with Kyle Stowers playing there occasionally and Deyvison De Los Santos and Alderman competing for a promotion.
Alderman is hitting .303, with a .376 on-base average, with nine homers and 23 RBI in 40 games at Jacksonville. The one big concern is the strikeout volume (53 in 152 at-bats).
De Los Santos is at .264 (.329 on-base) with four homers and 25 RBI in 37 games with the Jumbo Shrimp.
▪ Other injury updates: Left-hander Thomas White, the Marlins’ top pitching prospect, remains out with a shoulder injury, but Marlins baseball operations chief Peter Bendix told Jim Bowden on Bowden’s Sirius XM show that the issue is not too concerning. White, No. 14 on MLB’s top 100 prospect list, is 0-1 with a 4.34 ERA in five starts…
Griffin Conine, sidelined since April 9 with a left hamstring tear, continues to build up and could be a week to two weeks from a minor-league rehab assignment.
This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 4:23 PM.
