Miami Marlins
2024 record: 62-100 (5th place, NL East).
He gone: LHP Jesus Luzardo, INF Jake Burger, INF/OF Nick Gordon, RHP Roddery Munoz, RHP Sixto Sanchez, INF/OF Vidal Brujan.
New faces: RHP Cal Quantrill, RHP Ronny Henriquez, RHP Brett de Geus.
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Why hasn’t Major League Baseball stepped in and done something about this? The Marlins probably overachieved by making the playoffs in 2023, but responding to a 9-25 start by dealing Luis Arraez to launch another teardown — at least the fifth in the history of a team that is a mere 32 years old — was an extreme overcorrection. Only six of the 24 players who appeared in the 2023 wild-card series are still with the team, and most of the prospects acquired last season are several years away from the majors. And after all that, it took the Marlins until the eve of spring training to sign Quantrill, their lone free-agent addition with big league experience. At least former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara is back after Tommy John surgery … at least until he gets traded. There’s not much light at the end of the tunnel in this division.
Top prospect: C/1B Agustin Ramirez is one of the few prospects who could help the Marlins in Year 2 of what looks like an epic rebuild even by their standards. Ramirez isn’t expected to stick behind the plate, but he certainly should help Miami after hitting 25 homers and stealing 22 of 24 bases as a minor leaguer last season.
Breakout player: LHP Ryan Weathers might have broken out last year if not for the finger injury that limited him to 16 starts, during which he went 5-6 with a 3.63 ERA for a team that posted a 4.75 ERA. Weathers dropped 20 pounds over the winter and is as good a bet as anyone to represent Miami at the All-Star Game.
2025 outlook: The Marlins have finished in last place nine times and finished with at least 95 losses seven times since their first teardown in 1998. They’re sure to add to at least one of those totals this season.
–Field Level Media
