Every Major Contract Decision Facing the Marlins This Offseason
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The Miami Marlins have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Their approach to the offseason will be interesting.
After an 80-82 season, the President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix must decide who he thinks should be on the team long term and who he might explore trading.
New Faces or Same Faces for 2027 Season
One name Miami has to decide on is their ace, Sandy Alcantara. The man has worn the Marlins uniform for so many years. He has become a veteran and a leader for this ballclub. Will the team pick up his $21 option? Could the Marlins buy him out?
The 2026 season wasn't a Cy Young-caliber season for Alcantara. He did make some good moments, such as collecting his first career save. The Marlins might be feeling torn about Alcantara. It's more that they love having him in the organization, but at the same time they don't want him to waste his talent.
He's in the final year of his five-year contract. If we have to guess, his days in Miami are numbered. If Bendix and the Marlins move on from Alcantara, then it leaves the option of Eury Perez being the No. 1 pitcher, unless they pull a trick out of their hat.
The Kyle Stowers Extension
Perhaps the second biggest contract decision the front office will be facing is Kyle Stowers. After an impressive 2025 season, Stowers still hasn't received an extension.
What might keep the Marlins from proceeding is his durability issues. Stowers constantly struggles with hamstring injuries. The team wants to build around someone who can stay on the field often.
First base is a weak position. Therefore, the Marlins are thinking twice about not letting Stowers walk because he has experience playing at first, besides the outfield position. He is under team control until 2029. Stowers and his team might be seeking a $100 million contract, but the Marlins might not be thinking that far. The most they could afford him is half of that.
Middle Infield Trade Value
There's a possibility that the front office might tweak certain things, like trading Xavier Edwards or Otto Lopez. It may be a head-scratching moment for Marlins fans, but the front office will be listening to offers.
Both Edwards and Lopez are first-time arbitration-eligible. These are two of the talented hitters in the lineup who are solid on defense as well.
It would make sense to trade Lopez over Edwards. With a low payroll, Lopez is going to want to get paid at some point, and the upside for the Marlins is that they have a stack of young, talented prospects in the minors.
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After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.