Marlins Have Three Free-Agent Decisions to Make as Offseason Begins
In this story:
And with that, the 2026 Miami Marlins season is over. It was a ride with many ups and downs and brought some excitement to Marlins fans for what the future might be.
Now, the Marlins' offseason is upon us. It could be one of the bigger offseasons. Not in terms of a ton of adds, because most of the Marlins' current core is under control, but in terms of importing the pieces, whether through trades or free agency, and in terms of putting the following touches on what could be a Wild Card team in 2026.
Below, I evaluated the hitters and pitchers on the roster finishing the 2026 season that are scheduled to hit free agency, according to Spotrac.
Hitters Scheduled for Free Agency
The only hitter from the Marlins scheduled to be a free agent following the 2026 season is backup catcher Brian Navarreto. Navarreto, in 50 at-bats this season, posted a 29 OPS+. To put it frankly, he's not worth bringing back.
The Marlins have Joe Mack, who will be a great starting catcher going into 2027, and Agustin Ramirez, who should improve as a hitter, and the Marlins need him to work on his defense. Catching is not one of the problems the Marlins have going into 2027, so Navarreto should not be brought back.
Pitchers Scheduled for Free Agency
The Marlins have two pitchers, both in the bullpen, that are now free agents.
The first is the team's oft-injured closer, Pete Fairbanks. This could be the toughest decision for the Marlins to make this offseason. It starts with evaluating the pros and cons of bringing him back or letting him walk. Fairbanks did not perform well in a Marlins uniform, but that could be explained by his diagnosis in mid-September of thoracic outlet syndrome.
At his best, Fairbanks is among the more dominant relievers in baseball, and on another one-year deal, that could be a risk worth taking for the Marlins. They could also look to upgrade the position with some of the top arms on the market.
The other name on the list should be a no-brainer for the Marlins to cut ties with, and that is Tyler Zuber. This season, Zuber has a 5.67 ERA in just 39 2/3 innings of work. The Marlins need consistency out of the bullpen, not someone who, when healthy, is ineffective. The Marlins have open spots in the bullpen and should be looking for quality, and can either trade for quality arms, or sign them in free
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Matthew is a writer covering the Miami Marlins for On SI. He has experience covering rumors and transactions, as well as editing, for Last Word on Sports, as well as covering MLB labor negotiations and other rumors for DiamondCentric. Matthew is close to completing a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in sports studies from Manhattanville University.