Christopher Morel Deal Aside, How Much Will Marlins Spend This Offseason?
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The good news is that the Miami Marlins grabbed some cheap power with an agreement to sign Christopher Morel on Friday. The bad news is that might be the biggest free agent signing of the offseason for the Marlins.
The terms on Morel haven’t been disclosed. Morel made just $771,800 last season with Tampa Bay, per Spotrac. He is in his first year of salary arbitration. Before he was released by the Rays, Morel was projected to get $2.6 million in salary arbitration per MLB Trade Rumors.
When the offseason started, the Miami Herald (subscription required) reported that the Marlins’ payroll was expected to rise. It wasn’t clear how much more Miami would spend. Now, the same publication has reported that payroll will rise, but not significantly.
Where Marlins Land on 2026 Payroll
The offseason is far from over, of course. But the Marlins have not been players for many of the market’s top free agents. One of their clear needs is the bullpen, perhaps even a closer. But, so far, if Miami has been in on relievers like Edwin Diaz, Kyle Finnegan and Tyler Rogers, it has come up short. All have signed elsewhere.
Miami has signed pitching, but all of it has been to either minor-league deals or been Rule 5 draft selections. That includes right-hander Evan McKendry, right-hander Samuel Vasquez, right-hander Tyler Zuber in free agency, and pitchers Jake Smith and Livan Reinoso in the Rule 5 draft.
The Marlins are working on a shoestring so far, but it doesn’t feel like a “keep your powder dry” situation. This feels more like the Marlins hoping the young, talented and cheap core they’ve assembled can grow together over the next few seasons to control costs. After all, last year’s team won 79 games the roster hasn’t changed that much.
Morel’s deal does fit in one way with previous reporting. MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola reported this week that Miami is only looking to sign free agents to one-year deals unless there is a clear opportunity to make the team better and that free agent needs multiple years to make it happen. Morel’s contract fits that reporting and doesn’t stunt the development of current players. It will also have the clear advantage of keeping the payroll manageable.
Spotrac projects the Marlins’ 2026 payroll at $76.5 million for current payroll allocations and $105.65 million for projected total allocations. Sandy Alcantara is making the most of any Marlins player at $17.3 million. He’s the only player making more than $4 million. Spotrac’s figure includes a projected $2.5 million for Morel. The rest of the roster is either arbitration-eligible or pre-arbitration players. It also includes $15 million to players that are no longer on the roster — $5 million to Avisail Garcia and $10 million to Giancarlo Stanton.
So, technically the Marlins are spending more money than last year. But dreams of owner Bruce Sherman opening the wallet up wide are, well, just dreams. At this rate, the Marlins may spent less than $100 million in 2026, especially if they divest themselves of Alcantara or fellow pitcher Edward Cabrera. That appears to be where they're heading.
