Marlins Offseason Moves Lead to One Burning Question From MLB Writer
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Entering the offseason, the question facing the Miami Marlins was a rather blunt one. Would they trade a starting pitcher or run it back with the same arms from 2025 and see how things go early in the season?
After being quiet for a good chunk of the winter, the Marlins began wheeling and dealing the last couple of weeks. First, they sent right-hander Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs before trading left-hander Ryan Weathers to the New York Yankees. In both returns, Miami got a handful of prospects in the deals, which is what the president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix, was looking for.
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They sent out starting rotation pieces, but they didn't bring back any everyday players to begin the season. That could change with outfielder Owen Caissie, who could slot into Clayton McCullough's lineup at some point in 2026.
Still, Chad Jennings of The Athletic (subscription required) dropped the Marlins into a surprising tier of all 30 clubs this offseason.
Marlins Dropped Into Questionable Tier for 2026 Season by One MLB Writer
Jennings placed Miami in the 'Actively and openly rebuilding' tier with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, there is one difference between the Marlins and the Cardinals, and that is St. Louis is openly trading players and some big impact players, while Miami is trading pitching, but there are still a lot of good arms remaining in the rotation. The same can't be said for the Cardinals' positional depth.
"It’s not a Cardinals-level rebuild, but the Marlins have traded two starters, Cabrera and Weathers, for prospects. One of those prospects, Owen Caissie, could be an everyday outfielder sooner rather than later. They even managed to get something, a minor league reliever, for the light-hitting Eric Wagaman. Fairbanks was an interesting signing who could help the Marlins win a few games before becoming yet another trade chip in July,'' wrote Jennings.
Fairbanks is someone who Bendix could absolutely flip at the trade deadline, but what if Miami's pitching is better than some think it will be after losing Cabrera and Weathers, and they are contending in a National League East with questions surrounding most teams after the Philadelphia Phillies? Decisions could get tricky.
Miami being placed as a team actively rebuilding while looking to take the next step after a good 2025 season that saw them miss the final National League wild card spot by four games behind the Cincinnati Reds is interesting. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Marlins get off to a good start in 2026, and if they do, things could get interesting in terms of decisions made by the front office.
