Marlins Predicted Opening Day Lineup Has Two Intriguing Additions
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So far this offseason, Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has made two free agent signings, both former Tampa Bay Rays. The Marlins have signed closer Pete Fairbanks and Christopher Morel, a utility player who can play both the infield and outfield. Miami is reportedly looking for him to fill an opening at first base.
Despite signing Morel, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report doesn't see him being part of the Marlins' Opening Day lineup. As hard as that is to believe, Reuter predicted each team's Opening Day lineups, and he has Miami signing two more free agents before the season begins.
Marlins Predicted to Have Interesting Opening Day Lineup
There have been questions as to how much money the Marlins are going to spend this offseason. They have a good starting rotation, but they also saw some younger players break out in 2025, including Kyle Stowers, who had a season to remember. However, there are still some needs Bendix has if his team is going to take the next step under second-year manager Clayton McCullough.
Reuter's Miami Opening Day lineup has Kazuma Okamoto playing first base and veteran catcher Jonah Heim behind the plate. If that were to happen, those would be two impactful signings. The surprising prediction is Okamoto.
"The emergence of Kyle Stowers, Agustín Ramírez, and Jakob Marsee in 2025 has given the Marlins something to build around offensively, and swinging for the fences with a run at Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto would provide another potential power source,'' wrote Reuter.
There is no doubt that Miami has some promising young players in Stowers, Ramírez, and Marsee, but adding the power production that Okamoto brings would be a huge addition to a lineup that needs some thump in the middle of it.
As for Heim, he was non-tendered by the Texas Rangers, which was somewhat surprising. He did have a down 2025 season, slashing .213/.271/.332 with 11 home runs and just 43 RBIs in 124 games, but he isn't too far removed from his 2023 All-Star season. Just two years ago, he had a career-high 18 home runs and a career-high 95 RBIs. He also slashed .258/.317/.438, which was also a career high.
Perhaps Miami makes some trades with their starting pitchers, but there is also a case to run it back with them for the first half of the season and see how things go until the trade deadline.
They are a couple of pieces away from being a factor in the National League East, which has more questions than answers behind the Philadelphia Phillies. Okamoto and Heim would certainly be two additions that could be game-changers for the Marlins.
