Marlins Should Consider Revisiting Starting Pitching Free Agent Market
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Coming off a season that saw a 17-game improvement as they finished with 79 wins, the Miami Marlins have offered some mixed signals regarding their intention to seriously pursue a playoff spot in 2026.
The Marlins have spent money this offseason, adding Christopher Morel to play first base and bringing in closer Pete Fairbanks in free agency. On the other hand, they also shipped out starting pitchers Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers in exchange for a small army of prospects.
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The Cabrera and Weathers trades ultimately leave Miami with a starting rotation comprised of veteran Sandy Alcantara and lots of hope, with relatively unproven young pitchers like Eury Perez, Janson Junk and Max Mayer expected to take on key roles.
It doesn't need to remain that way, however.
Free Agent Pitching Options Still Available for Marlins
It isn't too late for Miami to cycle back to the pitching market in free agency. They probably don't have the financial wherewithal to pursue Framber Valdez, but there are still a number of second-tier starting options who would come considerably cheaper and would likely represent an upgrade on the club's current pool of starters.
Lucas Giolito remains unsigned despite coming off of a strong season with the Boston Red Sox in which he went 10-4 with a 3.41 season in his first campaign after undergoing elbow surgery in 2024.
There are concerns surrounding the 2019 All-Star regarding a substantial dip in strikeouts (204 in 2023 to 121 last season) post-surgery, but even if he's transformed into more of a pitch-to-contact hurler, his ability to eat innings and limit runs would be valuable with the Marlins.
The same could be said for a guy like Chris Bassitt, who has thrown at least 170 innings in each of the past four seasons. Battling inconsistency on a Toronto Blue Jays pitching staff that added Shane Bieber, he embraced a move to the bullpen and proved to be a versatile difference-maker in the postseason. His age (36) will scare teams off, but he could still bring value and veteran savvy on a short-term deal.
If Miami is willing to gamble on a bounce back season, they could look to long-time Arizona Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen. Gallen likely cost himself some money by going 13-15 with a 4.83 ERA and allowing 31 home runs in his contract year last season. But he is still only 30 years of age and still sports a career ERA of 3.58.
The free agent market also offers a pair of future Hall of Famers on their last legs (Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer), as well as a number of back-of-the-rotation options like Zack Littell and Nick Martinez, not to mention a host of other starters who may be available via trade.
Ultimately, just about all of the aforementioned options would bring some much-needed stability and depth to the Marlins' rotation. Not only would such a pitcher improve the starting five, but they would take some of the pressure and expectation off of Miami's still-developing young arms. If you're going to bring in a big-name closer like Fairbanks, you need pitchers who can get you to the ninth inning.
