Marlins Tender Edward Cabrera, Calvin Faucher to Shore up Pitching Staff
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The Miami Marlins smartly held onto what they had at the non-tender deadline as all seven arbitration-eligible players were tendered a deal, per Marlins Communications.
All of them were pitchers, but two were vital to keep — starter Edward Cabrera and reliever Calvin Faucher. The other five were Anthony Bender, Braxton Garrett, Ryan Weathers, Andrew Nardi and Max Meyer.
There was no reason for the Marlins to play the budget game with the seven of them. Per MLB Trade Rumors, which projected every arbitration-eligible player’s 2026 salary in October, the group was expected to cost Miami around $13 million, led by Cabrera.
By retaining them, Miami hopes to avoid arbitration and come to one-year deals with them by mid-January. But, by having them tendered, it gives the Marlins more flexibility as it expects to spend in free agency.
How Miami’s Tender Offers Help for 2026
Cabrera emerged as a solid No. 2 alongside Sandy Alcantara. He’s in his first year of arbitration and he’s only expected to cost $3.7 million. The Marlins could do what they did with Alcantara and get him into a multi-year, team-friendly deal.
The right-hander put together a solid 2024 in Miami, as he went 8-7 with a 3.35 ERA. In many ways, it was a career year for the 27-year-old including 150 strikeouts and 137.2 innings pitched. The pair are the top of a long depth chart of starting pitchers, which includes Weathers and Garrett.
There is room for Miami to lure a veteran starter in free agency, one that could eat some innings and give the entire rotation some length as the franchise waits for young starting pitchers in the minor leagues to emerge as options.
Faucher is a solid tender decision. He’s a super two player, meaning he met certain requirements to be eligible for arbitration before his third year of service time. He’s only projected to make $1.9 million. That’s a bargain price for a right-hander who emerged as the Marlins’ closer in 2025. He went 4-4 with a 3.28 ERA and 15 saves in 65 games. He’s appeared in 118 games since joining the Marlins in 2024.
The Marlins are rumored to be in the market for a veteran closer. If they land one, then Faucher can slide easily into a set-up role and flex into the ninth inning when the closer needs a rest. If Miami fails in that goal, then Faucher gives the franchise a fall back for 2026 to handle the ninth inning.
The other five pitchers give the Marlins considerable depth in both the starting rotation and the bullpen. Based on their current depth chart, there are nine potential starters and 10 potential relievers. By tendering their arbitration-eligible players, Miami gave itself some stability going into December.
