Three Best Moves that Miami Marlins Made During Near-Miss Playoff Season
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The Miami Marlins ended up winning 79 games in 2025, exceeding the expectations of most outsiders. The first year with manager Clayton McCullough leading the franchise went well.
Miami is opening on a low budget. Their overall tax payroll was $85 million per Spotrac. The active roster payroll at the end of the season was $34 million. Every investment made, every player signed, must be a wise investment for the Marlins.
Here are the three best moves Miami made in 2025.
Keeping Sandy Alcantara
No Marlins pitcher’s future was more scrutinized than Sandy Alcantara’s at the trade deadline. The conventional wisdom was that the Marlins would deal him to a contender. Miami hung onto him, and it could turn out to be a wise move no matter what’s next.
Alcantara’s value wasn’t as high as the Marlins might have hoped at the deadline. In his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, the 2022 National League Cy Young winner was 6-9 with a 6.36 ERA after his final start before the deadline on July 29. Miami still could have gotten something for him, but the return would not have been as significant as hoped.
Well, Alcantara turned it around by season’s end. After the deadline trimmed a full point off his ERA to 5.36 and finished 11-12. His last seven starts were vintage Alcantara — 5-1 with a 2.83 ERA with 45 strikeouts and nine walks in 47.2 innings as the Marlins made a late push for a playoff berth.
Now, the Marlins have options. He’s under team control through 2027, with $17 million due in 2026 and a team option in 2027 worth $21 million. Miami can keep him or trade him from a position of power where they will get more in return. Keeping him was the right call.
Trading Jesús Sánchez
At the time, it didn’t look like the wisest move. Sánchez has two more years of team control before free agency. With the Marlins he had a lifetime slash of .243/.310/.426 with 69 home runs and 226 RBI. But the Houston Astros needed outfield help and we willing to trade three players, including a Major League-ready pitcher. So, the two sides swapped.
Sánchez went into the dumps, statistically. He slashed .199/.269/.342 with four home runs and 12 RBI for Houston. He likely won’t post those numbers in 2026. But in the short term the move proved wise for Miami.
The move also opened playing time for Joey Weimer, who logged 27 games and slashed .236/.279/.436 with three home runs and 12 RBI. For the cost-conscious Marlins, Weimer hasn’t entered arbitration yet. Sanchez has two more arbitration years ahead. Miami could get similar production from Weimer or other outfielders. And if Ryan Gusto, that MLB-ready starter turns into something, then Miami wins this trade.
Signing Eric Wagaman
Wagaman isn’t even arbitration-eligible yet. So, when the Marlins signed him as a free agent in the offseason, he only cost the veteran minimum. For that cost, the investment was wise to add some competition at first base.
He was durable. He played in 140 games. He slashed .250/.296/.378 with nine home runs and 53 RBI. That doesn’t scream corner infield power profile. But, for now, the Marlins will take it. He still has time to grow into the position and has at least four more years of team control ahead. The Marlins may have made a wise investment in the long-term.
