Two Marlins Left-Handers Avoid Arbitration With Eyes on Strong 2026 Comebacks
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The Miami Marlins have decided to offer contract agreements to players eligible for arbitration.
Five players avoid arbitration, but we will focus on two left-handed relievers who must produce in the upcoming season.
Can These Two Relievers Stay Healthy and Contribute to the Marlins' Success?
One of the two players who avoided arbitration is Braxton Garrett. From missing the entire season to now signing a one-year, $1.53 million contract to stay with the Marlins. Garrett must feel good to come back to a team that’s looking promising, and he’s ready for the challenge.
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The 28-year-old reliever out of Vanderbilt didn't pitch in 2024. He had a UCL revision surgery with an internal brace on his left elbow. It’s a serious injury, but hopefully he can be ready to go by the time Opening Day comes around.
Braxton finished the 2024 season going 2-2 with a 5.35 ERA and 34 strikeouts. He will enter his sixth season with Miami - a team that he has played for his entire career. He got to taste one postseason experience in 2023, the same year he won a career-high nine games with a 3.66 ERA.
One of his best pitches is his curveball. Garrett can make batters swing and miss when he throws this pitch. He also has a solid fastball and a changeup. The talent that he has is enormous. There are just some tweaks here and there that he can work on. He was the first round pick for a reason. The best is yet to come when he’s fully healthy on the mound.
The second lefty that the Marlins signed is Ryan Weathers. The deal is worth $1.35 million. Weathers showed Miami that he can be dependable. He had a solid 2025 season with the ballclub. Unfortunately, he was limited to eight games. In those eight games, he recorded 37 strikeouts.
This will be his third season with the team. We expect to see more action from Weathers. He’s 26 years old, and he’s improved compared to his first two seasons in the majors when he was playing for the San Diego Padres.
Weathers continues to grow and mature as a pitcher. Baseball is in his blood. He had the pleasure of learning from his father, David, who played 18 MLB seasons, including 4 with the Marlins.
As for Ryan, He fits well with this young team. Weather and Garrett must become a left-handed tandem coming out of the bullpen and shut down hitters in the sixth and seventh innings, whenever the manager needs them.
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After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.