The Marlins improbably remained alive in the Wild Card race into the seasons final week. While that was enabled largely by the Mets collapse, Miami finished just four games under .500 after a 100-lo s season in 2024. President of baseball operations Peter Bendix spoke with reporters on Wednesday as he enters his third offseason. Bendixs biggest decision is whether to trade . The Marlins held onto the former Cy Young winner at the deadline. Alcantara hadnt found a groove in his first few months back from Tommy John surgery, and the Fish preferred not to sell low. He looked a lot sharper , turning in a 3.70 ERA with a 23.1% strikeout rate in his final 10 starts. He tied for fourth in the majors with 65 2/3 innings pitched after the deadline. Everyone else in the top five had the benefit of an extra start. The Fish will get calls from teams intrigued by Alcantaras strong finish. Bendix dodged a question about whether he expected the two-time All-Star to remain in South Florida headed into next season. Im not going to speculate on any individual player, he said (relayed by ). Were always looking for ways to improve our club and Im going to stay as disciplined as po sible in doing that. Its the kind of generality that most executives expre s publicly when asked about specific players. Its not an especially surprising response, though it does contrast with the clubs approach from last offseason. The Marlins had Alcantara by August that he wouldnt be moved. Bendix more or le s during the winter, saying in December that he was really excited to see him pitch on Opening Day. A trade this winter seems more plausible now that hes healthy even if the Fish are closer to contention than they were 12 months ago. Alcantara is headed into the final guaranteed season of the extension he signed over the 2021-22 offseason. Hell make $17MM and is guaranteed at least a $2MM buyout on a $21MM club option for 27. If a deadline trade wouldve been mostly about salary relief, an offseason deal could net a legitimate prospect return. Alcantara finished with an underwhelming 5.36 ERA overall, yet hed very likely command more than $19MM if he were a free agent this offseason. , for instance, pulled $21.05MM Geraldo Perdomo Jersey coming off a 5.38 ERA in fewer innings because of his pre-injury track record and two good appearances during the World Series. got a $15MM deal at age 36 after making five combined starts between the regular season and playoffs. If Alcantara carries his second half form into next year, the extra year of control via the club option would also be a bargain. While payroll is always a consideration for the Marlins, the front office shouldnt be under financial pre sure to deal Alcantara. Hes the only player on the roster making a salary of much significance. Theyll pay a final $5MM buyout to end that disastrous free agent deal. They owe the Yankees $10MM annually for the next three seasons as part of the trade. Thats all in terms of guaranteed commitments. They have a lot of arbitration-eligible players , , , , , and but none who are going to break the bank individually. Miami did almost nothing in free agency during Bendixs first two seasons at the helm. They signed three players to major league deals ( , and ) for a combined $8.7MM in guarantees. Its clear theyll do more than that this winter. FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Suns Craig Mish indicated over the weekend that theyll likely pursue a . echoes that sentiment and writes that theyll try to bring in a free agent offensive upgrade as well. The Marlins had a middle-of-the-pack offense this past season. They ranked 16th in runs and finished between 11th and 20th in all three slash stats. They were light on power, finishing above only the Padres, Cardinals and Pirates in home runs. Playing at loanDepot Park doesnt do their hitters many favors, but they were tied for 22nd in road home runs. and were their only 20-homer bats. Miami didnt get much production out of first base or designated hitter. Theyll probably want to keep at-bats available at the latter position for Ramrez, whose defensive numbers as a rookie catcher were terrible. They should upgrade on Wagaman and at first base. Itd be a surprise if they made a serious push for or , but a mid-level target like could be within the range of outcomes. and will be available on one-year deals and still have a higher floor than the in-house options. The Astros could look to offload part of the contract, while players like or could be sell-low candidates. Its not entirely out of the question that the As could consider swapping for a controllable starting pitcher. Maybe theres a match with a Miami team that has a lot of talented, affordable arms. Almost all of them come with some kind of durability questions, though the Fish finished the season with an impre sive front four of Alcantara, Cabrera, Weathers and . Garrett mi sed the entire season after undergoing UCL surgery in January. Meyer suffered a labrum tear in his left hip and went under the knife in June. Bendix told Jackson and other reporters that both pitchers are expected to be ready by the start of Spring Training. Adam Jones Jersey