Latest news on Marlins rotation plans

After months of rumors, the Marlins finally acted Edward Cabrera in a pitching-for-hitting trade, as the right-hander was dealt to the Cubs for a remarkable three-prospect package, headlined by Owen Caission. With Caissie already primed to make an impact in Miami’s outfield this season, the Marlins bolstered their lineup at the expense of their rotation, though the Fish may be one of the few teams with enough rotation depth to withstand the loss of Cabrera.

Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Ryan Weers, Max MeijerAnd Braxton Garrett are provisionally lined up as the starting five, with swingman Janson Junk probably the option for the highest depth. Adam Mazure And Ryan likes it also have some experience in the big league, Dax Fulton appears to be ready for his MLB debut and top prospects Tomas White And Robby Snelling could also both make their first appearance on the Show before the 2026 release date.

Considering this group has a long injury history and mostly little proven track record, there’s certainly an argument to be made that Miami could or should add to their starting mix. Kevin Barral of Fish in first place is hearing from a source that the Marlins could pursue an innings-eating veteran to add some more stability to the rotation. In the other direction, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic writing that “the Marlins remain open to further trading from their rotation for the right returns.”

The latest report does not indicate that such a transaction is necessarily likely, and it could simply be another example of how president of baseball operations Peter Bendix is ​​broadly open to discussing any offers out of due diligence. Rosenthal and Sammon also note that Alcantara is still “unlikely” to be traded, following multiple reports from the offseason about the Marlins’ lack of appetite to move the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner.

Trading one of the younger arms for another MLB-ready young hitter could be more plausible if the right offer presents itself, and Miami should create some rotation space anyway if the team lands a veteran pitcher. This hypothetical veteran arm wouldn’t come with a high price tag as Barral takes advantage of the Marlins’ signing Cal Quantrill to a one-year, $3.5 million deal last winter. Of course, Miami would be looking for better results from its next investment, as Quantrill posted a 5.50 ERA over 109 2/3 innings before being cleared off waivers and claimed by the Braves in August.

As you might expect, Bendix didn’t share many hints about adding or subtracting pitchers during his conversations with reporters (including Christina De Nicola and Jessica Camerato of MLB.com) earlier this week. While wecan never have too much pitching‘ Mantra, Bendix feels his team already has enough internal options for a tough rotation battle in Spring Training, with even White or Snelling being candidates to break camp.

“I have absolutely no idea who the starting five will be to open the seasonsaid Bendix.I think there’s opportunity there, there’s a competition, there’s open space, there’s an opportunity for a whole group of guys to step up and earn a spot, and there’s nothing we’re writing off at this point..”