Meyer spoke to reporters about his rehabilitation after left hip surgery (link via Kevin Barral of Fish On First). He underwent the procedure for a labral tear in June. In October, general manager Peter Bendix told reporters that Meyer would be ready for Spring Training. That is indeed the case, as Meyer told reporters: “Everything feels good, how it should feel.” He added that he was able to start running halfway through his rehab and has been following more or less a normal throwing program this offseason. According to manager Clayton McCullough, the team is committed to using Meyer as a starter rather than a reliever (link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).
The 26-year-old right-hander was the Marlins’ first-round draft pick in 2020. Since his debut in 2022, he has thrown 127 2/3 innings over 25 starts with a 5.29 ERA, a 21.5% strikeout rate and a 7.3% walk rate. While his 49.4% groundball rate is strong, Meyer also allows a lot of hard contact. His average exit velocity of 91.2 MPH and 47.8% of hits are both worse than average. He especially struggled to keep the ball in the yard, allowing 1.97 home runs per nine innings in his career.
Meyer’s 2025 consisted of a 4.73 ERA in 64 2/3 innings before the aforementioned hip surgery. That workload was actually a career highlight for Meyer, who missed the second half of 2022 and all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery. That said, he’s still young, cheap, and a former Top-100 prospect. He will continue to get his opportunities in the rotation, although a full starter workload would be a tall order even if he stays healthy.
Garrett, 28, underwent an internal brace procedure on his throwing elbow in January 2025 and missed the entire season. He previously made just seven starts in 2024 before missing most of that season due to a flexor strain and general elbow soreness. According to Jackson, Garrett is now healthy and will compete for a spot in the middle of the rotation Sandy Alcantara and Pérez is locked to the front of the rotation.
Like Meyer, Garrett is a former first-round draft pick – No. 7 overall in 2016. Garrett has the more impressive track record of the two, having established himself as a mid-rotation arm from 2022 to 2023. He pitched 247 2/3 innings over 48 appearances (47 starts) during that time, posting a 3.63 ERA with a 23.8% strikeout rate and an exceptional 5.1% walk rate. Garrett also induces groundballs 48.2% of the time and excels at inducing hitters, ranking at least in the 76th percentile in pursuit rate in 2022 and 2023.
That quality production came before two injury-ravaged seasons, so one wonders if Garrett can return to his previous form. Like Meyer, he likely won’t be counted on for more than 150 innings. That said, having a healthy season will be a good outcome for the Marlins, who traded Cabrera and Ryan Weers and count on a separate return to form from Alcantara. Garrett has one option year left, so a worst-case scenario could see him sent to Triple-A if he needs more time after a year off.
As for position players, McCullough suggested the Marlins will have “a lot of competition for playing time” at first base in 2026 (link via Barral). He specifically mentioned that Christopher Morel is “open to giving it a try”, with Griffin Conine And Liam Hicks are also options. Morel and Conine are surprising candidates, as neither has played first base in the majors or minors. Hicks is the only one of the three with experience in the cold corner. Erik Wagaman was the team’s first baseman in 2025, although he was traded to the Twins last month.
Morel was signed by the Marlins in December after going undrafted by the Rays. He was an above-average hitter in his first two seasons from 2022-2023, but has struggled recently, shooting 10% below average in WRC+ in 2025. He has floated around in multiple positions and has not performed well in any position. Conine made his debut in 2024 and played exclusively in the outfield. McCullough only described him as “open-minded” about first base, so it’s possible the club will give Conine reps in Spring Training but only consider him as a stopgap option. The left-handed Hicks hit .247/.346/.346 with a 98 wRC+ last year, but was 4% better than average against righties. The club could consider a timeshare, with Hicks starting against right-handers and the right-handed Morel against left-handers.
Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy, Imagn Images
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