PIVOT: Devin Williams Signs With Mets, Miami Marlins Still Need To Secure Bullpen Help

PIVOT: Devin Williams Signs With Mets, Miami Marlins Still Need To Secure Bullpen Help

Another free agent target is off the board for the Marlins. Devin Williams signs with the New York Mets. Now the question is, how will Miami pivot? You are Locked On Marlins, your daily podcast on the Miami Marlins, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Welcome into Locked On Marlins, part of the Locked On Network. Now the number one sports podcast network. I’m your host Jeremiah Guyger. I’m a diehard Marlins fan and I’ve podcasted about the team for the last four seasons. Make sure you’re subscribed to the YouTube channel if you haven’t already or follow wherever you get your podcast free and available on all the platforms out there. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Download the FanDuel app today. first $5 bet, we’ll get $300 in bonus bets for first-time customers. And on today’s show, we’re going to talk about the relief market that currently is available for the Miami Marlins. Still no free agent signings. A couple of dominoes have fallen. Couple of potential free agent targets are no longer there. So, how will Miami pivot? We’re going to discuss a couple options, discuss what the plan should be. Also, first base continues to be a pressing question. Clayton Mcola says that Griffin Conite will be getting reps at first base in spring training. So, we’re going to dive into that. Will the Marlins even address the first base situation for 2026, or are they going to rely on their internal options? But let’s talk about the free agent market for relief pitchers in particular. So heading into the off season, there were some real intriguing bigname relief pitchers that were set to hit free agency. They could opt out of their contract. They were just hitting the open market. And when one thing was clear was that the Marlins needed to address the bullpen. And they still do. That is not a a question that’s not up for debate. If the Marlins are taking 2026 seriously, if they want to upgrade their team and put themselves in a position to compete, then they’re going to have to address the bullpen because you cannot run back the same group of guys that did have some individual success, but overall needed more more punch, needed some more star power. You know, we talk about a lineup and for for the Marlins for the last few years, it’s been a lack of power. Really since Jean Carlos Stanton left, they haven’t had that punch, that ump consistently in their lineup for the bullpen. They don’t have that true eighth, ninth inning guy, whereas he’s just going to come out, he’s going to be the setup reliever and then the the bonafide without a doubt that’s your closer. They didn’t have that except for Ronnie Enriquez. Ronnie Enriquez I still feel like could be the Marlins closer. Maybe he’s better set uh better better situated in a setup role in coming out in the eighth inning, but a more defined role. Guys who have late inning experience that can go out and close games. The Marlins heading into last season didn’t really have that. And the way they operated was closer by committee. Sometimes Enriquez would get a save opportunity, other times it would be Calvin Fosche. Sometimes it would be Lake Bacher. And I like those guys. But overall, this this is a unit that had to be addressed. It had to be upgraded because you’re not just competing against yourself. You’re not competing against the 2024 Marlins or in this case the 2025 Marlins. You’re competing against the rest of the National League against the rest of Major League Baseball as a whole. So Devin Williams is a free agent. Had an up and down year with New York. Started off terrible. The New York Yankees to clarify, not the New York Mets. More about that in a couple minutes. Started off terrible. gets bounced from the closer role. Luke Weaver takes over. Williams comes back. Weaver gets hurt. Williams assumes the closer role once more and he’s pretty good. Overall, if you look at the numbers, the advanced metrics, still has his change up. They call him the air bender for a reason. That that hasn’t gone anywhere. He still throws hard. He still is a player that at the end of the day is somebody who is considered around Major League Baseball an elite option out of the bullpen. He was one of the best pitchers in in in in in baseball in the late innings with the Milwaukee Brewers. Did his stint with the Yankees go as planned? Not necessarily. in ERA pretty bloated 4.79 but go look at the expected erra it’s elite 3.09 09. So, his expected numbers indicate that he was unlucky, that the stuff is still there. I know I said he throws hard. He does, but but not like a a a typical relief pitcher. He’s not relying on a 98 99 m hour fast. He’s more in the 94 95 range, which is I mean, it’s still decent. He’s not a soft tosser by any means, but his bread and butter is that change up, guys. I mean that the the change up gets him an insane amount of whiff and he throws it over half the time. Got a 37% whiff rate a season ago. You go to 2024, that change up got him a 49% whiff rate. And although his 2024 season he he was dealing with some injuries, the the point remains the stuff is there. And so he hits free agency. Miami is reportedly interested in Devin Williams and then what happens? It stops right there at interest. They’re interested in him. Was there ever an offer made? Was there ever a contract negotiation between the Miami Marlins and Devin Williams and his party? Looks like that wasn’t the case because yesterday it breaks that Devin Williams signs a three-year deal with the New York Mets. Told you I was going to talk about them. The division rival New York Mets. Three-year deal, $45 million with a $6 million signing bonus. Some big money. Is it Tanner Scott money? No. But it’s still a good chunk of change for a relief pitcher that just a couple of seasons ago was regarded as, if not the best, one of the best, a bonafide top five closer in the entire sport. And now he’s going to head to Queens, the Marlins division rival. And the Marlins are left with nothing with their interest. They were interested in him. Just like a report from a couple weeks ago, the Marlins are interested in Michael King. And I came on this podcast and I said, if the Marlins can somehow sign Michael King and add him to this rotation, this is going to be one of the best rotations in baseball. This would be a huge win for this franchise. And it indicates that you’re serious about competing, that you’re taking that next step forward. And that’s not the case. It’s unlikely to happen. So, Williams is off the board. Ryan Helley, another Marlins target off the board. Two-year deal worth $28 million to the Baltimore Orioles. a team that has kind of avoided spending money and investing in pitching and just traded Grayson Rodriguez to the to the Angels in a mind-boggling trade a week or so or a week or so ago and they signed Ryan Helley who’s going to be looking for a bounceback season. Helley, one of the best relievers in 2024, a rough 25. He’s going to be looking to cash in on that two-year deal, pitch well, and probably earn himself a a larger contract after that. But another potential Marlins target is off the board. And that’s where the ground is set now. That that the table is set. This is the situation. We’re in December. The winter meetings start on Monday and we still don’t have any clarification on where the Marlins stand in free agency if something’s going to get done. Now, reportedly Pete Fairbanks, who is another Marlins target, the Marlins are still in on him and he might sign before the winter meeting starts. So, we’re going to take a look at Pete Fairbanks. Can the Marlins reach a deal with him? And what other targets will they be looking at? That’s coming up right after this. The NBA is back and there’s no better place to get in on the action than with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of the game or you want to ride the hot hand, maybe you’re on your way back from the gym or school, you’re driving home from work and you’re like, I want to place some bets on FanDuel and win some money. FanDuel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks. You can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. It keeps every game exciting, especially when your team’s making that late push. Football season’s heating up. The college football playoff rankings are heating up. Miami, where’s my Canes fans at? Miami on the outside looking in. Are they going to get a final push? Do you think the Canes are going to sneak into the playoff? I know a lot of people are saying Notre Dame should be behind Miami. Miami beat them week one. If you think Miami is going to go to the playoff, go over go over to FanDuel right now because right now FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So sign up, play your game with FanDuel. It’s the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Thank you for making Locked On Marlins your first listen of the day. And thank you for making Locked On the number one sports podcast network out there. Can’t do it without you guys. The relief market for the Marlins has been cut short by a couple of potential targets. Devin Williams was my number one. He signs with the Mets. And and the kind of that’s what irked me the most. It’s not that the Marlins didn’t land Devin Williams, it was that the Mets landed him. If I’m going to be 100% honest with you, did I expect Williams to sign with the Marlins? Well, I mean, if I go off recent history, I’ I’d say no. I think my expectations for this team in free agency have simmered down to a large extent over watching the last couple of years, but this this off season, it it did seem like the Marlins are serious about spending in free agency. And so, that’s what we’re going to talk about. Who are the Marlins going to get now? Williams is off the board. Helley is off the board. Uh, Riceel Eglacius also off the board, but there’s still some intriguing names that the Marlins will be interested in. So, John Morosei tweets out from MLB Network. He says the Blue Jays, Marlins, and Tigers all involved in the Pete Fairbanks market. Fairbanks could sign before the winter meetings begin on Monday. Okay. So, there’s three teams that you’ve listed that are interested in Pete Fairbanks. Only one can get him. What’s scary about this, Jeremiah? The Toronto Blue Jays. Because the Toronto Blue Jays, who were just in the World Series, who have proven that they can compete at the high level, at the highest level, and they have the money to do so, are interested in Pete Fairbanks. And so Miami is going to have to match if not exceed any offer that Toronto makes to Fairbanks. And I don’t know the situation in Toronto, what their plan is, how important it is for them to bring in a relief pitcher like Fairbanks. But I do know one thing. They have the money and they’re serious about competing. If you don’t believe me, go look at how much money they paid Dylan CE. 7 years, $210 million. Boatload of a contract. Boatload of money heading heading to Dylan CE’s way. And I think it’s an overpay. I think it’s a clear overpay. But that indicates to me that that’s a team that’s serious about competing. And you know what? They’re going to open the purse strings and they’re going to start throwing money at players. Come to Toronto. We came so close to a World Series title. Let’s lock it down. Let’s finish it this time cuz we believe we can get back there in the American League. And I think Toronto’s the favorite right now in the in the American League uh East and arguably the American League as a whole. So, the Tigers Tigers are in a unique situation a little bit. They’re coming off of a playoff birth. There were rumors of, you know, trading TKO. He’s a year away before hitting free agency. Now it seems they’re going to keep him one last ride. See what they can do. If they’re going to try I’m sure they’re going to try to extend him, but he’s going to command the sun, the moon, the stars from a fi from a financial perspective. But the Tigers, they’re still in a competitive window. Their window hasn’t shut. And I think Miamiy’s window is the prototypical young upandcoming team who’s about to enter a competitive stage in their their rebuild. I mean, we saw the progress from a season ago, 79 wins. Now, this is where you start to invest. And so, Fairbanks is a perfect candidate for this Marlins team. He would come in immediately become the closer, lock down the ninth inning. Are there going to be bumps in the road? Sure. But he’s not going to be, you know, a a fringe closer. This guy closed games for Tampa Bay. He throws hard. He has nasty stuff. He had a good season with the Rays. He deserves a good contract. And so I I don’t think the Marlins can be in a position where they’re going to say, “Oh, can you take a discount to come to Lone Depot and be our closer?” No, he’s a free agent. The raise decline an 11 million option. Is he going to make 11 million a year? Maybe. Maybe he makes more. Maybe he makes 1314. I mean, Helley’s making 14 million. And based off last year’s results, I would take Pete Fairbanks over Helley. So, we can probably project Pete Fairbanks to make in the 1516 million range. comfortably. And that might be for a two-year deal. I don’t think you’ll see a three-year deal offered from Miami. But if they want to get them, that’s the price you’ve got to pay. You got to pony up the cash. The rest of the relief market, I got to say, it doesn’t really excite me. And what I mean by that is there’s not one guy who’s going to come in and just be the alpha in that bullpen. And honestly, when I look at the Marlins bullpen as it stands right now, it’s it’s Ronnie Enriquez and then it’s everyone else. When the ninth inning rolls around and I have to get three outs and I need to get a couple strikeouts, who am I giving the ball to? Ronnie Enriquez. I don’t trust Foscher necessarily. Bcker, he’s got a good pitch mix, but not really a high leverage guy. Tyler Phillips. I love the vibes. I love the attitude from him as he comes out of the pen. But is he a closer? Probably not. Kyle Finnegan is somebody that the Marlins will definitely take a look at. Split time a season ago between the Nationals and the Tigers. 57 innings, struck out 55, 3.47 erra. Nothing too flashy. You look at the metrics, he doesn’t get a ton of strikeouts, doesn’t get a ton of whiffs, you know, slightly under a strikeout per inning. I mean, I’ll call it a strikeout per inning, but he’s an elite ground ball artist. Throws the four seam, a real good split. That’s his bread and butter. And I I mean, he’s someone that is consistent. I think you look you look back across the last three seasons, really across his entire career. I mean, he’s pitched in 347 games in six major league seasons. He’s a veteran. He’s been around the block, but he’s not I don’t know, man. He’s not the the guy I really want. He’s not someone that makes this bullpen elite by himself is what I’m saying. You pair him with Ronnie Enriquez and both of them have consistent good years, then it’s a one-two. You got a one two one two punch that’s that’s lethal. In my mind, I just rank him a little bit below Pete Fairbanks. And I ranked Pete Fairbanks below Devin Williams. Devin Williams was my target. And you guys, the everyday listeners who watch the show or listen to the show daily know sometimes I I might get a little carried away when it comes to potential free agency. Josh Naylor, I’ll throw that name out there once more. For for weeks, I was saying the Marlins have to go after Josh Naylor and Naylor resigns with the Mariners. It was never a thought. So if the Marlins pivot to Finnegan, is it the most exciting move in the world? No. But I do think it would be a good move. I think he would be a a very solid pitcher for this Marlins team. Slot into that ninth inning role. Throws hard like Enriquez. Maybe not the the strikeout artist that Enriquez can be. I mean, Enriquez’s numbers a season ago, he pitched a ton for the Marlins. 73 innings. He pitched in 69 games and had 98 strikeouts. 2.3 B war, by the way, erra of 2.22. So, Enriquez objectively had a better season than Kyle Finnegan. And there’s an argument that in spring training, I mean, do do you give the do you just assume that Finnegan’s going to be your closer if you sign him or do you let there be a competition? I mean, I’m telling you guys, the Marlins have to improve the bullpen in some capacity, especially in the eighth and ninth. They can’t just have Enriquez, but Enriquez is really good. And if if the Marlins make a couple of lower level moves, then Enriquez could be the closer. He wasn’t going to be the closer if Fairbanks came over, if Williams came over, probably if Ryan Hley came over as well. But those guys off the board. Well, Fairbanks isn’t off the board yet. We’ll see what happens. So, Kyle Finnegan’s somebody to keep an eye on. Looking down the list of free agents still. Uh, Sir Anthony Dominguez is an option. Was traded to Toronto at the deadline. Was a part of that postseason AL champion championship team. Alio Pagan, the the former closer for the Reds is another option. someone that could come in, give you late inning experience, but again, not as electric as you want. And he’s also older. He’s 35 years old. And and that’s something to keep an eye on. Aging relievers. How much money are you willing to invest there? But coming up next, let’s pivot to another important topic that is starting to become a little bit exhausting, and that’s first base. the Marlins in first base. The more I think about it and the more news that comes out, it’s a little bit worrisome. Will they even address the position or are they going to re rely on guys from inside the organization? We’re going to discuss that right after this. Shout out to all the everyday listeners who make this podcast a part of your daily routine. If you’re new to the show, hit that subscribe button. It’s free. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts, Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music. So, make sure you follow the show. Share the podcast. We’re trying to build this thing even in the cold, dark days of the off season. First base. First base for the Marlins. What are they going to do? If Isaac Zoot says that, this is a tweet. I’m just going to read from him. Uh, the Marlins expect to give outfielder Griffin Conine reps at first base in spring training. That’s what Clayton McCulla said on the on the Marlins Hot Stove show, but I I just pulled up Isaac’s tweet because I quote tweeted it and I said, “Is this team not just going to are are they just not going to sign or trade for a first baseman? Is that what this is coming down to? Is this a hint that the Marlins are pivoting away from the, you know, we’re going to address first base. We have to sign someone. We have to trade for someone. We know that we’re going to invest there. Is that a sign they’re pivoting from that to, well, let’s just see what we got. Maybe we got something internally because I’ve said this once and I will say it again and I will continue to harp on it. You cannot expect the overall collective group of Marlins, especially offensively, to do what they did last year. Regression has to be a concern, and you have to invest to supplement the core. It’s pretty simple. Not every single homegrown player, not every single player on this Marlins roster is going to live up to expectations or they’re not going to necessarily be what you need for a competitive team. So, in my mind, the outfield was set. You have Kyle Sters in left, Jacob Marcy in center, Conine Hernandez a platoon in right field, Wagamman’s the incumbent at incumbent at first base, but you’re going to address that position. I wasn’t really considering a potential move from Griffin Conine to first next spring training. So, the Marlins are going to try to give him reps. Roberto Hernandez. I had um Kevin Barrell on the show a week or two ago and he mentioned how Hernandez could be an option at first base. I like the stick. Do Do we know how he’s going to fair with the glove? I don’t know. But the point being is that Hernandez, Conine, Wagaman, all those guys are already on the roster. This isn’t going out and spending money in free agency. It’s settling. It’s settling for what you have right now. And you’re expecting these guys to number one, transition defensively and make that a smooth transition. number two, be able to produce at a really good level in order to justify not spending in free agency. If Griffin Conine comes over from and moves to first base and hits 33, 34 home runs, 240 and 850 OPS or something like that, I’m going to be the happiest man alive. Now, will it also depend on who they replace him with in the outfield? Does that mean Araberto Hernandez is the everyday right fielder? Does that mean, you know, this statement by Clayton Mcola that Conine’s going to be getting reps? Does that mean they want him to be the first baseman? They just haven’t said that yet. Remember, Conine’s got a cannon for an arm. A cannon. Probably the best arm in the Marlins outfield or at least the projected starting outfield. You could also throw Dane Myers in there, but but Conine, big strong dude, got a rocket. You’re gonna move him to first base or at least give him reps. Well, if you’re giving him reps, it sounds like you want to see what he’s what he’s got there to potentially play him in games that matter. That’s what it sounds like to me. At the end of the day, this worries me because after the Marlins season ended and I took a couple of days and I was thinking about it and I was, you know, baseball ends, it’s a long season. You start watching postseason baseball and then your mind goes back to the Marlins. All right, how are the Marlins going to get to the playoffs? And the answer was clear. you’re this was this off season to invest in the roster and I cannot wait for these winter meetings, guys. I cannot wait what we’re going to find out about this team in a week, week and a half’s time. We’re going to find out a lot. We’re going to find out whether the Marlins and Peter Bendix are going to be proactive in in free agency in trades. Are they going to sit back and wait? Are we still going to be unknowing of what’s to come? Is this all a a fugazi? The this this idea of spending in free agency and addressing the roster and interested in this player, interested in that player. Is that all of Fugazi? Is it is it not real? Is anything going to to come come about from this that’s tangible? Are we going to see tangible results? And I do want to say that I trust Peter Bendix. I trust the plan that he’s building. We are seeing early results, but it takes two to tango. Bruce Sherman is the owner of this team. He owns the Miami Marlins and the financial decisions at the end of the day have to run through him. So, if Bendix isn’t given the green light to sign a free agent here, make this trade and and take on this contract in another situation, then we’re fresh out of luck. So, I think it’s a big off season, not just for Bendix to execute these moves and these transactions while still winning on the margins and making small shrew deals that turn into wins for for the big league club. But it’s a big off seasonason for Bruce Sherman to invest trust in the trust of the fan base to gain the fans respect and trust that hey he recognizes this was a 79 win team needs some help. And when he puts it all together, when the Marlins put it all together and they put a improved and enhanced product on the field, the Marlins can be successful and they can win and they can compete. And whether that means Griffin Conan goes to first base, they sign an outfielder, whichever way the organization decides to go. One thing is clear, they’re going to have to invest financially to make that happen. You can’t move a bunch of parts around and and try to answer every question from an internal perspective. That’s not the way to do it. Not at this time. That’s going to do it for today’s edition of Locked On Marlins. I appreciate you guys for tuning in. Until next time, stay safe, stay locked on, and let’s go fish.

The Miami Marlins miss out as Devin Williams signs with division rival New York Mets. Can the Marlins pivot as potential targets come off the board? The organization is still in the running for Pete Fairbanks with Toronto and Detroit in the mix. Jeremiah Geiger breaks down the shifting MLB relief market, assesses Kyle Finnegan and other available arms, and examines what Miami must do to remain competitive against big-spending teams.

The first base situation intensifies as Griffin Conine will be getting reps in spring training, hinting the Marlins may rely on internal options instead of a major signing or trade.

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