Miami Marlins Offseason To-Do List with Isaac Azout

Miami Marlins Offseason To-Do List with Isaac Azout

Let’s hit the Marlins for our offseason to-do list. Isaac Azoo joining us right now. Isaac, great to have you on. And you can catch Isaac’s work uh on Fish on First, great site cover in the Marlins, writes for them, editor for them, uh co-host of Fish Unfiltered, among many other uh Marlins insights. So, let’s get into this. Isaac, what do you think is the to-do list here for the Marlins so far? Christopher Morell added to see if they can catch some fire from somebody who definitely has the statcast stats. But what else can you tell us about what you expect? >> Well, I think the Marlins have a few things on their to-do list for sure. First things first is the high leverage relief options that they that are on the market um still on the market anyway. I think they want to shore up the back end of that bullpin immediately. Then second is probably to add at least one or maybe two more bats to their lineup. Uh whether it’s via trade or free agency, I think either way, they just would like to add a little bit of length to that lineup. And then finally, for the first time in a while, I think you could see an extension happen this off season. Like I said, for the first time at least under this ownership group, the Marlins have some pretty attractive extension candidates, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s maybe multiple extensions announced with in the next 12 months or so. >> High leverage relief options, Isaac, have been going off the board. Mhm. >> Have they been in on those in the sense that not in like the Red Sox are in on every single player, still haven’t signed a major league free agent, but were they in? Were they in to push this team in an area like you said, high leverage? Like to me, this is one of the better starting pitching organizations that’s out there right now. And then the bullpen just fell flat on their face for the most part. A high leverage would have pushed them to above 500 to, you know, to to a much higher season ending record. >> Yeah, 100%. They improved by 17 wins last year. I think you could have seen them be in the postseason race up until game 162. Had they had a little bit more depth at the back end of that bullpen, obviously Ronnie Henriquez did everything he could. But yes, to answer your question, they were very much interested in Devin Williams before he got off the board. They were interested in Steven Matz, Cal Finnegan, Ryan Hley before he went to Baltimore. So, they have been in on a lot of these guys, but unfortunately, they just weren’t comfortable going to the multiple years that they did command from their respective organizations. The one guy that’s still out there that still is considered high leverage is Peter Fairbanks. And I can confirm that the Marlins are still very much interested. They’ve even upped their offers to the mid- teens uh for a one-year deal. So, you could see him one year, 134 million or so. So yeah, I think that’s their sort of last chance for that high leverage role anyway. And I think if let’s say they they’re unable to get him, I think you could see them sort of wait till January or February for some of those lower tier guys. Maybe someone like a Sir Anthony Dominguez could uh come close to them. >> Wait, wait. They weren’t comfortable going a few years. Like this team is young. It’s not It’s not like they’re like we got to win now. This is the win now. If they get a stop gap one year Pete Fairbanks at even if they say $13 million which per year that would be more than what Brad Keller got that would be more than what Luke Weaver got. >> Why do you feel like besides the fact that they’re cheap and don’t want to spend that they weren’t willing to with the way this roster is and I love this young roster say we want somebody for three years that locks down that bullpen. >> It’s not about the money. is like you said it’s about the years and from what I understand this is just the way that Peter Bendix operates. It’s the way the Tampa Bay Rays operate. They don’t feel comfortable handing out. They think that free agent deals are just sometimes not a great value at times. And if you want to get a re a reliever who there’s no position on the field that’s more volatile than that. They just don’t feel comfortable handing out three-year deals to guys who have suffered some injury history in Fairbanks case or in other guys like Williams. Some guys will command four, fiveyear deals like Suarez and like Edwin Diaz. But in Miami’s case, Peter Bendix is going to operate in the way like the Rays have, and they’re just going to give one-year deals to a lot of these guys. >> Let me uh I’m going to transfer over to the extensions, but first, let me help you a little bit. Uh it’s about the money. It’s not about the years. They they don’t they don’t care about the years. It’s all always about the money. Um, but I instead of being instead of throwing out the words cheap or anything, let’s just go cost-effective small market. I played in one for for many years, Cleveland. Uh, and one of their guidelines to get through it and one of their reasons that they were successful in the 90s and 2000s and before that was they would lock up their young players early and on on cheap deals rather. They would be team friendly deals and um that’s how you get them. So, who are the top priorities that Miami is trying to consider? Who do you think are the top three to five that they they should lock up or are trying to lock up? >> The number one guy from what I understand is right-hander Yuri Perez. The two sides had conversations back in spring training of 2025 and obviously during the season they don’t really have those talks, but they are expected to resume this offseason, maybe even going into spring training. So, I think he’s the number one priority. You know, they don’t really love extending pitchers either. But if there’s one young pitcher to lock up long term, his combination of just control and command and stuff and age, you just he’s the number one target. And then the second guy, Jacob Marcy, who debuted in the second half of last year, they acquired him in the Louis Arise deal, and he just came up and was on a five- win pace during his two-month stretch with the Marlins. And there have been some conversations between his representatives and the Marlins um as recently as the last couple weeks going after the winter meetings. And so I expect that to maybe be able to get done. From what I understand, they’re looking at the first Christian Yelich extension from the Marlins. I believe that was in 2014. Seven years, $44 millionish. Um I the Jared Duran one is another comp that I’ve heard. So it looks like the Mars are trying to extend a couple of their guys. >> All right. If you had your if you had your choice to make this team best where it fits into this current young young position player core that they have what free agent bat or trade would plug in and make the most impact. I don’t care if you say Kyle Tucker, you know, he lives in Florida. I don’t care. It’s more of how it fits into this roster and the niche that they need because there are some positions that in my opinion are filled already in Miami with some really good players like Marcy. I love Augustine Ramirez. I you know there’s there’s some guys that have good positions, but where do you see that fit being if you had endless cash? >> If you look at the 2025 season, the position that lacked the most production was by far first base and whe Since I don’t have a name for you, it looks like that they’re not necessarily going after first baseman. It looks like they’re trying to go the route of finding maybe an outfielder. Whatever the best bat available is, whether trade or free agency, they’re going to try and fix that first base issue internally. There’s been reports that Griffin Conine will get reps at first base. There’s uh reports that Connor Norby, Roberto Hernandez, a couple of other outfielders and third baseman could get reps at first base. So, it doesn’t seem like they’re targeting a specific position on the diamond. more so just trying to find the best bat available to lengthen that lineup and then mix and match as the season goes on. Cuz the way I see it, there’s maybe four guys in that lineup that are going to play every single day and the rest it’ll be a mix and match situation. at some point they gota I mean it’s great to extend and it’s great for a fan base to see these young players for amount of years and get attached to them and all that stuff but you got to get a little star power at someone if you want to rejuvenate a fan base and if you want to rejuvenate a great city like Miami because it’s just it’s not the best sports city. Uh there’s a lot of other stuff going on that that guys the the games are just it’s one of the most empty stadiums when they play. you need that star power and they had it before with the the late Jose Fernandez and the John Carlo when he was hitting home runs there. It’s like you got to have a face for the franchise or something like that. So, it’s nice to have these young guys, but at some point if you want to actually do something as an organization, they got to go out and get a name. >> Yeah, it wouldn’t hurt. Just remember you I’m sure you know when Stanson was chasing 60 and Jose was pitching as well as he was, no one was there either. You know, they had a tough time. >> That’s true. That’s true. They had a tough time getting fans in that ballpark regardless. So, like I said before, it’s they’re just going to operate like the Rays. And they think that through development, through drafting, through clever trades and waiverwire pickups, they will get to where they want to be. And it’s if it’s not the sexiest way, so be it. But that’s just the way that it it sounds like they’re going to go. >> All right. I got an org question for you because I know Jeremy Pal, the head of pitching development, whatever name you want to have in the minor leagues that got fired when Peter Bendix came in or or not rehired as minor league coaches go. If you don’t get a job, you’re not fired. You’re just not rehired. He was a he was very instrumental and essential in this crop of young pitchers that came up through the organization. He had his fingerprint on a lot of these guys. and Peter Bendix comes in and doesn’t renew him just like the position play the head of position players and hitting when John Carlos Stanton JT Realm Mutoo Christian Yelich Marcelo Zuna were coming through the minor leagues they get rid of that isn’t that where the Marlins have to be 100% even to the point of look Jeremy Pal because I’m using that as an example you’ve done so well helping these pitchers become become who they are. Obviously, it’s all on the pitchers. We need to keep you plus add to that because another coach, what does that cost? $150,000, $200,000 if you have the greatest one. But they’re looking to cut those pieces. And it almost is like they’re cutting they’re cutting their pipeline. That is the only way of what you just said, building this team from within. >> Well, before Peter took over, the the system was in shambles. I think we can all agree on that. They really had one of the worst farm systems in baseball. And since he has taken over, it has jumped to arguably top 10. And regarding uh renewing coaches, anytime a head of baseball operations department is going to, you know, make overseeing changes. He’s going to do some crazy overhauling and unfortunately there’s some unpopular decisions when it comes with that. Uh but yeah, there there’s a lot of examples of coaches that I thought could have stayed or even TripleA Jacksonville’s coach not coming back either. There’s a lot of moves that are head scratchers at times, but again, Peter Bendix is always going to bring in his own guys, guys that he’s comfortable with, guys that he has history with, even if, hey, those guys directly had an impact on some of these young guys pitching really well. Unfortunately, it’s just the way it goes. >> All right, so one more pitching question for you. Calling pitches from the dugout. They did it the last month. As a catcher, I have some not 100% I’m not 100% against it. I’m some percent against it because all it is is about success and the success showed when they did it. I think it was it the last month or the last two weeks, you know, they can show in that small sample size that it was successful. Are they going to continue it and ramp it up more? >> Yes, that will be continued. Obviously, Miami’s assistant pitching coach Alon is going to go be with the Colorado Rockies as their head pitching coach. And so, since then, Miami has been able to replace him with Rob Marello. And it sounds like they’re going to go into spring training and see how it goes and, you know, get everyone up to speed with that process. But it does sound like that will continue going into 2026 as well as through all the minor league levels. They will be calling pitches from the dugout. And if I had to guess, it would be Rob Marello calling pitches this year um to replace Alon. And then yeah, it is an interesting POV. You’re like you said, you’re a catcher. You there’s guys in the dunga that don’t know how the hitter’s feeling behind the plate like you guys would do. So, it’s definitely interesting the way what they’re doing, but it the results, you can’t argue with the results so far. They only did two weeks toward the end of September, but it it really panned out pretty well, honestly. But obviously, it’s September numbers, so you can’t put too much weight on it. However, yes, it it will be back in 2026. >> When it has success again, because obviously if it doesn’t have success, we’re not going to hear about it. It’s not going to be the front office’s fault. But when it has success again, does it seem like a approach that will work in big situations, in playoff situations, in the place where I hope the Marlins organization wants to get to, and that’s into big games? >> That’s a great question. I I would assume that if they’re doing it in the minor leagues, if they’re doing it spring training and they’re doing it from opening day on, I would have to imagine that if they’re playing in the National League Championship Series, they’re going to be doing it there, too. They’ve been prepping their catches in the minor league levels for years or for the last year anyway for this situation. And I I just don’t I wouldn’t understand if they would do it only for the whole 162 game season and then not when it really matters in October. I would I would tend to agree with you that you know I would like in those high leverage spots to maybe let the catcher make those calls, but their point of view is to let the catchers just focus on catching the ball and hitting and framing well. Um, and then yeah, just leaving the pitch calling to the guys in the dugout.

Isaac Azout of Fish On First joins the show to break down the Miami Marlins offseason to do list and where the organization goes next. The discussion covers Miami’s search for high leverage bullpen help, potential one year reliever fits, and why the Marlins remain cautious with multi year deals. The crew also dives into extension candidates, how Peter Bendix is shaping the roster Rays style, and whether Miami needs to add star power to complement its young core.

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