This is going to be a rather interesting offseason in South Florida with the Miami Marlins. They are reportedly going to spend more money this year. Just which area they choose to spend is the question.

Another question is what does the future hold for starting pitchers Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara? Will either be traded, or will they begin the season at the top of the rotation for second-year manager Clayton McCullough? One area where the Marlins could use an upgrade is at the backend of the bullpen.

A closer should be near the top of the front office’s to-do list this offseason. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed the perfect free agent match for each team, and he had Miami as a perfect landing spot for closer Kyle Finnegan.

Marlins Listed as Perfect Landing Spot for Closer Kyle Finnegan

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One relief pitcher the Marlins should be familiar with is Finnegan. He spent the last five-plus seasons with the Washington Nationals before being traded to the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline. He will be at the top of some teams’ free agent boards this offseason, but a match with the Marlins makes total sense.

“The Marlins plan to spend ahead of next season, and while they are unlikely to spend big on the top closers, Finnegan would give them a proven arm in the back end of the bullpen,” Feinsand wrote.

If things had been different at the backend of games in 2025, Miami could have been a playoff team. As a team, they blew 22 of 62 save opportunities. Closer Calvin Faucher blew five of his 20 save opportunities. Part of the reason for their bullpen struggles was that they had a 4.28 ERA, which ranked 12th in the National League.

Finnegan was good for the Tigers following the trade, going 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 16 appearances and 18 innings pitched. He was exactly what Detroit needed down the stretch, and his numbers were much different than those with the Nationals. He had a 4.38 ERA in 40 appearances for Washington before the deal.

Miami is a team that could be a wild card this offseason in terms of spending money. If Alcantara and Cabreara are brought back to begin the season, with some up-and-coming arms, they could be set up for a lot of success in 2026. If they are going to compete in the NL East with the Philadelphia Phillies and other teams, shoring up the backend of the bullpen with a pitcher like Finnegan makes sense.

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