This entry was not in the plans, as the Marlins entered the offseason firmly convinced they needed an established closer (i.e., no “hidden gem”) for next year. Turns out as of today that they not only still need that closer, but now they’ve lost their best bullpen arm in Ronny Henríquez. Although never truly a closer, Ronny was more a “setup” man and the best performer in high leverage situations.

Himself a waiver claim, Henríquez came out of nowhere last winter and sized his opportunity. A wild guess is that the Front Office would like to replicate that transaction, so the focus here is to find a group of pitchers that are not drawing much attention, if any, but with a few tweaks could potentially turn into Henriquez-que performances next year.

My favourite: Rafael Montero

With a long career stating as a swingman  and after 2019 a full-time average reliever, Montero peaked in 2022 as a fundamental piece of the World Series’ Astros. His stock has crashed right after that, playing for three different clubs this past season. He will probably require a major league contract given his experience, but should be in the $1,5M range.

So why sign him? Well, as in the previous “hidden gem” post, there is a lot to like under the hood. Just have a look as his Baseball Savant page. The red flag are the walks, but everything else is in the red zone. If the Marlins can build a strategy around his pitch mix usage (particularly his splitter), Montero can be a buy low, high output addition.

The Injury-prone: Jonathan Loáisiga

Yankees prospects always come with that extra fanfare when making it to the big leagues. Loáisiga was not the exception. Flashing a high 90s sinker that could blow out batters, fans in The Bronx were really excited about this guy. Unfortunately, major injuries have derailed the career of Nicaraguan-born, and has only managed to pitch in more than 50 games only twice in eight seasons.

What is to like? He can still throw gas, and his sinker can induce a decent amount of ground balls – I insist with the GB because the infield looks amazing if they play Pauley at third -. I’m not sure how team would evaluate his contract for next season, but given his injury record, shouldn’t come expensive even for Marlins’ standards.

Who?: Miguel Castro

Last time Castro had a good season was in 2023 as a member of the Dbacks. He appeared in a league-high 75 games of 4.31-ball. Over the last two seasons, however, he’s been terrible. If the coaching staff can manage to bring his changeup back in the mix, he should be a solid arm for a minor league contract. He’s been around since 2015 and somehow today is only his 31st birthday.

Old flame: Ryne Stanek

Despite David Robertson is also a strong candidate in this category, Stanek’s recent woes might bring him back to Miami at a discount. He continues to have two above-average offerings (4FB and SL) and has lots of experience, always useful in a young team.

Not a free agent, but Edgardo Henríquez

… not a joke: the Marlins could replace one Henríquez with another. In a stacked LA bullpen that just got stronger signing Edwin Díaz, there won’t be a lot of innings for him next season, barring injuries. In Miami, Henríquez might have a clearer path, and his stuff is solid with a blowout fastball which averages over 100 mph. Bruce can also save some money not having to buy new jerseys for him. The problem is, he won’t come cheap in terms of trade prospects.