2) Miami Marlins
When was the last time the Miami Marlins made a good free agent move? We forget about them sometimes even being in the NL East. Their swipe of Pete Fairbanks for $13 million doesn’t happen without an openness to make more moves. The Marlins finished 4 games out of a playoff spot last year, owning the tie-breaker over the Mets and Cincinnati Reds. They may be closer to being a postseason club than we realize.
The assumption that the Marlins would trade away starting pitchers this offseason needs to be rethought. They probably should make a deal for the right package of controllable hitters. They weren’t one closer away from becoming a truly dangerous ball club. The Fairbanks signing helps them, but should keep their projected record under the .500 mark.
Miami is on the rise and needs to continue to add in order to be taken seriously. Landing a major free agent seems unlikely. However, with such a low payroll and a CBT expiring where they don’t want to be the only team not spending money, they very well could end up as a sneaky ball club who picks up some B-tier players we envisioned would be a match for the Mets.
The Marlins seem a long way from landing any superstars in free agency. Until they’re ready and willing to spend on more than one, it’ll be the backup plans like Fairbanks we should be concerned about.