It has turned out to be an active offseason for the Miami Marlins, which was difficult to imagine two months ago. Back on November 24, with rumors swirling that the Marlins were eager to spend money but no transactions done to validate that, The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli reported on their ceased contract extension negotiations with Kyle Stowers. It was a fishy news item to begin with considering Stowers’ late-blooming profile—most of his projected prime years were already under the club’s control.
Unable to entice him with the framework of a below-market deal, there haven’t been any substantial updates to that story…and I don’t think there ever will be. As a result of subsequent moves, the Marlins are now absolutely loaded with power-hitting outfielders. Although Stowers is the only one in the organization who has translated that to All-Star production at the major league level so far, they seem willing to gamble on younger guys filling his shoes over the next several years.
“The similarities” between Stowers and fellow left-handed masher Owen Caissie “are pretty easy to see,” Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix acknowledged earlier this month. Caissie is four and a half years younger and two years farther away from free agency. Dillon Lewis doesn’t even occupy a 40-man roster spot yet and likewise possesses plus offensive tools. Both cracked the top five of Fish On First’s updated Marlins prospects list.
The Marlins acquired Caissie and Lewis by trading away Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, respectively. The combination of those moves unquestionably hindered their chances of postseason contention in 2026, but as Bendix repeats ad nauseam, he’s always receptive to offers that bring back good value overall.
Cabrera and Weathers were both very inexpensive relative to their on-field value and still had three team-controlled years remaining. Stowers could potentially find himself in an identical situation next winter. If Caissie is coming off an encouraging rookie campaign by then, or if Lewis rakes against upper-minors pitching, or if any of the organization’s other outfielders emerge as viable everyday options, do you think Bendix will give Stowers preferential treatment just because he helped sell Opening Day tickets? No way.
The overall state of the Marlins will impact the length of Stowers’ tenure. It’s easy for a front office to justify bold moves that sacrifice experience for upside when they are projected for 70-something wins; when they’re projected for 90-something, not so much. This season, if Stowers comes close to replicating his 2025 breakout and his supporting cast takes a meaningful step forward, chasing a championship will take priority over the soulless asset accumulation process.
Even allowing for that fantasy scenario, we all know where this relationship is headed. Practically every significant historical figure in Marlins history eventually departed via trade or free agency and that will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. For all of his obvious talent, Stowers is doubtful to be an exception to that rule. At some point in the 2020s, he will be wearing a different uniform.