The Miami Marlins have made several key free-agent additions to the team this off-season, including Jean Segura, Johnny Cueto, Matt Barnes, A.J Puk, and Luis Arraez. These acquisitions signal a change in the Marlins’ philosophy this offseason. Unlike last year when they were looking for the home run hit, with the new additions they are clearly going to be a contact team that will focus on getting the ball in play and getting on base.
Jean Segura is a versatile infielder who can play both shortstop and second base. He is an excellent contact hitter and has a career batting average of .287. His addition will bring stability to the Marlins’ infield and improve the team’s overall offensive production.
Luis Arraez is a second baseman and outfielder, a career .314 hitter, and the reigning NL batting champion. He is a contact hitter who can hit for average and will add depth to the Marlins’ lineup. His presence will provide a valuable left-handed bat to the team and should improve their overall offensive production. I expect Arraez to be the leadoff hitter for the Marlins. To obtain Arraez, the Marlins had to give up coveted pitcher Pablo Lopez and prospects Jose Salas and Byron Chourio. Lopez had a breakout season last year posting a 3.75 ERA and 174 strikeouts. Expect the 26-year-old to post similar or even better numbers this season as he enters his prime years. For the Marlins this was a move they had to make as pitching is still a strength of the team and they could afford to give up talent such as Lopez.
The Marlins traded their shortstop Miguel Rojas, a versatile infielder who can play both shortstop and third base. He is a solid defender and is known for his good glove work.
The Marlins not only bolstered their hitting but they made sure to strengthen their pitching staff as well. The Marlins used available cap space to add a veteran starting Pitcher Johnny Cueto. Cueto has a wealth of experience and a successful track record. He has a career record of 156-98 with an ERA of 3.51. Many viewed the Cueto signing as a foreshadowing of the Lopez trade. They also added Matt Barnes who was an All-Star relief pitcher for the Red Sox in 2021. Barnes struggled after he contracted Covid and had an uneven 2022 season. The Marlins are betting that a fresh start and a full bill of health will allow him to return to All-Star form. The Fish also added A.J Puk in a trade with the Athletics for a former first-round pick JJ Bleday. Bleday struggled in the majors last season hitting just .167 with 5 home runs and 16 RBI in 65 games. Puk who the A’s were hoping once upon a time would be one of their rotation pitchers has the potential to become a steal for the Marlins bullpen.
Despite a very savvy offseason, there are still some concerns for the Marlins as they head into spring training. First, they need to figure out their shortstop situation. With Arraez and Segura they have versatile players that can play multiple positions but are not known to be as good defensively as Rojas. Secondly, their center field position is also a question mark as Jazz Chisholm will debut at center fielder for the first time in his career, moving from the infield to the outfield. So far it seems that the tradeoff has been better hitting at the expense of defense. The Marlins are hoping that their ace pitcher Sandy Alcantara, the National League Cy Young winner, and their revamped pitching staff can carry the team and hope that the newfound hitting will lead to more wins in 2023.