Miami Marlins have Five Questions to answer to have a Relationship With Winning

The Marlins flirted with the MLB playoffs like it was a situationship

This year’s playoff chase for the Miami Marlins felt like a situationship. All vibes and no closure.

The good is that they hung around until the final month of the season and they literally had a chance to make the postseason up until the last 9 days. Also they took the New York Mets out of contention which is always great to see. But nevertheless, they did not get in.

Now the offseason’s here, and Miami’s front office has decisions to make — real ones. No “run it back” speeches, no “trust the process” tweets.

Here’s 5 questions to ask, that all feel like Miami dating red flags.

WILL THE MARLINS HOLD ONTO SANDY ALCÁNTARA?

Let’s start with the big fish — Sandy. His name’s been floating around trade talks longer than a Brickell margarita tab. He came back from Tommy John with a 5.36 ERA (which, respectfully, is not elite), but he finished strong — 3.70 ERA in his final 10 starts, seven quality outings, and actual ace energy again.

He’s owed $17.3 million next year, $21 million in 2027 if Miami picks up the option. So what now?

President of Baseball Ops Peter Bendix basically said, “I don’t do hypotheticals.” Classic executive non-answer.

Translation: Everyone’s on the table if the deal’s sexy enough.

If Miami keeps him, they’ve got their rotation anchor. If they move him? It’s a rebuild with extra sunscreen.

CAN AGUSTÍN RAMÍREZ ACTUALLY CATCH, OR IS HE JUST THE DESIGNATED HITTER OF THE FUTURE?

Ramírez is an amazing young player. The 24-year-old rookie reminds us in South Florida of another great catcher we had, Pudge Rodriguez. Ramirez hits like a veteran player, but he’s still learning how to defend.

Offensively, there’s not much Ramirez can’t do. As  the first rookie catcher in MLB history to post 20+ homers and 10+ steals, he showed his hitting prowess.

The bad news is he also led all catchers in passed balls (19), errors (10), and let 83 stolen bases fly by like Spirit Airlines departures.

The Marlins love his bat — .780 OPS as a DH. But if he stays at DH full-time, Miami loses lineup flexibility. Behind him, Joe Mack (the No. 4 prospect) and Rule 5 surprise Liam Hicks showed flashes, but nothing screams “we’re good here.”

Agustin has to improve behind home plate. At the moment Ramirez is akin to baseball’s version of a SoundCloud rapper.

Great numbers but bad timing.

WHO’S PLAYING FIRST BASE?

This one’s easy — literally anyone. Six players tried last year, and together they produced one of the worst OPS marks in baseball (.663). That’s “please sign someone with a pulse” territory.

Eric Wagaman looked solid as a rookie. Hicks tried the position just to keep his bat alive. Graham Pauley dabbled. None of it stuck.

The Marlins are not going to have the ability to land Pete Alonso. Which unfortunately would be the perfect fit here down in South Florida.

However there are alternatives such as veteran Paul Goldschmidt. The fish need someone who can make contact, hit for power and not strikeout like a screen door in a hurricane.

The city’s got flash; the lineup needs substance.

WHO GETS PAID NEXT?

Outside of Sandy, Ryan Weathers, and Edward Cabrera, almost everyone’s pre-arb. That means it’s “extension season” for Bendix if he wants to lock in Miami’s young core.

The big names:

Kyle Stowers – breakout year, .912 OPS, energy guy, clubhouse leader vibes.

Eury Pérez – coming off Tommy John but looks like the future ace.

Jakob Marsee – only 55 games in, but great plate discipline and center-field defense.

If the Marlins are serious about “sustainable success,” it starts here. You don’t build a dynasty by accident — you build it by cutting the check before the market ruins your fun.

HOW’S THE OFFSEASON GOING TO LOOK?

Peter Bendix’s goal is to “stay competitive every year.”

Respectfully, that’s adorable. Miami fans just want one summer where the Marlins don’t sell off half the team mid-July.

He mentioned every route possible — free agency, trades, Rule 5, whatever it takes. The vibe: cautious optimism with a side of spreadsheet analytics.

He’s right about one thing: this team’s close. The pitching’s solid, the youth is real, and the fan base is ready for something consistent.

If Miami nails this winter, they’re not sneaking into contention.

Instead they will be the team walking through the front door with Bad Bunny blasting.

FINAL THOUGHT

This isn’t a rebuild, it’s a retool. There’s enough talent here to make a real run if the front office makes grown-up moves instead of clearance-bin trades.

South Florida’s watching. The Dolphins have the flash, the Panthers have the rings, and the Heat have the drama.

It’s time for the Marlins to have the moment.

Less “almost made it.” More “see you in October.”