Mark Reynolds Among Free Agents Who Should Be On Miami Marlins Radar

Sep 25, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Mark Reynolds (39) attempts to recover the ball on a throwing error by the shortstop during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

With baseball season now officially over, the fun will truly begin shortly. With the Winter Meetings being around a month away, the Miami Marlins will continue their rebuilding process. Due to the fact that the Marlins lost 100 games last season, the need to continue to fill holes that are present. Some big time holes that the Marlins have coming into the 2014 season is another power bat in the lineup, a catcher and possibly another arm either in the starting rotation or bullpen.

Some free agents that I believe the Miami Marlins should take a look at are Mark Reynolds, Dioner Navarro and Boone Logan. With the Marlins having some of the best prospects, they can be serious contenders if the young guys can pan out. Not all of them are ready, however, and some veteran presence coming into the organization could really be a huge step in developing these young talents.

Let’s start with Mark Reynolds. At 30 years old, it is safe to say that Mark Reynolds isn’t the same player he was 5-6 years ago. In most cases, as a player gets older their production normally decreases. Yes, that is true with Reynolds. He isn’t the same 40 homerun per year guy as he was back in 2009. However, Reynolds could serve as an effective temporary piece until Colin Moran is ready to be promoted to the 25 man active roster. Even in a down year, Reynolds still had 21 home-runs and 67 RBI’s. Last year, Placido Polanco and Ed Lucas combined for a total of 5 homeruns. The addition of Reynolds will take care of two things. The first, it is an obvious upgrade at the position. The second, he will add a much needed power bat next to Giancarlo Stanton.

Next up, Dioner Navarro. Last season the Marlins had some early instability at the catcher position. Rob Brantly wasn’t exactly playing well and Miguel Olivo left the team on his own terms. It wasn’t until Jeff Mathis stepped up and provided the team with a true catcher. Mathis posted a ridiculous .998 fielding percentage. While he isn’t the best batter, he has been able to provide all of the young pitchers with great defense. So, what am I getting at here? I think the Marlins should keep Jeff Mathis and try and get something for Brantly while they still can. I like Mathis; especially to help these young pitchers. Dioner Navarro’s defense is slightly worse than Mathis and he provides yet another steady bat in the lineup. These two catchers could provide some solid stability for the next couple of years for the Marlins. Both of these catchers have experience and could play a beneficial role in the development of this young pitching staff of the Marlins.

Last, but certainly not least; Boone Logan. Over the past couple of season, Boone has provided the Yankees with a solid arm coming out of the pen. After having a shaky start to his career in Chicago and Atlanta, Boone has rejuvenated his career in New York. He has been able to keep a commendable ERA, while having an 11.54 K/9 innings. He also is a left hander. Outside of Mike Dunn, the Marlins don’t really have another strong lefty. Boone can come in and help the Marlins out of the bullpen.

No matter what happens with the Marlins, this offseason, I think we can all agree that we just want to see the slightest bit of improvement. In just their second season in a brand new stadium the team already had a 100 loss season. That’s just inexcusable. They need to pick it up a bit. Signing some veteran players in the offseason that fill out some needs could be a great start.

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