What’s Next for the Miami Marlins?

Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

With the Winter Meetings finished, many Marlins’ fans are wondering what comes next for Miami? Arbitration hearings are still a couple of months away, and that is a good thing for the Marlins as they still have some serious work to do. Here are the three most pressing needs that the Marlins should address sooner rather than later.

Third Base:

It’s no secret, the Marlins desperately need some help at third base. The only player on the Marlins’ roster that has played more than a handful of games at the hot corner is Ed Lucas. Miami is looking for a stop-gap option through free agency that could keep the position warm until Colin Moran is ready to take over.

I am pretty high on Moran. I think he has the potential to be a poor-man’s Wade Boggs. Until Moran makes it to the big leagues, I am expecting the Marlins to sign either Juan Uribe or Eric Chavez. If they are not able to secure the services of one of those two, then Michael Young could be a dark-horse candidate.

Right-handed First Baseman:

Earlier this offseason, the Marlins signed Garrett Jones to play first base. Jones is an effective power hitter, as long as he is facing right-handed pitching. Unfortunately for Miami, they do occasionally face left-handers. For this reason, they should be looking for a right-handed version of Garrett Jones. Either side of the platoon would make a solid power bat coming off the bench in the later innings.

I have had my eye on Delmon Young. I think he has a solid chance of becoming a Marlin this season. This signing would be a bit outside of the box as Young has never played first base before, but assuming he can learn the position, (if anyone can teach him it would be fielding guru Perry Hill) he would be a solid bat in the lineup. Young has hit double-digit home runs in every year since 2007, so he is capable of providing the power that owner Jeffrey Loria has been craving.

Sign Giancarlo Stanton to an Extension:

The Marlins need to make a decision soon regarding Stanton. The front office has repeatedly said that they are going to build the team around Giancarlo. For that to happen, they need to offer him a contract. It is ludicrous that the Marlins have reportedly not offered him one when they are making all these plans around him.

In the past, Stanton has made his feelings very clear regarding the ownership in Miami. It will be quite a feat to convince Stanton to stay long-term. The Marlins need to be ready to embrace reality. If they offer Stanton a deal and he declines, they need to be ready to trade him this offseason. He currently has an obscene amount of value in the market, and they could get a handful of pieces that could translate to a winning team. If they wait till next year, that value will decrease.

I would like to see Stanton stay, but I would be much more upset if he left Miami for nothing in return. This situation needs to be of the utmost priority for the Marlins as they continue their offseason. What do you think the Marlins need to be focused on moving forward? Let us know in the comments below.