How many veterans will the Marlins keep in 2019?

Will the Miami Marlins keep the nucleus of veteran players on their current roster or will the organization trade away experience for more prospects?

It was once believed by many that the Miami Marlins would once again break up their current roster by trading away key veterans from the 2018 team. Now, it appears the organization may have had a change of heart and will keep the core of the team intact for the 2019 season.

Pitcher Dan Straily, who is eligible for arbitration and second baseman Starlin Castro have been the two biggest names mentioned when it pertains to changes in the team’s roster for the offseason. While Straily was the subject of trade talks at the deadline in July, his status with the franchise is still somewhat unclear.

As the elder statesman of the rotation, Straily eats innings and is consistent.

"“At the start of the offseason, I felt more strongly that Straily would not be back. But now I’m getting the sense the right-hander indeed may be part of the rotation next season,” Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes.“Straily enters his second season of arbitration, and he’s been a steady veteran. What raises a potential red flag is Straily was injured at the start and end of the season. If he’s dealt, look for the Marlins to try to add a veteran free-agent starter to help log innings so the organization won’t feel tempted to rush prospects.”"

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The same goes for Castro, who came over in the trade that sent Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees last offseason. Castro wasn’t happy with the move when he arrived in Miami and was thought to be a player who would stay in South Florida for a cup of coffee.

The infielder played solid defense and proved to be a steady hitter at the top of the order. His contract does present a problem but looks like he may stay with the Marlins for the start of 2019.

"“As for Castro, the veteran second baseman is set to make $11 million in the final year of his contract, Frisaro points out. “Because of his salary, it will make it difficult to find a trade partner this offseason. A more realistic trade scenario for Castro is July.”"

If the Marlins are bottom feeders once again in the National League East, it is a pretty good guess either or both players will be dealt for prospects as the team enters the third season of a rebuilding project.

The Marlins could trade Castro and give infield prospect Isan Diaz a chance at second base. The player who was part of the trade last offseason that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee progressed through the minor league system, stopping in Jacksonville at the Double-A level before moving on to New Orleans and Triple-A.

The Marlins like him as their second baseman of the future but aren’t ready to just throw him into the mix just yet. The same can be said for Joe Dunand, who showed improvement from start to finish at Single-A and Double-A last year.

Should the Marlins trade Castro, Miguel Rojas could also move to second. Derek Dietrich is also a possibility. A move to trade Straily would mean someone other than Jose Urena would need to step forward as a balancing veteran on a very young pitching staff.

Wei-Yin Chen was solid at home last season, but could not find his location or consistency on the road in the second half of the season.