Five Free Agents the Miami Marlins Should Consider for 2020

The Miami Marlins should consider taking a dive into free agency for the 2020 season.

The 2020 season, the second of the latest rebuild for the Miami Marlins, resulted in a 57-105 record. While I understand that these rebuilds take time, a real splash in the free agent market can do a world of good for the bottom line at Marlins Park. With a turnstile count of just over 10,000 per game for the season consecutive season, a few solid free agents could do a lot to get wall-sitting and bandwagon fans in the seats.

The “splash” that the Miami Marlins made prior to the 2019 season included Sergio Romo, Curtis Granderson, and Neil Walker. Nothing against those guys, but their acquisition did little to get fans through the gates. On the other hand, there will never be another Jose Fernandez, who regularly nearly doubled attendance on his starts, but getting people out to the ballpark is pretty important to a team that is actively trying to grow an audience. With that in mind, and with the clear understanding that I am not in any way connected to the Miami Marlins, other than as a “Maniac,” here’s my wish list.

Nick Castellanos

Formerly a third-baseman, Nick Castellanos is now a solid corner outfielder with the Chicago Cubs.

While the acquisition of Castellanos would hardly cause the same splash as would the signing of Cole, it would represent a significant upgrade over current corner-outfield options. An OPS+ of 120 over the past four seasons at the plate, and a .990 career fielding percentage in the outfield show Castellanos’ long-term viability at either the seven or the nine spot.

Only 27-years-old, the Davie, Florida native makes geographical sense for the Miami Marlins, and for Castellanos. A career .277/.326/.471 slash line and 120 career home runs as well as 17.2 wins above replacement show that Castellanos isn’t just a flash in the pan type of talent. How much is he worth on the open market? We’re all going to find out eventually, but I believe it’s worth the Marlins time to explore options.

Jake Odorizzi

Coming off his first all-star campaign, the 6’2″ Jake Odorizzi will turn 30 just as the 2020 season is starting. This is his time to sign the biggest contract of his career. After pulling down $9.5 million with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, how much would it take for him to consider the Miami Marlins?

Not a generational talent by any stretch, Odorizzi is a solid number two or three starter pretty much anywhere. His 13.4 career WAR is bolstered by three seasons of 3+ WAR ratings. For just the second time in his career, he posted a K/9 rate of greater than a strikeout per inning in 2019, with 178 K’s in 159 frames for a mark of 10.1 (he finished at 9.3 in 2014 for the Tampa Bay Rays).

The thing about Odorizzi is that his worst is nearly as good as his best. With him, you get what you pay for. As a member of the Miami Marlins rotation, we could count on a double-digit win season and a sub-4 ERA, along with somewhere around a strikeout per inning. In this sense, I liken an Odorizzi signing along with past Marlins signings as Starlin Castro and Sergio Romo. With them, you knew exactly what you were getting.

Yasiel Puig

Say what you will about Yasiel Puig – but one thing you can’t take away from him is his love of playing the game. His joy at simple baseball rivals that of the late-great Jose Fernandez, and he’s also a Cuban defector to boot. The Miami Marlins are possibly the most logical landing point for Puig.

Despite a couple of down seasons, Puig is a 20 WAR guy over his first seven major league seasons. He’s got a slashline nearly identical to Castellanos over a like-amount of time, clocking in at .277/.348/.475 with 132 taters and 415 RBI. Puig’s speed is an added bonus, and at just 29 years of age when the 2020 season starts, he can be counted on for double digit steals.

Puig is a noted spark plug for a struggling offense, and a proven net-positive defensive outfielder. I can think of no better landing spot for Puig than right field at Marlins Park in 2020.

Anthony Rendon

Like Gerrit Cole earlier in this article, Anthony Rendon is probably a distant dream for this ownership group, yet the possibility shouldn’t be ignored. At just 29-years of age, Rendon is coming off his best career season of an already solid career, with a career-high 34 homers and 126 RBI.

Rendon has a career slashline of .290/.369/.490, with 136 round-trippers and 546 RBI over his first seven full major league seasons. He pulled down $18.8 million in 2019 for the Nats, so he wouldn’t come cheap.

Although Rendon has only made the all-star team once, he owns a 27.3 WAR over his time with the Nationals. He’s received MVP votes in three seasons, and was the 2014 National League Silver Slugger Award winner at third base. And although Rendon has yet to earn a Gold Glove, his combination of flash, substance, and reliability at the hot corner cannot be ignored.

Whatever happens this offseason, you can follow along with us here at Marlin Maniac. Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our daily newsletter to keep up with the Miami Marlins.