Marlins: Dealing with a shrinking free agent market

By David Levin | Dec 20, 2019

COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK - JULY 21: Former New York Yankee Derek Jeter attends the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on July 21, 2019 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

As players sign with other teams, the Miami Marlins window to add free agent players gets smaller by the day.

Two potential free agents the Miami Marlins may have been interested in are now off the market. According to multiple sources, the Milwaukee Brewers have added both outfielders Avisail Garcia from the Tampa Bay Rays and former Toronto first baseman Justin Smoak to their roster.

The Marlins were said to have talked to Garcia’s agent at the Baseball Winter Meetings last week, but no deal could get done. The idea of Smoak joining the roster has been kicked around for some time since the second half of the 2019 season. There have not been any overtures by the Marlins as to their interest in the veteran.

Miami did add some punch to its roster this week by signing veteran Matt Kemp to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. It is believed Kemp, who played for Marlins manager Don Mattingly in Los Angeles, should make the 26-man roster out of camp.

More from Marlins Rumors

Kemp is one of nine players who were signed and invited to camp as a non-roster invitee.

Because teams are beginning to move quicker in Hot Stove and the targets the front office may be pursuing are signing elsewhere, is there a chance the organization will get shut out of bringing in another bat or two to help ease the pain of a team that hit only 146 home runs last season?

The market is shrinking, but as of now, Marcell Ozuna and Nicholas Castellanos are still available. It has been reported by several outlets the price tag for both players may be out of Miami’s range. The Marlins also finished second to last in runs (615), so getting players on base is also a need that must be filled.

Also, given that players with cost-effective salaries may be moving on from the free-agent market, does this change Miami’s strategy of keeping their payroll to a minimum if possible.

The front office appears to still be in the running to sign either Corey Dickerson, formally of the Phillies or Kole Calhoun of the Angels. Yes, it appears Yasiel Puig is still an option, but there has not been any movement on a possible addition.

Home/Marlins Rumors