Marlins cannot take their foot off accelerator just yet

If the Miami Marlins are still in the market for hitters this off-season, there are still a few puzzle pieces they could fit into this year’s plan.

The last thing Miami Marlins fans want to see is the front office lose some of this momentum it looks to have now that players are being added to the 26-man roster. After the news of Corey Dickerson coming to South Florida, it was nice to look at the current situation in South Florida and exhale rather than turning to worry and despair.

The move to bring Dickerson in had as much to do with fear of being left out of the crowd of MLB teams adding more punch to their rosters as it was finding another outfielder who could swing for the fences and produce runs.

While it seems the team struck out in trying to land Yasiel Puig for whatever reason, bringing in Corey Dickerson is a pretty good second option. And with a little luck, there could be other players who are added prior to spring training. Just like last year, the Marlins should be able to acquire a veteran or two at a bargain-basement price.

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What the Marlins front office will do next is anyone’s guess, but taking the foot off the accelerator is not something I would advise. The National League East may be the toughest division in baseball next season. Each team has made moves to hopefully improve their position in the standings as well and as we all know, the 2019 World Series title resides in the nation’s capital.

The Marlins have answered a few other questions at other positions of need. The Marlins will open the season with a new third baseman in Jonathan Villar. Jesus Aguilar will take over at first base. Dickerson figures to be in left field. There is a backup catcher in Francisco Cervelli. And Matt Kemp could be one of the better free agents the Marlins have signed in a while.

Like I have stated before, the Marlins chess moves weren’t dramatic, but impactful enough to change the direction of the team, even if moving the needle slightly.

Now the focus shifts back to the bullpen and possible depth as well as a closer is still missing from the staff. A trade, or two, could happen closer to the start of Spring Training. There is still plenty of players in the minors who could make a statement in camp, which proves Derek Jeter was right in developing from the foundation up.

As my colleague Kevin Kraczkowski of Marlin Manic pointed out, there are 11 relievers on the 40-man roster, but eight or nine may make the team’s Opening Day lineup. This next phase of the offseason should be as interesting as the past couple of weeks.