Miami Marlins: Fish Should add a Big Bat in Free Agency

The Miami Marlins took a step back this year. Currently sitting in the basement of the division being 23 games back from .500 at 51-74, the Marlins largest issue has been how ineffective they have been at the plate.

Miami is ranked 27th as a team with a .682 OPS. This season is out of reach at this point so logically, the organization should be looking ahead to the offseason to see the moves and additions that can be made to help improve the club.

What bats should the Miami Marlins target in the offseason?

One player hitting free agency that could be an option is current Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, but an arguably more-intriguing option would be current Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos.

Castellanos is the most-intriguing as the 29-year-old slugger has the option to opt-out of his contract with the Cincinnati Reds after this season. For the season, Castellanos is currently slashing .319/.377/.568 with 22 HR’s.

The Marlins did get Jesus Sanchez back into the lineup recently, but have been playing Jorge Alfaro in LF for most of August. Adding an outfielder during the offseason would be prudent for the Fish.

While it’s currently unknown as to if Castellanos would even opt-out, adding an outfielder the caliber of Castellanos would be a win. Castellanos was born in Hialeah, and was committed to playing for the University of Miami before being drafted in 2010 No. 44 overall by the Detroit Tigers.

Miami does not spend often on players in free agency, and this ownership group has not made any splashy offseason acquisitions.

This market is in dire need of a winner, and the key ingredient missing is offense. Tip of the hat to the farm system and coaches developing great pitchers, but having great pitchers alone does not guarantee a spot in playoffs for a chance to make a World Series run.

This ownership group needs to loosen the grip they have on the purse strings if they are serious about building a contender.  They just had a great draft in 2021, but some of the development timelines for those prospects may not align with the current pitching staff we have.

Adding a hometown kid like Castellanos who is well respected in the clubhouse and has a career .809 OPS would be a slam dunk of a move for this team this coming offseason.