No more excuses for Bruce Sherman’s Miami Marlins

Neil Raymond

KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 21: Carlos Correa #4 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the Kansas City Royals on May 21, 2022 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)

It’s official, small-market teams are ready to spend. The Minnesota Twins are serious about retaining SS Carlos Correa and the Tampa Bay Rays are pursuing CF Brandon Nimmo. The Miami Marlins can afford to land a top player. That’s a fact proven by looking into the team’s financial situation. If a big market Miami team can’t afford players that small market teams can, something is very wrong.

The Miami Marlins must be in on the top talent this off-season.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Minnesota Twins have never typically been players for the top free agents. These small-market teams have always built through the farm and trade, but since last season’s shocking signing of Carlos Correa it seems that they’re real players for… well the top players. Tampa Bay’s sudden interest in spending money on top free agents is pretty shocking as well.

If the Minnesota Twins sign Correa, or if the Tampa Bay Rays sign a $100 million free agent, how will that make the Miami Marlins look? Imagine if Bruce Sherman and Kim Ng don’t sign any top free agents or even bid on them? How will that be acceptable? What will be their excuse? What happens if those teams are in the playoffs due in part to their signings, while we again miss the playoffs while players who could’ve helped us play on other teams. Carlos Correa is at the top of that list.

It’s clear to anyone following or watching the Miami Marlins that we need hitting help. Correa wouke not only give us a good bat but great defense. There are other players that we need and should be able to sign. If we’re not in on them, then again what is the excuse? It can be excused if The Fish land some bats via trade of course, but what if we don’t? What if no difference-making trade takes place? Then what? Will we end up putting our hopes on reclamation projects and other cheap signings?

The game has changed. Small market teams are now looking to spend big money and the Miami Marlins can’t sit back and do nothing. Bruce Sherman needs to either prove that he’s the right person for ownership or give the fans someone who is by selling the team.

Neil Raymond

Neil Raymond has been a lifelong Miami Marlins fan, with the 2003 playoff run being one of his favorite childhood memories. Neil has been called a "walking encyclopedia" for his knowledge of MLB statistics and the sport's history. He follows every game and actually invented his own statistic for player value on his side project BaseballAnalyzed.com. Writing for Fansided's Marlin Maniac since 2022, he also loves Fantasy Baseball and as such is an FSWA member. Neil also loves to travel, read and follow "Futbol" teams: Germany, Argentina, Greece, Inter Miami, Bayern Munich and NYC FC.