Getting late fast for Miami Marlins hopes to add late-inning help in free agency

In some ways, what has happened at relief pitcher so far in MLB free agency was probably the Miami Marlins plan all along heading into the offseason.

Names have been flying off the board when it comes to late-inning relief help the past couple weeks, with a flurry of moves in the last few days. Unlikely to beat many clubs in a bidding war, especially other teams trying to win now, it's easy to see a world in which the Marlins approach was going to be just to take what was left at the position, and make the reasonable assumption that it would be an improvement on Miami's back of the bullpen adventures last season. It's been speculated that essentially is the team's plan at first base- let teams lineup to fight over the top of market names like Pete Alonso and Josh Naylor, and move in to pounce on a second tier option.

It's a smart strategy for a small-market team with multiple holes like the Marlins, one that was getting less than league average production from multiple spots on the 26-man roster. Not every free-agent signing needs to be for an All-Star to feel like an All-Star impact- it just has to be a big improvement on what you did the year before.

Unfortunately for the Marlins, it isn't the big names at relief pitcher like Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez that have been signing. It's been all those second tier options they were viewed as having a reasonable chance of being able to afford. Ryan Helsley, Rasiel Iglesias, and now Devin Williams have all signed. The Blue Jays have been linked to Pete Fairbanks.

So all of a sudden, there is real pressure on the Marlins front office to deliver on the closest thing they have made to a promise to their fans this offseason. Extend a young star? Plenty of time to do that, and plenty of options to choose from. Add some thump at first base? Everyone but Josh Naylor is still available on the open market, and the possibility of a trade expands the list of options even further.

But adding proven, late-inning help to solidify the bullpen? Something that will fire up the fanbase?

It might be down to just two names- Fairbanks and Kyle Finnegan.

Which puts the Marlins just one signing away from losing a ton of leverage at the negotiating table. Seeing as how President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix is too smart to overpay for an old relief pitcher in December, that knocks Miami down to third-tier options, and maybe just settling for finding a better left-handed middle reliever. Useful, but not what was promised. Unlikely to elevate them to being a real contender for a postseason spot.

Having a team president smart enough to show that restraint isn't a bad thing by any means, by the way. Yet when it's the position Marlins fans were most confident in seeing addressed this winter, it's going to leave some fans feeling quite antsy until a deal is struck.

And if a deal isn't struck? That feeling of antsiness could continue every time the Marlins closer takes the mound next season.