Miami Marlins fans have been livid after another trade. A trade that many didn't like at all. I personally was quite surprised that it happened too, but ultimately accepted that Jake Burger had to go. The slugger may have been good at hitting home runs, but he was still just a 0.5 WAR player in 2024. That's significantly below average. That said, we need transparency.
Miami Marlins management needs to be honest with the fans.
What's the window of contention? This is a question that many of us Miami Marlins fans have, and the answer needs to be provided as soon as possible. How long do we have to wait before we can reasonably expect our Fish to compete for the playoffs again? The 2023 season saw the team make a surprise run, but the lousy Pythagorean win-loss projection due to the run differential, and the team just barely getting in, wasn't fun. That said, the bar for getting into the playoffs has lowered with the third Wild Card team in each league.
Why can't Peter Bendix and Bruce Sherman just tell us when the team will be able to win again? We need to know when that timeline is, so we can better plan our expectations and not get upset over every trade. Right now the plan seems to be to rebuild the farm and improve the on-field product for the long-term. Coming from the Tampa Bay Rays, I respect Bendix's vision and trust that he knows what he's doing.
I would like to know what the plan for contention is however. I would bet that all of us do. I understand that they may worry about how it affects attendance, but outrage over moves that many don't understand isn't helping. I get the Jake Burger trade, but a lot of fans don't, and the lack of transparaency isn't helping. Just be honest with us, and that will go a long way for the struggling fanbase to accept the team's expectations. Transparency shouldn't be hard and it's time for the Miami Marlins to do it for the fans.