3 DH options for the Miami Marlins to replace Jorge Soler with

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The Miami Marlins are reportedly not interested in bringing back DH Jorge Soler. It looks a little bit weird the way it was all set up, with The Fish refusing to give him a QO. It's time to look ahead at who will actually be Soler's replacement. Who will Peter Bendix bring in as the new Designated Hitter, that is if he will even sign anyone at all. There's always a chance that a trade will take place instead, or even nothing...

Who can the Miami Marlins sign as the new Designated Hitter?

3. J.D. MARTINEZ

I wrote about JDM as a free agent target before and my points still stand. J.D. Martinez is from Miami and is of Cuban descent. It would be a homecoming for him and he would probably help boost attendance as well. He also has a strong bat and track record on top of all of that. The downside with him is of course the fact that he's limited to DH duties. It's not really a good idea to play him in the OF.

J.D. Martinez was worth 1.9 WAR in 2023 as he batted .271/.321/.572, with 33 home runs and 103 RBI, in 113 games and 432 AB. Throughout his career, the 36 year old is a .287/.350/.524 hitter. There is a market for him that the Miami Marlins may potentially be priced out of. I expect him to receive something along the lines of a 1 year/$20 million contract. If his market falls, or Peter Bendix is willing to spend on the right player on a short-term contract though...

NEXT: A VERSATILE DH

2. JUSTIN TURNER

Arguably a better option than J.D. Martinez is of course Justin Turner. Turner doesn't have to be limited to DH duties, as he can also play third base and first base. This means that the Miami Marlins can rest other starters and rotate players as the team sees fit. Turner was worth 2.1 WAR in 2023.

The 39 year old batted .276/.345/.455, with 23 home runs and 96 RBI, in 146 games and 558 AB in 2023. The age is definitely an issue and the demand for him might be a bit higher than for JDM. I do see him having to settle for a 1 year deal, at perhaps somewhere in the vicinity of $20 million as well. I just don't see him getting a multi-year deal at his age.

The same argument as for JDM applies here, it's unclear if the Miami Marlins will spend at the level that Turner will likely cost. The Fish were interested in him before (though under a different regime), so perhaps another attempt to bring him in will happen here. I do see it as a realistic possibility that Peter Bendix will look into this.

NEXT: THE MOST REALISTIC OPTION

3. JOEY GALLO

I know, I know that sounds like a terrible option for the Miami Marlins. That said, let's be realistic. Will the Miami Marlins actually outbid other teams for top of the market Designated Hitters? It's definitely realistic for Peter Bendix to give both J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner offers, but will some other team simply overpay? Will Bendix continue the Tampa Bay Rays strategy of trades and quiet signings that end up working out? My money is on the last two.

This brings me to Joey Gallo. Yes, he sounds terrible. The 1B/OF batted just .177/.301/.440, with 21 home runs and 40 RBI, in 111 games and 282 AB. The batting average has been terrible, but the 21 home runs in 282 AB is pretty impressive. He still had a very good 92.7 Exit Velocity and a high 41.4 FB%. He strikes out way too much however, with a 42.8% last season and a career 37.9%.

Joey Gallo has never hit well for average. He has a career .197 batting average. That said, he used to be a 40 home run hitter. He hit 41 in 2017, 40 in 2018 and 38 in 2021. If he can fix his strikeout issues, he may be quite useful in 2024. The best parts about him are his being 30 years old and the fact that he will likely be very cheap. 1 year/$8 million may well be enough to sign him.

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