3 Miami Marlins free agents and their chances of coming back

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This is part two to my previous article about Miami Marlins free agents and their chances of coming back. I'll ne analyzing the three remaining free agents and their chances of being re-signed by the team. Free agency is of course only a part of the process, as trades will be explored as well. Are you ready to start the list?

Three Miami Marlins free agents and their chances of being re-signed by the team.

3. RP MATT MOORE

I'll start the list with the last relief pitcher free agent who I will be discussing in this two-parter. Matt Moore didn't spend much time with the team, and was ineligible from pitching in the playoffs. That said, he provided the Miami Marlins with a 0.00 ERA/3.26 FIP, with 6.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in just 4 games and 4 innings pitched. Overall, between the Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Guardians and the Miami Marlins, the 34 year old lefty produced a 2.56 ERA/3.73 FIP, with 10.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9, in 50 games and 52.2 innings pitched.

What will Matt Moore be able to get on the open market? I'm thinking he can get 2 years and $5-6 million a year. It shouldn't be a prohibitive price for The Fish, if there's any interest in bringing him back. Considering we now have Peter Bendix in charge instead of Kim Ng (who acquired Moore), it's hard to say what the interest will be. My guess is that it could go either way at this point.

NEXT: A MIDDLE INFIELDER...

2. SS JOEY WENDLE

The Miami Marlins will be looking for help at SS. What about the player who was supposed to be The Fish's starting SS this season? I'm of course talking about Joey Wendle, who batted .212/.248/.306, with 2 home runs and 20 RBI, in 112 games and 297 AB. He was worth a dreadful -0.2 WAR for the season.

Joey Wendle does have a decent enough track record. He's a career .263/.312/.386 hitter, usually praised for his good defense. Good defense is key for SS, but a bad bat on a team that needs hitting help....that dos not work particularly well.

The Miami Marlins could be willing to downgrade defensively at SS, in order to improve offensively there instead. That could very well be the team's plan this off-season. It's interesting to point out that Peter Bendix used to be with the Tampa Bay Rays, Wendle's former team as well. Will that affect his return to the team?

Joey Wendle is likely looking at a 1 or 2 year deal, at several millions of dollars a year. He could also just focus on one year deals to try and raise his value. Just like with Matt Moore, it's hard to say what The Fish's interest in him will be, but I'm under the impression that the team will just move on based on his poor production in 2023.

NEXT: A FIRST BASEMAN...

1. 1B YULI GURRIEL

The Miami Marlins have another free agent and that is bench player Yuli Gurriel. He batted .245/.304/.359, with 4 home runs and 27 RBI, in 108 games and 298 AB. That was not a very good performance to be honest. He was wort -0.5 WAR for that effort. That obviously does not sound like the production that The Fish should be getting from the bench.

Yuli Gurriel is 39 years old and has batted .242/.288/.360, with 8 home runs and 53 RBI, in 146 games and 545 AB. That's two seasons of poor performances. He was worth -0.3 WAR for that production last season. It doesn't seem likely as if he will ever hit like he did in his prime again. Being a first baseman, he also doesn't offer much defensive versatility to be kept on the bench.

Is there really a point for the Miami Marlins to even re-sign Yuli Gurriel? I don't see it at all. I don't see Peter Bendix seeing it either. There's really no room for him to start, with first base locked up with Josh Bell. In the event that Bell moves to DH, Luis Arraez would be the one taking over first base. Yuli Gurriel is more likely to retire then sign with any team at this point, and if he does he might have to settle for a Minor League Deal. It won't be with the Miami Marlins.

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