3 Off-Season moves that the Miami Marlins should've made

2. HONESTY ABOUT THE PROCESS

The Miami Marlins have a history ripe with stadium controversies and sell-offs after championship seasons. The fanbase is wary and tired of constant disappointments. It's one thing for executives to be upfront and honest about every single move they make. That's not even legal or productive. Peter Bendix can't say who the team can afford, or why exactly this or that trade didn't work out. He can't say why a contract negotiation broke down, or how much he was willing to go up to in contract talks.

What he can do however (unless Bruce Sherman doesn't give him permission) is simply be transparent. Don't say nothing in a lot of words, be honest with the fanbase. If you thought that last season was a fluke and that you want to rebuild, say so! Just say something along the lines of "I don't believe that with the on-run record that we had, that this was a contending team. We want to take a year or two to rebuild the farm and identify key players to build around".

It's not hard to be transparent with the fanbase, just let the fans know what the overall strategy is. Let the fans in and that will receive a much better reception. It will also help us understand exactly what the future looks like, and can give us optimism that we badly need.

NEXT: AN OBVIOUS MISTAKE

1. THE JORGE SOLER QO

I will keep saying it, but not offering outgoing DH Jorge Soler a Qualifying Offer was a huge mistake. I just don't get the thinking. He's terrible defensively, doesn't hit well for contact, can't stay healthy or consistent... giving Jorge Soler a QO is just a plain stupid idea. Looking at you San Francisco Giants.

I don't like Jorge Soler on a multi-year deal. I expect him to get injured, be inconsistent and be stuck at the DH spot. Of course that's on a multi-year deal, on a one-year deal however... I expect him to be worth the risk. As they say "there's no bad one-year deals". Regardless, offering him a QO was a win-win.

Had Soler rejected the QO and signed somewhere, the Miami Marlins would've received a draft pick for him. Had he rejected it and then failed to sign anywhere, The Fish could've offered him a discounted team-friendly one-year deal. Had he accepted, he would've been worth the cost, unless Bruce Sherman really doesn't want to spend the $20.325 even on a one-year deal.

In the worst case scenario, it could've been possible to flip Jorge Soler for something of value if Sherman refused to pay his new salary. He was coming off of a 36 homer season and did end up signing a multi-year deal with San Francisco.

The Miami Marlins should be more transparent with the fanbase, should've offered Jorge Soler a Qualifying Offer and should've actually improved at catcher.