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

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It was a disappointing off-season for the Miami Marlins. Some publications went as far as to give the team an "F" rating. It begs the question of what should The Fish have done? With the season, the way it's going, it's definitely possible to now make some assessments. Some decisions obviously stand out, others may not have been as obvious, though I've seen them coming. What are the three decisions that The Fish should've made?

The three moves that the Miami Marlins should've made in the off-season?

3. ACQUIRE A REAL CATCHER

Christian Bethancourt has been The Fish's main acquisition to improve at catcher. Yes, the guy who can't even reach the Mendoza Line. Bethancourt has easily been one of the worst hitters in the Major Leagues. His defense is really nothing special either. The fact that he was the solution for the position appears to be on the verge of being seen as insane.

Why couldn't Peter Bendix trade for the St. Louis Cardinals' Ivan Herrera? The top prospect was blocked from the Major League team by Willson Contreras. I doubt that St. Louis have much interest in playing Contreras and his salary at DH. This means that Herrera is blocked and it would just make too much sense for St. Louis to use him to acquire some badly needed starting pitching help.

Couldn't the Miami Marlins have at least tried for ANYONE better than Bethancourt? Joey Bart was available too. There really should've been some better acquisition than Christian Bethancourt.

NEXT: TRANSPARENCY MATTERS

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.

Next. Peter Bendix may not be trustworthy. Peter Bendix may not be trustworthy. dark

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The three moves that the Miami Marlins should've made in the off-season?

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