3 Players the Miami Marlins will wish were signed when the season starts

2. BULLPEN ARMS

The Miami Marlins are moving A.J. Puk into the rotation for the upcoming season. This may pay dividends in the rotation, but it thins out the bullpen some more. How did The Fish replace Puk in the bullpen? Well....with Minor League signings.

What about signing some experienced arms to help strengthen the bullpen? The Seattle Mariners signed Ryne Stanek for 1 year/$4 million. Why couldn't The Fish have signed him instead? Stanek had a 1.15 ERA/3.02 FIP, with 10.2 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9, in 59 games and 54.2 innings pitched. He wasn't as good in 2023, but still produced a 4.09 ERA/4.60 FIP, with 9.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 55 games and 50.2 innings pitched.

That wasn't the only signing that could've been made. What about Emilio Pagan? Pagan is coming off of a 2.99 ERA/3.27 FIP, with 8.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 66 games and 69.1 innings pitched, with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. He received an affordable 2 year/$16 million deal from Cincinnati, though potentially overpriced.

What about John Brebbia? He was signed by the Chicago White Sox for just 1 year/$4 million. He had a 3.99 ERA/3.93 FIP, with 11.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 40 games and 38.1 innings pitched for the San Francisco Giants. In 2022, he produced a 3.18 ERA/3.32 FIP, with 7.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 76 games and 68.0 innings pitched. Why didn't The Fish add some bullpen help?

NEXT: THE BIGGEST MISS OF ALL

1. DH J.D. MARTINEZ

The biggest potential loss is of course this one. I'm still holding out hope that the Miami Marlins end up signing him, but it just doesn't seem very likely at the moment. This is frustrating as Martinez is a Cuban-American from Miami and it would be a perfect homecoming for the slugger. He would also be a perfect direct replacement at DH for outgoing Jorge Soler.

It's such a perfect fit that it's really sad to see that it might not happen at all. The holding point seems to be Martinez wanting a 2-year deal and/or a $20 million annual salary. I don't see any team giving him two years at the moment based on age (he will be 37 this year), so he will ultimately most likely have to settle for one anyway.

Will any team pay J.D. Martinez close to $20 million on a one-year deal? I don't really see that either. At some point his contract expectations will have to come down and match what's available out there. It's at that pont that the Miami Marlins should come in. Of course, it doesn't look likely, which is why watching Martinez sign an affordable deal and rake elsewhere is going to be heartbreaking.

Losing a perfect replacement and even upgrade over Jorge Soler is going to sting. This will be the most regretful non-signing for the Miami Marlins this off-season.