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

The Fish will regret not signing these players this season

J.D. Martinez
J.D. Martinez | Ronald Martinez/GettyImages
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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.

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