Looking at the 2024 Marlins, they should be fun to watch but questions remain

The Infield:

Luis Arraez, the 2023 NL Batting Champ, had a historic run in the regular season, batting .400 through the All-Star break. The back-to-back champion became the second player in MLB history to hold the batting title in both leagues. He will be the mainstay in Miami’s infield. 

Jake Burger, a former first-round pick, was a huge help to Miami, hitting .250 with 34 homers and a .828 OPS. Burger has four years remaining on his contract and won’t be a free agent until the 2028 season. 

After Jean Segura’s failed campaign, the Marlins acted accordingly and traded him to the Guardians and received Josh Bell. Bell, who is expected to exercise his player option, will return to first next year. Bell batted .270/.480/.818 for the Marlins after his slow start to the season. There’s no clear sign if Bell’s offensive production will continue in 2024. Bell will most likely be a DH, replacing Jorge Soler.

The next question is, who will be the starting shortstop in Miami? The Marlins have been seeking a shortstop for the next season. Joey Wendle will become a free agent at the end of the season and had a lackluster season in Miami. Utility player Jon Berti batted .294/.344/.748 and saw time in both the infield and the outfield. Trading someone with Berti’s slash line may seem farfetched, but it may help Miami to trade Berti for a veteran arm or a veteran slugging catcher to help the young rotation. 

The incoming front office should take a peek at free agency and consider signing another utility player in Kike Hernandez or Trevor Story. Hernandez's AAV would be around $6,000,000. The veteran utility man can split time at short with Garret Hampson. It should give enough time for Jacob Amaya to get at-bats in AAA before being called up. 

The Outfield: 

The Marlins outfielders’ bats were silent in the postseason, including the former cleanup hitter Bryan De La Cruz, who batted 1-for-6 in the Wild Card Series. De La Cruz has been on a steady decline after his rookie season. This year, he led the team in strikeouts with 142. Marlins would have to weigh his performance in spring training and move on from him. 

Jesus Sanchez and Garret Hampson finished with a 1.6 and 1.3 WAR, respectively. They will provide quality at-bats in the lower half of the lineup. Jazz Chisholm has been battling injuries the past two seasons and is due for a breakout year. The centerfielder underwent toe surgery earlier this month. He is expected to be out for three months before resuming regular baseball activities. When healthy, Jazz can provide good depth in the middle of the order. He finished the 2023 campaign with a 1.2 WAR. 

The Rotation:

With Alcantara out for the 2024 season and without knowing what a 37-year-old Johnny Cueto can bring to the table, the Marlins have to rely on a young rotation. There are two options for the Marlins when it comes to their rotation. They can either fill up their rotation with young arms or sign a low-AAV arm from the plethora of free agents. 

Jesus Luzardo had his best season yet, striking out a career-high 208 batters. The six-foot lefty has a great, commanding fastball and throws a devastating changeup to follow it up. He saw a career-best in wins and innings pitch. He will likely be the ace in the rotation next year.

The Bullpen:

Miami’s bullpen was utilized heavily during the season, tossing over 600 innings. The acquisition of David Roberston was important for the Marlins despite his less-than-successful outings. Robertson has streaky outings and can come back next year ready to reclaim his setup role. Matt Barnes was out for the 2023 season after he underwent surgery on his left hip. The Marlins do have some backend bullpen stars, such as Robertson, AJ Puk, and closer Tanner Scott. Scott was voted the National League Reliever of the Month for September/October.

Andrew Nardi was a workhorse out of the bullpen; he threw 57.1 innings and finished the year with a 2.67 ERA.  The rest of the bullpen is rounded with young stars such as 26-year-old Bryan Hoeing and George Soriano. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut on April 16. 

Despite losing Alcantara, Marlins fans should be optimistic for the 2024 season. Taking a look at other teams who lost their ace, such as the Texas Rangers, they were able to help fill DeGrom’s spot in the rotation. If Miami can trade or sign a veteran pitcher such as Lucas Giolito or maybe even Jack Flaherty, they should have a promising 2024 season.

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