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.