Miami Marlins missed out on two relievers

The Miami Marlins improved the bullpen in a major trade over the weekend. I talked about relief pitchers that the Miami Marlins needed to pursue, but two of those relievers ended up signing elsewhere. Andrew Chafin signed a 1 year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks for $5.5 million with a club option for $7.25 million. Alex Reyes signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 1 year $1.1 million. I was hoping that The Fish would sign Reyes especially. but it wasn't meant to be (despite even Sandy Alcantara liking my tweet about it on Twitter).

Miami Marlins missed out on two relief pitchers.

Should the Miami Marlins have signed Andrew Chafin or Alex Reyes? Chafin definitely didn't come with a discount, the 32 year old pitched from 2014 to 2020 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the full seasons from 2014 to 2019, he pitched to a 3.57 ERA/3.18 FIP with 9.4 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 326 games and 265.0 innings pitched. He split 2020 with Arizona and the Chicago Cubs. With Arizona, he had an 8.10 ERA/3.94 FIP with 13.5 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9. With Chicago, he pitched to a 3.00 ERA/6.52 FIP with 9.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.

Chafin split 2021 between Chicago and the Oakland Athletics, pitching to a 1.83 ERA/2.98 FIP with 8.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 71 games and 68.2 innings pitched. In 2022, Chafin move don to the Detroit Tigers and delivered a 2,83 ERA/3.06 FIP with 10.5 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 64 games and 57.1 innings pitched. $5.5 million per year is fair for him, as well as a $7.25 million option, but he's going to be 33 this upcoming season and it isn't a bargain deal. I can see the logic in not signing him to that deal, considering the volatility of relievers.

Alex Reyes proves the volatility issue single-handedly with his health issues where he only pitched in 101 games and 72.1 innings since 2016. Reyes's only significantly productive season had been in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had a 3.24 ERA/4.40 FIP with 11.8 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 in 69 games and 72.1 innings pitched. The walk rate and FIP were very unimpressive and he was unable to pitch due to injury at all in 2022. Still, the deal he signed was so small that it's weird that Kim Ng didn't beat it (or did she and he just chose LA?).

I wish that the Miami Marlins signed Alex Reyes or Andrew Chafin to deepen the bullpen, but Chafin's age and price are too high and Reyes's health makes missing out on him less of an issue.