Two sides to the Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz coins for Miami Marlins

Well Miami Marlins fans, are you of the glass half-full or glass half-empty persuasion?

Or to put it more simply, just how much do you hate the New York Mets. For there's no question that the suffering that started with Miami eliminating them from the playoffs in the final weekend of the season has continued into the offseason for fans of the Metropolitans. Pete Alonso? Gone. Edwin Diaz? Not just gone, but a bleeping Dodger.

The Mets are worse today than they were a week ago. Should that hold, that's welcome news for Marlins fans hoping for a breakout year from the Fish. Even if the Mets do move quickly to add reinforcements, they are going to have a very hard time matching the level of talent that just left for greener pastures and/or contract offers. Indeed, it might be an impossible task- each player was the top option at their respective positions.

Better still, in the case of the Alonso to Baltimore news, it just might predispose the Orioles to make yet another trade with the Marlins. There's a lot to like for Miami in most of the trade permutations that make sense there, as Marlin Maniac and other outlets have touched on plenty of times this offseason.

However, for those of you thinking it's all coming up Marlins when it comes to that smoother road back to the postseason in 2026, you need to take a minute and look at the whole board.

Why? Because just like that, the second richest team in the majors just became a competitor for the two positions the Marlins have reportedly been most anxious to fill- first base and relief pitcher. Until now, the general consensus had always been that the Mets would retain one, if not both, of Alonso and Diaz. Put another way, the Mets were going after the big money options the Marlins were never even going to try to sign.

Now though? All that's left at first base are players the Marlins had been viewed as being able to afford, provided they were inclined to spend more money to stave off those revenue sharing grumbles from MLB. Relief pitcher still sports one elite candidate in Robert Suarez, but then quickly opens up to every closer option Marlins fans are hoping Peter Bendix decides to go after.

Which unfortunately means that one of Miami's top rivals can set the price on the market. Also, whereas the Marlins have been said to only be interested in offering one year deals, you can bet the Mets will be going to two as a matter of course. At least until they sign their first choices to fill the shoes left vacant by Alonso and Diaz.

Leaving the Marlins forced to settle for what's left.

Should Miami be committed to upgrading through trades, then there's likely little downside. And to be fair, at the end of the day, an opponent getting weaker is always better than an opponent getting stronger.

But if free agency was the path Miami was going to take to a deeper roster in 2026?

A rough few days for the Mets could well lead to a rough winter for Marlins fans.