Why The Miami Marlins Need To Pursue Spencer Turnbull

The Miami Marlins may well have as much interest in winning games in 2025 as they do a South Florida popularity contest. Yet that doesn’t mean they aren’t in desperate need of some starting pitching help. 

Enter Spencer Ketcham Turnbull. 

And not just because it’d be hard to think of a more perfect middle name for a baseball player. Although, after the galling trade of Jake Burger earlier this offseason, the pickings are slim for Miami Marlins promotions based on player names. Spencer Turnbull might warrant further discussion for this reason alone...

Anyway, there are plenty of far more practical reasons for the Miami Marlins to pull the trigger on the man who came in No. 50 on MLB Trade Rumors Free Agent Rankings. Turnbull would represent a low risk, modest reward signing that could check multiple boxes for the Marlins in 2025.

For starters, the Miami Marlins need starters. Between the trade of Jesus Luzardo and Braxton Garrett's surgery, a team already thin on MLB ready starting pitchers entering the offseason has only gone on to lose two more of those in the last few weeks. Turnbull is a warm, inexpensive body that could step into the Marlins rotation right now and arguably do so closer to the top of that rotation than the bottom of it.

Of course, wins and losses are secondary considerations for Miami this year, if indeed they are even being considered at all. However, there are multiple other reasons to go with Turnbull over less proven options.

The first of those would be money. The fact that Turnbull remains unsigned likely indicates he isn't in danger of being as overpaid as much as some of the other free agent starting pitchers added across MLB so far this offseason, and that there is appropriate concern about his injury history. As the breakdown in that aforementioned MLB Trade Rumors rankings shows, it's a rich text. Just last year he lost half a season. What's worse, his career high in IP is only 148.1...and that was the only time he even cleared 60.

So Turnbull is not going to break the bank. Yet he will still cost millions to sign, which might actually be a bonus. The Marlins are currently in real danger of running afoul of MLB revenue sharing rules. Some kind of token signing will be needed, and Turnbull could fill that need.

For another, if he manages to stay healthy, Turnbull can be relied upon to capably fill innings. Three of his last four seasons have seen him produce an ERA under 4.00. That's a lot more reliability than a career minor leaguer is going to provide. The Marlins burned through a ton of pitchers last season, and having someone consistently take the ball for five or six innings every start will reduce the strain on Miami's younger pitchers and the bullpen. That allows more time for pitchers Miami has more invested in to develop in the minors, and helps reduce the injury risk for arms already on the MLB roster.

Finally, if Turnbull does actually go forth to produce as well as he has when he's been at his best, the Marlins are going to be able to flip him at the trade deadline for a prospect or two when the contenders come calling. This approach of essentially paying for a prospect is one Miami should do more of, particularly when they have so little capital invested in player payroll.

Bottom-line, the Miami Marlins really have nothing to lose and plenty to gain by spending on really any veteran starting pitcher with upside. Yet in at least one blogger's humble opinion, Spencer Turnbull represents the perfect blend of affordability and talent for Miami to realistically take a chance on.