The Miami Marlins are heading into an offseason that already had plenty of intrigue, and Friday only turned up the heat. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the club is willing to hear trade offers for breakout shortstop Otto Lopez and star second baseman Xavier Edwards, but only if the return is significant.
That creates an obvious opening for a team like the Boston Red Sox, who have the kind of need Miami can exploit. Boston is coming off another trip to the American League postseason as a wild-card team, only to get swept by the New York Yankees. It marked the second straight year the Yankees sent their rivals home in the playoffs, and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow now has major work to do.
The middle infield is one of the clearest places Boston can use help. Trevor Story is at shortstop for one more year, and Franklin Arias is in the organization as a possible long-term answer there, potentially as soon as 2027.
Second base, though, is a different story. Boston cycled through veterans all season because of injuries and never locked down an everyday option, and that kind of patchwork approach is hard to sell as a real plan for 2026.
If the Red Sox decide to make a serious run at Edwards, they do at least have one player who could help get the conversation started: Jarren Duran. Boston appears likely to move an outfielder this winter, and Duran looks like the most obvious candidate to be the odd man out.
He may not be the headline-grabber Miami would prefer, but he brings left-handed power and elite speed, and he can handle any of the three outfield spots. The Marlins’ outfield is young and full of uncertainty, so there is at least a fit there.
Miami would still be asking for more, and Breslow’s willingness to dig deeper into his remaining prospect pool would determine how far this could go. But with Edwards addressing a glaring need at second base, Boston is one team that could have the firepower to make Miami listen.
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Peter Bendix Just Put Miami's Next Step Under The Microscope
Peter Bendix did not hide his frustration after Miami came up short of the postseason, even as the organization pointed to real progress during the season. The Marlins president of baseball operations made it clear the gap between contending and settling for another finish near .500 is still there, and the next step has to be more than just incremental improvement.
Bendix pointed to three areas that need attention if the club is going to get back into the playoff race in 2027: sharper defense, cleaner baserunning and a more disciplined approach at the plate. The details matter here, because Miami is trying to turn a promising foundation into a more complete team, and the way it handles those small edges could decide whether the Marlins are again tracking with clubs like the Rays and Brewers or still stuck trying to close the gap. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Rotation Search Now Hinges On One Big Marlins Decision
The Astros are already being tied to a winter search for rotation help, and Sandy Alcantara is the kind of name that naturally jumps out. Houston wants more certainty behind Hunter Brown, and Jake Elman of FanSided floated the Miami ace as a possible fit, pointing to both the market and Alcantaras recent work as reasons the idea has real appeal.
For Miami, though, this is where the conversation gets complicated. Alcantara remains central to the Marlins longer-term hopes as they chase a path back toward contention in 2027, and any decision on him would have to balance immediate ambition against future value. The interest is there, but the bigger question is whether the Marlins would even entertain moving one of their most important pitchers. [Read more 🡒]