The Miami Marlins don’t need to overthink this deadline. Their needs are staring them right in the face.
At the All-Star break, Miami sits four games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and one game ahead of the final Wild Card spot. That puts the Marlins in the thick of it, but also leaves no room for half-measures if they want the second half to look anything like the first 97 games.
The biggest issue is the rotation behind the top end. Max Meyer, Eury Perez, and Sandy Alcantara have carried the load at different points, while Janson Junk has returned and flashed well at times. Tyler Phillips has made the move from the bullpen, but his 4.91 ERA as a starter shows the drop-off that comes after the first few arms.
That drop-off is steep. Thomas White and Robby Snelling are out for the rest of the season, taking away two pitchers Miami had counted on for help down the stretch. The Triple-A options haven’t offered much relief either, with four of the top five starters for the Jumbo Shrimp carrying ERAs above five, aside from Braxton Garrett.
Garrett is the one name worth watching. The 28-year-old left-hander struggled in his two starts for Miami earlier this season, but he has been excellent in Jacksonville, posting a 1.54 ERA across 13 starts and allowing only two earned runs in six minor league starts since June 1.
Even if the Marlins only add a veteran or two, pitching depth has to be part of the plan. Injuries have already hit the staff too often for Miami to treat that as anything but a priority.
The outfield needs attention too, and it has needed it for most of the year. The two regulars in center and right field have combined for a -0.2 bWAR and a pile of strikeouts, while Heriberto Hernandez has logged the most time in left but hasn’t been steady enough.
Miami does have one intriguing name in the minors. Kemp Alderman has been the best bet in Jacksonville to help at the major league level this season, thanks to an .885 OPS and 13 home runs in 58 games. Still, he has yet to get the call, likely because he has only a season and a half of experience above A+ ball and this is his first year in Jacksonville.
Whether Alderman arrives later or not, the Marlins still need more from the outfield. The defense has been passable, but the offense has been too quiet. Kyle Stowers has picked things up lately, and that has helped, but Miami needs more production out there if it wants to stay in the race.
In Other News...
Marlins Are Running Out Of Reasons To Ignore This Bullpen Answer
The Marlins have spent enough time patching together their bullpen to know the issue is not going away on its own. Injuries have thinned the relief corps and pushed the front office toward outside-the-box solutions, but one of the cleaner answers is already in the organization: Jack Ralston, the right-hander at Triple-A Jacksonville who has put together a strong enough run to make the conversation unavoidable.
Ralstons case is not just about depth, either. Miami may need to clear a 40-man roster spot before the trade deadline to get him into the mix, which turns a straightforward promotion into a small roster puzzle. The club has several possible ways to create room, and with the bullpen still needing help, the next move could say as much about the Marlins urgency as it does about Ralstons rise. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Cannot Afford To Blow This Rare Deadline Opportunity
With the Marlins hanging around the National League Wild Card race, this is one of those rare deadlines where the front office can think bigger than simply deciding whether to sell. Miami has every reason to treat August 3 as a chance to sharpen the roster, not strip it down, and that makes the next move especially important for a club trying to prove its place in the race.
Sandy Alcantara sits at the center of that calculation, because his season has given Miami something it has lacked in recent years: a frontline arm performing like one. He is under contract at a significant salary this year and still carries a club option for 2027, which only adds to the value of keeping him in place while the Marlins try to add the right pieces around him. [Read more 🡒]