The Yankees, Phillies, and Marlins are all staring at the offseason with clear shopping lists, and the early hot-stove chatter is already pointing them in specific directions.
Philadelphia’s need is the cleanest one: a left-handed setup arm. According to The Athletic, the Phillies want to add a southpaw who can handle higher-leverage work.
Tanner Banks and Tim Mayza are in the mix now, but both profile more as middle-innings lefties than true late-game weapons. At the moment, manager Don Mattingly’s late-inning group is all right-handed, with Jonathan Bowlan, Caleb Kilian, Jhoan Duran, and Alex McFarlane forming the current look.
There are options on the market if Philadelphia wants to go that route. Among the lefty relievers ranked in the top 50 free agents are Adrian Morejon at No.
2, JoJo Romero at No. 31, Alex Vesia at No. 35, and Kris Bubic at No.
- Morejon and Bubic could also have chances to start next season.
Other available left-handers include Tim Hill, A.J. MInter, Sean Newcomb, Steven Okert, AJ Puk, and Gregory Soto, who spent time with the Phillies before.
New York’s bullpen picture is even messier. The Yankees are expected to need almost a complete overhaul in relief, and the New York Daily News reports they have interest in bringing back setup man Paul Blackburn.
The club already tendered closer David Bednar the $23.15 million qualifying offer and appears likely to keep him, whether that comes on the QO or on a longer deal. Even so, the Yankees still need to strengthen the setup group around him.
Blackburn, ranked No. 33 on the free-agent board, was excellent for the Yankees in 2026, his first season working full-time out of the bullpen. It’s also a familiar pattern for New York: identify a reliever, get strong work out of him, then watch him leave and try to replace him with the next arm in line. Blackburn stepped into the role Luke Weaver had filled before him.
Miami’s priorities are broader. The Marlins want help in the rotation, the bullpen, and at a corner spot in the lineup, according to the Miami Herald. That corner bat could come at first base, third base, left field, or right field.
Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez are the only sure things in the rotation right now, though Max Meyer is expected back next season after missing time with a neck injury. Javier Sanoja, a Gold Glove finalist, held down third base well enough this year, but he still looks like a better fit as a do-everything utility piece.
In the corners, Miami has Owen Caissie, Griffin Conine, and Heriberto Hernández as outfield options, while Kyle Stowers shifted from the outfield to first base in 2026. There’s plenty for the Marlins to attack this winter.
In Other News...
Marlins Have A Clear Offseason Need Fans Can't Ignore
The Marlins are heading into the winter with a fairly clear shopping list, and it starts on the mound. Miami wants to add at least one external pitcher for the rotation and another for the bullpen, while also keeping an eye on an everyday bat at a corner spot in the infield or outfield. With the roster built around flexibility and a solid spine up the middle, the front office has room to target upgrades where the lineup and pitching staff need them most.
Payroll is part of what makes this an interesting offseason for Miami, since the club has relatively few guaranteed commitments and a projected payroll that leaves some room to maneuver. The bigger question is how aggressively the Marlins address the injury-related uncertainty on the roster, especially with several players coming off health issues and the possibility that some candidates could be moved off the books. For a team trying to take a step forward, the need for outside help feels hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Are Betting A New Hitting Voice Can Fix A Lingering Problem
Dillon Lawsons arrival gives the Marlins a fresh voice in the cage, and his first impressions line up with the kind of offense this roster has been trying to become. The new hitting coach has talked about building an attack around discipline, swing decisions and cleaner mechanics, while also leaning into the versatility already in the lineup. For a team that has spent plenty of time searching for a more reliable offensive identity, that kind of reset matters.
Lawson has also made it clear he does not see this group as a one-size-fits-all offense. Miami has enough speed and enough pop to create pressure in different ways, and the challenge now is turning that into something more consistent over a full season. The interesting part is how he plans to tailor the approach to individual hitters, because the Marlins next step may depend less on philosophy in the abstract and more on whether that philosophy actually unlocks more production from the roster they already have. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Still Have One Respect Problem Heading Into 2027
Miamis 2026 season did bring some signs of forward motion, even if the final record still landed below .500 at 80-82. The Marlins have at least kept a familiar anchor in Sandy Alcantara for 2027 by exercising his club option, and the organization is leaning on a young core that includes Otto Lopez and Eury Perez as it tries to keep climbing in the National League.
Peter Bendix has already acknowledged that the progress is real, but not nearly enough to change the broader perception around the club. For all the improvement, Miami is still trying to prove it belongs in a more respected tier, and 2027 now looks like another year where the Marlins will have to show that their step forward was the start of something more substantial. [Read more 🡒]