If the Marlins want to stop living on the margins and start looking like a real October threat, the blueprint is sitting right in front of them. The Brewers showed what a low-payroll club can do when the roster is built with purpose, especially in the bullpen.
That’s where Miami has to start. The Marlins’ relief work was far too shaky over the course of the season, and that kind of inconsistency will wreck any team’s hopes of climbing into World Series contention. Milwaukee, by contrast, leaned hard on its bullpen and reaped the reward in the postseason.
Aaron Ashby was the clearest example. He was flat-out untouchable during the playoff run, working 18 innings with 20 strikeouts.
He gave up five hits and three walks, but he never allowed a run. The Padres, Dodgers, and Rays couldn’t solve him, and that’s the kind of weapon Miami needs when the game tightens up.
The Marlins need a reliever who can handle those high-pressure moments.
Right now, the closest thing they had to a difference-maker in that role was Pete Fairbanks, but he didn’t become that impact arm. Miami still needs both a setup man and a shutdown closer. Ronny Henriquez could be part of the answer, but after a season-ending elbow injury, the Marlins have to wait and see what comes next.
The other obvious gap is in the lineup. Miami has contact hitters who can put the ball in play and keep things moving, but it still lacks a true power bat. That’s another piece the front office has to chase this offseason.
Xavier Edwards, Kyle Stowers, and Joe Mack are useful pieces, but they aren’t in the same class as Brice Turang, Jackson Chuorio, and William Contreras. Mack taking a step forward offensively would help.
Edwards and Stowers, meanwhile, need to stay healthy and produce more consistently across a full season. Durability has become a real issue for that group.
The Marlins won 80 games, and the sense here is that more was there for the taking. A healthier roster and a bullpen you can actually trust might have pushed them further.
If Miami is serious about getting to the top, this winter can’t be about standing still. It may take a trade, or it may take spending money, but the roster needs a steady reliever and a legitimate power hitter.