"Two years into the job, and President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix has already plucked more than his share of gems from the scrap heap. Yet Otto Lopez stands head and shoulders above the pack, having finished as the second best Marlins player WAR-wise for two years running. After spending 2024 as one the better defensive second basemen in the game, he spent most of 2025 being an equally adept defender at shortstop."
"At least, it is if they can get away with paying him money much more commensurate with a valuable utility option than an essential everyday player. He is 27 years old. Those 15 home runs probably represent a career high. He's not a free agent until 2030. His career OBP is just .312. The Marlins have shortstop prospects in their system they are high on."
Otto Lopez was claimed off waivers and has become one of the most valuable Marlins, finishing as the team’s second-best player by WAR for two consecutive seasons. He excelled defensively at second base in 2024 and at shortstop in 2025 while hitting a career-high 15 home runs, third on the team. Lopez is 27 and not free agent-eligible until 2030, with a modest .312 career OBP. The Marlins have shortstop prospects waiting, and Lopez’s versatility and measurable improvements (more barrels, harder contact, better launch and pull tendencies, lower strikeout rate) inform extension and roster decisions.
Read at Marlin Maniac
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