Miami Marlins must get to a point where they can get those one-year wonders

"Now, none of this is to say that every penny the Miami Marlins have put into their off-the-field infrastructure the past few years hasn't been essential. If you don't have the resources to buy your way out of trouble in free agency, and to afford to be able to swing and miss on a big contract, you need to be really good at making sure you maximize the talent you do have. Drafting and developing the best you can, not just cutting the biggest check."

"Luis Arraez. Nick Castellanos. Ty France. Munetaka Murakami. Ryan O'Hearn. Eugenio Suarez. Nearly all of them took way less than expected heading into the offseason, with only France's contract being truly as low as anticipated. How much better would Marlins fans feel about their already promising roster with just one more of these proven bats helping to fill out the order as opposed to say, Christopher Morel?"

"As mentioned in a piece the other day, part of Miami's decisions in this department this winter come down to really believing they can squeeze more value out of what they have than some of these names mentioned above. Yet part of that calculus is about the dollar amount attached to those names, and how Marlins prices just aren't the same as the prices other clubs get to pay for these short-term players looking to prove themselves."

Miami has prioritized substantial off-field investment while maintaining a constrained MLB payroll. Limited free-agent spending forces reliance on drafting and player development to maximize existing talent rather than buying established players. Numerous above-average short-term bats signed lower-cost deals elsewhere, leaving fans frustrated as proven hitters join other clubs. The roster would benefit noticeably from adding one such bat instead of internal replacements. Miami's decision calculus balances belief in extracting more value from current players against the reality that Marlins payroll offers do not match other teams for one-year, prove-it contracts. The team targets lower-cost reclamation signings rather than costly short-term gambles.

Read at Marlin Maniac