Three Creative Ways the Marlins Could Add to Their Payroll
The Fish still need to add quite a bit to their 2025 payroll, lest they end up in hot water with the MLBPA.
After a 2024 season that saw three of its members reach the postseason, the NL East looks like it will be a murderer’s row again in 2025. The Mets, Braves, and Phillies should once again be formidable, while the Nationals have a good chance of looking much improved on the backs of their young core.
And then there are the Marlins. A year after being one game away from finishing with the worst record in the National League (the Rockies ultimately took that “honor”), Miami is widely expected to finish last in the division once again.
The Marlins didn’t exactly do much this offseason in an effort to put themselves back into contention. A trade for former top-10 Cubs prospect Matt Mervis and a short contract for free agent starting pitcher Cal Quantrill were the only major moves they made.
But with teams already playing spring training games and getting ready for the season, the Marlins likely still have some moves ahead of them. That is because teams that receive revenue sharing, like Miami, are to spend at least 1.5 times the amount of the revenue sharing money that they receive, otherwise they can have a grievance filed against them by the MLB Players Association.
The A’s found themselves in this situation earlier this offseason and eventually started spending. The Marlins have to hit approximately $105 million in total payroll to reach the same goal but are only projected at about $70 million per RosterResource.
Should the Marlins decide to make a trade or two to increase payroll, they’re at least in a position to do so. Miami’s prospect depth has improved quite a bit recently, giving them the prospect capital to make roster moves.
So, what creative moves could the team potentially make to avoid a bad situation with the player’s union?
1. Trade for Yankees Starter Marcus Stroman
In his first year in Yankee pinstripes, veteran MLB starting pitcher Marcus Stroman had a down year for his standards but was still serviceable. He pitched in 30 games (29 starts) and went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.468 WHIP, his highest marks since 2018.
That regression, as well as the offseason signing of two-time All-Star Max Fried, has Stroman currently projected to be bumped from the rotation in 2025. That’s a move that the former 22nd overall pick has no interest in.
Stroman didn’t initially report to Yankees camp right away but has since joined his teammates. His desire for a starting role hasn’t changed, though. “I won’t pitch in the bullpen. I’m a starter,” he stated, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN.
Stroman’s contract pays him $18.5 million this year and the same in 2026 if he pitches 140 innings this season, so it’s not like New York can just easily ship him to another team. But what if that team were the Marlins?
Miami is relying on a lot of youth in the rotation behind ace Sandy Alcantara, and a veteran arm would give them more stability. The move wouldn’t singlehandedly get the Marlins to their target payroll, but it would eat up about half of the gap.
2. Trade for Diamondbacks Starter Jordan Montgomery
Ok, so maybe the Marlins don’t want to bring in someone who they also have to commit to paying in 2026 as well. That’s understandable. So then how about trading for a starter who would only be on the books for 2025 and would close more of that payroll gap?
Jordan Montgomery of the Diamondbacks would perfectly check both of those boxes. The 32-year-old reached the required number of starts in 2025 for his $22.5 million player option to vest, but he will be a free agent after the coming season.
After hitting free agency for the first time in his career, Montgomery signed a shorter deal with the Diamondbacks for the 2024 season. Unfortunately, he went on to have the worst season of his career by far, as he posted a 6.23 ERA and 1.650 WHIP.
Prior to that, though, he had two of his best seasons, going 19-17 in 64 starts for three different teams and pitching to a 3.34 ERA and 1.144 WHIP. His 7.1 fWAR across the 2022-23 seasons was 19th best among all MLB pitchers over that span.
Montgomery’s name has popped up in trade rumors over the offseason, and with the acquisition of former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, Arizona could get by without him. He could actually be a perfect target for a team like Miami, for whom he could serve multiple purposes.
3. Trade for Mets Outfielder Starling Marte
It’s highly unlikely that the Marlins would trade for two starting pitchers just to meet their payroll goal, so the odds are that they would need to target a position player as well. A reunion with an old member of the Marlins roster could help finish the job.
At 36 years old, outfielder Starling Marte is entering the final season of the four-year deal he signed with the Mets back in 2021. That final year will pay the 13-year MLB veteran $20.75 million.
Even that contract is almost a figurative drop in the bucket for a team like the Mets and billionaire owner Steve Cohen. But even for a team with the resources that New York has, that’s a lot of money to pay a player who is set to be a backup in 2025.
Marte started in 88 of the 94 games he played for the Mets last year. But, New York signed Juan Soto and traded for Jose Siri this offseason, and they will join Brandon Nimmo in the team’s outfield. The Mets also still have Tyrone Taylor on their bench, who can provide excellent defense at multiple outfield positions at much less of a cost.
Even at his age, Marte held his own on offense last year, hitting .269 with a .715 OPS. It’s also not as though the Marlins are projected to be overly deep in the outfield. Marte could help make that outfield deeper while also serving as a mentor to the team’s many young players.
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Matt Carroll is a writer for Just Baseball and former site expert at Reviewing the Brew. He studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and currently…