2023-2024 Offseason Thread

[lou]

I agree that post Free Agency signings we will move down

https://x.com/codifybaseball/status/...5F6k6qnReU4cyQ

Oh yea that's the rub. Marlins will be 17th-22nd by spring training absent the moves we want them to make (excluding Lee).

[sports24/7]

I feel like we could make a Lee madlibs.

[lou]

Bruce Sherman doesn’t have a $700m net worth by all accounts

[Namaste]

Sounds like he’s getting the $700 million over the span of like 25 years so it’s all magic money. I’m happy for Ohtani. Unicorns will get unicorn money.

[fauowls44]

Marlins are acquiring Christian Bethancourt from Cleveland. Don’t know the return yet but can’t be too much. Good throwing catcher…better offensively than Stallings. 2 seasons of control left. As long as they didn’t give up much, I’m OK with it. Bendix certainly sticking with what he knows so far. Need to go get a SS and DH now…

[sports24/7]

If this is it at catcher, and it probably is, I don’t know that I love this. I get good catchers are tough to find, but at least maybe try and get an unproven one with some upside. I supposed this could still make sense with Garver.

[fauowls44]

My guess is that probably are hoping Fortes is closer to what he did in 2022 than 2023. If that’s the case, a Bethancourt/Fortes combo is a decent enough pairing to be an upgrade. They also save about a million in projected arbitration salary from Stallings. As long as they put that money into SS and DH, it’s fine.

[fauowls44]

The trade was Bethancourt for cash per Mish.

[Nick]

Yeah this is fine as long as we get a legit SS another bat and a legit veteran starter.

[fauowls44]

Now Heyman says the Marlins aren’t done looking to upgrade at C…

[Namaste]

If Bethancourt could eke out a .700 OPS we are in business. He almost did it in 2022

[sports24/7]

Now Heyman says the Marlins aren’t done looking to upgrade at C…

Interesting. It’s hard to believe they’re going to give up on Fortes, so unless they plan on playing him in other spots, the only thing that makes a lot of sense would be another catcher who would also be DH and maybe somewhere else like Garver.

[fauowls44]

Craig Mish also tweeted that they were still looking at C via free agency. If so, there are limited options that make sense so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out the target.

Obviously Garver makes sense as someone you could DH, though he is not a very good C and has never stayed healthy. Gary Sanchez would provide power and not much else. They had been linked to Maldonado during the winter meetings, but now that they have Bethancourt, that doesn't make a lot of sense. Bethancourt is essentially a younger version of Maldonado.

Perhaps they are looking for a left handed hitting C, which would mean either Gandal or Francisco Mejia (former Ray is always good bet).

[lou]

Interesting. It’s hard to believe they’re going to give up on Fortes, so unless they plan on playing him in other spots, the only thing that makes a lot of sense would be another catcher who would also be DH and maybe somewhere else like Garver.

Fortes has options to mention. They can park him in AAA and Banfield AA and no one is impacted developmentally here IMO. I don’t think Garver makes sense with Betancourt also. They’d need a strong side starter with Garver and Betancourt is clearly a backup to me. I thought they were going to claim Betancourt when he was DFA’d but Cleveland sniped them. Makes sense since Cleveland opted for Hedges defense.

This is fine but isn’t a needle mover.

[lou]

Craig Mish also tweeted that they were still looking at C via free agency. If so, there are limited options that make sense so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out the target.

Obviously Garver makes sense as someone you could DH, though he is not a very good C and has never stayed healthy. Gary Sanchez would provide power and not much else. They had been linked to Maldonado during the winter meetings, but now that they have Bethancourt, that doesn't make a lot of sense. Bethancourt is essentially a younger version of Maldonado.

Perhaps they are looking for a left handed hitting C, which would mean either Gandal or Francisco Mejia (former Ray is always good bet).

I’d love to bring Mejia (and Knizner) to camp and let them all battle it out. Maybe someone is a real late blooming catcher.