Breaking down the Marlins’ outfield situation. Plus an update on team’s manager search

With the Miami Marlins’ 2022 season in the books, it’s time to start taking stock on where the organization stands, where improvements need to be made and how that can be done. Over the course of this week, the Miami Herald will break down the team by position groups. Today, the focus is on the outfield.

The Marlins have an understanding that their offensive production from the outfield needs to improve. They also need a true defensive center fielder.

But the club is also in a predicament when it comes to its current personnel.

They have two veterans in Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler who have underperformed and are due big money (relative to the rest of Miami’s roster) next season and a slew of younger players who have shown flashes but have not consistently produced in their short time in the big leagues.

An offensive improvement starts with the two players the Marlins invested in last offseason having bounceback years in 2023.

Garcia, who signed a four-year, $53 million, hit just .224 with a .583 on-base-plus-slugging mark, eight home runs and 35 RBI in 98 games. Soler, who is expected to exercise his $15 million player option for 2023, hit just .207 but had 13 home runs in 72 games before being sidelined by a back injury.

At least for now, general manager Kim Ng isn’t ready to say if the deals were busts.

“You’re looking at a small subset of the contract,” Ng said, “a small sample size of the contract that was given out.”

So with both Soler and Garcia expected back next season, how could the Marlins’ lineup and outfield configuration look?

In an ideal scenario, Soler would primarily be the Marlins’ designated hitter. Garcia holds his own defensively in right field. That leaves two starting outfield spots open and at least one bench spot for a backup outfielder.

The Marlins’ internal candidates for regular center field reps at this point are Bryan De La Cruz and JJ Bleday.

Of the Marlins’ young outfielders, De La Cruz has been the most consistent hitter, posting a .269 batting average and .748 OPS over 574 plate appearances. He was optioned to Triple A Jacksonville in mid-August when his batting average dipped to a season-low .205. He rejoined the team about three weeks later and hit .388 with a 1.137 OPS over the final 25 games of the season.

Bleday, Miami’s first-round pick in 2019, hit just .167 in his first 65 MLB games. Half of his hits — 17 of 34 — went for extra bases (10 doubles, two triples, five home runs) and he drew 30 walks in 238 plate appearances. But the 24-year-old outfielder, despite working good counts, more often than not failed to make solid contact on pitches he should be able to drive. A combination of timing his swing and identifying potential mechanical changes could remedy that.

Jesus Sanchez started the season in center field but is best suited for a corner outfield spot. Superutility player Jon Berti can also make spot starts in the outfield. Jerar Encarnacion and Peyton Burdick are also backup outfielder options who made their MLB debuts this season.

Should the Marlins pursue a center fielder this offseason, the top free agent on the market will be Brandon Nimmo, who started 148 games in center field for the Mets last season and had 358 career starts there. He’s a career .269 hitter with an .826 OPS, 63 home runs, 213 RBI and 335 runs scored over 608 games.

If not Nimmo, Kevin Kiermaier is an option should the Tampa Bay Rays not pick up his $13 million club option. Otherwise, Miami will most likely have to find their center fielder via trade.

Manager interview updates

The Marlins have already interviewed two candidates to replace Don Mattingly at manager: Pedro Grifol and Joe Espada.

Grifol, 52, has been on staff with the Kansas City Royals since 2013. He has been the team’s bench coach the past three seasons and also has experience in minor league operations. He is a Miami native and graduated from Christopher Columbus High.

Espada, 47, is currently the Houston Astros’ bench coach. He previously served as the Marlins third base coach from 2010 to 2013 after four years in the organization on the minor-league side. Espada also worked as a special assistant to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman before taking the job in Houston.