Marlins make offer for veteran third baseman, inquire about catcher and reliever

The Marlins, looking to add an established hitter who can play both corner infield spots, have made an offer to third baseman Justin Turner, according to an industry source.

There are other teams believed to be interested, and the Marlins’ offer is said to be competitive.

Turner would play both third base and potentially first base for Miami. The Marlins have Joey Wendle at third base and Garrett Cooper at first base but want another player to supplement them.

Turner, 38, split his time between third base and designated hitter for the Dodgers last season, appearing in 128 games and batting .278 (.350 on-base average) with 13 homers and 81 RBI. He also batted .278 for the Dodgers in 2021, with 27 homers and 87 RBI in 151 games.

Turner, a right-handed hitter, made the All-Star team in 2017 and 2021. The 15-year veteran has started 963 games at third base and 39 at first base, with his last start at first base coming in 2016. He has been a Dodger since 2014, after previously playing for Baltimore and the Mets.

Turner has hit better at the Marlins’ stadium than any other big-league ballpark: .402 (41 for 102) with six homers and 22 RBI in 33 games and 23 starts.

On November 10, the Dodgers declined his $16 million option for the 2023 season, making him a free agent.

The Marlins have parted ways with several corner infielders during the past few months, including outfielder/third baseman Brian Anderson (who was non-tendered), first baseman Lewin Diaz (who was designated for assignment and is now with the Baltimore Orioles) and first baseman/DH Jesus Aguilar (who was designated for assignment on Aug. 26).

At the moment, the top internal third base options on the roster are Wendle, who hit .259, with three homers and 32 RBI in 101 games in his first season for Miami, and to a much lesser extent, Jordan Groshans, who hit .262 in 61 at-bats after his promotion from Jacksonville, where he hit .301 in 33 games following his acquisition from Toronto.

Wendle also has played both corner outfield positions, second base and shortstop.

Cooper hit .261 with nine homers and 50 RBI in 119 games for the Marlins in 2021 but has missed time with injuries during every season with the team. He sustained a fractured finger late last season.

THIS AND THAT

We hear the Marlins offered Jose Abreu a two-year deal in the $40 million range, but he opted for what has been reported as a three-year, $60 million deal with Houston.

The Marlins met with Abreu in Miami before he made his decision, and he had at least two three-year offers.

Abreu hit .304, with 15 homers and 75 RBI in 157 games for the White Sox.

The Marlins haven’t added a big-league established position player to their 40-man roster this offseason.

▪ Miami is among several teams that have inquired about Oakland catcher Sean Murphy. Industry sources believe he will be moved prior to opening day. [Update: The Braves acquired him Monday afternoon].

The right-handed hitting Murphy, who is under team control through 2025, hit .250 (.332 on-base average) with 18 homers and 66 RBI in 148 games last season.

He threw out 31 percent of basestealers, compared with 19 percent for Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings, who hit .223 (with a .292 on-base), with four homers and 34 RBI in 114 games in his first season for Miami after his acquisition from PIttsburgh.

Catcher doesn’t appear to be a significant position of need.

▪ The Marlins’ efforts to improve their outfield has primarily focused on trades.

Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds requested a trade just before last week’s Winter Meetings, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first reported.

Miami remains interested, but when teams have inquired, the Pirates have expressed no interest in trading him.

Reynolds, under team control through 2025, has no interest in signing a long-term deal with the Pirates at the numbers that Pittsburgh has offered.

Miami hasn’t necessarily moved on from the idea of pursuing Reynolds, but they don’t appear inclined to put other options on hold and simply wait to see if the Pirates change their mind about trading him.

▪ The Marlins have inquired about Cardinals right-handed pitcher Alex Reyes, who missed last season after shoulder surgery.

Reyes, who has begun throwing in Miami, is unlikely to be ready for opening day but could be ready soon after.

Sportsnet Canada reported last week the Toronto Blue Jays also showed interest in Reyes, who was very good for St. Louis in 2021 (10-8, 29 saves 3.24 ERA) before giving up a walk-off home run to the Dodgers’ Chris Taylor in a 2021 playoff game.

Reyes allowed just 46 hits and struck out 95 in 72 ⅓ innings during that 2021 season.

▪ Former Marlins skipper Jack McKeon, 92, would love to manage one more game to become the oldest in MLB history. He told us that he had an agreement with previous owner Jeffrey Loria to do it before Loria sold the team to Bruce Sherman.

McKeon is currently a special assistant to Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo.

Sherman embraced the Marlins’ past by recently rehiring Jeff Conine as a special assistant. But it’s unclear if he would consider McKeon’s idea.

Herald senior baseball correspondent Craig Mish hosts Fantasy Sports Today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Newswire from 2 to 3 p.m. weekdays on Sportsgrid. Follow him on Twitter at @CraigMish. Follow Barry Jackson at @flasportsbuzz