Miami Marlins offseason is finally heating up. Kim Ng says they’re ‘not done’

The Miami Marlins’ offseason is finally heating up.

Within the span of a week, the Marlins signed infielder Jean Segura to a two-year deal with an option for 2025, came to terms on a one-year deal with veteran right-handed pitcher Johnny Cueto (that deal still has yet to be formally announced) and traded veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas to the Los Angeles Dodgers for promising infielder prospect Jacob Amaya.

With about a month until players report for spring training, Marlins general manager Kim Ng said there is still more to accomplish as she tries to put together a roster that can compete with a highly challenging National League East.

“I wouldn’t say we’re done,” Ng said Wednesday, hours before the Rojas trade. “No. We’re not done.”

The team’s biggest remaining need is to get another hitter, and Ng said the team is exploring the trade market to get that done.

“There are a number of different ways we can do it,” Ng said. “It’s just making sure that you want to be as thoughtful as you can about who you’re adding to the mix, and what they provide, and how they’ll mesh with everything going on here.”

A couple options have already been floating around. The Marlins have been connected to both the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins in trade talks. With Boston, the target is first baseman Tristan Casas. With Minnesota, the target would be one of first baseman Luis Arraez or outfielder Max Kepler. There’s also the long-shot option of acquiring Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds, but the asking price there remains extremely high.

Those options match up with the team’s needs.

Miami only has one natural first baseman on its 40-man roster in Garrett Cooper. Their internal options beyond him for a backup are Nick Fortes (who is primarily a catcher) and Jerar Encarnacion (who is primarily a corner outfielder but has been playing first base in Winter ball). Troy Johnston, the club’s No. 21 ranked prospect, is their top first baseman prospect.

As for the outfield, Avisail Garcia, Jorge Soler, Jesus Sanchez and Bryan De La Cruz are likely the Marlins’ primary outfielders for the season if the roster stands as is. De La Cruz and Sanchez can play all three outfield spots.

The other three infield positions will be filled by a combination of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Joey Wendle and Jean Segura, with utility player Jon Berti and infielder prospects Amaya, Jordan Groshans and Xavier Edwards also options for playing time.

“I think one of the really interesting things about this club is that we’re fairly flexible and versatile,” Ng said. “Sometimes that can be tough, too. But I think with the versatility, we’ve got options. ... I think it’s a pretty interesting club when we get down to it.”

Building that hitting depth on the trade market comes at a cost, though.

And that cost will almost certainly be starting pitching. That’s where the Cueto signing comes into effect. It gives the Marlins more flexibility to trade one of their younger starters — such as Pablo Lopez, Edward Cabrera or Trevor Rogers — and not have as much of a dropoff in depth as they would beforehand.

“As a general manager, your job is to always try and improve. You’re always looking to improve,” Ng said. “While I say that we would like to do more, you also want to make sure that the deals that you’re going to do are going to be good for the club, and you always have to consider today, and you have to consider the future.”

Arbitration update

The Marlins on Friday settled on contract terms with six of their eight arbitration-eligible players who had yet to reach agreements. That group: Wendle ($6 million), Lopez ($5.45 million), Cooper ($4.2 million), catcher Jacob Stallings ($3.35 million), left-handed relief pitcher Tanner Scott ($2.825 million) and right-handed relief pitcher JT Chargois (salary not publicly disclosed).

That leaves two players who will have to go to arbitration hearings to determine their salaries: Berti and left-handed starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo.

According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Berti filed for a $2.3 million salary for the 2023 season, while the Marlins filed at $1.9 million. As for Luzardo, he filed at $2.45 million and the Marlins filed at $2.1 million.

Arbitration hearings are scheduled to take place between Jan. 30 and Feb. 17. Each side submits a salary they believe the player should make for the season and an arbiter decides which of the two submitted salaries the player will make.

Right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro had already previously agreed to terms for the 2023 season.