After a 2025 season that saw the Miami Marlins exceed expectations and had some younger players have breakout seasons, it has put the front office in an odd position this offseason.
Do they listen to trade packages for their top two pitchers, Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara, or do they run it back with them? Do you spend money, and if so, how much? Big-name free agents and the Marlins are not always used in the same breath.
However, according to some MLB insiders, Miami is ready to spend more. If they are, could they make a run at Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto after his MLB posting? Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report listed the Marlins as one of the top 5 landing spots for Scott Boras’ client.
Marlins Listed as Top 5 Landing Spot for Japanese Star Kazuma Okamoto
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This may seem like a long shot at best that the Marlins would be in the mix for Okamoto, but just to be mentioned certainly raises some eyebrows. Miami has Connor Norby projected to play third base next season, and they may not be ready to move on from him, despite some struggles this past season. Rymer makes a compelling case as to why the Marlins are ranked fifth out of 10 teams on his list for Okamoto.
“The Marlins? As a big spender in free agency?,” wrote Rymer. “These two things haven’t traditionally gone together, but reporting from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic states the Fish are “showing a greater interest in spending than in the past They certainly should be, as they might have made the playoffs this year if they’d had a better offense.”
“Okamoto could help said offense by infusing more power, which is what the Marlins really need. They hit only 154 home runs this year, just two more than the Padres and the fewest of any team in the NL East,” added Rymer.
Rosenthal and Sammon mentioned in The Athletic (subscription required) last week that Miami could spend more this offseason. To fix an offense that struggled for power, they will need to. There are a couple of potential roadblocks for the Marlins when it comes to Okamoto.
First off, Boras is going to turn it into a major bidding war for Okamoto, and just how far will Miami go if that happens? Can they compete with the bigger-named teams in negotiations if they get involved? Also, as Rymer noted, LoanDepot Park is not a hitter-friendly park for power.
A lot of things have to come together for Okamoto and the Marlins to be a fit, but the front office may look to spend elsewhere for a team ready to take the next step in 2026. Despite having what some believe are some of the deepest arms in baseball, they need bats, whether it’s through free agency or a trade.
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