Managerial search and more offseason questions facing Marlins

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola's Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Sending well wishes to my fellow Floridians in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

MIAMI -- It’s expected to be a busy offseason for the Marlins. Here are five questions they must answer:

1. What are they looking for in their new manager?
“I think there's a lot of different ways that somebody can be an excellent manager, and we're working through a lot of different profiles, a lot of different people,” president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said last week. “By the end of this process, I expect that we'll have a better answer for you, but at the moment, it's still something that we're working through.”

If we’re speculating, perhaps the Marlins could hire a first-time manager to grow into the position with the young roster and rising prospects. Bendix will want this person to be around for the foreseeable future, from rebuild to contention, similar to what Matt Quatraro has done in two years with Kansas City.

Speaking of which, Quatraro’s successor in Tampa Bay -- bench coach Rodney Linares -- would make a prime candidate. Not only does he have the Rays tie, but he also has managerial experience at every Minor League level from his time with the Astros’ organization, the Dominican Winter League and the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Other intriguing names include 2024 Marlins coaches Luis Urueta and Jon Jay, Astros bench coach Omar Lopez, Red Sox bench coach Ramón Vázquez, Dodgers first-base coach Clayton McCullough and Phillies first-base coach Paco Figueroa, a Miami native who is friends with Jay.

2. Who will be the shortstop?
When Miami designated Tim Anderson for assignment in early July, it paved the way for Xavier Edwards to start every day.

Though Edwards was drafted as a prep shortstop, he hadn’t primarily played the position since his first professional season in 2018. Edwards recorded -8 Defensive Runs Saved and -10 Outs Above Average -- both of which ranked him in the bottom five among MLB shortstops with at least 550 innings.

But Miami is optimistic that Edwards, 25, can be serviceable there like Joey Wendle once was. Unlike a year ago, Edwards goes into the offseason knowing he needs to work at short and focus on building his arm strength.

The only other everyday option on the 40-man roster is Otto Lopez, who became one of the best defensive second basemen in the Majors. No. 13 prospect Javier Sanoja is better suited for a utility role, and while No. 10 prospect Jared Serna impressed the organization after his arrival in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, he only has six games at the Triple-A level.

3. What does Miami’s rotation depth look like?
A franchise-record 20 pitchers started for the Marlins during an injury-riddled 2024, but the group is on the mend.

Sandy Alcantara is expected to start on Opening Day and Eury Pérez will return around the All-Star break. Jesús Luzardo’s back should be healed in time for Spring Training. Ryan Weathers made three starts in September, while Edward Cabrera didn’t need to undergo testing after exiting his final start with tightness in his right arm. Braxton Garrett was set to receive a second opinion on his left arm.

The next group -- all rookies -- filled in with varying degrees of success. Valente Bellozo became the club’s most consistent starter (3.67 ERA), Roddery Muñoz finished his season at Triple-A Jacksonville and Max Meyer got off to a strong start, then he struggled in his return to the Majors before landing on the IL with right shoulder bursitis.

No. 11 prospect Adam Mazur made eight starts with the Padres, but he pitched for Jacksonville after being acquired in the Tanner Scott/Bryan Hoeing trade.

Something to keep in mind is that the Marlins have six players on the 60-day injured list who must be added back to the 40-man roster after the World Series. All but Sixto Sánchez are locks, meaning Miami will need to clear five spots. Does that leave room for guys like Darren McCaughan, Adam Oller and Xzavion Curry?

4. Who will be the catchers?
Like the shortstop situation, the Marlins’ backstop duo is uncertain for a second straight offseason.

Nick Fortes proved to be one of the game’s best defensive catchers and his bat picked up (he posted a .466 OPS in the first half vs. a .737 mark in the second half), but are his familiarity with the pitching staff and offensive turnaround enough for the Marlins to make him the primary catcher again?

Jhonny Pereda and MLB Pipeline’s No. 96 overall prospect Agustin Ramirez are the other backstops on the 40-man roster. Pereda was a 28-year-old rookie, while the 23-year-old Ramirez has yet to make his MLB debut and has just 68 games at Triple-A. Miami is optimistic Ramirez, acquired in the Chisholm trade, can remain at catcher.

5. How will Miami approach this Hot Stove season?
While Bendix has front-office jobs to fill, he isn’t learning the organization on the fly anymore like he did during a relatively quiet 2023-24 offseason. Miami became the busiest team at the Trade Deadline, building a foundation at both the MLB and MiLB levels. Though the Marlins lost 100 games, returning an enviable group of starting pitchers could lead to fringe NL Wild Card contention in '25. Bendix wouldn’t give a timeline, but he said he was “excited” for the “near-term future.”