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.

While the West Coast swing didn't go as Miami would've hoped, dropping four of six to Los Angeles and San Diego, the club is still very much in the National League Wild Card race with 34 games remaining. 

To put things into perspective, this marks the latest in a full season that the Marlins have realistically been in the playoff picture since 2016. 

“I think at the beginning of the year, if you told us we'd be in the thick of it, would we be happy? Definitely, for sure,” general manager Kim Ng said before Wednesday's 4-0 loss to San Diego at Petco Park. “Obviously it's going to be a dogfight to the end. That's what's great, and that's what makes it exciting, and we hope that the fans come out and watch this club.”

Here's what Ng had to say about a handful of players either directly or indirectly playing a role in the playoff chase:

RF/DH Jorge Soler
Status: $9 million player option for 2024, with an increase based on plate appearances in '23

Of note: 33 homers (fifth in NL)

"Any contract negotiations, I'll probably decline to comment at this time. But he's somebody that we hope to have in the future."

1B/DH Josh Bell
Status: $16.5 million player option for 2024

Of note: .994 OPS in 20 games with Miami

"He fits the profile that we're looking for. He's got strike zone discipline, strike zone awareness. He's a good hitter, as well as he's got power. So you put all of those things together, he plays to the scoreboard. He knows what to do in various situations. Quality human being, quality veteran presence. We're hoping that we have him next year."

RHP Edward Cabrera
Status: Under club control through 2028 but no MiLB options left

Of note: 2.31 ERA, 10 BB, 23 K in four Triple-A starts since demotion

"He had a couple of good starts, and then [his third one] wasn't as positive, so we've just got to hang with him and hope that he works this out as quickly as he can."

LHP Ryan Weathers
Status: Under club control through 2027

Of note: 9 K, 9 BB, 7 IP in two games (one start) for Miami

"Obviously we can see the fantastic arm that he's got. It's funny, when we make these trades, you think it sort of just like pops up. We've had our eye on Ryan for a while now, since last year, and have tried to acquire him. We were fortunate enough to get him at the Deadline. Fantastic arm and needs to work on some of his secondary [pitches]. I think he knows that. But this dude's not afraid to pitch inside, either, and that was my second time seeing him live. He is not afraid to pitch inside, so it's pretty interesting."

RHP Eury Pérez
Status: Already 26 2/3 innings over previous career high

Of note: Eighth-lowest ERA (2.91) among MLB starters with at least 68 innings

"That last start was something else, and that is clearly indicative of who he is and what he's got in his arsenal. The plan with him is fluid, and we just have to, again, just make sure that we are watching and tracking everything that he's doing."