DALLAS -- For the first time in recent memory, the Marlins made a splash at the annual Winter Meetings by dealing slugging corner infielder Jake Burger to the Rangers for three prospects.

While this trade focused on the organization’s long-term goals, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and his front office will continue brainstorming ways for the 2025 ballclub to get better.

“We're still evaluating a lot of different possibilities, right?” Bendix said. “It's still early in the offseason, and the Winter Meetings are a fun deadline, but the offseason keeps going beyond this point, and so we'll continue to have the conversations that we need to have.”

Biggest remaining need
Leading up to the Winter Meetings, Bendix has stated the Marlins need to improve after having the National League’s lowest-scoring lineup. With Burger’s departure, Miami is without its 2024 leader in home runs (29) and RBIs (76).

How will Miami replace that production?

“There's a lot of different ways to score runs, and we're open to all the different ways to score runs,” Bendix said. “Certainly that power is hard to replace, but I think there's a lot of different ways that we can go about making sure that we have the kind of offense that we need.”

Along those lines, manager Clayton McCullough, who served as the Dodgers’ first-base coach in 2024, received some credit for NL MVP Shohei Ohtani tallying 59 steals. The running game could become more prominent with players like Xavier Edwards, who finished with 31 stolen bases in 70 Major League games, on the roster.

But that’s just conjecture based on Bendix’s answer. He has kept the Marlins’ plans close to the vest and relatively generic. He did perhaps tip his hand last Thursday by saying he was eager to see full seasons from midseason acquisitions Connor Norby, Kyle Stowers and Derek Hill. He also brought up rising prospects Agustin Ramirez (Miami’s No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), Deyvison De Los Santos (No. 4) and Jared Serna (No. 10).

“We're looking at everything,” Bendix said on Wednesday, Day 3 of the Winter Meetings. “We're certainly looking at external additions. We always are looking at external additions. And I do think that we have a lot of internal talent. Again, guys that we acquired last season; some of them we saw at the Major League level, some of them we haven't yet. There's a lot of offensive talent there.”

Rule 5 Draft
After releasing veteran reliever Mike Baumann on the first day of Winter Meetings, the Marlins entered Wednesday with an open 40-man roster spot, which they filled by selecting catcher Liam Hicks from the Tigers with the second pick in Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Hicks and right-hander Tyler Owens came over to Detroit in a deal with Texas ahead of this year’s Trade Deadline for catcher Carson Kelly. A left-handed-hitting backstop, the 25-year-old Hicks slashed .264/.379/.357 with six homers and 47 RBIs in 113 games at the Double-A level. He also walked (64) more than he struck out (58).

“He started catching full time in pro ball a year, year and a half ago, and showed a lot of tools, a lot of really good defensive ability in all the things that we look for in a catcher,” Bendix said. “And his approach at the plate is unique for anybody, especially for a catcher. His bat-to-ball ability, plate discipline is excellent, wonderful things about the makeup, the kind of person he is. We think he's got a real chance to make our team.”

Clubs who take a player in that phase must pay his former team $100,000 and keep him on their active big league roster throughout the following season. The player can't be sent to the Minors without first clearing waivers and then getting offered back to his original organization for half his draft price.

Miami now has four catchers on its 40-man roster: Hicks, incumbent Nick Fortes, Minor League journeyman Jhonny Pereda and MLB Pipeline’s No. 96 overall prospect Ramirez.

“Liam will go into Spring Training, and we'll evaluate him, and he'll be in a competition to win a spot,” Bendix said.

Miami also picked right-handers Ricky DeVito (Rangers) and Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (Dodgers) as well as shortstop Jack Winkler (Athletics) in the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

The Marlins had right-handed reliever Anderson Pilar selected from them by the Braves in the Major League phase of the Draft, and left-hander Manuel Medina chosen by the Red Sox in the Minor League phase.

• McCullough filling out staff, sees this Marlin 'ready for a breakout'

President’s bottom line
“I understand the frustration, and the players that we received in return are players that we really think can impact the organization for a long time. And we remain dedicated to winning. We remain dedicated to being as good as we can for as long as we can, as soon as we can. And I understand the frustration. This is still part of what we think is going to be best for the organization.” -- Bendix