Ahead of the 2020 season, let’s take a closer look at the Miami Marlins’ free agents and see who may be worth pursuing in the offseason.
The Miami Marlins finished their season with a 57-105 record, marking 2019 as the third season in their history with 100 or more losses. They finished the season with 22 shutout games, the most in the big leagues this season. Despite the team’s rough season, they extended manager Don Mattingly in the hopes that the future will look better for the team. Miami has four impending free agents, a few of who are familiar faces to the Mets:
Martin Prado, 3B
Third baseman Martin Prado reached a milestone at the end of the 2019 season, hitting his 100th career homer in the last game of the season. Unfortunately, Prado was plagued by injury and only hit just one other home run and 57 hits throughout the season. He finished the season with a .243/.265/.294 slash line for the season, but at the age of 36, it is presumed that his success is slowing down.
Prado signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Marlins in 2016. That year, he ranked sixth in UZR (6.8) among third basemen. It’s no secret that he dominated on the field and at the plate when he was in his prime. In 2019, however, his numbers left a lot to be desired. Given this, Prado has been brought up in conversations for a coaching position on the Marlins for 2020, as he would likely only be sought out as a utility hitter or as a veteran in the clubhouse to support young players.
Verdict: Pass
Neil Walker, 2B
Neil Walker, a former New York Met himself, finds himself on the free-agent list for the 2020 season. Walker, who is 36 years old, signed a one-year deal with the Marlins in 2019. Given that he only signed the deal at $2 million, we can likely expect a similar offer to present itself next season. In this case, Walker will be used as a veteran utility player. After a lackluster season with the Yankees in 2018, Walker improved his hitting numbers slightly in 2019. He slashed .261/.344/.395 for the season and a .7 WAR, improved from the -.1 WAR he delivered in 2018.
Defensively, Walker has experience playing all over the field, having covered third base, second base, first base, and the outfield in his career. Though he could be valuable in a utility position for the Mets, his offensive numbers are not up to par, making him a risky choice. Aside from that, the team is already stacked in the infield, making it difficult to find a place for Walker to be successful or ultimately useful.
Verdict: Pass
Curtis Granderson, LF
Another familiar face, Curtis Granderson finished his 16th season in the majors in 2019. He batted a mere .183/.281/.356 with 12 home runs, indicating his career has likely come to a close. Despite this, Granderson put up impressive numbers throughout his career and demonstrates a true love for the game and a lot of heart. At the end of the 2019 season, he was named the Marvin Miller Man of the Year for the fourth time in his career.
Granderson indicated he is open to playing another season in the Majors, but there have also been talks that he might be fit for a managerial or coaching role – just not for the Mets. Though I’d love to see another season of Grandy, it doesn’t look promising that he will be stepping out on the field again.
Verdict: Pass
Bryan Holaday, C
Earlier in October, Bryan Holaday elected free agency and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A New Orleans, allowing him to sign in the offseason. In 2019, Holaday put up career-best numbers (.278/.344/.435) with a .779 OPS, primarily serving as a backup catcher. He earned the fourth-highest batting average for the team in the 2019 season.
Defensively, Holaday dominated his 2018 season with zero errors and led the majors with a 45 percent kill-rate on 38 attempted steals, and followed it up with a 20 percent kill-rate on 25 stolen base attempts in 2019. With solid offense and the potential for another impressive defensive season in 2020, Holaday might be worth pursuing in the offseason.
Verdict: Consider
