For the second straight season, the Miami Marlins hung around the National League wild-card race before fading again in September. They didn't have enough down the stretch again in terms of depth to overcome injuries. Manager Clayton McCullough has 159 wins in his first two seasons, which is a Marlins franchise record for a manager in his first two seasons in South Florida.

However, competing in the National League East can be difficult, with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets spending much more money than Miami. However, it's not always about how much you spend; rather, how you spend it. Ask any Mets fan.

The Marlins enter an offseason with more questions than answers, and this will be Bendix's fourth offseason in charge after being hired in November of 2023. Given how close they have been knocking on the door the last couple of seasons in the wild-card race, this is a big offseason for Bendix in terms of building a roster that can kick through the National League wild-card door.

Why Marlins Are Facing Big Offseason

Like Miami, MLB has one big question hanging over it: what does the offseason look like with a pending lockout looming? However, whatever happens between the owners and players, Bendix is facing an important offseason in terms of making changes to get over the hump and into the postseason next season.

The first order of business is locking up Alcantara for another season by picking up his $21 million team option for 2027 rather than buying him out for $2 million. He went 13-11 in 2026 with a 3.87 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 214 innings over 36 appearances. It's his best season numbers-wise in the last three, and it's proven he's fully healthy after his surgery.

Then there's addressing the bullpen. Finding a new closer after the Pete Fairbanks experiment didn't go as planned. Adding depth there is a move that needs to be made, whether that's believing in some of the young arms or spending in free agency.

Some young players are cementing their future as building blocks in Miami, including Javier Sanoja, who is a Gold Glove finalist at third base, as is shortstop Otto Lopez. Pitcher Eury Perez is a solid No. 2 behind Alcantara. There certainly are building pieces in place.

Free agency will always be a wild card for the Marlins' spending money. However, if they want to compete with the top teams in the National League and play postseason baseball, spending money wisely is going to be necessary. This is Bendix's fourth offseason, and it feels like, to get over the hump and into the playoffs, it's going to be a big couple of months in terms of decisions for 2027 and beyond.