Retour
Last offseason, the Miami Marlins and president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix, made a splash in free agency by signing former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks to solidify the back end of their rotation.
As it turns out, the one-year deal for $13 million did not work out the way Bendix or Fairbanks had hoped. Now, the veteran right-hander is hitting free agency again after finishing his only season in South Florida with a 6.31 ERA and 19 saves in 23 opportunities.
However, there appear to be some changes coming in the bullpen for the Marlins, and they are reportedly interested in adding a left-handed free agent pitcher, Sean Newcomb, this offseason.
According to Kevin Barral of Fish on First, Miami is interested in some free-agent bullpen arms this winter, including Newcomb. That is on the heels of Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (subscription required) reporting that Miami was looking to add another bullpen arm, an outfielder, and possibly a starting pitcher.
However, focusing on the bullpen, Newcomb would be a very underrated addition for Bendix if he were able to make it happen. The Massachusetts native and University of Hartford standout spent the 2026 season with the Chicago White Sox and was a key member of the bullpen for a team that surprised many and made the playoffs. They eliminated the Houston Astros in the wild-card round before falling to the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series.
Newcomb had a 3.09 ERA for Chicago in 90.1 innings with 84 strikeouts and 12 holds. He made 60 appearances for the White Sox, with six of those being spot starts, something he did for the Boston Red Sox in 2025, in 12 appearances, before being picked up by the Athletics.
As far as Newcomb goes, he is very familiar with the National League East Division, as he broke into the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves for six seasons. However, things unraveled for him with a couple of stints with the Athletics and one with the Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs, but he has set himself up for a payday this offseason with a bounce-back season with the White Sox.
Again, Newcomb has primarily worked out of the bullpen in recent stops after being used at the beginning by the Braves as a starter, but he certainly would be an option for manager Clayton McCullough as a spot starter with his experience.
There are a few relievers Bendix might be able to sway to come to Miami, but Newcomb is someone who should be a top target to add to a bullpen looking for help next season.