The Miami Marlins surprised some people in baseball with 79 wins in 2025.
They may not surprise as many in the year ahead. There's a feeling that the Marlins are going to take another step toward getting better.
The NL East is a challenging division. On paper, the Mets, Phillies and Braves would all be expected to finish ahead of Miami.
All the Marlins can do is build their team in a way that can compete with those powerful clubs.
To do that, the Marlins could sign a Japenese star, writes The Athletic's Andy McCullough. In a new article, he suggests they go after Kazuma Okamoto.
"Hey, why not? The Marlins played a frisky, entertaining brand of baseball in 2025 under manager Clayton McCullough," McCullough writes. "President of baseball operations Peter Bendix is building something in Miami that is, at the very least, quite intriguing, as he attempts to create an organizational culture capable of knocking off teams such as the Phillies, Mets and Braves. It remains to be seen just how much owner Bruce Sherman will spend in free agency. Okamoto has less offensive upside than fellow newcomer Munetaka Murakami, but is considered a better defender, which is a crucial part of Miami’s strategy."
Okamoto comes with the usual caveat of not being exactly sure how a player will translate from NPB to MLB.
That could actually work in the Marlins' favor, though. A player proven as a star at the MLB level would likely cost more in free agency than Okamoto. And if his game does indeed carry over well, then the Marlins would've found themselves a bargain.
To take a step forward, the Marlins need investment. Okamoto seems like he'd be a quality choice.
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