We’ve already had a few notable Marlins-related stories today on MLBTR, but Miami President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix also shared updates on several injured players and the status of manager Clayton McCullough during today’s season-closing press conference. (Kevin Barral of Fish On First, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald were among the participants.)
Unsurprisingly, McCullough will return for a third season as Marlins skipper, with Bendix praising McCullough as “a great…voice of the organization, and he helped establish a fantastic culture in our clubhouse. He is an excellent communicator. He is very good at difficult work.” Bendix did not say whether or not the team would discuss an extension with McCullough because the Marlins generally do not release details of employee contracts.
For example, the terms of McCullough’s original deal weren’t known until today, when Jackson announced that 2027 would be the final season of what was apparently a three-year deal. Hired while the Marlins were in the midst of a rebuild, McCullough led the team to a surprisingly solid 79-83 record in 2025, then slightly surpassed that mark with this year’s 80-82 record.
McCullough achieved these respectable results with the second-lowest payroll in baseball, so it’s interesting to wonder what Miami could achieve with even a little more spending. While it remains to be seen if real spending increases will ever come under owner Bruce Sherman, it’s a positive sign that McCullough has already put the Marlins on the outskirts of a real contention three years into Bendix’s organizational overhaul.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer is not resting on his laurels, however, as Bendix declared: “we are all disappointed“by not reaching the playoffs, and”we are not happy with where we are. That said, I am also very proud of our team, of our organization. There has been huge progress on and off the field..”
One player who might not make the 2027 roster is Andre Nardi. The left-hander underwent an unspecified type of elbow surgery in mid-August, and Bendix confirmed today that Nardi will miss most or all of next season recovering. The fact that Bendix left the door slightly open for a return could suggest that Nardi underwent an internal bracing procedure (which takes 12 to 14 months) rather than a full Tommy John surgery, which typically requires a minimum of 13 months on hold.
Nardi already missed all of 2025 with back issues, and he posted a 5.16 ERA in 22 2/3 innings this season while dealing with a stress reaction in his ribcage and then the elbow issue that ended his season. Nardi is arbitration eligible for the second time this winter and is only entitled to a minor increase in his $800,000 salary for 2026, but he clearly looks like a no-call candidate for the Marlins.
As for other pitchers undergoing surgeries at UCL, Bendix said that William Kempner (who underwent his own elbow surgery in August) will also miss all or most of next season. Adam Mazur expected to return to play in April or May after an internal double procedure last March, and Robby SnellingThe reinforcement procedure last May puts him on track for a return in May or June 2027.
As for other players on Miami’s IL, Bendix said Maxime Meyer, Owen Caissie, Ronny HenriquezAnd Anthony Bender should all be ready for the start of spring training. The news is not as promising for right-handers Tyler Zuber or a player expected to be healthy in Jakob Marseeas both will visit Dr. Keith Meister due to elbow pain.
A five-year MLB veteran, Zuber set new career highs in games (44) and innings (39 2/3) in 2026, and he had solid strikeout and walk rates. However, hitters made a ton of hard, loud contact that resulted in a 5.67 ERA for Zuber, who allowed 10 home runs in his 39 2/3 frames. Miami placed him on the 15-day IL due to a sprained right elbow on the penultimate day of the regular season, and the upcoming appointment with Dr. Meister should clarify Zuber’s status heading into the offseason.
Marsee didn’t reach the heights of his 55-game breakout as a rookie in 2025, but he established himself as Miami’s everyday center fielder by hitting .231/.348/.359 with 11 home runs and 23 steals in 616 plate appearances. Marsee posted an .862 OPS in the second half after struggling to a .615 OPS in 389 PA before the All-Star break, and this late surge is all the more impressive as Marsee was apparently dealing with several injuries.
“Credit to Jakob, he’s been banged up all season with a lot of different things” Bendix said. “Not just the elbow, a lot of things, (and) I never went on the IL. I continued to play, and not only that, but I had an incredible streak at the end of the season..”
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