Giancarlo Stanton may not be the only outfielder the Miami Marlins are looking to extend this offseason. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro believes the Marlins will consider signing Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich to longterm contracts moving forward. Both had solid seasons and helped Miami put together one of baseball's best outfields.
Miami already has Christian Yelich in left, Marcell Ozuna in center, and Giancarlo Stanton in right. The club may look to sign all three to extensions this offseason.
Miami has made it clear retaining Stanton beyond 2015 is a priority, and is expected to make a realistic offer when the two sides begin discussions in what will likely be the beginning of November. But neither General Manager Dan Jennings nor President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill openly discussed the possibility of extending the entire outfield.
Yelich had a solid year in the leadoff spot, putting together a .284/.362/.402 line with nine home runs and 54 RBIs. Rafael Furcal was signed to be the Marlins' leadoff man, but with Furcal plagued by injuries all season, Yelich was able to get on base consistently in his first full major league season.
The Marlins have internally considered placing Yelich at first base and pursuing a left fielder this offseason, but regardless of his defensive situation, signing Yelich to a long term contract may make sense for the organization. He could only get more expensive moving forward, and has proven he wants to and will be in the lineup on a daily basis with few injury concerns in his young career.
Although his bat cooled off a bit at times, Ozuna was still able to end the year with a .269/.317/.455 line to complement 23 home runs and 72 RBIs. His power to the opposite field was made evident, and he has the speed necessary to play center field at Marlins Park.
Unlike Yelich, Ozuna has been plagued by a few minor injuries in his career. But extending Ozuna would allow the Marlins to focus on building their infield for 2015.
Stanton is likely going to receive a significant pay raise, but Yelich and Ozuna may not require such large contracts. Both could be seen as affordable and above average options, and would give the Marlins stability, something the organization has not had a lot off in it's history.
Miami will rightfully begin talks with Stanton and his agent first. But signing Yelich and Ozuna to long term deals may prove to both Stanton and the fan base that the team is serious about winning.