Three former Marlins could help improve bench

The Miami Marlins will look to improve their rotation and their farm system as the Winter Meetings approach, but Miami is also looking to add depth, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. The Marlins were plagued by injuries during the season, and their lack of depth was apparent when the team slipped in the standings.

Outfielder Jeff Francoeur, first baseman Chris Johnson, and catcher Jeff Mathis are all free agents, which means Miami will likely need to acquire some new players to ride the bench. Former Marlins Emilio Bonifacio and Chris Coghlan are options for Miami, while outfielder Alejandro De Aza is another potential target for the Marlins.

Bonifacio, a utility player that has been playing left field, struggled mightily with the Atlanta Braves last season. Bonifacio, 31, played only 24 games and batted just .211 with only eight hits. He played for the Marlins from 2009-2012, and his best season with the Marlins came in 2011 when they were still the Florida Marlins. Bonifacio batted a career-high .296 with 26 doubles and 36 RBI’s.

Coghlan was recently with the World Series champion Chicago Cubs, where he batted .188, while driving in 30 runs in 261 plate appearances. The 31-year-old won the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year Award with Florida in 2009, when he batted .321 with 47 RBI’s and 162 hits. Coghlan saw his numbers decline from there, as he never reached 30 RBI’s with the Marlins after the 2009 season.

De Aza spent last season with the New York Mets, where he batted just .205 in 234 plate appearances. De Aza has been with the Marlins before, as he spent 2007 and 2009 with the team, batting .229 and .250 respectively. His best season came in 2011 with the Chicago White Sox, where he batted a career-high .329. Miami will look to add to their bench as free agency approaches.