After adding Garcia, Marlins consider outfield options

Chatter in the wake of the Marlins’ flurry of moves this week: The Marlins plan to add another starting outfielder, via either free agency or trade. But they do not believe that it absolutely must be a center fielder.

Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said the organization is comfortable having Avisail Garcia play center field, if they choose to, even though that’s not his primary defensive position.

Garcia, a natural right fielder, has played 90 career games in center — including 44 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and one last season. He committed two errors in those 90 games.

If Garcia can play center, that would expand the available options for the Marlins to add another bat to start alongside Garcia and in all likelihood, Jesus Sanchez.

Keep an eye on free agent Kyle Schwarber,

who is solely a natural left fielder; he hit .266 with 32 homers and 71 RBI for Washington and Boston last season. Having Garcia play center also would allow the Marlins to pursue Reds free agent outfielder Nick Castellanos,

a natural right fielder who hit .309, with 34 homers and 100 RBI for the Reds last season. Miami has talked to representatives of both players.

Regarding Garcia potentially playing center field, Jeter said: “I don’t see any reason why not. We’ll see how it unfolds when we get to spring training. From having a conversation with him, he’s comfortable playing anywhere. He’s capable of doing it.”

The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor, the top remaining free agent center fielder, is reportedly close to resigning with the Dodgers. Michael Conforto (146 career games in center) is a pretty good free-agent option. If the Marlins add Conforto or acquire a center fielder via trade, Garcia (.262, 29 homers, 86 RBI for the Brewers last season) would play right field.

General manager Kim Ng suggested the team would continue exploring center field options. “Something that was quite intriguing to us about Avi is that the idea that he has played center field in the past and is definitely willing to do it if we needed,” she said. “So at the very least, if we do get somebody for center, he’ll be able to spell that person from time to time.”

Bryan De La Cruz is positioned to be the fourth outfielder.

Is there the money available to add another significant salary?

“Yeah,” Jeter said. “We’re not going to make decisions like it’s the

Wild, Wild West. [But] we anticipate doing more.”

The Marlins’ revenue has increased by at least $35 million in recent months, because of their new TV deal and stadium naming rights deal. Owner

Bruce Sherman declined to say precisely how much of that $35 million would be allocated toward bigleague payroll, instead repeatedly saying: “We will do whatever we can to win.”

Jeter, on new catcher

Jacob Stallings, a 2021 Gold Glove winner and excellent game-caller who was acquired from Pittsburgh: “Everyone knows what type of year he had. It’s important because we have young pitchers; you need someone who’s going to help them continue to develop.”

Stallings is coming off his best offensive season (.246, eight homers, 53 RBI in 112 games).

Ng was noncommittal about whether Joey Wendle would be a starter or a fill-in at multiple positions (second base, shortstop, third base, outfield). The Marlins haven’t ruled out starting him.

“He’s played third base for the Rays for a while now,” Ng said. “You can put him at different positions and we can be flexible with it. He’s a tremendous add for us.”

Ng said the Marlins have received an “onslaught” of calls from teams inquiring about trading for their high-end young pitching.

“We have been able to keep those upper-echelon prospects throughout this whole process,” she said. “We hope that those guys are here for us as we move forward.”

Would it take something monumental to trade anyone from that group including Pablo Lopez, Max Meyer, Sixto Sanchez and Edward Cabrera? “It has to be elite and impactful either for today or for the future,” Ng said.

The Marlins — who acquired reliever Louis Head (2.31 ERA in 27 games last season for Tampa) in November — plan to further address their bullpen later in the offseason. Another backend reliever likely will be added to supplement Dylan Floro, who ended the season as the closer.

“For the next couple of months, we’re definitely going to be looking at how we can improve there,” Ng said. “We’d like to bring in another pitcher to participate in those highleverage situations. What we’ve found in the past is that the reliever market doesn’t necessarily unfold as quickly as the other markets, so we’ve got some time.”

CHATTER

Dolphins receiver

Will Fuller’s absence due to a finger injury will stretch a ninth consecutive week; he isn’t ready to return for Sunday’s game against the Giants. Why is a finger injury taking so long?

Coach Brian Flores said Fuller is dealing with a “significant fracture” with “a lot of broken bones.” Fuller, who signed a one-year, $10.6 million deal, has played only 65 offensive snaps and has four catches for 26 yards.

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky on Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this week: “The No. 1 thing I feel watching Tua play the last month is ‘what if.’ “What if you get that kid with an offensive line, what if you get him another receiver or two? I firmly believe, if that happens, if they do the right thing and protect him, then he becomes a Drew Brees-type player.”

Orlovsky added “Tua puts his foot in the ground and gets the ball out. Very rarely does Tua hold the football.” Metrics support that; Tagovailoa is the third-quickest in the league in releasing the football this season, behind Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. On average, he throws the pass in less than 2.6 seconds after getting the snap.

ACC Network finally struck a deal with Comcast this week, meaning the biggest cable systems and satellite services in the country and MiamiDade and Broward counties now have the channel.