Last offseason, Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix did what some thought was coming, he traded two starting pitchers. Right-hander Edward Cabrera was traded to the Chicago Cubs before left-hander Ryan Weathers was traded to the New York Yankees.

Now, this offseason, all eyes are on right-hander Sandy Alcantara and whether or not he'll be traded or remain in South Florida. If he remains, then he will be a free agent in 2027, and Miami could lose him for nothing.

If they do, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report predicted a free-agent signing for the Marlins this offseason that could serve as a potential Alcantara replacement beyond next season.

Marlins Predicted To Sign Shota Imanaga in Free Agency

There are going to be some interesting free agent names this winter for starting pitchers. One of them is Shota Imanaga, who pitched for the Cubs for the last three seasons.

He had a tremendous rookie season in 2024 when he went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA over 173.1 innings. He struck out 174 and walked just 28 in his 29 appearances, which earned him a spot on the National League All-Star team.

He hasn't been the same pitcher since, but Kelly believes he could be just what Miami needs either behind Alcantara in the rotation or as a potential replacement. It might not be why you think. Over the last two seasons, Imanaga has allowed 66 home runs, tying Tomoyuki Sugano and Zack Littell to lead MLB.

"loanDepot Park is tied for the fifth-fewest home runs allowed over the last three seasons. Imanaga could join the Marlins to serve as insurance if they trade Sandy Alcantara this offseason or lose him in free agency next winter,'' wrote Kelly, who cited MLB Park Factors.

loanDepot Park is a tough park to hit home runs in compared to other parks like Coors Field in Denver and Fenway Park in Boston, but Imanaga getting nearly half of his starts in Miami could help bring that stat down.

However, when it comes to money, that is always a sticking point with the Marlins. Kelly predicted a two-year, $34 million contract, which is $17 million a year, which is a rather big contract for the Marlins to hand out.

Miami has been knocking on the National League playoff door the last couple of seasons in terms of the wild-card race. Both times, they faded in September, but they are no doubt looking to get through the postseason door sooner rather than later. Adding some starting rotation help is certainly a way to start, and Imanaga would be worth taking a shot with for Bendix.