Since Bruce Sherman, Derek Jeter and their group of investors seized full control of the Miami Marlins after the 2017 season, they have rarely spent big money on free agent players. Several factors have influenced their behavior—inheriting inefficient deals from previous ownership, limited gate revenue and uncertainty about their next local television contract, trust in their homegrown players to perform well, COVID-19, etc. Decide for yourself whether or not those are valid excuses.
This article isn’t intended to praise nor admonish Marlins leadership: I’m just interested in the results. When the Fish take substantial financial risks to outbid other MLB teams for available players, how does it pan out for them?