The Marlins farm system had been a cellar dweller for several years. Draft picks and trades didn’t pan out, the investment in Latin America was insufficient, and when elite prospects such as Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich hit the majors, the next wave of talent never developed.
Since 2015, SB Nation’s preseason farm system rankings consistently placed the Fish at or near the bottom:
2015 Rank: 29th
2016 Rank: 29th
2017 Rank: 30th
New ownership turned over much of their roster this past winter, specifically their entire outfield in order to restock the farm system while reducing payroll for a team stuck in mediocrity.