Florida (Miami) Marlins: 7 Things the Franchise Should Look to Do This Offseason

New season. New name. New stadium. New manager: 2012 will bring about a lot of change when it comes to the Marlins.

No longer will they be known as the Florida Marlins; they will instead be known as the Miami Marlins.

No longer will they need to share a stadium with the Miami Dolphins, as they will begin play in a new, beautiful stadium with a retractable roof. This will eliminate the long rain delays and rainouts that the Marlins dealt with all the time.

Ozzie Guillen becomes the new Marlins manager after he managed eight seasons with the White Sox and won the 2005 World Series.

The 2012 season should bring excitement to Marlins fans after they watched their team endure through a 72-90 campaign in 2011.

They have talent to build around in starting pitcher Josh Johnson, shortstop Hanley Ramirez and slugging right fielder Mike Stanton. And ownership has said it is looking to add payroll going into the new stadium, words that all Marlins fans are not used to hearing.

While there is optimism, there are things that need to be done in order to assure the Marlins have a successful 2012 season.

Here are some things that the Marlins should look to do during the offseason.

Add a Left-Handed Starting Pitcher

With ace Josh Johnson injured for most of last season, starting pitching was not a strong point for the Marlins.

Anibal Sanchez and Javier Vazquez put together solid seasons, but Ricky Nolasco and Chris Volstad both struggled through difficult seasons. Spot starters Clay Hensley and Brad Hand did not show any reasons why they should be in the starting rotation in 2012.

The 2012 rotation should feature Johnson, Sanchez and Nolasco. Vazquez is a free agent who is contemplating retirement, but the Marlins should look to re-sign him.

All four of these pitchers throw right-handed. Adding a serviceable left-handed starter should be a priority for the Marlins this offseason.

C.J. Wilson of the Rangers, Erik Bedard of the Red Sox and Mark Buehrle of the White Sox are all left-handed free agent starters. Wilson may command too much money for someone who isn't a true "ace," and Bedard is an injury risk every season, so the safe bet may be to look to sign Buehrle.

Buehrle had a good 2011 season with a 13-9 record and a 3.59 ERA, and he has proven to be durable as he has thrown over 200 innings over the past 11 seasons.

It would also reunite him with his manager of the past eight seasons, Ozzie Guillen.

Sign a Closer

Marlins fans have dealt with Leo Nunez, who has been nothing short of erratic, for the past three seasons.

He has 21 blown saves during those three seasons, and in 2009 and 2011, his ERA was over 4.

His go-to pitch, the changeup, is outstanding, but the Marlins have given him three seasons to prove he should stick as their closer, and that just hasn't happened.

It is time for the Marlins to move on.

Nothing is more disheartening than blowing a ninth-inning lead, so a more reliable closer is needed. There are some viable free agent closers out there that the Marlins can sign.

Heath Bell of the Padres, Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox, Ryan Madson of the Phillies and Francisco Rodriguez of the Brewers will all enter the offseason as free agents.

All four have proven to be more solid closer options than Nunez has been for the past three seasons.

Find a Full-Time Postion for Emilio Bonifacio

The 2003 World Series-champion Marlins had Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo at the top of their lineup. These guys were important, as they were able to get on base, steal bases and score runs.

When on base, they were able to keep the opposing pitcher on his toes, as he not only had to worry about who was up, but he also had to try to keep Pierre and Castillo from stealing a base.

Emilio Bonifacio proved last season that he has the ability to do the things that Pierre and Castillo did for the Marlins in the past.

He batted .296 with a .360 on-base percentage and stole 40 bases. He had a 26-game hitting streak during last season and was named National League Player of the Month in July.

He started at five different positions last season, most often at shortstop. But with a healthy Hanley Ramirez, they need to find a permanent spot for him.

The two positions that look like they may have openings are third base and center field. The Marlins need to figure out which position is better suited for Bonifacio, because he is an important player who should be at the top of the lineup card every game.

Convince Javier Vazquez to Pitch One More Season

If they were asked in June, Marlins fans would have laughed at the thought of wanting Javier Vazquez back in 2012.

On June 11, his ERA stood at 7.09 and fans had to wonder how he was keeping his spot in the starting rotation.

His struggles did not continue, though.

He ended the season with a 13-11 record and a 3.69 ERA, quite the remarkable turnaround. He was named National League Pitcher of the Month in September, with a 5-0 record and a 0.71 ERA.

During the season, Vazquez continued to reiterate that he was going to retire after the season. Ending the season on such a strong note has Vazquez thinking about pitching one more season, and it would make sense for the Marlins to look to bring him back.

With Josh Johnson injured most of last season, Vazquez was easily the Marlins' best pitcher from mid-June on. It would be a big mistake if the Marlins did not look to bring him back for one more season.

Have the Players Buy into Ozzie Guillen's Managerial Style

It is important to have the manager of a baseball team and his players on the same page at all times.

Ozzie Guillen is someone who doesn't bite his tongue, so if you are not performing, he will let you and the media know about it. While some players may not like that managerial style, he has proven it brings results—he has the World Series ring to prove it.

Before the season begins, Guillen needs to let all of his players know what he expects of them, game in and game out. He needs to explain that what may have been accepted by previous managers will not be tolerated by him.

Letting his players know what roles they will play on the team will allow them to grow comfortable in what they are doing.

But he also needs to make sure they know that if they don't play up to his standards, a spot on the bench or in the minors may be in their future.

While some guys may not agree with him, the World Series ring he won as manager of the White Sox should make the players listen.

Ozzie Guillen Needs to Have a Sit-Down with Hanley Ramirez

Nobody would disagree that Hanley Ramirez has all the tools to be one of the most talented players in baseball. But there have been reports that he is lazy and doesn't always give it his all.

It is well known by most Marlins fans that he was benched two seasons ago when he accidentally kicked a ball and seemed to jog slowly to get it as it rolled into the outfield.

Former Marlin Jeff Conine even called him out by saying that Ramirez frustrates him nightly, and if it were up to him, he would trade him.

This led to a war of words with Ramirez, who said that he would take over the nickname "Mr. Marlin," given to Conine by Marlins fans, and that he would have his number retired by the team and go into the Baseball Hall of Fame with a Marlins cap.

For someone who is so talented and knows just how talented he is, somebody needs to make sure his head is on straight and that he is playing the game hard every night.

Enter new Marlins manager, Ozzie Guillen.

Guillen is a proven winner who won a World Series as manager of the White Sox, and he is someone who has shown he has a no-nonsense attitude toward his players. It is important that he sits down with Ramirez and helps him realize what a shame it would be to waste his talent.

Hanley had a very disappointing 2011 season, batting only .243, and saw his season end early in August due to injury. In 2009, he won the National League batting title and finished second in the National League MVP vote.

Marlins fans want to see Ramirez perform to his abilities, and Ozzie Guillen will have an important role in making sure it happens.

Sign a Superstar

OK, I realize this is the Marlins, who have been known to be cheap and are always amongst the lowest payrolls in baseball year after year.

But this is the year they finally move into their new stadium with a retractable roof, and what better way to open up a new stadium than signing a superstar?

The Marlins are looking to increase payroll, and with Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes and Prince Fielder entering the offseason as free agents, the Marlins should at least look into signing one of the three.

While the new stadium may spike attendance numbers at first, the novelty of the stadium may wear off after time.

People have joked about how it looked like there were only five fans in attendance at recent Marlins home games, and they definitely do not want to revert back to that. Signing an exciting superstar would keep fans coming to the stadium to watch him play.

Is it likely? Probably not.

But the Marlins need to give all three a call, let them know what they are willing to offer, and see what happens.