MIAMI — On Friday night, as fans poured into Loan Depot Park to watch the Miami Marlins take on the Philadelphia Phillies, a small group of no more than 10 passionate fans gathered outside the stadium to protest the recent trade of Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres.
The demonstration was organized to express fan discontent with the direction of the franchise, with signs and banners demanding that owner Bruce Sherman sell the team. Luis De Armas, a longtime Marlins fan and organizer of the protest, expressed the sentiment of many fans by stating, “We want to keep coming to the games, but not when it continues to be a losing club all thanks to an owner who promised us one thing and did another.”
The Marlins have struggled this season, starting with a franchise-worst 0-9 record and currently holding a 10-30 record. The trade of Arráez, a two-time batting champion who finished eighth in National League MVP voting last year, further angered fans who had hoped to see him remain with the team long-term. Arráez was removed from the lineup before a game on May 3, hugging coaches and teammates before leaving the field.
Marlins president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix, defended the trade as being in the long-term benefit of the organization, but many fans saw it as a continuation of a trend of trading away star players without securing long-term success for the team. With the exception of Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 National League Cy Young winner, many of the high-profile trades made by the current ownership group have not yielded positive results for the Marlins.
For fans like Rafael Benitez, a season-ticket holder since the Marlins’ inaugural season in 1993, the recent trade of Arráez was a painful reminder of past decisions that have not led to sustained success for the team. The protest outside Loan Depot Park served as a physical representation of fan frustration with the team’s direction and decisions.
As the Marlins continue their season, fans remain hopeful but cautious about the team’s future and whether the current ownership group can lead them to success on the field.