Miami likely to tender Henderson Alvarez

As the 2015 season winds down, teams that are eliminated begin to plan for the offseason. There are a lot of decisions to be made, one of which is who to tender, and who to non-tender a contract to. Henderson Alvarez is one of those players, and according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Marlins plan to bring him back.

Alvarez, was the Marlins Opening Day starter but a right shoulder tear limited him to four starts. While they're leaning towards keeping him, the decision will ultimately depend on Alvarez's medicals, and how his shoulder has responded to treatment.

In 2013-14, it looked like Alvarez had established himself as a key member to Miami's rotation. In 2013, he threw 102.2 innings with a 3.59 ERA, and he improved on both of those marks the next season, as he posted a 2.65 ERA in 187 innings.

Alvarez has said that he will be ready to pitch by February 2016, which would seemingly put him in a position to start the season in the rotation.

The Marlins only have $29 million in committed money for the 2016 season, before arbitration numbers are figured in. Their free agents are Casey McGehee, Jeff Mathis, Don Kelly, and Ichiro Suzuki, four players they could pass on with no real harm to their success next season.

That flexibility could allow the Marlins to dip into the starting pitching market once the offseason starts. While Jackson suggested that Alvarez should get about $4 million, that was his 2015 salary, and even with the disappointing season, he'll likely get a raise, if only slightly.

Another tender candidate for the Marlins, Aaron Crow, is less likely to get an offer. Miami brought Crow in from the Royals, but he never got a chance to pitch for them. He unfortunately had to undergo Tommy John surgery, which prevented him from ever throwing a pitch during the regular season.

The Marlins had a disappointing year, and have a lot of rebuilding to do as the offseason approaches. Dan Jennings will likely resume his role as GM, and help with the search for a new manager. It's unclear how quickly that might progress, but it's imperative for them to install someone soon.