After winning the 2003 World Series, the Marlins entered 2004 with high hopes and a retooled roster. Retaining a core of stars from their title team and hoping that newly acquired 1B Hee-seop Choi would emerge, the Marlins fell short of reaching the postseason, but they posted the third winning season in franchise history, boasting an 83-79 record. During the season, the Marlins to made one of the biggest trades in club history as Los Angeles got P Brad Penny, 1B Hee-seop Choi and Double-A left-hander Bill Murphy in exchange for P Guillermo Mota, C Paul Lo Duca and OF Juan Encarnación. Pitchers Carl Pavano and Armando Benítez turned in record-setting performances. Pavano went 18-8 with a 3.30 ERA, and his 18 wins established a season high by a Marlin. Benitez became the club's season saves leader with 47 (in 51 saves attempts). Pavano, Benitez, Mike Lowell and Miguel Cabrera each enjoyed All-Star seasons, with Cabrera belting 33 homers (second-most ever in a season by a Marlin) while driving in 112 runs.
While losing All-Stars Carl Pavano and Armando Benítez in the off-season, the Marlins signed P Al Leiter and 1B Carlos Delgado. Delgado's contract was the biggest in franchise history at $52 million over 4 years, with an option for a fifth year. Meanwhile, play-by-play TV broadcaster Len Kasper was also lost to the Chicago Cubs and replaced by Rich Waltz (who had previously been with the Seattle Mariners), and radio announcer John "Boog" Sciambi was replaced by Roxy Bernstein.
With the addition of Delgado, many sportswriters expected the Marlins to finish the 2005 season in either first or second place in the NL East. However, at the All-Star break they were 44–42, and the NL East was unusually competitive, as all five of its teams had a winning record at the break. While Cabrera, Willis, and several others posted very good first-half numbers, Lowell was one of the least productive regular major-league starters, and Leiter went 3–7 with an ERAof 6.64 before being traded to the New York Yankees on July 15 for a player to be named later. Additionally, Guillermo Mota, who was acquired by Florida in 2004 along with Paul Lo Duca and Juan Encarnación and was expected to be their closer, was inconsistent, and the Marlins gave the closer job to veteran Todd Jones, whom they signed in the offseason. However, the Marlins did send four players to the All-Star Game (Willis, Lo Duca, Castillo, and Cabrera), tying a team record.
The club was expected to be quite active at the trading deadline (July 31), as Burnett was slated to be a free agent after the season and had already declared his desire to test the market like Pavano did. Burnett was mentioned in possible trades with the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Texas Rangers, with many rumors also including Lowell or Encarnacion. The Marlins did not make a huge move at the deadline, instead trading minor-leaguer Yorman Bazardo to the Seattle Mariners for left-handed pitcher Ron Villone.
The Marlins did have some pleasant surprises during the season. Dontrelle Willis became the 13th member of the Black Aces when he defeated the Washington Nationals to earn his 20th win. He finished the season 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA, and he was considered a favorite to win the Cy Young Award for much of the season. Also, Jones, a journeyman who had been signed as a setup man, had one of the best years of his career as a closer; he earned 40 saves and had a 2.13 ERA. In addition, late-season call up Jeremy Hermida, a highly-regarded prospect who has been compared to the Atlanta Braves' Jeff Francoeur, hit a pinch-hit grand slam in his first major-league at-bat and a game-tying two-run homer in the last game of the season.
The Marlins led the NL wild-card race as late as September 13, then lost 12 of their next 14 games. The Marlins closed the season by sweeping the Braves, and their final record for the season stood at 83–79. After the season, lingering stadium issues forced the Marlins to ponder big moves with their roster and also ponder possible relocation to Las Vegas, San Antonio, or Portland.

2006-2011: Market Correction and Rebuilding
After a disappointing back to back seasons of 83-79 records (2004 and 2005) which were expected to be seasons of contention by the Marlins along with failed attempts to get state financing for a new ballpark, the team began a controversial dumping of players for prospects.
The "Market Correction" (as dubbed by David Samson) yielded a wave of new players who would signal the start of a new era in Marlins history. In a trade considered one of the best in team history, the Marlins acquired Hanley Ramírez andAníbal Sánchez among others from the Red Sox for World Series MVP Josh Beckett and fan favorite Mike Lowell in a Thanksgiving blockbuster. The Marlins would also trade Carlos Delgado (who signed a five-year deal the offseason before), Juan Pierre, and Luis Castillo in separate deals.
The Marlins were asked about ace Dontrelle Willis after his Cy Young caliber campaign in 2005 amid the "Market Correction" but rejected an offer from the Detroit Tigers that would have landed them now 4× MLB All-Star and 2011 AL MVPpitcher Justin Verlander and five-tool outfielder Curtis Granderson, both prospects with some major league experience under their belt.[9] Afterwards, the Marlins offered Willis to the rival New York Mets for Major-league ready third baseman David Wright but they declined and then opted to keep Willis who represented nearly a third of their 2006 payroll of $15 million.
The Marlins would be a sub .500 team for two seasons (2006, 2007) following the Market Correction, and in a span of three seasons (2005–2007), the team had three different managers (Jack McKeon, Joe Girardi (fired after spat with ownerJeffrey Loria), and Fredi González. The Marlins were building upon a young nucleus revolving around Dan Uggla, Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Aníbal Sánchez, and Hanley Ramírez alongside Willis and Cabrera. However, after increasing demand of salary in their arbitration years and uncertainty of stadium situation, the Marlins pulled the trigger on dealing slugger Miguel Cabrera and southpaw Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Cameron Maybin, southpaw Andrew Miller, reliever Burke Badenhop among the six players received by Florida. (Willis became a victim of the so-called "Steve Blass Disease" shortly after the Marlins traded him.).[10][11] However, the front office's demand for quantity over quality in their return for their cornerstone players hurt them dearly. The Marlins had garnered serious interest from the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers and both had major league-ready and minor league prospects to offer among the likes of Howie Kendrick (Angels), Ervin Santana (Angels), Matt Kemp (Dodgers), and Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers).[12] Both of the LA teams would bow out because of the quantity demand of the Marlins and they again would miss out on getting All-Star caliber players, namely Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw who the Marlins could have obtained if their demands were lowered.
The franchise got back to .500 baseball in 2008 despite trading their cornerstone players in the offseason. The Marlins were nearly close to dealing for slugger Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline but backed out after Boston insisted the trade include promising outfielder Mike Stanton. Marlins declined and Ramirez was dealt to the Dodgers where he would slug 17 home runs, drive in 53 runs with a .396 batting average in only 53 games. The Marlins infield became the first in major league history to have an entire infield hit 29 home runs or more (1B: Mike Jacobs - 32 /2B: Dan Uggla - 32 / SS: Hanley Ramírez - 33 / 3B: Jorge Cantú: 29).
In 2009, the Marlins remained in the playoff chase until the middle of September thanks to Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan and the breakout season of Hanley Ramírez who won the National League Batting Title. In 2010, the Marlins continued the trend of changing managers when they fired Fredi González midseason and gave Edwin Rodriguez the job through the remainder of the season. Rodriguez was later named manager for 2011. After the 2010 season, the Marlins continued their string of dealing players when their contracts became too much to bear, dealing power-hitting second basemen Dan Uggla to the Atlanta Braves after his insistence on an extra year in his possible contract extension went nowhere with the front office. The Marlins received second baseman Omar Infante and southpaw reliever Mike Dunn from the deal.
In the offseason, the Marlins also pulled the plug on their returns from the disastrous Cabrera/Willis trade dealing Andrew Miller to the Red Sox for a minor league prospect and Cameron Maybin to the Padres for a pair of reliever to aid a struggling bullpen from the 2010 season.
With a new stadium on the horizon, the 2010 offseason marked a change in direction for the franchise, as they it became a buyer all over in anticipation of a higher payroll and more revenue. In 2011, The Marlins brought in several relief pitchers (Randy Choate, Edward Mujica, Ryan Webb, and Michael Dunn among them) to revamp a depleted bullpen; All-Stars John Buck and Omar Infante, and former All-Star Javier Vázquez were also added to their roster. It began a change in direction for the Marlins as they looked to be more aggressive on the trade front (for their short term benefit) and free agency.
However, the club faltered in 2011 with injuries to Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramírez (shoulder) after showing promise in the months of April and May. After an infamous home plate collision involving outfielder Scott Cousins and Giants catcher Buster Posey in late May, the team began a downfall. Manager Edwin Rodriguez resigned in June, Chris Coghlan revealed his lingering knee issue when the club was to demote him and never returned back to 25 man roster that season, and Jack McKeon returned as manager where he would reclaim title as most wins as Marlins manager.

2012: New Ballpark, New Identity
 

 

The Miami Marlins in front of a sellout crowd at the inaugural Opening Night game at Marlins Park against the reigning World champion St. Louis Cardinals.
For the first 19 years of its existence, the team played its home games at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. In 2012, they moved into newly constructed Marlins Park in Miami's Little Havana.
On September 28, 2011, the Marlins introduced Ozzie Guillén as their new manager.[13] On the same day, the Marlins played their last game at Sun Life Stadium with Charlie Hough andBenito Santiago being the first pitch battery, the same battery from the first Marlins game. The team also brought back former Marlins greats and released the All-Time Florida Marlins team and top 10 moments from the franchise's 19 year history.
On November 11, 2011, the Marlins officially rebranded themselves the Miami Marlins with a new logo, uniform, and color scheme. The VIP event was held at the site of the new ballpark at night, featuring a private concert by Pitbull and a fashion show featuring the new uniforms worn by various Marlins players and coaches, including Ozzie Guillén, Logan Morrison, Hanley Ramírez, and Josh Johnson.
With a new ballpark and increased revenue stream, the team showed rare interest in the top free agents on the market which included slugger Albert Pujols, pitchers C. J. Wilson and Ryan Madson. During the baseball Winter Meetings, the Marlins signed All-Star closer Heath Bell, followed by All-Star shortstop José Reyes signed to the longest and most lucrative contract in team history. After negotiations with Pujols fell through, the Marlins also signed Mark Buehrle. After failing to sign C. J. Wilson, the Marlins pursued other pitchers and eventually settled on volatile pitcher Carlos Zambrano in a trade with the Chicago Cubs for Chris Volstad.
Two Marlins players changed their names during the offseason. Leo Núñez, who was playing under an assumed name in 2011, is now officially recognized as Juan Carlos Oviedo. Mike Stanton is now known by his birth name of Giancarlo Stanton. Coincidentally, "Giancarlo" translates from Italian to Spanish as "Juan Carlos."[14]
In early February, Showtime selected the Marlins for the second season of The Franchise, a reality TV show which centers on the lives of the players on and off the field.[15]
The team struggled for the majority of the season, despite setting a franchise record for wins in a month (21) in May. By August, a few high-profile players, such as Hanley Ramírez, had been traded, and others, such as Giancarlo Stanton, were injured. On August 12, the Marlins only had one player from their opening day line-up, Jose Reyes, in the game's starting line-up. On October 23, 2012, Guillen was dismissed as manager of the Marlins, despite three years remaining on his contract.[16]

Notable former players
• Josh Beckett (2001–2005) — Beckett was drafted by the Marlins in the first round (2nd overall) of the 1999 Amateur Draft. Beckett won the World Series MVP in 2003 and won 41 games as a member of the Marlins, with a 3.46 ERA. He was part of a series of trades in the team's 2005 Market Correction.
• Kevin Brown (1996–1997) — In 1996, Brown posted a 17–11 record with 159 strikeouts and an MLB best 1.89 ERA, finishing second in the Cy Young Award voting. In 1997, Brown threw a one-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first appearance and a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants. In the 1997 National League Championship Series, Brown, riddled with the flu, proceeded to pitch a complete game in Game Six, defeating the Atlanta Braves and helping the Marlins reach the World Series, which they eventually won over the Cleveland Indians.
• Mark Buerhle (2012) — A part of the Marlins re-brand in the 2012 offseason, he was signed to a four-year contract worth $58 million. Buerhle won 13 games while once again eclipsing 200 innings before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays with other high profile Marlins: Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson.
• A. J. Burnett (1999–2005) — In 2001, Burnett pitched an unusual no-hitter where he walked nine batters. He threw the fastest fastball of all major league starters in 2005, averaging 95.6 miles per hour. During his tenure, Burnett was 49–50 with a 3.73 ERA, 14 complete games and a team record 8 shutouts, tied with Dontrelle Willis.
• Miguel Cabrera (2003–2007) — Cabrera debuted with the Marlins in 2003 and hit a game-winning home run in his first game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was a key factor to the Marlins' 2003 World Series run and the ballclub's primary power hitter during his tenure, hitting 138 home runs and driving in 523 in five seasons. Cabrera went to four All-Star games and won a pair of Silver Slugger awards.
• Luis Castillo (1996–2005) — Castillo won three Gold Glove Awards and went to three All-Star games in his tenure with the Marlins. He holds several franchise records, among them his 35 game hitting streak in 2002.
• Jeff Conine (1993–1997, 2003–2005) — Jeff Conine has the distinction of being the only player to appear in the opener of the Marlins' inaugural season and in both the 1997 World Series and the 2003 World Series won by the Marlins. His game-winning homer earned him the All-Star game MVP trophy in 1995.
• Álex González (1998–2005) — Alex Gonzalez was one of the premier defensive shortstops in the game during his tenure with the Marlins, and provided a walk-off homerun in the 12th inning during Game 4 of the 2003 World Series. It was hit off Jeff Weaver.
• Liván Hernández (1996–1998) — Hernandez's rookie season coincided with the 1997 World Series. He went 2–0 in the World Series against the Cleveland Indians, winning World Series MVP.
• Charles Johnson (1994–1998, 2001–2002) — A four-time Gold Glove Award winner, in 1997 Johnson set a Major League single-season record for catchers by playing in 123 games without committing a single error. He is one of only three catchers in Major League history to catch at least 100 games in a single season without committing an error.[17] Despite being known more for his defensive abilities, Johnson led the Marlins in the 1997 World Series with 10 hits.[18]
• Josh Johnson (2006-2012) — Johnson was the ace of the Marlins pitching staff for the majority of his tenure. He had a 56-37 career record while boasting an ERA of 3.15, including having the best ERA in the National League in 2010. Johnson struggled with injuries, seeing time on the disabled list in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays following the 2012 season.
• Derrek Lee (1998–2003) — Lee won a Gold Glove in the 2003 championship season. He hit 129 home runs and drove in 417 runs. He holds the franchise record in strikeouts with 734.
• Mike Lowell (1999–2005) — Lowell a native of Coral Gables, Florida had successful years in Florida and established himself as one of the elite third baseman in the league. In his tenure with the Marlins, Lowell was a three time All-Star and won a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove.
• Brad Penny (2000–2004) — In 2003, Penny collected the win in Florida's NLCS clinching victory over the Chicago Cubs and in the World Series against the New York Yankees he went 2–0 with a 2.19 ERA in his two starts.
• Hanley Ramírez (2006–2012) - As the main piece of the Josh Beckett & Mike Lowell trade in the 2005 off-season, Ramirez was the face of the franchise during his tenure and a major offensive cog, having a 30-30 season in 2008, winning a batting title and finishing 2nd in MVP voting in 2009, and participating in three All-Star games. His declining production in 2011 and 2012 led to him being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Edgar Rentería (1996–1998) — Rentería is remembered for his 11th inning two-out RBI single in Game Seven of the 1997 World Series to give Florida a 3–2 triumph over the Cleveland Indians.
• Jose Reyes (2012) — Reyes was signed to the largest contract in franchise history before the 2012 season as a part of the Marlins re-brand, along with Buerhle and Heath Bell. He played one season, batting .287 with 11 homeruns and 58 RBIs, before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays with Buerhle, Johnson, John Buck, and Emilio Bonifacio.
• Iván Rodríguez (2003) — Despite only playing one season with the Marlins, he put up some the of the best offensive and defensive statistics by a Marlins catcher and was a key cog in the 2003 World Championship team. He won the 2003NLCS MVP.
• Cody Ross (2006–2010) — Ross had a three homer game in his first season with the Marlins and in his five years with the Marlins hit .265 with 80 home runs and 297 RBIs.
• Aníbal Sánchez (2006–2012) - Also acquired in the Josh Beckett & Mike Lowell in the 2005 off-season, Sanchez threw a no-hitter in his rookie season and threw three one-hitters during his tenure. He won 44 games over parts of six seasons.
• Gary Sheffield (1993–1997) — Sheffield hit 112 home runs with the Marlins from 1994 to 1998, including a club record 42 in 1996, and made the All-Star Game in 1996. He lead the Marlins to victory in the 1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, making a spectacular catch against the right field fence in game 5.
• Dan Uggla (2006–2010) — Acquired in the Rule 5 draft, Dan Uggla is the franchise leader in home runs with 154 and is the only second baseman in MLB history with four consecutive 30 home run seasons.
• Dontrelle Willis (2003–2007) — The "D-Train" was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2003 and showcased his remarkable (for a pitcher) hitting ability by going 3-for-3 with a triple while scoring a run during Game 4 of the 2003 National League Division Series, which the Marlins won 7–6 over the San Francisco Giants to advance to the NL Championship Series. Willis holds many Marlins pitching records including single season victories (22), franchise losses (54), complete games (15), shutouts (8), innings pitched (1,022 ⅔), and is second in franchise victories (67).
Other former "big-name" Marlins include Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, potential Hall of Famers Mike Piazza, Bobby Bonilla, Carlos Delgado, Moisés Alou, Benito Santiago, Rob Nen and Trevor Hoffman, and productive players Craig Counsell andJorge Cantú. Juan Pierre was part of this list until he re-signed with the team during the 2012 off-season.[19]

Minor league affiliations
Main article: List of Miami Marlins minor league affiliates
 

Level	Team	League	Location
AAA	New Orleans Zephyrs	Pacific Coast League	Metairie, Louisiana
AA	Jacksonville Suns	Southern League	Jacksonville, Florida
Advanced A	Jupiter Hammerheads	Florida State League	Jupiter, Florida
A	Greensboro Grasshoppers	South Atlantic League	Greensboro, North Carolina
Short Season A	Batavia Muckdogs	New York–Penn League	Batavia, New York
Rookie	GCL Marlins	Gulf Coast League	Jupiter, Florida
	DSL Marlins	Dominican Summer League	Boca Chica, Dominican Republic

 

Marlins Park
Main article: Marlins Park
The Marlins began construction of a new, state-of-the-art stadium at the Miami Orange Bowl site on July 18, 2009. The now approved stadium was the subject of a protracted legal battle. A lawsuit by local automobile franchise mogul and former Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman contested the legality of the deal with Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami. However, Miami-Dade County Judge Beth Cohen dismissed all the charges in Braman's lawsuit.
When completed, the seating capacity will be around 37,000, making it the third smallest stadium (in capacity) in the MLB. Set to open in April 1, 2012, the ballpark would become only the sixth MLB stadium to have a retractable roof, joining Rogers Centre in Toronto (1989), Chase Field in Phoenix (1998), Safeco Field in Seattle (1999), Minute Maid Park in Houston (2000), and Miller Park in Milwaukee (2001).
As part of the new stadium agreement, the team renamed itself the Miami Marlins on November 11, 2011 along with the unveiling of new uniforms and team logo in time for the move to the new stadium in 2012.
Until a naming-rights deal is reached, the park will be known as Marlins Park.
 – MiamiHerald.com
28. ^ "In Depth: Baseball's Most Intense Rivalries".