Carl Pavano got more attention for being injury-plagued as a New York Yankee, but the team he played for before, the Florida Marlins, was where he was at his best.

Traded from the Montreal Expos during the 2002 Season, Pavano finished the year 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA, starting eight of his 22 Games.  Pavano was a permanent starter the following year, only going 12-13 with a 4.30 ERA and helping the Marlins win the World Series.  He won two Games in the playoffs, allowing only three Runs over 19.1 Innings.

Pavano followed that with his best season, going to his only All-Star Game and posting career-highs in Wins (18), ERA (3.00), Innings (222.1), and WHIP (1.174).  He was sixth in Cy Young voting that year, and as mentioned above, he signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent.

With the Marlins, Pavano had a record of 33-23 with 313 Strikeouts.

Miguel Rojas first made it to the Majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014, playing a year there before he was traded to the Marlins.

In Rojas' first three years with Miami was primarily spent off of the bench.  Playing most of his games at Shortstop, Rojas could easily be slotted into any other infield position, logging significant time at First, Second, and Third.  Rojas started playing more regularly by 2018 and though he is light-hitting, his defensive skills make him an asset to the Marline.  Miami held on to Rojas until 2023, where he was traded back to the Dodgers.

Overall, Rojas had 707 Hits with a ,268 Batting Average.

One of the best base-stealers in Marlins history, Juan Pierre began his career with the Colorado Rockies, leading the NL in Stolen Bases in 2001.  A year later, the speedy Outfielder was traded to the Marlins, where he became their leadoff hitter and continued the swipe bases at will.

In his first season in Florida, Pierre led the NL in SB with 65, had 204 Hits, and batted a healthy .305.  Pierre was instrumental in the Marlins winning the 2003 World Series, and he batted .333 over the series.  This was the last time that Pierre was a champion, but not his final year as an impactful baseball player.  

Pierre led the NL in Hits (221) and Triples (12), and he batted .326 in 2004.  His stats dropped in 2005, but he was still decent and productive, stealing over 40 Bases in 2004 and 2005.  The Marlins traded him for three players to the Cubs after 2005, but he returned to Miami for one final season in 2013, but he was not the same player and retired after the season.  With the Marlins, he batted .295 with 682 Hits and 190 Stolen Bases.

Derrek Lee was a First Round Pick by the Padres in 1993, and he made it to their main roster four years later, playing 22 Games in 1997.  The Padres had the chance to trade for pitching ace, Kevin Brown, and they gave up Lee to get him.

Lee would become Florida's starting First Baseman the year he arrived, but he struggled for two years before he broke out with a 28 HR/.281 BA year, and this would be the type of numbers that he provided the Marlins over the next three seasons.  From 2001 to 2003, Lee had at least 20 Home Runs with a .270 Batting Average, which were respectable metrics.  Defensively, he was also good, winning the Gold Glove in 2003.  

Lee was a large part of Florida’s World Series win in 2003, and the Marlins did what they always did, jettison off their best players.  He was traded to the Cubs, and with the Marlins, he blasted 129 Home Runs with a .822 OPS.

While his overall offensive numbers indicate that he should be a few spots higher, for a First Baseman, they were not up to the standard that they need to be to have an elite rank on this list.