MIAMI -- With the lockout over and the 2022 season around the corner, the expectation is there will be a flurry of moves as clubs look to bolster their rosters before Opening Day. The Marlins are no exception. Though they were busy during the early part of the Hot Stove season, there are still holes to fill in order to contend in the National League East.

Below are five questions that concern the Marlins in 2022:

1. Will the Marlins add another impact bat?
Miami ranked toward the bottom of virtually every offensive category in 2021, so the front office made it an offseason priority to improve the lineup. Before the lockout, the Marlins signed Avisaíl García to a four-year deal and acquired Joey Wendle in a trade. But that's not enough if the club wants to seriously compete in the division. García and Jesús Sánchez will likely make up two-thirds of the starting outfield, so who gets the final spot?

Though rookie Bryan De La Cruz impressed during his first taste of the Majors, he projects to be a fourth outfielder. Nick Castellanos is one of the most coveted free agents after posting a .939 OPS during a Silver Slugger-winning campaign, but the local product might be out of Miami's price range. Michael Conforto, whom the Marlins have seen plenty of with the Mets, is coming off a down year but still managed a 101 OPS+.

Other free-agent options include Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler, who each played a huge role in the Braves winning the World Series, and Kyle Schwarber. Miami also could go the trade route as it did to acquire Wendle and Gold Glove-winning catcher Jacob Stallings, though that would mean parting with more prospects from its top-five system. In those deals, the Marlins were able to avoid sending a Top 10 prospect. It's not a matter of if the Marlins will acquire another bat, but rather whom.

2. Who will be the closer?
Anthony Bass was the marquee Major League free-agent signing for the pitching staff last offseason, and his job as closer lasted less than a week due to two blown saves. Yimi García was solid in the role before being dealt ahead of the Trade Deadline, paving the way for setup man Dylan Floro to take over through the end of the season. He went 13-for-14 in save opportunities when pitching in the ninth, embracing the high-leverage opportunities he didn't see as much of with the Dodgers.

"I'm not saying he should be the closer or anything like that," manager Don Mattingly said during the season's final weekend. "He did a nice job with leverage innings, he holds runners, for the most part he's not walking people. So he doesn't really hurt himself too much when he's in that role."

Rookie Anthony Bender has closer potential, though a proven arm might be better for a club hoping to seriously contend. If that's the case, it won't come at a cheap price on the free-agent market. Kenley Jansen, along with former Marlins Andrew Miller and Brad Hand, are among those relievers currently without a team. High-leverage reliever Adam Ottavino is also available. Another possibility is going closer-by-committee, something the Rays did successfully in 2021 while having 14 pitchers record a save.

3. When will Sixto Sánchez be full go?
MLB Pipeline's No. 41 overall prospect underwent right shoulder surgery last July, and the expectation was that he would be ready for camp. That appears to have changed, and the club won’t have a better idea until it sees how he looks upon his camp arrival since the Marlins couldn't be involved in his rehab during the lockout. Sánchez would bolster an already solid rotation, but the Marlins will certainly be careful with him since he didn't appear in a game at any level in 2021. Plus, the 23-year-old righty has an injury history dating back to his time with the Phillies.

4. Can Avisaíl García handle playing center field every day?
During his introductory press conference, both García and the Marlins said they would be comfortable with him filling the center-field void. It's a position he has started at 75 times during his 10-year career, including 42 games with the Brewers in 2020. But playing center every day at spacious loanDepot park could take a toll on the veteran.

In 2020, García had a perfect fielding percentage, but -5 Defensive Runs Saved per FanGraphs. According to Statcast, García ranked in the 13th percentile in outfielder jump and 22nd percentile in outs above average in 2021. For what it's worth, Conforto and Rosario also have experience playing in center should the Marlins acquire one of them and rotate players to give them "rest" days.

If Miami wants to kill two birds with one stone, its impact bat would be a center fielder. The problem with that lies in the lack of quality options on the free-agent market. The club's best bet would be to pursue a center fielder via trade, though the asking price would be high for a guy like All-Star Bryan Reynolds. The Marlins' organizational philosophy is to be strong up the middle defensively. Would they compromise by adding a sure bat with some defensive liability?

5. Which prospect yet to reach the Majors is closest to debuting?
This is a tricky one. If we're going based on who already is on the 40-man roster, the easy answer would be Jerar Encarnación and his plus-power bat. But since knocking the game-winning grand slam in the 2019 Arizona Fall League, the 24-year-old outfielder had no Minor League season in '20 and battled through injuries and inconsistency (.708 OPS) at Double-A Pensacola in '21. In a more recent development, Encarnación began seeing time at first base.

Perhaps the answer is outfielder Peyton Burdick, who was named the organization's Double-A Player of the Year and received a promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville in September. Right-hander Max Meyer followed that same trajectory as Double-A South Pitcher of the Year before spending time with the Jumbo Shrimp. Top 100 prospect JJ Bleday bounced back in the AFL after a tough showing in his first full season of pro ball. Both Burdick and Bleday saw time in center field in 2021. These are all names to consider, and much of it will depend on not only them pushing the envelope but how things are going with the Major League club.