The Miami Marlins have not been buyers at the trade deadline since Peter Bendix took over as president of baseball operations in November 2023.That likely is about to change.Barring an utter collapse, the hottest team in baseball not only intends to keep staff ace Sandy Alcantara, but also add strategically to its roster, according to people briefed on the club’s plans who were granted anonymity to speak freely.The Marlins’ potential needs include a third baseman, a back-end starting pitcher and high-leverage reliever. They could trade off their major-league roster to protect their farm system, sources say.Bendix and his staff can sort out the details after the amateur draft, which starts on Saturday. Much can change with the deadline still three and a half weeks away. But Miami, which improved from 62 wins in 2024 to 79 last season, their first under manager Clayton McCullough, appears to be taking another step forward.The Marlins have won 16 of their last 20 games, matching the best single-season span in their 34-year history. At 52-42, they are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for second place in the NL East, three games behind the Atlanta Braves, and hold a three-game lead for the third National League wild card.Miami owner Bruce Sherman recently signaled the team would hold Alcantara, telling Marlins Radio, “He’s our franchise icon, and for us, I look forward to many years in the future and what this all becomes.”Some with the club, however, were concerned that the team’s current 26-8 run, following a disappointing 26-34 start, came mostly against mediocre opponents. A three-game sweep against the Seattle Mariners, in which the Marlins won games started by Seattle’s Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Bryce Miller, seemed to settle that question.Bendix, who wants to build a perennial contender, isn’t about to mount an all-in push to help the Marlins to only their third postseason appearance since they upset the New York Yankees in the 2003 World Series. His farm system, even after trades of Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jesús Luzardo and others, still isn’t strong enough to support such a position.