MIAMI -- It's no secret that an offseason priority for the Marlins is to improve their defense and team speed.

At the General Managers Meetings in California this week, the front office is exploring options to improve the club in those areas. Already there are trade rumblings that Florida is in the market for catching help and depth for the bullpen.

As the Marlins survey the trade market, they also are aware that they have some candidates already in their system who are on the verge of being big league ready.

A prospect who fits the mold is outfielder John Raynor, who has terrific speed and range in the field.

Selected in the ninth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Raynor is coming off a stellar season at Double-A Carolina and he was enjoying a fast start in the Arizona Fall League before suffering a broken bone in his hand.

In late October for the Mesa Solar Sox, Raynor was struck by a pitch on the back of his left hand. An initial X-ray didn't show the break, and he was hopeful of playing in the AFL All-Star Game. When the hand didn't show improvement, an MRI was taken, revealing a hairline fracture.

Shut down for the rest of the Fall League, Raynor was examined by a team doctor last week in South Florida. Recovery time is three to four weeks, and he should be at full strength by Spring Training.

"It's really a minor deal, but it pretty much shut down the Fall League for him," said Jim Fleming, the Marlins' vice president of player development and scouting. "He went to Florida to have a team doctor examine him and review the MRI, and we sent him home."

When Raynor returns for Spring Training, he could be a sleeper candidate to win an outfield position -- if not as a starter, then as a backup.

For now, the 24-year-old is resting his hand a couple of more weeks. By late November, he should be cleared to do some weight training. By December, he could be ready to do some hitting.

"He can swing the bat in four weeks, but we're not going to do it," Fleming said. "We're going to have him take it easy and get him ready for Spring Training because I'd say he's knocking on the door for the big leagues."

The Marlins have decisions to make regarding their outfield. Josh Willingham, Cody Ross and Jeremy Hermida are all eligible for arbitration for the first time. Most likely one of the three will not be back.

The versatile Alfredo Amezaga, who also plays infield, is in his second season of arbitration and also is an outfield candidate. And Cameron Maybin will be given every chance to secure the job in center field in Spring Training.

Raynor is expected to be in the mix with players like Brett Carroll to win a fourth or fifth spot.

Before his injury, he was playing all three outfield spots in the Arizona Fall League, but the hand injury ended his Winter League action.

In all, he appeared in eight games for the Solar Sox. When healthy, he made a big impression. He hit for the cycle in one game, a feat never done at the big league level by a Marlin.

At the plate, he finished with a .364 batting average (12-for-33) with three walks and one strikeout. He added three doubles, a triple and a home run, while stealing four bases in five attempts.

Since joining the Marlins' organization, Raynor has been the top base stealer in the system.

At Double-A Carolina, which reached the championship series in the Southern League, Raynor swiped 48 bases.

The speedster batted .312 for the Mudcats, collecting 141 hits in 452 at-bats. He added 29 doubles, six triples, 13 home runs and 51 RBIs. He struck out 122 times and walked 62 times, and he boasted an impressive .402 on-base percentage.

"He had terrific numbers all year long, and he was a catalyst for that club, which was a very good club," Fleming said. "He's led our team in stolen bases since he's come in."

Raynor attended North Carolina-Wilmington, and in 2007 he was at low Class A Greensboro, where he batted .333 and stole 54 bases.

Because of his college experience and maturity, the Marlins did something they normally don't try: advancing a player completely past a Minor League level. Raynor went straight to Double-A, bypassing Class A Jupiter in the Florida State League.

"John had a great year two years ago, and we decided to try to skip him by Jupiter, which is something we had never done before," Fleming said. "He's an older guy. We thought he'd struggle a bit, but he never did really struggle. He handled it very well."

Come February, he will get an opportunity to make the leap to the Major Leagues.