Miami Marlins need to be deadline buyers

The Marlins find themselves in the midst of one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. Waking up on Sunday morning with a record of 56-49, they are 0.5 GB of a wild card spot, with a game left in the Detroit series and the most important series of the year coming up against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Fish need reinforcements. As currently constructed, I find it to be a difficult task to reach the postseason. Skip and the coaching staff have managed the team to this point, but now they need help. They already have traded for two relievers in Jorge Lopez in a deal that sent Dylan Floro to the Twins and secured David Robertson in a deal with the Mets for two promising Minor Leaguers. 

However, they need more.

In this article we will look at names that the Marlins have been linked to.

Cody Bellinger, Cubs

Cody is in the midst of a bounce back season. He is slashing .315/.368/.540 with an OPS+ of 142. All of this with elite defense in the outfield as he is in the 91st percentile in Outs Above Average. 

The Marlins have been linked to Cody for the second trade deadline in a row, there is no secret that they are fans of his. But with the Cubs on an 8 game winning streak and seemingly resurging their season, I find it unlikely that they will deal for him as the Cubs now view the season as salvageable. 

Jeimer Candelario, Nationals

Candelario is an interesting name as his market in the offseason seemed to be limited. His 2022 campaign with Detroit was not what he had hoped for as he hit .217/.272/.361 with an OPS+ of 82. He signed with the Nationals as a sort of “prove it” deal and he has greatly outperformed the expectations. 

Now he sets himself as a prime candidate to be traded due to his .823 OPS so far this season. I can confirm the Marlins are greatly intrigued by what he could bring to the table, and that they have inquired on his services.

Paul DeJong, Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are an interesting team. They are not normally sellers, they have been one of the model organizations for a long time in this sport. The 2023 season has not treated them nicely as they are greatly underperforming finding themselves in last place of the NL Central with a record of 46-60.

DeJong is another candidate that the Marlins have been linked to. Per Andres Bolivar from Con Las Bases Llenas, the Marlins have inquired on him as well as an outfielder. DeJong is an elite defensive shortstop with his bat coming in second in terms of his skillset. 

I find him as an interesting name to be linked to as he is not known for his offensive prowess and that is what the Marlins are in dire need of. Slashing .236/.300.417 with an OPS+ at 94 and a Baseball Savant page that looks disenchanting, I would only see him being dealt to Miami in a case where the Marlins cannot get what they want elsewhere.

Eloy Jimenez, White Sox

Eloy would immediately become the second best bat in the lineup behind Luis Arraez. He is a slugger who will bring power to a lineup that desperately needs it. He is slugging .477 and has an OPS+ of 119. The issue with Eloy is durability. Since 2021, he has only played in 211 of 431 possible games. His talent is unquestionable but for a team who is looking for a late season push it is a risk to take him on, especially when one of the team’s stars is also hurt a lot in Jazz Chisholm Jr. 

Another caveat to a potential Eloy deal is the fact that the roster fit is not necessarily the best. He is exclusively a DH. The Marlins already have Jorge Soler, who is having a fine season. Perhaps you can teach him to play 1st Base, but do you want to plug in a player to a new position when they already have an injury history while playing minimal defense? These are all valid questions.

Tim Anderson, White Sox

Possibly the ultimate buy-low candidate is none other than the shortstop on the Southside of Chicago. Having the worst season of his career by far, Anderson is an interesting name to monitor as we approach the deadline. 

Slashing .245/.286/.293 he surely won’t net much of a return for the White Sox unless attached with someone else which might influence the team to keep him, as they have claimed they do not want to undergo another rebuild. 

Whatever team trades for him, they must remember that Anderson has a club option for the 2024 season, which if it is picked up, he will be owed $14 Million Dollars.

The Rest:

While I spoke on some offensive players the Marlins are linked to, below are some pitchers as well.

These names include Jordan Montgomery* and Jack Flaherty from the Cardinals as well as Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers.

Montgomery is having the best season of his career, sporting a solid 3.42 ERA with a 108/35 K/BB ratio. Adding him would make an already solid rotation, all the more competitive.

*Montgomery was traded to the Texas Rangers, as I was working on this article.

Flaherty, while he has dealt with injuries in the past, is finally healthy and is putting up a decent season. 106/54 K/BB with a FIP of 4.23. Perhaps the Marlins believe they can unlock something from the former 1st rounder to make a final .

Lorenzen is having a solid year and is garnering a lot of interest around the league, the Marlins being one of them. His 3.58 ERA along with his 83/27 K/BB ratio and his ability to come out of the bullpen, would give the Marlins a swiss army knife as the season winds down. 

The Fish have dealt with injuries to their rotation all season. Cueto was out for multiple months and Trevor Rogers has only pitched in 18 innings this season. The Marlins are looking for a starter to come in and provide solid outings and eat innings, especially as the team gears up for Eury Perez’ return.

2023 has treated the Marlins nicely and team interest in South Florida is on the rise. Nearly 33 thousand showed up on Saturday afternoon to watch the Marlins take on the TIgers on Venezuelan Heritage day at the park.

It would be wise of the team to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the team and prove to the fans they are committed to win by making some win-now moves.