Trade Deadline Preview: Miami Marlins
The Marlins have two or three pretty glaring holes that need to be filled if they are serious about even sniffing the postseason. The first of these is obvious: starting pitching. No Jose Fernandez means the Marlins do not possess an ace in their rotation. Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez have been outstanding — Tom Koehler has teased us with glimmers of masterful pitching, but largely is nothing more than a number five on almost any staff.
The aforementioned Andrew Heaney and Anthony DeSclafani have had their first cups of coffee in the big leagues and definitely show great promise. But for a team that has a chance at competing right now, at least one upgrade to the rotation is an absolute must. Just about any deal the Marlins make for a significant upgrade would probably have to include Heaney — the top left-handed pitching prospect in all of baseball — but crazier things have happened. And if the Marlins are serious about winning now, them striking a couple big deals wouldn’t be out of the question.
Here are a few arms that could fill the short-term void the Marlins so desperately miss with Jose Fernandez on the shelf:
1. Jason Hammel
The Chicago Cubs are going nowhere in the immediate future and have been a popular name when talking about potential sellers at the deadline. Their ace Jeff Samardzija is the most common name thrown around, but the likelihood of the Marlins acquiring him is pretty much nonexistant. The Cubs have actually been rumored to be negotiating with Samardzija in recent weeks so there’s a chance he remains with the team in the future.
Hammel, however, is another starter the team could be looking to deal in July, and the Marlins might have the firepower to get a deal done. Hammel would profile as a number two or three in Miami’s rotation and would take the pressure of Miami’s young prospects if they were to stay in contention this year. Hammel is having a career year with a 7-5 record and 2.98 ERA and is owed $6 million in 2014, the last year of his contract. It would likely take a pretty big haul to gain Hammel’s services — the Cubs would probably want Heaney, at least.
Our friend Ehsan Kassim at Fansided’s Marlin Maniac brought up McCarthy’s name in a piece last week. I feel like this would be a very ‘Marlins’ type of deal. They did, after all, sign veteran Randy Wolf earlier this season to “eat innings,” but that didn’t exactly work out as planned. Still though, McCarthy doesn’t have a sexy ERA (and don’t even look at his 1-10 win-loss record) but he owns an 87-18 K/BB ratio and could be a bargain acquisition for the Marlins.
A deal for a guy like McCarthy seems most realistic to me for the Marlins. They are not keen on parting with their best prospects, despite their open statements that they are willing to spend to upgrade the team.
3. David Price
Sure, pretty much every team that needs pitching has been linked to David Price at some capacity. Price would far-and-away be the biggest stretch for the Marlins, and if somehow the team miraculously struck a deal for him, would likely be a one-or-two-year rental. But the Marlins do have the minor league pitching depth that the Rays always covet. Heaney, DeSclafani, Adam Conley and Justin Nicolino are all outstanding prospects that could be included in a package for Price. But this is a deal the Marlins would probably only think about if they catch fire over the next few weeks and decided to go all-in for a 2014 playoff push.