Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks have discussed deal for Wade Miley
By Aaron Somers
Looking to bolster their pitching staff with the addition of at least one arm, the Miami Marlins have seemingly turned their attention to pursuing Wade Miley of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The two teams have been talking and while there are no indications how close a deal might be, it seems that the two sides are at least exchanging names and Nathan Eovaldi has come up in discussions.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald is the one who reported that the two sides have been talking:
"The Marlins, seeking a veteran starter, also have discussed trading Nathan Eovaldi or a quality pitching prospect to Arizona for left-hander Wade Miley (38-35, 3.79 in 3 1/2 seasons)."
Miley’s availability comes at somewhat of a surprise, as he’s arguably the most seasoned arm in the D’backs rotation and projected to be the team’s ace as things stand today. 2014 marked the 28 year old’s second consecutive season topping 200 innings, but it was an overall disappointing campaign for him – going 8-14 with a 4.34 ERA and 1.401 WHIP, though he did post a career-high 8.2 K/9.
Miley finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2012 (to Washington’s Bryce Harper in what proved to be a closer race than expected) but hasn’t been able to repeat that success in the two seasons since.
As for Eovaldi, 2014 marked a career-high with 199.2 IP but his year was also somewhat disappointing. He went 6-14 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.332 WHIP, allowing an NL-high 223 hits. His opportunities have been less consistent since debuting during the 2011 season, with this past year being his first full season in a major league rotation. Eovaldi is familiar with finding himself in trade rumors, having been dealt before the 2012 July trade deadline as the key piece coming to Miami in return for Hanley Ramirez.
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It’s tough to say just how likely a deal between the two sides might prove to be. There would likely need to be more involved for Arizona to agree to a deal, as Eovaldi hardly projects as a better option than Miley. He’s younger, by almost three seasons, but the two players are both under team control through 2017.
Miami is also keeping an eye on the free agent market for potential options. The team is believed to have expressed an interest in James Shields but are also considering pitchers from the next tier of free agents. Jackson notes that Francisco Liriano and Brandon Morrow could also be options.