Miami Marlins looking at Evan Gattis, Chris Davis

Still looking to make an upgrade at first base, the Miami Marlins have been looking towards the trade market rather than free agency. The team has shown an interest in the Atlanta Braves’ Evan Gattis and the Baltimore Orioles Chris Davis, according to a report from Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

Miami had made a two-year, $20 million offer to Adam LaRoche last week. He’d sign with the Chicago White Sox two days later for two years, $25 million.

Garrett Jones was the Marlins’ starting first baseman this past season. He’s useful as part of a platoon, but his career splits are so divided that he isn’t an ideal choice to handle those duties everyday. Jones is a .267/.333/.479 hitter against right-handers in his career, but hits a mere .197/.239/.335 against southpaws. He hit 33 doubles and 15 home runs this past season, but it’s become clear that the Marlins intend on either replacing his bat or adding a strong platoon partner to it.

Gattis has been rumored to be available for a few weeks now, so it’s unclear when the Marlins may have reached out to the Braves about a deal. Atlanta claimed that Gattis was in their plans for left field following the trade of Jason Heyward, but that may have been simple posturing to help keep his trade value high. With the team in a rapid rebuild, most players could still be available for the right price.

Of course, the two teams play in the same division – which could potentially factor in what a deal might end up requiring.

Davis, meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing 2014 season. Injuries and suspension limited him to 127 games, in which he batted just .196/.300/.404. He hit 26 home runs and drove in 72, but those were both significant drop offs from the year prior and led to plenty of questions about whether he could duplicate such an output. Davis will be a free agent following the 2015 season.

Anticipating a price tag for either player is no easy chore, but Jackson and Spencer speculate that completing a deal could require one of Miami’s top pitching prospects such as left-hander Andrew Heaney.

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Following a dominating 2013 season, Heaney entered 2014 ranked as the 30th best prospect in the game by Baseball America. Miami had high hopes of him stepping into the rotation alongside Jose Fernandez at some point in the seasons. Fernandez was lost to injury and Heaney ended up with mixed results while making a couple of spot starts. He’d make 7 appearances overall (5 starts), posting a 5.83 ERA and 1.330 WHIP in 29.1 IP, striking out 20 while walking seven. He continued to show strong numbers in the minors, striking out 143 and walking just 36 in 137.1 IP between Double-A and Triple-A.

While parting with Heaney would be no small cost, the Marlins are determined to boost their lineup with a bat they can place behind Giancarlo Stanton to offer production for their franchise cornerstone. Davis might, at least on paper, appear to be the better fit for such a role but his contract situation is hardly ideal for a team hoping to compete beyond just next season.