Miami Marlins: Wei-Yin Chen Placed on the DL, Trade Coming?

The Miami Marlins placed Wei-Yin Chen on Disabled List Sunday afternoon, raising questions surrounding the durability of their rotation. Should Miami acquire another starter?

Miami hasn’t made the playoffs since winning it all in 2003, but their twelve-year postseason drought has a good chance of coming to an end this season. The Marlins (53-45) are right in the thick of a pennant race, currently holding a half game lead over the New York Mets for the second Wild Card spot.

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Their plans could be in jeopardy, however, as starter Wei-Yin Chen has landed on the 15-Day DL with an elbow sprain. Chen, who was signed to a five-year, $80 million deal this past offseason, has struggled mightily with his new club. His 4.99 ERA is the highest mark by any pitcher on the team that has made at least 13 starts.

In his place, the club has recalled Jarred Cosart (0-1, 7.98 ERA) from the minors to take his spot in the rotation for now. While Cosart has had success in the past, there is no indication that the young right-hander will be regaining his form anytime soon. This leaves the door wide open for Miami to explore the incredibly thin trade market. According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, management already has:

Hellickson (7-7, 3.84) has put together a solid season so far in Philadelphia, but the numbers suggest that he’s nothing more than an average player. Between his 4.21 FIP and 107 ERA+, there isn’t really much to get excited about. Nevertheless, he will likely command a cheaper package than what the Red Sox shipped over to San Diego and is actually one of the better arms on the trade block.

The Marlins don’t have the prospects to make a run at Chris Sale or Jose Quintana (if the White Sox make them available), but could definitely be in the conversation for names such as Rich Hill, Ervin Santana, and Matt Shoemaker. While none of those players really jump off the page as an impact arm, the team has really struggled to get their rotation going behind ace Jose Fernandez. Their starters ERA of 4.16 is second worst among teams within five games of a playoff spot in the National League.

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Miami should absolutely make a run at acquiring a starter, but expecting that arm to be the primary force that drives them to the postseason is a very distant fantasy. The team has the pieces to make a playoff run, it’s just up to the players whether or not they can put it all together.