Miami Marlins Refusing to Trade Justin Bour

The Miami Marlins have a certain criteria when it comes to players they refuse to trade. Even though Justin Bour fits the mold, he should still be on the block.

At 41-46, nine games out of a playoff berth, the Miami Marlins appear to be destined to another disappointing season. Despite the optimism at the beginning of the year, the rebuild continues. Fortunately, the cupboard is not bare, as the Marlins front office has quite a bit of talent, particularly on the offensive side, to build around.

It also helps that the Marlins are not necessarily going to cash in a player just because they can bring in a prospect or two. Players such as Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and J.T. Realmuto have been listed as untouchable by the front office. In fact, the Marlins have a specific profile, where if a player is cost effective as well as talented, they are off limits. That profile has extended to include players such as their first baseman, Justin Bour.

On the surface, one can understand the Marlins reluctance to trade Bour. He is in the midst of a breakout campaign, producing an excellent .289/.367/.556 batting line with 20 homers, just three homers shy of his career high. During this most recent disappointing season, Bour has been a bright spot.

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However, the fact remains that Bour is already 29 years old. Heading into this season, Bour had played a total of 258 games at the major league level, held back by injuries. The Marlins belief is that he is now over those troublesome issues, and will produce at this rate for the foreseeable future.

And yet, for all of the potential that a healthy Bour could have, he is not exactly a youthful prospect. He is just a few months younger than his cross state counterpart Logan Morrison, who has actually had a better all around season than Bour. Even then, no one is considering Morrison to be a building block for the future. Miami, meanwhile, feels that Bour can be just that for their franchise.

Perhaps this will end up being the case. Occasionally, a player discovers themselves as they approach their 30s, becoming a key contributor for the next decade. Maybe Bour can become another Raul Ibanez type, a player who just needed that chance in order to become a fearsome asset.

The problem is, that for every Ibanez, there are quite a few other players who have that one career year, and revert back to their previous form. For a team like the Marlins, who need to rebuild their pitching staff, moving a player like Bour could make sense. Should a team desperate for a first baseman offer a competent arm, it would be well worth considering.

Next: Braves somehow still in the hunt

The Miami Marlins are not planning to trade Justin Bour. That decision could prove to be a mistake.