Amidst reports, Jose Fernandez still very much a trade candidate
Miami Marlins president David Sampson tried to downplay rumors of a potential Jose Fernandez trade last week, but don’t take him for his word. Miami could still very well be looking to deal their young ace.
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that some within the Marlins organization see Fernandez’s attitude as a problem. Fernandez has openly contradicted what the organization has said regarding meetings about his potential innings limit next season, and reportedly wants out of Miami according to an unnamed Marlins player.
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“The Marlins know Jose Fernandez wants out of Miami ASAP,” according to WINZ-940 host Andy Slater. “One player told me that Jose Fernandez speaks to Marlins management like they’re children.”
The organization seems committed to riding out their shaky relationship with their young ace, who is signed through 2018. However, the fact that these issues are already so prominent in the first month of the offseason begs the question of how fast things could escalate, prompting a change in opinion from the Marlins brass.
The fact that Fernandez would command a king’s ransom on the trade market only incentivizes Miami that much more to consider trading the 23-year-old, who is under team control for three more seasons. The free agent market holds plenty of appealing names — David Price, Zack Greinke, and Johnny Cueto just to name a few — but all of the top options will come at a significantly higher price tag than the 2013 National League Rookie of the Year.
It’s also worth noting that, despite entering just his fourth season, Fernandez has already shown he’s amongst the top arms in baseball. He’s posted a 2.40 ERA through 47 career starts, owns a career 10.5 K/9 rate and was third in National League Cy Young voting as a rookie. And with budget-constrained teams like the Royals, Twins, Mariners and Pirates all needing starting pitching, the market for Fernandez’s services would expand far beyond big-market clubs like the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox.
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While Fernandez could very well end up staying in a Marlins uniform entering 2016, it’s hardly a lock to suggest a historically knee-jerk Miami front office won’t be quick to send their star pitcher elsewhere if reported concerns continue to worsen. More leaked information could stand to lower the former All-Star’s value on the trade market, so the Marlins could very well look to flip him while his value’s at an all-time high.