In Jose Fernandez, the Miami Marlins have one of the best starting pitchers in baseball. He constantly suffers through injuries, but when healthy, there are very few pitchers more dominant than the right hander.
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Now, his agent is saying he believes his client can command more than $30 million a season once he hits the open market following the 2018 season. That means the Marlins know they won’t be holding onto him past his current contract.
The clock is now ticking on a trade.
At the latest, the team will likely try to trade him in July of 2018 when a contender needs a top pitcher. However, a deal could come even sooner. If Fernandez’s value goes down based on performance in 2016, the team could try to move him before his value drops even further.
Right now, the Marlins seem committed to winning over the next two years. With a healthy Giancarlo Stanton and a revamped pitching staff, perhaps the team can compete in 2016 and 2017. If that’s the case, the team could hold onto him until 2018.
In 47 career starts, Fernandez is 22-9 with a 2.40 ERA and has struck out 336 batters in 289 innings. At times, he has been absolutely overpowering. The righty has struck out at least eight batters in 23 of 47 career starts. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that he’s never lost a game at home.
However they end up playing over the next year or so, Miami already has to be strategizing when to trade their ace. That’s the trouble you face when you’re a small-market team.