Miami Marlins Offseason Trade Candidate: Christian Yelich
A lot has happened to the Miami Marlins over the last 365 days. One future event which could further shake things up is a trade involving outfielder Christian Yelich.
The tragic death of Jose Fernandez last September poked a hole in our hearts and in the Marlins’ future plans. They were unable to find a quality number one starter in the offseason to replace their ace. The poor pitching staff in 2017 has been a big reason why they’ve fallen out of the playoff race early. As a result, trade rumors involving Yelich have spawned.
Yelich is a cornerstone piece of the Marlins and not someone they will show the door to easily. Along with Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna, the Marlins assembled a very good outfield. The end result hasn’t been particularly great. Other weaknesses continue to show themselves, thus leading to Miami’s rumored interest in trading Yelich.
Where could the Marlins trade Yelich?
Where, oh where, could Yelich play in 2018 if it’s not Miami? To start, the Philadelphia Phillies are a favorite.
Before the trade deadline passed, the Phillies talked with the Marlins about a deal for Yelich and Stanton. Nothing ever progressed, but there’s no reason to think Philadelphia has lost all interest. Though they have lots of prospects, Yelich is proven over multiple seasons.
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After the Phillies, the list includes anyone with prospects to deal. Aside from the usual suspects, I’d imagine only those teams willing to pull the trigger and go from rebuilders to contenders next year could obtain Yelich. Or perhaps it would take just one really good prospect.
What if the Blue Jays did shop prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette? Each would pique the Marlins’ interest. This move would be a very “go for it now before Josh Donaldson leaves” decision. It’s not likely with how many free agents they will lose this upcoming winter. In particular, the Jays starting rotation will take a hit. Plus, why give up on two of the fastest rising prospects in baseball?
Maybe more realistic are the St. Louis Cardinals. Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk each slumped after great rookie seasons. The Cardinals have some young, intriguing pitchers Miami and the rest of the league desire. A trade that begins with Alex Reyes or Luke Weaver is a nice start and would help the Marlins employ a prospect they could be proud of.
The likelihood of Miami trading Yelich is very slim now that Derek Jeter is part owner. Someone with that many World Series rings isn’t about to sell off one of the franchise’s best and still affordable players for the sake of saving cash.
Yelich is locked up through 2021 with an option for 2022. Even though he isn’t having the same year he did last year, Yelich is still a very attractive young outfielder the Marlins should shop if only for the sake of seeing what he’s worth. The mix of power, speed, and potential to hit near .300 bodes well for his future. Should the Marlins decide to trade him this offseason, they should manage to snatch at least one top 100 prospect and a slew of other lottery tickets.