Miami Marlins overlooked prospects could salvage trades

A pair of overlooked prospects could end up salvaging trades made by the Miami Marlins.

The Miami Marlins attempt to overhaul their roster has not gone as planned. Not only were they panned when they traded Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton, with the experts claiming that they had not received enough of a haul in return, but those trades look even worse in retrospect. Yelich has blossomed into a perennial MVP candidate with the Brewers, while Stanton, when healthy, has been the middle of the order power bat that the Yankees craved.

For the Marlins, those trades have been a disaster. Lewis Brinson, the headliner in the Yelich deal, has struggled at the major league level, leading to his return to the minors. Neither Isan Diaz nor Monte Harrison have made their major league debuts as of yet, and both players have fallen off the top 100 prospect lists.

In that trade, it is the fourth, at the time overlooked prospect, that could help salvage that trade. Jordan Yamamoto was not a highly touted prospect, and was only ranked as the Marlins 18th best prospect. Despite being somewhat undersized and with a less than impressive arsenal, Yamamoto has consistently produced solid results. That has continued in his brief major league career, where he has allowed six runs, four earned, on 11 hits and 15 walks, striking out 30 in 29 innings.

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Likewise, an unheralded prospect could make a difference in the Marlins trade of Stanton. That deal was more of a salary dump, with Starlin Castro, Jorge Guzman, and Jose Devers heading back to Miami in return. Castro was expected to be dealt, but has seen his production tank to the point where he is likely unmoveable at this point.

Guzman had also been on the top 100 prospect lists prior to the 2018 campaign, but has since fallen by the wayside. He struggled with his command in 2018, and has not recaptured his form this season. At this point, it is more likely that Guzman ends up in the bullpen than in the Marlins rotation.

Instead, it may be Devers that turns keeps this trade from being a complete loss. He has exploded in high-A Jupiter this season, producing an excellent .325/.385/.366 batting line in his 135 plate appearances. While he has minimal power, with just four extra base hits this season, stealing five bases while striking out just 20 times.

That is likely to be Devers’ profile as he continues through the minors. Considered a glove first middle infielder, he has plus speed and an innate ability to make contact. He also shows an advanced approach at the plate, making him a potential future leadoff hitter, or a bat in the second spot of the lineup. Devers may not become a star, but he could be a productive player for Marlins in the future.

Unless their prospects take a major step forward, the Miami Marlins are not going to win either of these trades in the long haul. However, with the likes of Jordan Yamamoto and Jose Devers, the Marlins could at least salvage something of value.