Miami Marlins: Analyzing the Jacob Stallings trade with Pittsburgh Pirates

On Monday afternoon, the Miami Marlins acquired catcher Jacob Stallings in exchange for starting pitcher Zach Thompson and prospects Kyle Nicolas and Connor Scott from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Here’s what the Jacob Stallings trade means for the Miami Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates

In 2021, the Miami Marlins catchers ranked 26th in fWAR, with Jorge Alfaro leading the pack at 0.9. Stallings, on his own, had 2.6.

With a number of young pitchers, it was necessary for the Miami Marlins to make a move. Miami has an array of young pitching that any team in baseball would love to have. By the end of next season, these eight pitchers may all be ready to contribute: Trevor Rogers, Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Elieser Hernandez, Jesus Luzardo, Sixto Sanchez, Max Meyer, and Edward Cabrera.

The first three have already established themselves as very good Major Leaguers. Luzardo has struggled so far in his career, but still has incredibly high potential. Cabrera struggled in his brief MLB time in 2021, but remains an extremely highly touted pitching prospect. Sanchez had a lost 2021, but showed what he was capable of in 2020 and will look to bounce back in a big way in 2022. Meyer, the only one from this group without Major League experience, was a first-round pick in 2020 and had a phenomenal first year in the minors. He will start next season in Triple-A.

For all eight of those pitchers, the 31-year-old Jacob Stallings represents a veteran catcher who is known for his defensive abilities. In 2021, Stallings had 6.9 FRAA (fielding runs above average), and 5.3 FrmR (framing runs), good for 10th and 14th among catchers. For comparison, Alfaro led Marlins catchers in both these metrics last year, at 3.5 and 3.4, respectively. In addition to this, Stallings offers a serviceable bat, finishing with a 95 wRC+ in 2021. He has solid plate discipline, as evidenced by his 11.5% BB% last season. Stallings also has three years of control left, which means it is very possible the Marlins are a playoff contender while he is still there.

On the other hand, the Pirates continue a long rebuild that still has years remaining. It is unlikely that they are legitimate playoff contenders in the next three years, and Stallings was one of their most valuable trade pieces. In Zach Thompson, they acquired a starter who immediately fits into their rotation and had a solid rookie year in 2021. He finished with a 3.24 ERA, 3.69 FIP, and a 4.65 xFIP. His 1.3 fWAR would have led Pirates pitchers who finished the season with the team (Richard Rodriguez and Tyler Anderson both had 1.3, but were traded at the deadline).

While a little older at 28, Thompson will provide innings to a team that badly needs it and, with five years of control, could be a potential trade asset if he pitches well. For Miami, Thompson was expendable due to the previously mentioned number of young pitchers they currently have.

The prospects the Pirates received, Kyle Nicolas, 22, and Connor Scott, 22, add depth to a farm looking to continue to improve. After a big draft, headlined by top overall pick Henry Davis, the Pirates entered the offseason looking to improve the farm system however they could. Trading Stallings was the first part of that.

Nicolas was taken in the second round by the Pirates in 2020, at pick 61. He is a hard-throwing right-hander who pitched in A+ and Double-A this season. He had some ups and downs, striking out plenty of batters, but also giving up a fair amount of walks and homers. In 99 innings, he had a 4.18 ERA and a 4.61 FIP, while striking out 12.36 per 9. He will likely begin 2022 in Double-A.

Scott was the 13th overall pick by the Miami Marlins in 2018. He had struggled early in his minor league career, but had a nice breakout in 2021. After hitting just six home runs in his first 172 games, Scott had 10 this year in 96 games, spending the entire season at A+, finishing with a 112 wRC+. He will also likely begin 2022 in Double-A.