The Miami Marlins were known to be looking for help in their relief corps. While they have plenty of arms for the rotation, the same could not be said in the bullpen, which was considered to be one of their biggest weaknesses. As the Marlins are looking to get back into contention, finding those arms in the bullpen could make a major difference.
It is not a surprise that the Marlins would be scouring the trade market to find those needed arms. That search came to fruition on Sunday, as they acquired Cole Sulser and Tanner Scott from the Orioles in exchange for their Competitive Balance B pick, prospects Antonio Velez and Kevin Guerrero, and a player to be named later.
Miami Marlins find pieces for bullpen in trade with Baltimore Orioles
Sulser had emerged as the Orioles closer last season and could find himself in the mix for saves in Miami as Dylan Floro is injured. He posted a solid 2.70 ERA and a 1.121 WHiP in his 63.1 innings, striking out 73 batters with 23 walks. He notched eight saves and six holds, tying with Cesar Valdez for the team lead in saves.
Despite a mediocre showing in 2021, Scott is an intriguing piece for the Marlins as well. His 5.17 ERA and 1.574 WHiP over 54 innings certainly do not appear to be the stuff of a key bullpen piece. However, he did strike out 70 batters while posting a ground ball rate over 50%. If the Marlins can get Scott to harness his stuff, their defense could make him a much better piece.
This is also more than a pair of rental pieces in Miami. Both players are controlled through 2025 and could be relatively inexpensive options as they look to solidify the bullpen. If nothing else, they are the types of arms the Marlins need to take a chance on, talented players who could end up making more of an impact than expected.
The Miami Marlins needed to upgrade their bullpen. They managed to do exactly that as they acquired Tanner Scott and Cole Sulser from the Orioles.