Marlins Rumors: Kyle Kendrick on the radar?

Per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the Marlins may be interested in a familiar face to bolster their starting rotation in 2015.

Kyle Kendrick‘s career dominance over the Marlins is noted, and he could be an affordable target that would make sense for the team moving forward. The Marlins have openly said they want experienced starters on the staff in Jose Fernandez‘s absence, hoping to keep them in the playoff race for when Fernandez returns to pitch down the stretch.

Kendrick turned 30 at the end of this season, and didn’t put up his best numbers in 2014. He did log 199 innings but gave up 214 hits, 57 walks and a 4.61 ERA (4.57 FIP) in 32 starts. Still, he was a workhorse and threw the third-most innings of any Phillies pitcher last year, and likely could be signed at a very affordable price which would obviously appeal to the Marlins. Kendrick is the type of potential reclamation project the Marlins have often signed over the years, and his numbers could be aided by the spacious dimensions of Marlins Park. He doesn’t strike out a ton of hitters (4.9 career K/9), but he would have the advantage of one of the best defensive outfields in baseball playing behind him, so giving up fly balls might not hurt him like it did in the band box known as Citizens Bank Park.

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There’s also Kendrick’s ridiculous track record in Miami. For whatever reason, he has dominated the Marlins over his career, pitching to a 14-3 record and 3.45 ERA in 26 games (21 starts) against Florida/Miami. In four career starts at Marlins Park Kendrick boasts a 3.04 ERA and 1.050 WHIP in 26.2 innings pitched.

The Marlins would love it if Kendrick had that same success pitching for the good guys this time around.

Kendrick made $7.675 million with the Phillies in 2014 and was a 0.4 WAR player. He figures to make significantly less money on the open market heading into 2015 and would likely be had on a one-year deal. For the Marlins, Kendrick could prove to be a low-cost insurance option for their promising rotation next year. They also wouldn’t have to part with any of their young talent in a trade, and to me that’s a huge bonus.

Marlins fans, how would you feel about Kyle Kendrick trading in his red pinstripes for red-orange and black in 2015? Let us know in the comments below!

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