MLB Trade Rumors: Tommy Milone, Ian Kennedy, Wade Miley among Trade Candidates for Marlins?

The Miami Marlins have reconsidered their stance as the trade deadline nears, as their recent success has the front office now considering becoming buyers.

As we pointed out earlier, the Marlins are going to be using their upcoming series with the division leading Washington Nationals as a barometer for where they stand at the deadline. A good series for the Fish against their division foes could make them buyers at the trade deadline. A bad series could force the Marlins to become sellers.

One position the Marlins are steadily looking to improve is their starting pitching. Losing Jose Fernandez was a major blow for the Fish earlier in the season and the team has never recovered from it.

The team is looking for starting pitchers that they can control beyond the 2014 season. Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald gives us an idea of some names the Marlins have considered:

•Oakland left-hander Tommy Milone, who reportedly asked the A’s to trade him after being demoted to the minors. Milone is 6-3 with a 3.55 ERA this season; 32-22 with a 3.84 ERA in 78 career starts.Milone was bounced to the minors after the A’s traded for starters Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. Milone is appealing to the Marlins in that he is not eligible for free agency until 2018.• Arizona lefty Wade Miley, who is also three seasons away from free agency. Miley, a fly-ball pitcher who would fit well at Marlins Park, has gone 36-30 with a 3.73 ERA in 91 career starts with the Diamondbacks.• San Diego right-hander Ian Kennedy, who is 8-9 with a 3.66 in 22 starts for the Padres. Kennedy brings more experience (61-49 with a 3.96 ERA in 163 career starts) but is closer to free agency and, with only one arbitration year left, would be a costlier option for the Marlins.

Of the three, Ian Kennedy is the most well known and the best pitcher. He also is the one with the least team control for the Fish, making a trade for him to be the least likely. It’s also interesting to note that Kennedy has been scratched from his next scheduled start tomorrow, against the Braves.

Here is a glance at the numbers of the three pitchers for the 2014 season:

[table id=56 /]

Like I mentioned above, Kennedy is the best pitcher of the trio, but because of his pedigree, he’ll likely be the most costly. Milone is a talented left hander and is readily available after he was demoted after the Jeff Samardzija/Jeff Hammel trade. However, his peripherals don’t suggest he’s going to be worth what the A’s are likely going to ask for in return.

Of the three names, Miley seems like the most interesting name for the Marlins. He’s a flyball pitcher that would fit in well with Marlins Park’s dimensions.

What do you guys think? Do any of these three names make sense for the Marlins? Let us know in the comment section.