James Shields Rumors: Marlins Interested in Starter

With Giancarlo Stanton resigned, the Miami Marlins can officially move onto the next business of their off-season. The Marlins can now focus on free agents to add to help improve the team in 2015, especially with Giancarlo taking a paycut for the first seven years of the contract to help the Marlins field a competitive team.

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With the idea of improving their rotation on the top of their off-season shopping list, the Marlins have shown interest in veteran starter and Royals hero, James Shields.

Due to the Marlins improving their win total by 15 games in 2014, the Marlins no longer have a top-10 protected pick and would be subject to losing their pick if they were to sign a free agent, like Shields, who was offered a Qualifying Offer from their former club, and rejected it.

Shields, who will be 33 next month, threw 227 inning last season and posted a 3.21 ERA and 3.56 FIP for the Kansas City Royals en route to a World Series appearance.

Shields has thrown at least 200 innings in all but one season of his career, and that was his rookie season. That’s something the Marlins need from their rotation in 2015, as Nathan Eovaldi led the team with 199 2/3 innings last season.

Adding Shields to the rotation could open the door for the Marlins to package one of Andrew Heaney, Henderson Alvarez, or Nathan Eovaldi in a package to land an impact hitter. One example of a good fit, thrown out there by Chris Towers on Twitter, is Starlin Castro, from the Cubs.

If the Marlins were to do this, they’d be much closer to being a playoff team next season than they are now. Castro could play second or third for the Marlins on a very team friendly contract.