Aug 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Ichiro Suzuki (51) looks on prior to the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Ichiro Suzuki
Would the Miami Marlins ever consider dealing outfielder Ichiro Suzuki? This to me seems like an even more of a longshot of happening than a Bryan Morris trade.
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Suzuki, while not the same player he was in his prime from 2001 to 2010 with the Seattle Mariners, still provides something that makes him intriguing to major league teams. It was rumored around the trade deadline that the Toronto Blue Jays had some interest in the 41-year old.
Around the trade deadline, Ichiro was among the worst players in baseball, posting a fWAR near -1.0 and a 66 wRC+ at the time. However, since August 4th, Ichiro owns a .316/.386/.421 slash line with a 123 wRC+ in 44 plate appearances.
In that span, Ichiro has walked more than he has struck out, hit 2 triples and for a .105 ISO. He has been worth a 0.3 fWAR in that span, which is tied for the third best mark on the Miami Marlins in that span.
These past two weeks certainly have brought Ichiro’s value up and with the 41-year old soon headed out of baseball, he could certainly be itching for chance to win a world series. He could make some sense for a contending team, looking for a 4th or 5th outfielder.
It would be wise for the Marlins to look to see if they could get anything of value for Ichiro, as he’ll be a free agent at season’s end. If the Marlins want him back as he pursues 3,000 hits in 2016, the team could then look to bring him back at that point.
While a trade of Ichiro could upset the fanbase, the team could sell Ichiro on the deal as being mutually beneficial, as they improve their roster for next season and Ichiro makes a what could be final run at his chance to win a ring.
This would allow the Marlins a bigger opportunity to see how Derek Dietrich handles the outfield job, as his chances will be lessened once Giancarlo Stanton and Chrisitan Yelich return from the disabled list over the next couple of weeks.
Trading Ichiro Suzuki before the end of the month would not be popular move among the fanbase, but that doesn’t mean it would not be a shrewd move for the franchise.
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