Miami Marlins should trading Justin Bour to Yankees

The Miami Marlins continue to see their season tailspin with the recent injury to first baseman Justin Bour. Should they consider dealing him to the New York Yankees?

Unfortunately, in their game against the Rangers, Bour suffered an oblique strain running to first on a double play ball. The good news is that he’s only on the 10-day DL, and should see action within two weeks.

The Miami Marlins training staff is in no rush to get him back with the team sitting fourth in the NL East. This season, the Marlins have to be well-rounded. Their pitching staff and bullpen still struggle amidst strong bats.

The rotation ranks 19th in the league and has yet to find a consistent third, fourth, and fifth starter. The Marlins have been experimenting with Adam Conley and Tom Koehler with mixed results. Koehler has been a huge disappointment, as he has not earned a win since April 23rd.

In his last three starts, he has allowed over nine runs, allowing four home runs. Conley, who just came off a strong performance against the Rangers, has allowed only two runs in his last 13 innings of work. The three starts before that, he got shelled for 18 runs in 10 2/3 innings of work.

It is obvious that the Marlins must find a stable staff that can keep the team within ball games, and not force offensive shootouts. Thus, it’s time for the Marlins to exchange a productive bat that other teams can really use.

Justin Bour looks like a prime candidate, especially for a contending team like the Yankees.

Yankees need

The Yankees could use an everyday first baseman. They’re still search for someone who can hit for a decent batting average and for power. Miami’s Bour offers a powerful left-handed bat that can thrive in Yankee Stadium.

He is currently hitting .289 with 21 home runs and 63 RBI’s so far this season. This outshines any of the 11 Yankees first-baseman that the organization has experimented with this season. Combined, these 11 first-baseman have hit for a paltry .216 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI’s.

They have attempted to solve this problem by putting Chase Headley at first, while newly acquired Todd Frazier plays third. At 33 years old, Headley’s numbers are significantly lower than his prime years with his former Padres team.

He is hitting a modest .266 with four home runs and 37 RBI’s. Despite his ability to hit on both sides, Headley does not have the same pop in his bat as Bour. Bour can easily take advantage of the Yankee’s hitter friendly park with left field only being 314 feet.

What would the Yankees have to give up?

The Miami Marlins would want to acquire high level prospects for their hot-hitting Bour. With the number two rated farm system, the Yankees have the young assets that the Marlins value for their future.

Two prospects that the Marlins could inquire about is RHP Chance Adams, and LHP Justus Sheffield.

A converted reliever, Adams is exactly what the Marlins are looking for as far as being a winner and having a high motor. He has dominated at both AA and AAA, as his overall career minor record is 26-5 with a 2.10 ERA.

He has dazzled scouts with his pitch repertoire, throwing a fastball that sits around 95mph and an A+ slider that sits around 86mph. His ability to locate the ball in any part of the plate, allows him to generate bad contact and pitch to contact.

Sheffield, is the Yankee’s top pitching prospect after being acquired in the Andrew Miller trade. In Double-A he’s showing success, posting a 7-5 record in 16 starts and striking out 79 in 90.1 innings.

His fastball comes off more as a two-seam that sits in the low 90’s and has topped out at 96mph. His secondary pitch is a slider that sits in the low-mid 80’s and has been a reliable pitch to get him out of jams.

One issue that he has but is working on with pitching coaches is throwing strikes. This issue hopes to get resolved through another year of maturity and working towards a consistent windup.

Next: Adam Conley needs to build off strong start

While a deal for Bour isn’t likely, it makes sense for a lot of reasons. The Miami Marlins front office has already said that Bour won’t be traded at the deadline this year. And the Yankees would be reluctant to surrender the haul it would require to execute a deal like this.

But it’s fun to dream. Sometimes dreams come true. If this one does, the Miami Marlins should, and would pull the trigger.