Miami Marlins trade deadline recap and grade

The Miami Marlins were sellers at the deadline. With a long list of players they wanted to move, only two were ultimately dealt.

It was a matter of circumstance dictating direction for the Miami Marlins at the deadline this season. There were no shortage of players the team was hoping to be able to move. But for one reason or another, mostly injury, the moves made at the deadline were few.

AJ Ramos was sent to the rival New York Mets. The Marlins will see him later this month when they visit Citi Field. David Phelps was sent as far as geographically possible; the Seattle Mariners acquired the fiery right hander.

That was it. Rumors weren’t in short supply, but for the most part, the Miami Marlins were quiet.

When looking at how Miami performed ahead of the deadline, it’s as much about what they didn’t do. Players like A.J. Ellis, Dan Straily, and Dee Gordon could have brought in a number of prospects. But with nobody ready to step into their spot on the team this year or next, the haul would have had to have been substantial.

On the whole, Miami was prudent in retaining Straily and Gordon. Straily has several years of team control and is proving to be better than advertised. He could slot as high as a number two starter in 2018. He’d be among the best number three starters in baseball.

Dee Gordon is locked in to a relatively team friendly contract through 2021. He’ll never make more than $14 million under his current contract. This year he’s hiked his average up to .297 and stolen 38 bases; he’s a bargain if he can continue to regain his 2015 form.

It would have been nice to have seen AJ Ellis moved. The market closed for him quickly after the Brewers and Cubs filled their vacancies elsewhere.

Moves the Miami Marlins did make

The team seemed to take their time and work out as good a deal of possible for both Phelps and Ramos. The two deals netted them five players that now appear in their top 30 prospects according to MLB.

We’ve taken a close look at each of these prospects. You can find each of their profiles here:

"Ricardo Cespedes, OF — for AJ RamosMerandy Gonzalez, RHP — for AJ RamosBrayan Hernandez, OF — for David PhelpsPablo Lopez, RHP — for David PhelpsBrandon Miller, RHP —  for David Phelps"

The two top prospects are Merandy Gonzalez and Brayan Hernandez. Both are now listed among the Miami Marlins top eight prospects; sixth and eighth respectively.

Noted earlier, with the additions of these prospects, this years MLB Draft, and international signings, the Miami Marlins have added 11 new faces to their top 30 list.

Next: Miami Marlins didn't do enough at deadline

Miami Marlins deadline grade

It’s difficult to be too hard on what the team did at the deadline. Needing to rebuild their farm system, they did well to add several new faces that could make an impact eventually.

While Straily and Gordon would have brought back the most, they weren’t satisfied with what other teams were offering. Miami wisely held on to proven players rather than settling for a prospect haul that they found underwhelming.

A deal for AJ Ellis wouldn’t have brought much back anyway, and was mostly to clear a small salary and make room for Tomas Telis.

Injuries to Martin Prado, Edinson Volquez, and the plummeting stock of Junichi Tazawa and Brad Ziegler handcuffed them in terms of what they were ultimately able to do. All things considered, they did as much as they could with what they had.

Still, it cannot be ignored that they failed to land a prospect that ranks among the MLB top 100. The team remains unrepresented on that list despite dealing two effective, team controllable relievers.

Miami Marlins deadline grade: B