Miami Marlins: Hot stove approach slowing market for Ozuna

The Miami Marlins are looking to trade Marcell Ozuna. Rumors came quickly on the second day of the Winter Meetings, but no deal materialized. Why not?

The Miami Marlins are in full-on rebuild mode. All-Star outfielder Marcell Ozuna figures to net them their biggest prospect return this offseason. The team has been non-committal as to it’s intentions with Christian Yelich.

Ultimately, that’s what is slowing the market for Marcell Ozuna. Teams favor Yelich because he is already locked into a team friendly contract. Without the need to overcome a no-trade clause, the best bid would net a potentially elite outfielder at a bargain rate for the next five-years.

The biggest obstacle the Miami Marlins have had to overcome is convincing teams that Christian Yelich isn’t going anywhere.

Otherwise, teams looking for an impact bat may as well wait the Marlins out. Miami is asking for the top prospects in the farm system of their trade partner. If that’s the case, they’ll take the security of Christian Yelich over the uncertain future of Marcell Ozuna.

Despite being under team control for another two years, Ozuna’s agent is Scott Boras, who is notorious for pushing his clients to test free agency.

It boils down to this: teams are interested in Ozuna, but more interested in Yelich. They want to see what happens to Yelich before making a move on Ozuna. But Miami wants to make a decision on Yelich based on what they get back in a trade of Ozuna.

All this amounts to a hectic Tuesday of Winter Meetings with no real progress towards a trade.

Marcell Ozuna trade update

The Miami Marlins are currently entertaining offers from a host of teams. Reports indicate that as many as 6-8 teams are seriously engaging in trade talks over Ozuna. Miami favors the offer from the St. Louis Cardinals, who can offer the greatest volume, and highest caliber of prospects.

The San Francisco Giants are also making a strong push for the Miami Marlins slugging left fielder.

Late into the night, a “mystery team” emerged from the woodwork. For what it’s worth, “mystery team” translates to “this deal is now going to take longer”. It’s entirely possible that the Miami Marlins are drumming up this rumor themselves in an effort to leverage a better offer.

According to Joe Frisario, the Marlins are discussing the absolute elite among the Cardinals prospects. Initial reports suggest at least two pitching prospects in their top-eight, and likely at least one outfielder.

Next: Miami Marlins top 30 prospect additions

It doesn’t appear as if a trade for Ozuna is eminent at this point, but if the two sides hammer it out through the night, much in the way it happened in the Giancarlo Stanton trade, Ozuna could be gone by the time these words reach your eyeballs.

The hot stove is only getting hotter. Be sure to keep your eyes on the Marlin Maniac twitter, my personal twitter, and the Marlin Maniac Facebook page to get up-to-the-minute news.