What if the Marlins Don’t Trade Players at the Deadline?

What if the Miami Marlins stand pat at the MLB non-waiver trade deadline? Would that be such a bad thing?

I only ask because was as fans have been asked to trust in the Miami Marlins process. We have been asked to put our feeling aside and believe what Derek Jeter, Bruce Sherman, Gary Denbo and Don Mattingly are doing to ensure this becomes a winning franchise.

What if Miami does the unthinkable and doesn’t make a single trade before the Tuesday deadline? Would fans and the media get behind such a “bold” move? Could it mean Jeter and this organization is happy with the progress the Marlins are making?

There are times when it becomes hard to separate being a sports writer and a fan. I have had a few issues with watching this franchise disintegrate like it did before the start of Spring Training, only to see big-name stars wear other uniforms this season. If I were a 10-year-old child, it might have driven me to tears.

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Then, there is the adult who covers the team for a living, knowing change is part of the business. Teams want to continually get better, make moves for the future and hope the decisions made are for the best. Today, I sit on the fence while writing this editorial.

The Marlins are supposedly shopping Dan Straily, Kyle Barraclough, Drew Steckenrider, Adam Conley, Brad Ziegler, Starlin Castro, Derek Dietrich, and potentially J.T. Realmuto. If any other these trades happen, who is fit to lead? Who replaces their spot in the rotation, bullpen or the lineup?

President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill has stated on several occasions this franchise will do what is best for business. Players may have shut off their social media accounts like Straily has, but none of these players live in a bubble. It’s hard to expect them to shut the world out and play baseball in addition to having a life outside Marlins Park.

The next two-plus days will be excruciating. Today and tomorrow may be the last time we see our favorite players in a Marlins uniform.

Baseball has become a cautionary tale of how the rich get richer (Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees) while the neophytes of Major League Baseball sit and wait their turn to be great (Atlanta, Milwaukee, Oakland). The Marlins are somewhere looking to see if they can find mediocrity. Trades, minor league additions and pushing the right buttons lead me to believe that is two years away.

My tired, aggravated 46-year-old body wants a winner like everyone else. It’s hard being patient when we see more losses than wins.

There is plenty of young talent in this farm system. The 25-man roster is a gritty group of players who are better than their record indicates. Winning takes time. Losing takes an instant. I am waiting, just like everyone else. If Jeter and Hill make the decision to leave the roster alone, for now, it is a sign the organization will stick with the ones their brought to the dance.

After 106 games, this Marlins team could look a lot different by Tuesday night. Straily, Barraclough et al could be shipped to playoff contenders. I’d like to think Jeter stays the course and finishes what this team started less than a year ago.

Think of it as wishful thinking.

If the Marlins come out of the trade deadline with the same roster it has right now – excluding internal moves to the roster – I would be shocked. This is a franchise that hasn’t been able to sit still with several roster moves this season because of inconsistency and injuries.

Sitting still right now means Jeter and the organization is happy with the direction it is headed. It also means he has pushed enough buttons to do something he hasn’t done since buying the team in October of 2017 – exhale and see what progress he has made.