Miami Marlins Trade Rumors: Five Players Who Could be Bait

With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Miami Marlins have to ask themselves: “Who are we willing to part with?”

As the prospect of more prospects wears thin on some, others realize that the farm system is stronger than it has been in many years. From top to bottom, the Miami Marlins seven levels of minor leagues have quality pitching and solid hitting. From the rotation to the bullpen, from free agents to bonus babies, and from the Dominican Summer League up to the triple-A New Orleans Baby Cakes, there are many waiting in the wings for their shot at major league glory.

New Orleans is eight games above .500, despite their position in third place of a tough PCL American South Division. After a tough first half, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are 14-11 in the second, and just a game behind the division leading Biloxi Shuckers.

The Clinton LumberKings are 17-7 in the second half, leading the Midwest League South, and the Batavia Muckdogs lead the NYPL Pinckney Division by 2.5 games. Even the Rookie Level clubs are looking good. The DSL Marlins are 21-18 and just a game back of the lead in the DSL Northwest, and the GCL Marlins sit at 11-9 ,1.5 games back in the GCL East. All that to say this: “Better days are surely ahead.”

In the end, this all begs the question, “Why trade for more depth?” The truth is, that as much as the Miami Marlins farm system has improved, there’s always room for additional growth. Who does the club have that a would-be contender would be interested in as the trade deadline continues to creep up on us? Who has the right combination of affordability and utility to whet the appetites of desperate major league General Managers looking for a late-season rental?

Does Curtis Granderson have one more late season push in him? I’m sure there are General Managers somewhere in the major leagues who think so.  Although Granderson has struggled with the bat this season, and has hovered around the Mendoza line for much of it, he’s still got the same heart that has made him a three-time all-star and the 2011 American League Silver Slugger out of center field.

Now 38-years-old, Granderson has hit a total of 340 home runs over his 16-season major league career. His range factor in left field is still above the National League average, and he has yet to commit an error in a Miami Marlins uniform despite starting 52 games in the outfield. He’s also a proven postseason commodity, with nine homers, 30 RBI, and 64 appearances between the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Despite appearing with three different clubs over the past four years, he has played in the playoffs in each. Is that a coincidence? Maybe – but experience is an important factor for any team in a stretch run for glory. Leading three different clubs to the postseason in four consecutive years isn’t something to disregard. Somebody will be willing to pay for Granderson’s services.

Trevor Richards would undoubtedly require an enormous offer for the Miami Marlins to consider parting ways with him. He’s currently under team control for this season and the next five, scheduled to hit free agency in 2025. Why Richards?

It seems the Miami Marlins may have collected more than enough in the way of major-league ready starting pitchers. With Caleb Smith, Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, Pablo Lopez, Jordan Yamamoto and Elieser Hernandez already in the mix, as well as another half-dozen ready to challenge for a rotation spot within a year.

Richards’ unlikely rise has been well documented, but we’ll recap it anyway. A 23-year-old substitute teacher and beer factory worker, Richards was signed through free agency by the Miami Marlins in July of 2016.

After a quick rise through the Marlins’ minor league affiliate system, Richards made a faster-than-expected major league debut. Although he’s only 7-19 in 43 starts, he has a near-league-average 4.31 ERA, has struck out 218 in 225 innings, and keeps a 1.37 WHIP against the top level that baseball has.

Along with Sandy Alcantara, Richards is the only member of the Opening Day rotation to remain with the parent club through the entire 2019 season so far. He has totaled 16 Quality Starts, and has a nearly indescribably nasty changeup.

What would a contender pay for five-plus years of control and that wicked off-speed pitch? If the Marlins entertain any offers for their growing stable of major league-ready starting pitchers, look for Richards to be shopped.

Neil Walker is hitting .271 in 66 games for the Miami Marlins in 2019. When signed as a free agent prior to the season, it wasn’t expected that he was any sort of long-term option. He was coming off a year in which he put up a career-worst .219/.309/.354 in his first season of American League play, with the New York Yankees. Some thought that maybe his decline had arrived a little early.

And the power is clearly not what it used to be. He hit a dozen or more in every season from 2010 through 2017 before clubbing just 11 last year. This year just five, but he’s hitting above his .268 career average by three points, and hasn’t lost a step at first base. In fact, he’s started 10 times at third base, something that wasn’t expected from the veteran.

Walker’s utility has allowed the Miami Marlins to employ regular third baseman Brian Anderson in right field as needed, while freeing up first base for emerging superstar Garrett Cooper. Anyone trading for the veteran would be looking for a solid corner infielder and switch-hitting option. Do you know any teams that could use a solid corner infielder and switch hitter? I can name 30.

Ok, I understand that slide transition may have been a little confusing. Was I talking about Sergio Romo or Bryan Holaday?

Sergio Romo has come out of the bullpen to author a team-best 16 saves for the Miami Marlins. Never short on emotion, the fiery Romo could be a perfect fit for a contender looking for a leader and a solid bullpen arm. Remember, the Tampa Bay Rays also used him as an “Opener” five times in 2018, increasing Romo’s versatility.

This year, Romo is 1-0 with a 4.01 ERA, a 1.277 WHIP, and 27 K’s in 33 2/3 innings. The 5’11” right hander has scratched out a 12-season major league career, earning a spot on the all-star team in 2013 while playing with the San Francisco Giants.

Anything but a “calming” influence, Romo could be just the combustion that a team on the edge of the playoffs could need to make a deep run. The  return for Romo, I expect, would be somewhere on the level that we received last season in return for Brad Ziegler. Remember, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for hard-throwing reliever Tommy Eveld.

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