Miami Marlins: Untouchable Players in Trade Talks

The Miami Marlins could be a major player if there is a trade deadline. Which players should be considered untouchable as the season progresses?

Regardless of the progress, the Miami Marlins organization has made the last two years, acquiring top prospects in return for dismantling their proven roster, the organization is still building at every level.

That hasn’t changed regardless of the work stoppage because of the COVID-19 virus. As teams start their preparation to get back on the field, the Marlins front office is still working to get better as a franchise.

With the proposed half-season of baseball on the table, that has been approved by the league office and team owners and is awaiting approval by the players association, there is a belief that ball clubs will return to the diamond within the next few weeks. that means real baseball could be played by July. And with that comes the thought of how Miami’s roster will look.

More from Marlins News

• Miami Marlins are pursuing Michael Conforto
• Miami Marlins need to spend to win
• Miami Marlins can’t afford to botch this trade
• Miami Marlins news: the New York Mets are a risky threat
• Miami Marlins keep missing out on stars

It also brings up questions of whether or not general manager Derek Jeter and president of player personnel Michael Hill will look to make deals to strengthen what is already an improved roster for 2020. I’m of the belief the team will still reach out and attempt to sign Yasiel Puig to serve as the team’s designated hitter and part-time outfielder. There are a few more players who could look attractive to the front office, veterans who would not only provide leadership but would also give this team a better chance of winning in a shorter time span.

Because every major league team will be racing to the finish line because of the shortened season, more trades may be made than usual. In this “Season of Odd,” the Marlins must decide whether trading away top prospects is worth making a run toward the playoffs.

When talking about the importance of making a deal that is beneficial for the Marlins, I defer to my colleague Kyle Franzoni of Halo Hangout. He is spot on when he says teams must make trades that provide equal value for an organization while not alienating the fanbase in making such deals. The Marlins haven’t done such a good job the past few years under Jeter of calming the natives’ fears of this franchise sinking into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean at South Beach.

Jeter has been successful in gaining top-notch prospects in return for players like Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, and Marcel Ozuna. And the organization was more active this off-season during free agency and Hot stove. But should this team fall on hard times, where the progress that was expected does not happen this year because of the shortened season or the team overshot on its belief there is less improvement than expected, what do the Miami Marlins do at the MLB trade deadline, if there is one?

With teams in the playoff hunt will surely dial-up South Florida to see who is available. But, there are a few players/prospects who should be considered untouchable.

Sixto Sanchez/Edward Cabrera

The Marlins have done a good job to put together a growing starting rotation that starts with Sandy Alcantara and Caleb Smith. Manager Don Mattingly has worked hard to make sure Pablo Lopez, Jordan Yamamoto, and Robert Dugger are developing arms. But believe it or not, the second wave of Marlins pitching prospects may be better in the long run than the first.

Sixto Sanchez was the prized player who came over to Miami as part of the deal for J.T. Realmuto. He is a bona fide ace whose arrival in Miami is supposed to be this season. But because of the shortened year, it still maybe 2021 before he is part of the five-man rotation.

Edward Cabrera, who is a holdover from the old ownership group, has developed into a starter who could become an ace of the staff and could replace Sanchez as the best pitcher in the rotation. Neither of these players should even be considered as trade chips.

Brian Anderson

I keep saying this because I don’t read enough about him on a daily basis, but Brian Anderson is the one player who is a homegrown talent and should become a star the organization builds around.

The third baseman, who can also play in the outfield, gives Mattingly and the coaching staff plenty of versatility at either position. Although he missed the final five weeks of 2019 because of a broken hand, he still smacked 20 home runs and hit 66 RBI. He is developing into a clutch hitter, and will either bat second or third in the lineup this year.

Above everybody else on the teams’ roster, Anderson should be the veteran player teams looking to make a playoff run reach out about. Jeter and Hill should resist the temptation of making such a move, although it may yield a healthy amount of prospects in return.

If this was a full season, it could be expected that Anderson, who was a third-round draft pick out of Arkansas in 2015, would be on pace to hit somewhere between 25 and 30 home runs. He’s becoming a more complete player and a solid defensive stopper. I like his game as much as Hall of Famer Larry Walker and I don’t think that is an exaggeration.

Anderson should not be moved for any deal that is offered.