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Miami Marlins: Buying at the MLB Trade Deadline

By David Levin

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 25: CEO Derek Jeter of the Miami Marlins talks to Carlos A. Gimenez and Francis X. Suarez before the press conference to announce the World Baseball Classic will be held in Miami next year on February 25, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 25: CEO Derek Jeter of the Miami Marlins talks to Carlos A. Gimenez and Francis X. Suarez before the press conference to announce the World Baseball Classic will be held in Miami next year on February 25, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /
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The Miami Marlins may surprise other MLB teams and become buyers at the trade deadline if the ball club is in the middle of a pennant race in 2020.

Despite a shortened schedule and a larger pool of players to choose from, the Miami Marlins are setting themselves up for a race to the finish. It could be one of the more interesting seasons in team history.

The Marlins organization, which is still young and developing, could be faced with some tough decisions should the parent club find itself in the middle of the expanded playoff race this fall. Would the front office, with the oversight of Derek Jeter, Michael Hill, and Dick Scott, look to add players instead of subtracting them at the MLB Trade Deadline?

It’s a move that seems a bit from the norm for these Marlins – a team that has worked to unload players in recent years to other teams in need of depth for a playoff run.

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"“If the Marlins have a chance to improve their postseason chances by the Aug. 31 Trade Deadline, they absolutely will look to do so,” Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes. “With a deeper farm system, they are better positioned to make trades. Of course, they’d have to weigh the risk vs. the reward for a ‘rental’ because that player would only be with the club for a month or two.”"

The extra roster spots and the use of a universal designated hitter this coming season should factor in these decisions. The Marlins pitching staff is still young and could be formidable – which could also make the front office very popular as other teams look to add arms for a long playoff run.

Hopefully, the Miami Marlins will be the team the local and national media talk about in September as a contender or threat to win a World Series title. That could mean minor league prospects could move places to add veterans for Don Mattingly and his coaching staff to work with.

The precedent has already been established when the Miami Marlins made an in-season swap of top minor leaguers last season hours before the trade deadline ended.

"“Last July at the Trade Deadline, the Marlins made a surprising deal with the D-backs, sending rookie right-hander Zac Gallen to Arizona for shortstop Jazz Chisholm, ranked by MLB Pipeline as Miami’s No. 3 prospect,” Frisaro added. “Parting with one of their top young pitchers made sense because the Marlins received a top shortstop prospect. Point being, if they trade a higher-end prospect, most likely it wouldn’t be for a rental. It would be to improve this year and for the future.”"

The Marlins front office and coaches may decide to take a longer look at prospects over a short period of time since the minor league system for all 30 teams is all but shut down. If more prospects are added to the team’s talent pool, it could help in decision making and potential trades being made.

I doubt the front office would remain silent if there was a chance to enjoy a postseason berth for the first time since 2003. The Miami Marlins have not had a winning record since 2009.

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