3 players the Miami Marlins should trade for

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 4: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 4: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
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The Miami Marlins need hitting and we plan to trade starting pitchers for it.  Pablo López is our preferred option and there’s a very good reason for that, especially when you consider his value. Who can we get though? There are three hitters that we can specifically pursue. The last one will shock you…

The Miami Marlins have three hitters that we can pursue by trade.

3. ELOY JIMENEZ, CWS LF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 21: Eloy Jimenez #74 of the Chicago White Sox at bat against the Cleveland Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 21, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 21: Eloy Jimenez #74 of the Chicago White Sox at bat against the Cleveland Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 21, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Eloy Jiménez is a power bat that the Miami Marlins badly need. I wrote about him before and all those points still stand. We need a power bat and Eloy is a perfect example of one. He hit 31 home runs in 468 AB back in 2019 and had a career-high 92.8 EV this season.

Why would the Chicago White Sox trade someone this good then? Besides the fact that they can use starting pitching help, it’s also Eloy’s weaknesses. He’s not a good defender, in fact he’s pretty bad. He has a career -2.9 dWAR and a -0.8 dWAR this season. His bat is worth it of course, but Chicago has multiple players more suitable for DH duties than the field. Andrew Vaughn is in fact already there.

Chicago also has a need for starting pitching and limited financial resources, being at record payroll levels already. With Johnny Cueto hitting free agency, there’s a spot that they need to fill and that’s where we can help them.

Chicago can improve their rotation and help clear up their DH logjam in the same trade. The Miami Marlins can get an elite bat that we can place in the DH spot. This trade works for both sides.

2. CEDRIC MULLINS, BAL CF

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 4: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 4: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /

I wrote about this trade idea before too. The Baltimore Orioles need starting pitching and are actively looking for it. Pablo López is on their radar and they may just be interested in working out a swap with the Miami Marlins.

Could Cedric Mullins become a member of the Miami Marlins?

The Fish need a CF and Baltimore needs starting pitching. Doesn’t it make perfect sense to then help each other out? Let me get something out of the way first: I think that Mullins is significantly more valuable than Pablo. An elite CF that plays good defense and hits well is a rarity in today’s game. This means that Mullins can potentially bring in a legit ace to Baltimore.

Cedric Mullins batted .258/.328/.403 in 2022 for Baltimore. He hit 16 home runs and drove in 64 RBI. He also produced 3.8 WAR and 1.0 dWAR. Not too impressed? I’m sure there’s at least one reade who isn’t and that’s fine. In 2021, he batted .291/.360/.518 with 30 HR and 59 RBI. He also produced 5.7 WAR. Does that impress you?

There’s no question that Mullins is an elite CF. Can you imagine how much better the Miami Marlins would be with him catching fly balls in centerfield?! I’m concerned about Baltimore not finding better trade partners however. The Houston Astros need a CF and have starting pitching to spare too. The Milwaukee Brewers might be shopping their aces for hitting as well. There’s also no reason why Baltimore can’t just sign some starting pitchers in free agency and keep their lead-off hitter.

What if Baltimore is willing to do this though? Kim Ng should definitely look into putting Cedric Mullins in a Miami Marlins uniform for next season as soon as possible.

1. BO BICHETTE, TOR SS

TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 30: Bo Bichette #11 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on September 30, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 30: Bo Bichette #11 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on September 30, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

SS is a seeming area of need for the Miami Marlins. Instead of splashing on one of the “big 4” free agent SS’s, why not look for one just as good as them on the trade market?! Is it possible that the middle infield heavy Toronto Blue Jays decide to make a move for the starting pitching that they badly need?!

Toronto needs starting pitching pretty badly and we have that available for them. They also might listen to their fans, who are angry at Bo’s slow start in 2022 and his -0.8 dWAR at a premium defensive position. Wait, you say -0.8?! Yes, he was pretty bad defensively in 2022. BUT, he had a 1.0 dWAR in 2021, so clearly he’s capable of being good as well.

The obvious reason to pursue him is his offense. He’s a very good contact hitter with power, and we need both of those attributes a lot. Bichette was phenomenal in his 5.9 WAR 2021 season, as he batted .298/.343/.484 with 29 HR and 102 RBI. He was very good in his 3.6 WAR 2022 as well… he batted .290/.333/.469 with 24 HR and 93 RBI this time.

Would the Toronto Blue Jays really move him? Honestly, I doubt that. He has 3 years of co from left and they may prefer to work out an extension instead. That said, they may want to sign a “big 4” SS and acquire a SP for him instead, not having to worry about an extension at all. Did I mention that Bo Bichette is from Florida?

So what do you think? Should the Miami Marlins trade for Bo Bichette? Should we trade for Eloy Jiménez? What about Cedric Mullins?

Next. Pablo‘s trade value. dark

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