A crazy Miami Marlins trade idea

The Miami Marlins have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this season. The Fish are 21-21 and hold the final National League Wild Card spot. It's way too early of course, but the NL Wild Card competition doesn't look as competitive as it did prior to the season. The Chicago White Sox on the other hand are a terrible 15-28, and seem all but out of playoff contention this season. I already talked about one trade idea between the two teams, but what about a crazy one?

The Miami Marlins can line up with the Chicago White Sox on a trade.

The Chicago White Sox are in a weird position. They seem all but out of playoff contention this season, but are they going to launch another rebuild? Will they try to go for it again next season? When I wrote about them trading SS Tim Anderson, it was pretty straightforward. Anderson is a free agent after next season (if they pick up a reasonable team option), so for them a trade makes sense.

CF Luis Robert Jr. on the other hand is signed through 2027, so only a complete teardown would force them to trade him. What about DH Eloy Jimenez? I know what you might be thinking, he can't stay healthy or play good defense. What use could the Miami Marlins possible have from him? What about Jorge Soler? Isn't he filling that role of a defensively challenged injury-prone power bat already?

Well... Soler is a free agent after next season (there's a $9 million player option on him for 2024). If he stays healthy and hitting, he will probably opt-out, hoping for a better multi-year deal. That opens up DH for another player. Before I continue, I'm not advocating for this trade now, but offering it as an option for this off-season. Eloy is a career .274/.326/.498 hitter with a 91.9 Exit Velocity. He's a power hitter and is capable of hitting 30 home runs. The problem is that he hasn't played 100+ (even 85+) games in a season since 2019. He did play basically the entire shortened 2020 season.

The 26 year old is a free agent after the 2026 season, with salaries of $13.8 million (2024), $16.5 million (2025) and $18.5 million (2026). Could the Chicago White Sox want to move on from him for a lesser return? Probably not and the Miami Marlins probably shouldn't pursue him. What if he can be had for a low return though? What if he has another gear in him, and is young enough to be a consistent 30 homer bat?