The Miami Marlins had an impressive showing in the shortened 2020 season, which culminated in a playoff berth. Fans had high hopes for the club heading into 2021 but were quickly disappointed after a slow start.
The Marlins are in a tricky situation right now. They spent several years working on rebuilding, but their fluky season last year prompted them to buy at the deadline. Miami will now look to resume their retooling, meaning last year’s hiatus from selling merely delayed their ultimate pursuit.
Make sure to check out all of our other Trade Deadline Previews.
Current Position
Record: 39-50
Rank: Fifth in NL East (9.0 GB)
Status: Sellers
The Marlins, under the guidance of Derek Jeter and Kim Ng, will have to decide how aggressively they will sell this summer—if they even sell at all. Miami already dealt Corey Dickerson and Adam Cimber to the Toronto Blue Jays, leaving them with a limited group of rentals to unload. With that said, let’s explore three players who might be on their way out of Miami.
Trade Candidates
Adam Duvall, Outfielder
Through 78 games this season, Duvall is slashing .234/.279/.487 with 19 home runs and 62 RBI. On a negative note, he has logged just 17 walks and 89 strikeouts. Still, his power would help bolster many lineups across MLB. The 32-year-old is making $2 million this year and has a mutual option for 2022 worth $7 million. As much as he has been impactful for the Marlins, he doesn’t quite fit into their future plans and could probably fetch them a decent return in the trade market.
Starling Marte, Outfielder
The Marlins dealt for Marte last year but might be forced to move on from him at the end of July. Clearly the team’s top trade chip, Marte is slashing .272/.383/.414 with six homers, 18 RBI, 29 walks, and 50 strikeouts this year. He has also stolen 17 bases to this point. Miami has approached the impending free agent about an extension but made no progress. As such, they might benefit from trading him so they can receive assets in return rather than losing him at the end of the year with no return. The 32-year-old outfielder is making $12.5 million this year.
Jesus Aguilar, First Baseman
One final trade chip for the Marlins comes in the form of first baseman Jesus Aguilar, whom they acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019. Through 85 contests this year, he is slashing .268/.330/.470 with 15 home runs, 62 RBI, 29 walks, and 60 strikeouts. He’ll provide value to teams looking for a right-handed hitter who can hit for power against a right-handed pitcher; 13 of Aguilar’s 15 homers have come against righties. He’s making $4.35 million in 2021 and is arbitration-eligible this coming offseason. It’s worth noting that the Marlins won’t completely rip things up and unload all three players listed here but rather look into parting with one or two.
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