With the July 30th trade deadline now less than a month away, the Miami Marlins have two choices to make: are we buying or are we selling? Do we believe we can make a push on the division in the next 3 months of baseball? Should we trade our assets to acquire future prospects and payroll space? Honestly, this could go either way for the Marlins organization and it all depends on how much they believe in this current team to make a push in July and August to climb the rankings.
As of July 1st, the Miami Marlins are 8.5 games back from the NL East division leading New York Mets. They have a run differential of +21 (315-294), which is not bad considering their current standing in the division. They also hold other impressive statistical positions that may come as a surprise to many, considering their 34-45 record. They are tied for 3rd in runs allowed, 5th in ERA, 5th in WHIP, 1st in HRs allowed, tied for 5th in hits allowed, tied for 7th in BAA, and 4th in stolen bases. To say the pitching has been spot on is an understatement for the Miami Marlins; it is the reason why they even have a shot at making a run for at least a Wild Card spot here in the next few months. On the other hand, the Marlins offense is what needs improvement, and rapidly, if they want to make a push for the postseason.
Currently, the Miami Marlins are 21st in batting average, 26th in OBP, 27th in SLG, 29th in OPS, and 27th in HR. Looking over all of these stats at month’s end shocked me because of how dramatic the difference is between the Marlins offensive and pitching productions. On one side of the ball, you have a top-10 pitching core that is the key to your success and the obvious reason for 34 wins so far this season. And on the other side of the ball, you have one of the worst hitting lineups in the league, that really makes me wonder where the Marlins would be if they could even improve that to be a top-15 hitting team in the MLB.
When I ask myself whether Miami should be buying or selling before the July 30th trade deadline, I really can’t put my finger on it. It’s a question the front office has to ask themselves and it is one based on how much confidence they have that they will be able to add offensive pieces at the deadline to help get themselves out of the hole. In my personal opinion, I just don’t believe in giving up on a team until the off-season or until it’s clear that there is no chance of a post-season appearance. With the Marlins being only 8.5 games back from the Mets, that is not a huge leap to make. But there should already be trade strategies in place for the deadline in case the Marlins don’t make a turnaround in the month of July or fall further in the National League.
The Marlins most recent move involving injured outfielder Corey Dickerson and relief pitcher Adam Cimber has me scratching my head a little bit. The Marlins traded Dickerson and Cimber to the Toronto Blue Jays for IF Joe Panik and minor league pitcher Andrew McInvale. I understand the Marlins needed to move Dickerson, who hasn’t boasted much of an offensive production this year besides OBP, and is currently injured. I would like to believe that the Marlins had to move Cimber in order to move Dickerson because he has been a solid relief pitcher this year, despite only pitching 34 innings this season. But if this is any indication on the type of moves that the Marlins intend to make from now until the trade deadline, then that makes up my mind on the question of buying or selling.
Sell.
Keep the young prospects like Sixto Sanchez, Pablo Lopez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jose Devers, Jordan Holloway; basically what will be the core of your team for years to come. Chisholm Jr. has caught everyone by surprise this season with his offensive productivity and speed on the base paths, and should be awarded when it comes time to sign a new contract with the team. If the Marlins intend on selling at the deadline, I would be as aggressive as possible with it. Miguel Rojas, Adam Duvall, Garrett Cooper and Jon Berti are pieces that should be shopped around the league in trade talks. The new strategy would be to create space for free agency next year and if you can, add a solid, inexpensive piece (or two) that you can build a foundation on with the core prospects that you intend on keeping for the long term.
It is a weird position that the Miami Marlins are in right now. Only 8.5 games out means you still have a chance at making a push for the postseason. But there is an alarming lack of offensive production that cannot be ignored any longer and something must be done about it. There is a tough decision to make on the horizon for the Marlins’ front office and both options they have aren’t necessarily ideal right now. But one thing Marlins fans can agree on is that the results aren’t there right now and something must be done to turn this team into a successful ball club that will return to their rightful position as a postseason contending team.
Brandon McFayden
South Florida Tribune
Potty Mouth Sports
