Post Demolition

 

The Marlins Traded 7 Players on Tuesday and 9 overall leading up to the Trade Deadline. In no particular order, Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY), Tanner Scott & Bryan Hoeing (SD), A.J Puk & Josh Bell (ARZ), Bryan De La Cruz (PIT), Trevor Rogers (BAL), J.T Chargois (SEA), Huascar Brazoban (NYM) were all Dealt for 15 mostly Prospects from those Organizations. 

Marlins President Peter Bendix & Staff completely overhauled the Big League Team with the hope of building in his words "into the type of Organization that we all think it can be".

I've been asked my thoughts on the latest Marlins Fire Sale, excluding the debacle of a Trade that kicked it off in May of course. While I'm still a little skeptical as to whether the Marlins should have Traded somebody with the true Star potential of Jazz or even someone like De La Cruz who was not even Arbitration Eligible yet and is on pace to hit what? 25 Dingers! Returns on All-Star Closer and 1 of the more dominant Relivers in Marlins History Scott (whose an impending Free Agent), and that of often injured Starting Pitcher/former All-Star Rogers have already gotten solid reviews amongst the industry.

At the same time the Trade of Rogers, whose Fastball velocity has continued to regress and whose ERA still stands north of 4.5, had others already wondering if the Marlins could have attained more for Chisholm. But always remember how much Starting Pitching has always and continues to be valued in the Sport.

To Rogers' credit (Who made his O's Debut last night, 4.1 IP, 6 Hits, 5 Runs), after starting the Season 0-6 with a 6.57 ERA in his his first 8 Starts, the 6'5 Lefthander turned his Year around since picking up his first Win on May 15th. Going 2-3 with a 3.42 ERA over his last 13 Starts as a Marlin.

In similar fashion, Bell played his way onto a contending Team in Arizona, after a supreme struggle to start the Season (.170/.262/.277 first 30 Games). Bell would catch fire (.333/.382/.496 in 33 Games from April 30 - June 05). Only to revert to .164/.217/.250 over 33 Games in the middle of the summer. However, Bell's last 7 Games as a Marlin saw the 6'4, 261 pound Switch Hitter go 12 for 28 with 5 Homers and 9 RBI's. Another hot streak incoming? Remember, Bell was a big piece to the Marlins Playoff push last year after being acquired from Cleveland at the Deadline. It also may have played a factor into Arizona picking up $2.25 Million Dollars of the $5.9 Million still owed to Bell.

Relievers Chargois & Brazoban were able to land the Fish a SP and a Postion Player Prospect each. While the most coveted Marlins Relief arm not named Scott but rather Puk netted 2 more Position Player Prospects from the D-Backs. 1 of those 2 in Deyvison De Los Santos seems to have serious raw power at the Dish (16 Home Runs in less than 60 AAA Games).

Puk was in his first Year of Arbitration in 2024, meaning he has 2 full Years of Club control left. De La Cruz on the other hand, who was acquired by the Marlins all the way back at the Deadline of 2021 for Yimi Garcia, still had 3 full Arbitration Years remaining following this Season. Back from Pittsburgh came Jun-Seok Shim, a very talented Pitcher from Korea, but an Injured one. The 20 year old Shim has not Pitched in a Professional Game this Season. As well as Garrett Forrester, a 3 Rd. Pick from the Pirates last year.

Which brings us to the last 2 All-Stars for the Marlins who remained on the Active Roster. After a rough Spring with command and it carrying over a bit into his first few Games of the Season, Scott reclaimed his dominant ways from the majority of the 2023 Playoff run. Going 17 of 18 in Save chances, with an INCREDIBLE 0.47 ERA over 38 Innings since April 16, 2024. It's the reason the Marlins netted 4 Prospects from the San Diego Padres, despite Scott only being under Contract for the next 2+ Months. 

However, always be a little cautioned when dealing with A.J. Preller in S.D. This can date all the way back to 2016, when MLB forced some of the Andrew Cashner Trade back (Which included Pitcher Luis Castillo with the likes of Josh Naylor, Jarred Cosart, Carter Capps), because it was discovered Colin Rea, who was also coming to Miami from the Padres, was Inured prior to the Trade. All while the Marlins were said to be given a different set of medicals from Preller & Staff.

It's also the reason eyebrows were raised just this past May when learned Dillion Head was coming to the Fish Organization from San Diego in the Luis Arraez Trade with a hip Injury that would later require Surgery. Though reports surfaced stating Bendix knew about the Head Injury going into the Trade, there should still be skepticism with Preller (How that guy's held SD's President Position for this long is truly anyone's guess).

Speaking of President's who have looked clueless at times, Bendix made the Jazz Trade with the Yankees on Saturday for 3 N.Y Prospects in Catcher Agustin Ramirez and Infielders Jared Serna & Abrahan Ramirez. Chisholm has promptly lit New York on fire without playing a Home Game yet, and while it was good to see the Marlins target a Catcher they feel can be their Backstop of the future, should the Marlins have Traded Jazz? We now know they shouldn't have Traded Arraez, check that, we knew then too. 

The Marlins more than understandably needed to Rebuild, especially after the debacle that was the beginning of the Year. Starting with Bendix's first Off-Season in charge, followed by the Pitching injuries in Spring Training, and the clueless start for 2nd Year Manager Skip Schumaker and his Players. But it got me thinking of other Rebuilds in Marlins pasts (and there have been plenty).

More times than not there's been a Position Player the Marlins have tried to build around/retain through Fire Sale, and make no mistake this was the latest Marlins Fire Sale. For example at the end of '05, which may have been the most prodigious of Fish Fire Sales, Miguel Cabrera remined the man inside the Marlins Lineup going into 2006. When Miggy was Traded 2 Seasons later, Hanley Ramirez anchored the Batting Order. When Jeffrey Loria & Company shed the Club of their high priced talent after opening the new Stadium in '12, Giancarlo Stanton's power persisted.

Should Bendix have looked to built around Arraez or Jazz or both, instead of swapping them to Build?? Now that's an interesting question, one that maybe isn't answered by analytics.