MLB trade rumors: Marlins likely to be ‘active sellers’

As Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports, the Marlins are “likely to become active sellers after the All-Star break” and will listen to offers for virtually every player on their big-league roster. The Herald’s Barry Jackson writes that relievers David Phelps and AJ Ramos and infielder Martin Prado are most at risk of being moved before the deadline, but that the Marlins are “open to listening to offers” for outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.

While the Marlins would likely be hesitant to deal Phelps and Ramos to the division-rival Nationals, the big-league team most desperately in need of bullpen help, the two right-handers will certainly be two of the best available relievers available on the market this month. They’ll surely be highly-coveted with virtually every contender seeking additional depth in the ‘pen.

Phelps, 30, is a former starter and has the potential to be a dynamic “bridge guy” for a contending club, filling the same type of multi-inning role that pitchers like Chris Devenski and Andrew Miller have excelled in over the past year. While he’s experienced a bit of a drop-off after a career-best 2016 season, he’s still been very good this year, posting a 3.64 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP, 45 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 42 innings over 39 appearances.

Ramos, 30, has dealt with some control issues this season, and after three straight seasons with sub-3.00 earned run averages, he currently has a 3.16 ERA in 32 appearances. Ramos has held hitters to a .188 average, but he’s walked 16 batters while striking out 39 in 31.1 innings. Despite the fact that he’s underperformed a bit in 2017, he’d arguably be the top closer on the market if he were to become available.

The 33-year-old Prado has seemingly been zapped of his power during the first half of 2017, hitting just two homers in 123 plate appearances while posting a .711 OPS, his worst performance in that category since 2007. He’s been held back by a pair of hamstring injuries during the first half, and it’s quite possible that he could bounce back after the All-Star break.

While he’s lacked power recently and has never been the most patient hitter in the world, he knows how to hit, as he’s posted a .292 career average and was hitting .282 this season going into Saturday night’s game. He’d be a nice veteran presence on a contender’s bench and could even be an upgrade at third base for the Red Sox or Yankees.

It’ll also be interesting to see how eager the Marlins are to move any of their cornerstone outfielders in Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Christian Yelich. It seems highly unlikely that they’d trade any of them before the deadline—Stanton because his contract is so prohibitive and he has a no-trade clause, and Ozuna and Yelich because their controllability makes them too valuable to deal unless the Marlins are getting a spectacular package in return. Miami has gained a reputation for trading its superstars over the years, though, so maybe they’ll be more eager to pull the trigger than we think they’ll be come deadline time.