With the MLB trade deadline one week away, the surefire sellers are ready to unload talent. The Miami Marlins have a few players on their roster that contending teams could use, and a massive prospect haul could come Miami's way as a result.
Despite some undeniable talent, the Marlins are 30 games below .500. They also have one of the weakest farm systems in Major League Baseball, putting them in desperate need of a prospect infusion.
Potential suitors for players like Tanner Scott, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Josh Bell have begun to crystalize, making it easier to gauge who the Marlins can demand in a trade.
Bell and Scott are both free agents at the end of the year and should be fairly easy to move. With Bell in particular, the Marlins may be able to demand a little more than he's worth, with the first base market not exactly flush with talent. Chisholm, meanwhile, still has two more years of arbitration before hitting the open market. He's struggled to stay healthy, which offsets some of the allure around his age and All-Star potential.
Nevertheless, all three are expected to move at the trade deadline, meaning the Marlins can start looking at prospects to build around.
Tyler Locklear could be the Marlins' first baseman of the future
If the Marlins are going to trade away Bell, they might as well get someone who can step in and play first base. Locklear, the Seattle Mariners' 23-year-old rookie, is exactly that. He has 11 games of MLB experience under his belt and it hasn't been great (.200 BA, 12 strikeouts, 1 walk) but he is still a top-10 prospect in Seattle's system. Locklear is known for his power and his ability to hit to all fields.
Additionally, Locklear has played 72 games between Double-A and Triple-A this year, hitting 12 home runs and 19 doubles with a .280 average. He played some third base in his college days at VCU, though his limited range will probably confine him to first in the Majors.
The Mariners are in the market for another bat and Chisholm can play the outfield and second base — two areas of need for Seattle. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported on July 14 that Seattle is now the favorite to land his services. It will just cost them, and the Marlins should make sure that cost is their best first base prospect.
The Marlins should take a chance on Chase Jaworsky in a deal with the Astros
The Houston Astros need a first baseman and the Marlins have one in Bell. As a journeyman in a down year with an expiring contract, he won't fetch a major return, so Miami might as well take a swing on someone with unconventional upside.
Jaworsky, a 19-year-old Class-A infielder, fits the mold. He entered the season as the No. 28 prospect in Houston's system per MLB Pipeline, but has raised some eyebrows with his speed and plate discipline. Jaworsky has 28 stolen bases in 72 games this season and a walk in 9% of his plate appearances.
“Just kind of getting your pitch, being really selective at the plate,” Jaworsky said of his offensive philosophy earlier in July. “Because if you don’t get your pitch and you can’t put your best swing on it and if you can’t put your best swing on it, odds aren’t in your favor.”
MLB Pipeline adds that Houston likes him for his approach and contact ability. He's a lefty gap hitter without much pop, but that could change as he adds strength.
Miami could be the team to turn Will Warren around
The Yankees desperately need bullpen help, particularly from a lefty. They'd make perfect sense for Scott, and if the Marlins agree to a deal with New York, they should demand a return with serious potential.
Will Warren is that guy. He has suffered through a woeful season at Triple-A Scranton but has shown signs of promise. The Yankees have helped him develop a plus sinker to go with an improving slider and mid-90s fastball. MLB Pipeline projects him as a back-end starting pitcher if things break right.
Warren's 6.42 ERA is jarring. So are his 107 strikeouts in 89.2 innings. Warren may be struggling in Triple-A, but at the beginning of the year, he was in the running to crack the Yankees' starting rotation. He's not far off from a big league debut if the Marlins can get him right.
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