In their 31-year history, the Miami Marlins have made the playoffs three times. They most recently made it in the shortened 2020 season, which expanded the playoff field to 16 teams, and before then have only made it in 1997 and 2003, winning the World Series both years. A fourth postseason berth is within reach for the 2023 team.

This year's Marlins team is solid despite reigning Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara pitching horribly for his standards. Luis Arraez's hitting has been unreal as he pursues a .400 batting average. Jesus Sanchez and Jorge Soler have been very good at the plate, too, and Jesus Luzardo — the Jesus Lizard — has been very solid on the mound.

The Marlins are in a position to be buyers at the 2023 MLB trade deadline. With a record of 36-29, they are in a position to secure a Wild Card spot. But with the rest of their schedule being one of the toughest, they need to bring in more firepower. Here are five players they should consider targeting in the trade market.

5. Aroldis Chapman

The Kansas City Royals have one of the better relief pitchers in all of baseball right now. Chapman will almost certainly be dealt and see tons of suitors. The Marlins' bullpen is decent but will likely have to be great to earn a trip to the postseason.

Chapman, who would get to pitch much closer to his native home of Cuba, has a 2.82 ERA. He has yet to surrender a home run in 22.1 innings this season and has bumped his strikeout percentage back up to 40.0 percent. There's still some juice left in the tank there.

Just about every team vying for the postseason will be in the mix for Chapman as the Royals plan to capitalize on his value. The Marlins should be in there as they push for the playoffs. They should also keep an eye out for another Royals veteran.

4. Salvador Perez

One position that the Marlins really need to upgrade is catcher. Their backstops have been collectively awful at the plate, ranking 29th in WRC+ across MLB. Salvador Perez would be a big upgrade and should be up for grabs as Kansas City rebuilds.

Perez has a .789 OPS this season and has 12 home runs, tied for the most at his position despite playing in a ballpark with a negative home run factor. He has never been one to draw walks but isn’t a strikeout machine and has power for days.

The issues with trading for Perez are that he is not a great defender and he is on a gigantic contract. His defense may be rough but he would provide value both as a catcher and designated hitter. He is set to earn $20 million in each of the next two seasons but this could actually help the Marlins, as it drives down his trade value. They could reasonably get him for quite cheap.

Perez's fielding concerns are covered up by his bat. Since the Marlins are getting minuscule offensive production from their catchers, he would have a big impact on the team.

3. Ryan Noda

The Oakland Athletics just love giving away their good players. They may be a team playing America's pastime but getting rid of their pastime is shedding talent. Noda, a 27-year-old rookie first baseman, could bolster the Marlins' lineup.

Nod's on-base percentage of 40.1 percent is elite, as it ranks 10th among all qualified hitters. The Marlins' OBP as a team is about average, so getting someone like him would be a massive addition. He strikes out a good bit but walks a ton and has decent pop due to his great bat control.

While Yuliu Gurriel has been fine for the Marlins, Noda would be a key contributor to the Marlins' offense. Adding him to their core would be a great success.

2. Shane Bieber

Rumors have spread throughout the baseball world that the Cleveland Guardians are expected to trade their veteran star. The Marlins adding Bieber to their rotation would give them a solid pitching trio as long as Alcantara can get back to pitching like an ace again.

Bieber's 3.57 ERA is the highest it has been since 2018 and his strikeout percentage has taken a nosedive to 16.3 percent. But the 28-year-old remains productive and is signed through the 2024 season. One major concern is that batters are hitting the ball very hard against him, with an average exit velocity of 91.7 miles per hour.

Although Bieber seems to be on the decline, he is still a good pitcher that is great at avoiding walks. Given that his trade value isn’t super high, Miami should look into him.

1. Lucas Giolito

Adding starting pitching is never a bad idea at the MLB trade deadline and in this category, the Chicago White Sox could also help. While adding a name like Dylan Cease would be intriguing, Chicago would likely not want to part with him just yet. He's also slumping in a big way just like Alcantara. Lucas Giolito, though, could be available.

Giolito has bounced back from a poor 2022 season to post a 3.75 ERA in 74.1 innings so far in 2023. He has generally had little problems staying healthy and has a four-seam fastball that gets good results despite being below average in velocity.

With every sign pointing to the White Sox needing to rebuild and Giolito being a free agent after the season, he should be up for grabs. The Marlins bringing in Giolito would bolster their pitching.