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The Miami Marlins have been a pleasant surprise early in the 2023 MLB season. With their 41-31 record, Miami would be in the first Wild Card position if the season ended. Heading into the 2023 MLB trade deadline, the Marlins should look to capitalize on that success.
Miami's biggest strength is their pitching. The Marlins have acquired a ton of talented starters including Braxton Garrett, Max Meyer, Jesus Luzardo, Eury Perez, Edward Cabrera and many more. Who can forget Sandy Alcantara. The point is, Miami can afford to trade away from their wealth of pitching.
One clear area of need is offense. The Marlins got back a major piece in their Jorge Lopez trade when they landed Luis Arraez. Miami needs to continue to build their offense around him and fellow sluggers such as Jorge Solder and Jesus Sanchez.
A well-rounded offense coupled with an elite pitching staff would make Miami a scary team to beat on any night. Heading into the 2023 MLB trade deadline, the Marlins must find some offensive firepower while dealing away some arms in the process.
Sixto Sanchez
Sixto Sanchez was the crown jewel of the Marlins' J.T Realmuto trade. For a while, he was poised to become one of the leaders of Miami's rotation. However, a few other prospects have passed him in the arms race to the major leagues.
Still, Sanchez still holds plenty of potential and is a name brand prospect. He currently ranks as Miami's 11th-best prospect, via MLB Pipeline. Sanchez made his major league debut back in 2020, pitching to a 3.45 ERA and a 33/11 K/BB ratio over seven starts.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career from that point. His time away from the mound hurt his prospect status. Still, Sanchez was once widely regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. He is surely still intriguing to other teams. As the Marlins look to improve their offense, Sanchez might be their best asset.
Jake Eder
But Jake Eder isn't too far behind. Currently the Marlins' fifth-best prospect, Miami would need to be landing quite the star to part with Eder. But if the Marlins are serious about contending, that's what it'll take.
Eder is an exciting left-hander who shined during the 2021 season with a 1.77 ERA and a 99/27 K/BB ratio over 15 AA starts. He then missed the 2022 season with a broken foot before returning to A in 2023. This season, he holds a 4.66 ERA and a 10/5 K/BB ratio over three starts.
The lefty certainly has potential, but he is already 24-years-old. Coming off of an injury and still in A, it may be a while before Eder hits the big leagues. The Marlins could capitalize on his potential and acquire a win-now player while still holding plenty of pitching depth.
Daniel Castano
Speaking of pitching depth, Daniel Castano might not have the name power that the two players before him did. However, he is the type of player who fits Miami's trade strategy to a t.
Castano was acquired – alongside Alcantara – in the Marcel Ozuna trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. He has made 23 appearances at the major league level since joining the team. He holds a 4.15 ERA and a 47/29 K/BB ratio.
On another team, Castano would have more opportunities to flourish as a pitching prospect. In Miami, there are simply too many arms for Castano to fit. The Marlins look to gain even more value off of their Ozuna trade and flip Castano for a solid bat.
