By Jonathan Andersen @5ReasonsSports

At this point in the season, the Fish are floundering, with no rescue in sight. It feels as though whenever there’s a positive in Miami, it’s followed by a series of negatives. One step forward comes with two steps back. At this current point, even with a positive run differential, the Marlins are struggling with a 18-24 record, after being swept in a two-game set at Tampa Bay.

With 13 one-run losses, the Marlins need to add some support if they are serious about contending this season. In this article, I will list a few different trade options to bolster the Marlins on both sides of the ball.

Josh Staumont – RHP, Kansas City Royals

Josh Staumont to Miami

Cody Poteet, Jorge Caballero to Kansas City

Josh Staumont is a high leverage reliever that I have been interested in for the Marlins for a few years now. Staumont has a career 3.11 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, along with 148 K’s in 127 IP in his career. With Staumont having somewhat of a down year, with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP, his cost might be at its lowest in his career. Although it’s a career high in ERA and WHIP, his FIP is at a career low of 2.83. Bringing Staumont into loan Depot Park, a pitcher-friendly park, along with the leadership of pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and catcher Jacob Stallings, Staumont’s ERA will begin to shrink and could fill into a high leverage role.

Can we talk about Cody Poteet’s curveball please? He also throws 95 mph fastballs.#Marlins pic.twitter.com/WevLDDA0a8

— Fish on the Farm (@marlinsminors) May 6, 2021

With this trade, Kansas City receives Cody Poteet and Jorge Caballero. Cody Poteet, 27, has been a stellar addition to the Miami Marlins the past two years, with a 3.11 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 51 K’s in 53.2 IP, with a 0.78 ERA and 0.87 WHIP this season, both in the pen and in the rotation. Poteet would be an instant bolster to what is an overall weak rotation in Kansas City. Jorge Caballero is a 22 year old OF in the Marlins system, currently playing in Jupiter to the tune of a .261/.386.420 slash line. Caballero would fill in right at either the High A or Double AA affiliate of Kansas City, giving them depth in the minors for the outfield.

David Bednar – RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

David Bednar to Miami

M.D. Johnson, Jerar Encarnacion (#24 on MLB Pipeline), Jake Eder (#7 on MLB Pipeline) to Pittsburgh

I know, I know. Trading Jerar with the hot streak he is currently on would be painful, but it would be incredibly beneficial for Miami. David Bednar currently has a 0.76 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, followed by 30 K’s in 23 IP. More specifically, for his career, Bednar has allowed a slash line of .122/.175/.214 in the 9th inning. Bednar has been a stellar high-leverage reliever for Pittsburgh, which is a team that needs, essentially, everything. In this trade, Pittsburgh would receive M.D. Johnson, a 24-year-old starting pitcher, currently in High-A Beloit. M.D. Johnson has revolutionized his game compared to last year, as he has cut down on his walks, wild pitches, and HBP. Johnson currently lines up with a 3.51 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, as well as an 8:40 BB:K in 41 IP. In comparison, last season he held a 63:107 BB:K. The star of this trade for Pittsburgh would be Encarnacion. Jerar was plagued with injuries in 2021 after a stellar 2019 season, and is currently having a stellar 2022 season, with a slash line of .361/.417/.619 with 11 HR and 23 RBI’s. Jerar lines up to play either corner outfield or 1B. Eder, as we all remember, is a LHP out of Vanderbilt who took the minors by storm last season. Unfortunately, it ended in Tommy John Surgery, putting him out of competition for this season. Eder finished last season in Pensacola with a 1.77 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 99 K’s in 71.1 IP, all while only allowing 3 HR the entire season. If he was healthy, Eder would be a potential call-up this season for the Marlins. 

Xander Bogaerts – SS, Boston Red Sox

Xander Bogaerts to Miami

Dax Fulton (#9 on MLB Pipeline) Yiddi Cappe (#15 on MLB Pipeline), Elieser Hernandez to Boston

This trade could be the trade that could change the entire direction of Miami’s season. Xander Bogaerts is a top five shortstop in the entire league with his bat, which is something the Marlins severely lack. I don’t need to sell you on Xander, but I will anyway. Bogaerts, a three-time All-Star and a four-time Silver Slugger, currently has a slash line of .323/.385/.458 with an OPS+ of 140 this season. Now, why would the Red Sox trade their star shortstop away? This is the final year of his contract, and with no agreement in sight, there’s a heavy possibility of him walking in free agency this offseason.

Xander Bogaerts is underrated. 💪 pic.twitter.com/N8ObhT2utD

— MLB (@MLB) May 5, 2021

In Miami, Xander could slide in at SS, moving Miguel Rojas to a UTIL role and a defensive replacement. In return, the Red Sox would receive LHP Dax Fulton, a 20-year-old starting pitcher currently in High-A Beloit. Fulton has one of the top curveballs in the minors, and is currently working with a 4.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 45 K’s in 33 IP, but is much, much better than those numbers suggest. Cappe is a 2B/SS prospect signed out of Cuba in 2019. Yiddi has not played much yet, but in his first taste of professional ball, he slashed .270/.329/.402 with 17 doubles. Elieser Hernandez, currently, is a SP for the Marlins, and has allowed a lot, and I mean, a lot, of home runs, especially in his third time around the lineup. Elieser truly should reside as a long relief pitcher. Elieser, in innings 1-4, has a career 3.76 ERA, but in innings from 5-9, he holds a 7.64 ERA. This shows that in the first and second times through the lineup, he is far, far better than his third time through the lineup.