Let's Make a Deal! What Players Can the Brewers Acquire from the Miami Marlins?

It's time to look at another potential trade partner for the Milwaukee Brewers. We have just entered the month of June, and trade season is on the horizon. Normally around this time, we start to have an idea as to which teams will be buying or selling at the deadline. There are a couple of teams who have already shown signs of selling.

Last week, we discussed the possibility of the Chicago White Sox being a trade partner for the Brewers. Even though the Crew recently swept the club, there is a chance the two clubs can do business. However, after the scuffle on Sunday, Tommy Pham may not be part of the deal.

This week, we are going to look at the team that already sold off one of their best players, in the Miami Marlins. Our very own Brock Beauchamp wrote about a potential trade of one of their pitchers on our rumor page, which you can find here. Why don’t we dive deeper into the potential of landing one of the big fish in Miami?

Miami Marlins: (21-39) 5^th in the NL East
The two-time World Series champions have had a ton of ups and downs over the years. There was a time when they had the best outfield in Major League Baseball. Leading the way was their only NL MVP in franchise history, Giancarlo Stanton. Two-time All-Star Marcell Ozuna was another great power bat for the organization, and Christian Yelich was that Gold Glove guy who always got on base. Add that with a veteran presence in Ichiro Suzuki, and you got the fatal four in the outfield.

After a 2017 season in which they finished 77-85, took second in the division, and were 20 games behind the Washington Nationals, the organization started tearing things down. Despite just winning the MVP award and signing an extension a few years earlier, Stanton was traded to the Yankees after two separate trade attempts were blocked due to his no-trade clause. Ozuna was traded to the Cardinals for a decent package. Then there’s the trade we know and love, bringing Yelich to the Brewers.

Fast-forward to 2023 and the Marlins had their first 162-game season with an above .500 record since 2009. Their manager, Skip Schumaker, was awarded the NL Manager of the Year, as his team claimed one of the three NL Wild Card spots. They weren't especially good at hitting, pitching, or fielding, but they cobbled together a huge number of close wins and snuck into the playoffs--where they were then unceremoniously eliminated.

That success came despite some brutal injury problems, especially in their starting pitching rotation. Sandy Alcántara regressed somewhat from his 2022 Cy Young Award season, and then his campaign was cut short due to an arm injury in September. He was ruled out of 2024 after having Tommy John surgery. Much-hyped 21-year-old prospect Eury Pérez, who had seen split time in the minors and majors in 2023, also got the surgery, sidelining him for the entirety of 2024. The team had to rely on 37-year-old Johnny Cueto, who had a 6.41 ERA in 10 starts.

Outside of Cueto, the Marlins didn’t have a regular starting pitcher over the age of 27. While they were going through those youthful growing pains, they have done a decent job as starters. This year, however, says a lot of different things.

Why Would They Sell?
The team is in the bottom third of the league in terms of ERA, WHIP, walks, strikeouts, and opponent batting average. Both Alcántara and Pérez are absent from the rotation. They're young, and they're bad. The oldest starter in that clubhouse is Alcántara, and he’s 28.

Who’s their most successful? That would be former Padre and trade deadline acquisition, Ryan Weathers. He is the only starter with an ERA below 4.00 (currently at 3.41). There have been some bright spots in this rotation, including Braxton Garrett’s 1.06 WHIP; Edward Cabrera’s 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings; and Jesús Luzardo continuing to look overwhelmingly good when he's on. But for the most part, they are young, uneven arms, albeit controllable and high-upside types.

As for the offensive side, it’s not much better. They are currently 29^th in both OPS and runs. The best player in both those categories is MLB 23: The Show cover star Jazz Chisolm Jr. He’s also one of two players with an OPS+ over 100. In case you were wondering, the other one currently plays for the San Diego Padres.

Luis Arráez was the Marlins' biggest trade asset, and they traded him a month ago. They received three interesting prospects, which is what they desperately need. They also acquired reliever Woo-Suk Go, but recently designated him for assignment. MLB Pipeline ranked the organization as the 29^th-best farm system in baseball entering this season. For a team that doesn’t have many bright spots, they don't have as much coming up as you'd hope, either.

The Marlins currently have three players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list. Their top talent, Noble Meyer (No. 44), was their first-round pick in last year’s MLB Draft. With their next pick, they drafted arguably the best left-handed pitcher in the class, in Thomas White (No. 87). While both guys are currently in High-A, former 2020 third overall pick Max Meyer (No. 81) has already made three quality starts for the Fish this season. However, Meyer is currently with their Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville, as they carefully (perhaps too carefully) manage his workload.

The club has a few veteran players on one-year deals. Even players with two or three years of club control could be for sale, if they get a quality package of prospects in return. But it makes you wonder if the Brewers should really make an offer to the Marlins.

Why the Marlins Could Be a Trade Partner
The Yelich trade might go down as the best in Brewers history. But there’s no way the Brewers can make a steal like that twice, right?

It’s no secret that the Brewers are going to need some starting pitching. This is especially the case if rookie Robert Gasser ends up missing significant time with the flexor tendon strain that has landed him on the injured list. Tobias Myers has been shaky in his handful of outings, despite flashes of excellence.

Perhaps, help is already on the way. We just found out Jakob Junis will be going on rehab assignments in Triple-A soon. Joe Ross is also on the injured list, but could make a quick return, and he has been serviceable so far.

However, this season, we’ve seen pitchers drop like flies. Wade Miley, Spencer Strider, Shane Bieber, John Means, Lucas Giolito, José Urquidy, and Tony Gonsolin are just a few names that are going to miss the rest of the 2024 season. If this should tell us anything, organizations are going to have to put together competitive offers to get starters for the rotation.

Brewers Trade Targets:
Unlike the White Sox, where we didn’t hear any sort of trade conversations, the Marlins have recently had teams inquiring on closer Tanner Scott, according to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Scott is on an expiring contract, and has been easily the best pitcher out of their bullpen.

As much as the Brewers have had injury woes with their pitchers, their bullpen has not faltered. Sure, pitchers like Mitch White, Kevin Herget, and Janson Junk have been inconsistent out of the pen. But they might have found something in Enoli Paredes. Joel Payamps and Elvis Peguero have settled into new roles quite nicely.

Even with Devin Williams’s return for the stretch run looming and the uncertainty that comes with it, the Brewers don’t have to go after Scott. However, these guys could very well be players the Crew will be interested in.

Jesús Luzardo: 9 GS, 51.2 IP, 4.18 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 50 K, 16 BB
Let’s first look at the players who were mentioned in Rosenthal’s recent roundup for The Athletic. Luzardo, who was part of the Starling Marte trade with the Oakland Athletics in 2021, was slowly eased into the starter role. He didn’t start coming to form until the 2022 season, when he had a 3.32 ERA, a 3.12 FIP, and a 1.05 WHIP.

Last season, he was able to strike out 208 batters in 32 starts and 178 2/3 innings pitched. Compared to Freddy Peralta last year, Luzardo walked one more batter, struck out two fewer, and allowed the same number of runs. Luzardo could be the lefty equivalent of the Brewers' ace.

He does have two more years of club control left, so the price will be higher than for those players whose contracts will expire sooner. The Brewers would likely have to use a top prospect and depending on the interest, they may have to use one of their Top 100 prospects. The prices from these trade candidates don’t get much cheaper.

Braxton Garrett: 4 GS, 23.2 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 21 K, 3 BB
If the Brewers want a more consistent arm, to the point where they know exactly what they’re going to get, look no further than Garrett. He may not be as flashy or dominant as Luzardo, but he has been a decent middle- to back-of-the-rotation guy for the club.

The last few years, Garrett has had a sub-4.00 ERA. While this season looks different after four starts, it’s worth noting his FIP is currently the lowest it has ever been (3.35). His first two starts of the season weren’t that impressive, allowing 11 earned runs in just 9.2 innings. He followed up with a four hit, complete-game shutout performance.

He may be a player to monitor over the next few weeks, but he is under club control until the 2029 season. For a club that plans to rebuild, years of control are very important. So, it might take a nice package to part ways with Garrett. There might be one pitcher the Brewers could get from the Marlins, though, who wouldn't be that pricey.

Trevor Rogers: 12 GS, 57.0 IP, 5.68 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 47 K, 27 BB
There aren't yet any signs of Rogers being on the move. However, if the team could get some prospects without giving up their heavy hitters, then your rotation could still look good beyond the 2024 season.

The former All-Star and 2021 Rookie of the Year runner-up, Rogers has had a series of down seasons. In 2022, he had a 5.47 ERA in 23 starts, effectively falling off from the prior season. A few down seasons and a strained left bicep later, his career stats don’t look impressive. A 4.38 ERA, a 1.75 WHIP and 9.7 strikeouts per nine doesn’t look promising.

However, he is only 26 years old, and has two more years of club control after this one. He will probably be one of the cheaper options on the trade market, but with pitchers being a premium, the Marlins may be okay selling off Rogers for a decent haul.

Josh Bell: 60 GP, .243/.316/.372, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 94 OPS+
If the market for the Marlins starting pitchers starts to get out of hand, maybe the Crew can look for a position player who can provide another spark in the lineup. Say hello to a familiar name, in first baseman and designated hitter Josh Bell.

Bell is probably the best hitter on this team not named for a musical genre. While he has been off to a slow start, Bell has batted .316/.370/.465 in his last 30 games. Even if he is not the same guy who hit 37 home runs in 2019 as part of the Pirates, he provides a serviceable switch-hitting ability to any team’s lineup.

Bell is going to be a free agent after this season, so he would be seen as a rental. If the Brewers went for this trade, it would likely spell the end for the Jake Bauers experiment; Bauers has had a ton of ups and downs with the club. Adding Bell would provide a decent bat in the DH spot against right-handed pitchers, or when Gary Sánchez needs a day off. Don’t be surprised if there is a market for them and they would have to part ways with a Top 30 organizational prospect in the Bradley Blalock range.

The Marlins have a lot of work to do to get back into playoff conversations for future seasons. There will be a ton of suitors for their pitching or veteran bats. The question is: Are the Brewers willing to pay top prospects to better their rotation?

Are the Marlins a good trade partner for the Brewers? Are there any players we are missing as potential trade candidates? Whom would you like to see the Brewers trade for?