Last winter was a tough pill to swallow for Marlins fans. Those who fell in love with their young core a few years back have to be devastated to see how things played out. The Marlins had a fire sale of sorts, leaving just a few pieces behind. Braves fans now know that rebuilding in baseball requires a lot of patience, but the process can pay off.
One could argue that the Marlins are actually over-performing this season, but at the end of the day they are definitely sellers, and J.T. Realmuto aside, their best trade chip is reliever Kyle Barraclough.
Barraclough has been nearly unhittable this season. He has a 1.21 ERA, but only 8 saves due to the supporting cast. It also does not hurt that he has the coolest last name in all of baseball.
Rebuilding teams usually do not have a need for an elite arm at the closer spot, and the Braves have the assets to make it happen. At the end of the day, the best time for the Marlins to trade him is now. The Braves bullpen is very talented, but adding an arm like Barraclough would fill their biggest need and give the unit elite potential.
What makes Barraclough so appealing is that he would not become a free agent until 2022. Any investment in him would give the team control over him for the foreseeable future. This could further justify unloading some guys from the farm for his services, rather than spending them on a rental.
Perhaps Derek Jeter and company will not want to trade him within the division, but these two teams window do not exactly line up right now, so that may not be a problem. The way the trade market is shaping out, the best controlled guys that may be available are Barraclough and Keone Kela. Barraclough is that much better, and should be target number one for the Braves right now. Atlanta has the depth in the farm to make a move that will not be too painful for the organization.
Don’t forget to buy an Acuna Matata shirt now! Chop on.