Six weeks into the season is generally too early to talk about trades, but a couple of organizations are already waving the white flag. Earlier this week, it was reported the White Sox have already accepted that a fire sale will take place over the next few months. Meanwhile, the Marlins have already gotten started, shipping their best player in Luis Arraez to the Padres not even eight months after making the postseason.
Typically, intra-divisional trades are not common, but acting like the Marlins move like the rest of the league is comical. They’ve made several trades inside the division in recent years, even sending Adam Duvall to the Braves in 2021, which helped Atlanta to a World Series. Miami is also headed for a full-fledged rebuild… Again…
I feel sorry for that fan base, but the Marlins front office shouldn’t be too concerned with where these players go, considering they aren’t going to be competitive for years.
Jesús Luzardo
Luzardo was placed on the 15-day IL with elbow tightness at the end of April, so who knows if he’ll even be healthy enough to trade before the deadline. The Braves also might not be interested in a pitcher with such an extensive history of arm injuries, considering he won’t be cheap. With that being said, Luzardo is the best the Marlins have to offer. When healthy, he is a frontline starter, and he doesn’t become a free agent until 2027. Considering the future of the Braves rotation has more questions than answers, they could opt to bet on Luzardo and his questionable injury history rather than hope guys like AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep reach their full potential.
Tanner Scott
The Braves bullpen, particularly the high-leverage guys, have been as good as any in baseball. But a team can never have enough pitchers, and the Braves need to be thinking about adding as many high-quality arms as possible with Spencer Strider out for the season, whether they are starters or relievers. Tanner Scott was one of the best relievers in baseball last year, posting 2.8 fWAR, 2.31 ERA, 0.987 WHIP, and 12.0 K/9. Braves fans might remember him this year for giving up a go-ahead home run to Marcell Ozuna in the ninth inning. That came back on April 14th. Since then, Scott has not allowed a run in eight straight appearances, bringing his ERA down to 2.57 on the season.
Edward Cabrera
The Marlins likely won’t part ways with their best young pitchers, but I wouldn’t mind taking a flier on Edward Cabrera. The 26-year-old has a 6.05 ERA in four starts this season, but his stuff is intriguing, and he’s had decent success in the past, posting a 3.01 ERA over 14 starts in 2022. Cabrera also isn’t set to become a free agent until 2029. Perhaps the Braves could tap into some of that potential, and he shouldn’t require top prospects in a trade.
Anthony Bender
Bender was once a really talented reliever for the Fish with nasty stuff, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and missed all of last season. He’s back now, and while his 7.07 ERA over 15 appearances is far from attractive, his 3.14 FIP and 3.60 xFIP suggest he’s been the victim of some poor luck. Bender’s also under contract until 2028, so he’s another arm that could help the Braves for several seasons.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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