FISHING WELL

MLB OFFICIALS SKEPTICAL OF MARLINS' ALL-IN MOVES

THE Marlins are going for it. Is that a good thing? They have every reason to try to make the playoffs this season, considering only the Mariners have gone longer (since 2001) without making the playoffs than the Marlins (since 2003). They have a terrific young nucleus playing well, highlighted by Jose Fernandez and Giancarlo Stanton. And after all their false promises and fire sales, they want to attempt to build faith with their fan base.

So the fact they have made two trades with the Padres since late June — first to obtain All-Star reliever Fernando Rodney and then Friday to complete a seven-player deal that notably brings Andrew Cashner to Miami — screams this organization is all-in.

But the Marlins began this process with a dubious farm system, and executives believe they have stripped most of the few intriguing pieces to take what might not even amount to a 50-50 chance to be the second wild card. The Marlins, who lost 11-6 to St. Louis, fell behind the Cardinals for the NL’s second wild card by a game and remain 1 ¹/2 games ahead of the Mets.

The most recent deal has Cashner and fellow righties Colin Rea and Tayron Guerrero (who is at Double-A) going to Miami for first baseman Josh Naylor (the 12th overall pick in last year’s draft), righty prospect Luis Castillo, starter Jarred Cosart and reliever Carter Capps, who is out this year after Tommy John surgery but was among the majors’ best relievers last year.

Of five personnel men contacted about the trade, four gave a huge edge to San Diego. The one who favored it for Miami said the Marlins were not surrendering much, notably because there are questions about whether Naylor can play a position and if he ever will hit lefties sufficiently.

But those who praised the Padres were not fond of Cashner, a talented guy who has battled both injury and the perception he underachieves with quality stuff. He is 10-23 the past two years with a 4.47 ERA and is a free agent after this season.

None of the five thinks the Marlins’ prospects are awesome — mainly the best from a bad crop. There is just doubt that Miami has improved much; one contended Cosart is just as good as Cashner and was essentially a throw-in back to San Diego.

Mets officials were in this camp. I don’t think it was just bluster to hide concern that the Marlins got better or to hide desperation that they now need to make a trade. Like a lot of the industry, there is a sense the Marlins did something for a player (Cashner) once good enough to be the key piece the Padres acquired from the Cubs for Anthony Rizzo, but simply is not that pitcher any longer.

Yet, the Marlins are trying. They have a strong everyday lineup and a good bullpen. The rotation behind Fernandez and Adam Conley was troublesome, especially with Wei-Yin Chen first pitching poorly and now out with an elbow strain. The Marlins hired former Pirates pitching guru Jim Benedict in the offseason, and will hope he and others can tap into the best of Cashner’s stuff, with Rea helping as a starter or swingman.

Conversely, after a disastrous gofor-it 2015, the Padres — in GM A.J. Preller’s second season — try to restock a farm system stripped in the previous year. They got starter Chris Paddack from Miami on June 30 for Rodney; this haul; well-regarded prospects from Boston in trades for Craig Kimbrel and Drew Pomeranz; and pieces from the White Sox and Blue Jays in deals in which they had to eat a sizable amount of cash to unload James Shields and Melvin Upton Jr.

The Padres went for it in 2015 and it was a disaster. Now, the Marlins go for it. To be continued …