Dealing Marlins to have impact on AL East race
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, who find themselves embroiled in a heated AL East Division race, just like the good ol’ days, also happen to be reaching out to the same team for help.
Those fire sale-loving Miami Marlins are open for business, and guess who’s calling?
The Yankees and Red Sox have each recently informed the Marlins that they have interest in third baseman Martin Prado, according to high-ranking offi- cials with direct knowledge of the preliminary talks. They spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the trade talks.
The Yankees also would like to acquire Marlins power-hitting first baseman Justin Bour.
The Red Sox have been desperate for a third baseman because of the struggles of veteran Pablo Sandoval, who’s back on the disabled list with an ear infection. Yet even when healthy, Sandoval has produced a meager .646 onbase plus slugging percentage since joining the team three years ago. It’s the lowest by any Red Sox third baseman with at least 150 starts since 1931, according to the Boston Herald.
The Red Sox, who just signed Jhonny Peralta to a minor league contract, have used six third basemen this year. They have combined to hit .200 with 29 RBI. Only the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians have driven in fewer runs out of their third-base spot.
The Yankees have been canvassing the baseball landscape for help at first and third base. They were counting on Greg Bird at first base, but he has played just 19 games this year because of knee and ankle injuries. They designated Chris Carter for assignment and called up Tyler Austin. It’s no secret that Bour’s bat (.293, 18 home runs, 50 RBI) and contract ($552,500) would be ideal.
The Yankees were counting on Chase Headley at third base, but he has struggled all year, hitting four homers with 32 RBI. Top third-base prospect Gleyber Torres was expected to be promoted and perhaps take Headley’s place this year, but he just had season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery.
The Yankees instead turned to the minor leagues Wednesday, calling up third baseman Miguel Andujar, despite his playing after just seven games at Class AAA Scranton (Pa.). He hit .312 with seven homers and 52 RBI in 67 games at Class AA Trenton (N.J.).
Prado, 33, who just returned to the Marlins lineup after a six-week DL stint with a strained right hamstring, could be the perfect veteran fit for the Red Sox or Yankees. Prado, who played 37 games for the Yankees in 2014, is well-respected and admired by the Yankees front office for his leadership skills. He has the highest fielding percentage, .969, of any active third baseman and last season led the majors with a .424 batting average against lefthanded pitchers.
The biggest obstacle is Prado’s contract. He has $28.5 million remaining after this season, and the Yankees and Red Sox each are trying to get below the $197 million luxury tax for the 2018 season.
Certainly, there are other third-base trade options for the Red Sox and Yankees. The Chicago White Sox are actively shopping Todd Frazier. Yangervis Solarte of the San Diego Padres is available, too. Who knows, if the Toronto Blue Jays fall out of the AL East race, Josh Donaldson could be available. The Kansas City Royals will wait until the July 31 trade deadline to decide whether they will be sellers, which would include third baseman Mike Moustakas.
But for now, Miami has become the most popular destination calling place for opposing general managers. The Marlins, who on Monday traded shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and the remainder of his $4.35 million contract to the Tampa Bay Rays, received nearly a dozen phone calls Tuesday from prospective buyers.
The Marlins, with nearly $400 million on the books through 2024, are letting everyone know they are trying to reduce their payroll to help facilitate the sale of the team, which is expected to go for $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion.
The Marlins, according to several high-ranking officials, say anyone with a multiyear contract could be available.
That means everyone from their three All- Star ambassadors, outfielders Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Prado are all available, with their relievers, particularly closer AJ Ramos, drawing the most interest.
It’s unlikely they would trade catcher J.T. Realmuto, shortstop JT Riddle or Bour, according to a highranking Marlins official, but they’re certainly willing to listen.
“We hear things in here, but until it happens, you can’t speculate,” Bour told USA TODAY Sports. “Sometimes they say these certain guys are not going to be traded and they end up being traded. So you never know.
“Rumors are rumors. There’s a lot of white noise out there. But once you come to the field, you’ve got to get your job done and play baseball.”
Says Yelich: “It’s impossible not to hear things out there, whether it’s the sale of the team or trades, but it’s all out of our control. So we can’t worry about it.”
The Marlins are destined once again to go without a division title, but considering they have plenty to trade, they might be the team that determines the fate of the AL East. Scouts from three contenders didn’t pop into Miami to catch the action on South Beach.
“I know our guys upstairs are doing everything they can to monitor our situation, other team’s situations,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, “to continue to put us in a good spot to win games.
“Looking at it from the American League East Division, it’s going to be tight. There’s a lot of good teams in that division, and there’s going to be a lot of battles throughout the summer.”
The Rays, who entered Wednesday tied with the Yankees in the win column, were the first buyers at the Marlins’ yard sale with Hechavarria. They won’t be the last. They won’t be celebrating a World Series title in South Beach this year, but if everything goes according to plan, they might have a hand in deciding the ultimate champion.