Trade may be first of many before deadline
The first of what could be many trades for the Marlins during the next month is complete.
The Marlins on Tuesday sent outfielder Corey Dickerson and relief pitcher Adam Cimber to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for infielder
Joe Panik and minor-league pitcher Andrew McInvale. The Marlins are also sending cash considerations to the Blue Jays to offset a portion of Dickerson’s remaining salary. Dickerson is in the final year of a two-year, $17.5 million contract.
“We definitely look at this move about today as well as a move for the future,” said Marlins general manager Kim Ng, who noted the Blue Jays had been in contact with the Marlins about Dickerson since the offseason.
The trade, in essence, boils down to two main points.
One: The Marlins have liked what they have seen from rookie Jesus Sanchez in his first 11 games since being called up from Triple A Jacksonville and want to ensure he gets regular playing time moving forward to get an accurate gauge of the value he can provide the club long-term.
Sanchez, the fifthranked prospect in the Marlins’ organization and No. 96 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, was called up after Dickerson went on the injured list with a left foot bruise. Dickerson, playing in his ninth MLB season and hitting .260, is still in a walking boot.
“You have to factor Jesus Sanchez into the mix,” Ng said, “and creating some playing time for him. I think Corey’s injury sped up that call,
The Marlins traded outfielder Corey Dickerson and relief pitcher Adam Cimber to the Toronto Blue Jays for infielder Joe Panik and minor-league pitcher Andrew McInvale.
but nonetheless him being part of the equation was definitely a part of this.”
Two: Panik, who is hitting .246 with two home runs and 11 RBI this year, gives the Marlins a veteran infielder to come off the bench. The 30-year-old left-handedhitting Panik has played in 765 career games. He’s primarily a second baseman but has played 33 games at third base and 14 at shortstop.
“Joe is a guy that has got some experience,” Ng said. “He’s got versatility. We think he’s going to be a weapon for [Marlins manager Don Mattingly].”
And remember: Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson is on the 60-day injured list and can’t be activated until late July. Miami’s healthy non-first baseman infielders on the 40-man roster are Miguel Rojas, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jon Berti, Luis Marte and Isan Diaz. Jose Devers is also on the injured list. Panik provides a safety net.
“That third base component is big,” Mattingly said. “It allows us to be able to move guys around.”
Cimber, who the Marlins originally acquired from the Cleveland Indians this past offseason for cash considerations, has been a reliable middle inning reliever for the Marlins. The sidearm-throwing righty posted a 2.88 ERA over 34 innings in 33 relief appearances.
McInvale, the minorleague reliever Miami acquired in the trade, was a 37th-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Liberty. The 6-2, 195-pound righty has spent the bulk of his 2021 season with the Blue Jays’ Double A affiliate, where he had a 2.18 ERA, 28 strikeouts against 13 walks and a .164 batting average against over 20 2⁄3 innings spanning 13 relief appearances.
And Tuesday’s move might just be the first Marlins domino to fall over ahead of MLB’s July 30 trade deadline.
The Marlins, who entered Tuesday in last place in the National League East with a 33-44 record and 8 games behind the first-place
New York Mets, remain adamant that they can make a run for a division title but have players on expiring contracts who would likely attract offers from playoff contenders should they falter over the next two weeks.
To name a few: Center fielder Starling Marte is on the final year of his contract. First baseman Jesus Aguilar has a year of arbitration left. Closer Yimi Garcia is an unrestricted free agent after this season. And shortstop Miguel Rojas has a mutual option for the 2022 season, although Ng said “the odds are very good” that Rojas will still be in Miami.
“We can’t be talking about ‘there’s a lot of time left,’ ” Mattingly said. “I think you have to know that there’s time to get done what we want to get done, but we need to go.”