SF Giants: Five potential trades with the Miami Marlins
2. Yimi García
Marlins closer Yimi García might not be the best reliever available on this summer’s trade block, but Zaidi is quite familiar with him from both of their tenures with the Dodgers, and he’s on a cheap, expiring contract. García was never an MLB closer prior to this season, but he’s been relatively effective for Miami this year, recording 15 saves in 18 attempts alongside a 3.47 ERA in 36.1 innings pitched.
Historically more a middle reliever than closer, Garcia’s advanced numbers are skeptical of the sustainability of his success. xERA (4.62), FIP (4.17), and xFIP (4.20) all project Garcia to regress over the rest of the season, but if the SF Giants are unwilling to pay the price for an elite reliever, Garcia could be a cheap alternate that Zaidi is comfortable with from their shared tenure in Los Angeles.
The Giants might have to include a reliever like Kervin Castro, but usually, the market for relievers, especially rentals, is fairly light on returns. As effective as García has been, the advanced metrics skepticism will only push his value down further. While reliever Norwith Gudino lacks the pedigree of someone like Castro, it’s not inconceivable that he could be in an MLB bullpen before the end of the season.
Gudino relies on a mid-90s fastball and splitter that flashes devastating break when it’s clicking on all cylinders. After dominating at Double-A to start the season (1.44 ERA in 25 innings), the 25-year old has continued posting a fantastic strikeout-to-walk ratio at Triple-A (17 strikeouts and three walks in 11.1 innings) while posting a 6.35 ERA.
Gudino’s peripherals suggest his ERA should improve with time as he adjusts to Triple-A competition, and pitching in Triple-A West is always a tall task. From the Giants perspective, Gudino will need to be added to the 40-man roster this fall to avoid being selected in the Rule 5 draft, something they are unlikely to have the flexibility to do. At the same time, as the Marlins look for relievers of the future, they might welcome the opportunity to see if he could find a place in their bullpen alongside a flier, like recent international free agent signee Mauricio Pierre, for a reliever that will be hitting the open market in a few months.