SF Giants rumors: Five potential trades with the Miami Marlins

SF Giants: Five potential trades with the Miami Marlins
5. Joey Bart

Even after Joey Bart’s big-league struggles last season, the former second overall pick remains one of the most highly regarded catching prospects in MLB. While Marte may be one of the most desirable players on the market this summer, his impending free agency would make a Bart-for-Marte swap almost assuredly untenable for San Francisco. At the same time, the entire Marlins organization has some of the worst catching depth at the major and minor league level. Adding Bart could give Miami certainty behind the plate for years to come.

Moreover, of the SF Giants top prospects, they are reportedly most willing to part with Bart. With an eye towards a middle-of-the-lineup bat and starting pitching depth, the two sides might be able to find an agreement. Marte remains a perfect upgrade to San Francisco’s lineup, but with only a few months left before he hits free agency, the Marlins might be willing to add some young pieces to acquire their catcher of the future.

Neither Nick Neidert nor Braxton Garrett project as much more than fourth starters in a rotation, but both have already made their MLB debuts and should be ready to contribute immediately for the Giants if needed. In addition, both have multiple years of options remaining after 2021, which would give Zaidi tremendous flexibility with the rotation down the stretch of this season and beyond.

Garrett, 23, once ranked among the top-100 prospects in baseball but has seen his status dip as his fastball velocity has fallen to around 90 mph after undergoing UCL surgery. However, with above-average command and a true four-pitch mix, he should become a competent contributor. This season, split between  Triple-A and Miami, Garrett has a 4.40 ERA, 69 strikeouts, and 26 walks in 73.2 innings of work.

Neidert, 24, was drafted in the second round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Mariners, and quickly ascended through the minors before an injury-plagued 2019 stalled his development. Like Garrett, Neidert has a below-average fastball that works in the low-90s but relies on a plus changeup and plus command to limit opponent’s damage. Neidert has posted a 2.37 ERA at Triple-A this season and 3.96 ERA in 25 big-league innings, but his peripherals suggest he’s benefitted from a substantial amount of good luck.

The Marlins young rotation has plenty of upper-level prospects with far more upside than either Neidert or Garrett. Top prospects Edward Cabrera and Max Meyer have already dominated at Double-A and are on the verge of making a big-league push of their own. Beyond Meyer and Cabrera, Sixto Sanchez might have been one of the five best pitching prospects in MLB coming into the year before he underwent shoulder surgery. While his stock has still taken a hit, the Marlins organization still has high hopes for the young righty.

With spades of upper-level pitching depth, Miami has the flexibility to part with two potential big-league ready arms to help the Giants strengthen their pitching depth in 2021 and beyond. Combining a pair of intriguing young arms with Marte could be enough to finally get Zaidi to part with a premium prospect, like Bart. To help free up some 40-man roster spots (and help the Marlins cover innings in the second half of the season), Tyler Beede, who the Marlins wanted to acquire in a trade for Giancarlo Stanton some time ago, and Aaron Sanchez could head back to Miami alongside a rookie ball flier like Esmerlin Vinicio.

The SF Giants could be one of the most active buyers at the upcoming MLB trade deadline. At the same time, the Miami Marlins are poised to shop a lot of talent with an eye towards competing in 2022. Perhaps both front offices could