The Miami Marlins new ownership group, led by Derek Jeter, has prioritized cutting their payroll this offseason, so they decided to trade the reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees.
The Marlins did not stop there though, as they also traded two more All-Stars in second baseman Dee Gordon, who is now with the Seattle Mariners, and outfielder Marcell Ozuna, now of the St. Louis Cardinals.
While it is uncertain if they plan to trade them because of how much team control they have left, the Marlins have two other valuable assets in outfielder Christian Yelich and catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The two players expressed their displeasure with the organization in recent weeks for cleaning house.
According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the Marlins are currently involved in active trade discussions for Realmuto and Yelich:
Sources: #Marlins engaged in “active trade discussions” with multiple teams regarding both Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto. Asking price on both players remains high; a trade is not imminent. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 28, 2017
If the Marlins were to trade Yelich they would likely get a big return for him, as he still has four years remaining on a very team-friendly contract extension he signed before the 2015 season.
Among the teams that may be showing interest in acquiring the 27-year-old is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who inquired on both Stanton and Ozuna this offseason.
In 156 games for the Marlins in 2017, Yelich hit .282/.369/.439 with 18 home runs, 100 runs scored, 81 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts. The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native won a Gold Glove in 2014 and a Silver Slugger in 2016. He’s a rare five-tool player who has a chance to be a star for many years to come.
With Austin Barnes and Yasmani Grandal figuring into the catching mix, Realmuto doesn’t seem to be a fit for the Dodgers. He is one of the best catchers in all of baseball though, slashing .278/.332/.451 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs in 2017.
So the Marlins should be able to get a lot in return for him as well if they decide to trade him.
