Miami Marlins fans react to team’s reported interest in trading pitching to improve lineup: "Seems like a bad approach" "Because they are cheap"
The Miami Marlins have been known as a team that cycles out proven major league talent for prospects before they have to open the pocketbook to keep them. However, as MLB insider Craig Mish reported Thursday, the Marlins are looking to trade for at least one proven major league hitter this winter.
Miami has had ongoing conversations about trading starting pitching. A ton. We have heard this for months, but they are adamant on acquiring a major upgrade to the 2023 lineup in any deal for their pitching. They are not chasing prospects.
While the news that the Miami Marlins are interested in improving the team's 2023 hitting lineup seems like it would make most fans happy, many members of Marlins Nation are less than pleased about dealing away a strong core of starting pitching in order to do so. General manager Kim Ng is already drawing the ire of many Miami fans.
So sad. Trading good parts for hitting because they are cheap. Just move the team. twitter.com/craigmish/stat…
@CraigMish Seems like a bad approach. Only way we are competitive in the east is to acquire big bats in free agency. See Braves, Mets and Phillies. Trading the strength of our team doesn’t seem like a net positive.
@CraigMish Worst GM in baseball
The report had sharks swimming in the water. Pablo Lopez, Miami's No. 2 starter, is a popular name among many MLB fanbases. While Lopez experienced some statistical regression in 2022, his first season with over 30 starts, the 26-year-old will be a hot commodity if offered up by the Marlins in trade talks.
If Pablo Lopez is available, then Cubs should inquire. twitter.com/CraigMish/stat…
Rafael Devers to the Marlins for Pablo Lopez twitter.com/craigmish/stat…
I’ve said it for weeks—Pablo Lopez is fated to be a Cardinal. twitter.com/craigmish/stat…
Many baseball fans, in Miami and out, pointed out that trading big league pitching for big league hitting is not the easiest proposition. Different organizations value members of their rosters differently. Trading away pitching to shore up hitting often fills gaps in one spot, while opening up gaps in another. Hence, major league talent is often dealt for packages of prospects.
The reason that these deals so rarely happen is that teams are not looking to weaken one part of their team to upgrade another. That’s why prospects are the way to nearly every consequential deal. Who has a big bat they can just spare? twitter.com/craigmish/stat…
This sounds like teams are just willing to give up prospects for Pablo Lopez twitter.com/craigmish/stat…
I really hope the Jays jump in on this, but I'm not sure how you match up if they want MAJOR UPGRADES and are not chasing prospects. Toronto doesn't have much to trade unless they would center a trade around Bo Bichette, and I don't see that happening to be honest. twitter.com/CraigMish/stat…
Fantasy baseball analyst Chris Towers is vehemently against dealing for a major league hitter. Towers is lobbying that any trades involving the team's starting staff bring back more prospects to build for the future since Miami's road to success this season faces roadblocks in arguably the toughest division in MLB: the National League East.
But really, I think the problem I have with this is: Miami absolutely should be looking to trade pitching whenever possible, because building around pitching is a bad idea. But there's basically no path to doing so that makes them viable contenders for 2023. Buy prospects! twitter.com/CraigMish/stat…
Should the Miami Marlins hang on to their pitching?
The Miami Marlins find themselves in a quandry. Much of the key to major league success relies on a balance of good offense and good defense. While Miami has a decent amount of good pitching, the team's offense is abhorrent.
But, as the old adage goes, "It's hard to beat a team that you can't score against." Strong starting pitching makes it that much tougher to score against a team. It is also a widely-held belief that it is harder to develop big league pitching than it is big league hitting.
Could Miami's reported theory of wanting to trade a pitcher for a hitter merely lead the team to losing games by a score of 6-5 rather than 3-2? What do you think the Marlins should do?