Miami Marlins trade rumors: Casey McGehee not available
By Hayden Kane
In a trade market where teams will be very interested in any right-handed hitter who might be available, the Miami Marlins could stand to get a nice return for resurgent third baseman Casey McGehee.
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Even with that being the case, and even with McGehee seeming to be a prime candidate for regression, the Marlins insist that their third baseman is not available. Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports the following:
"However, the Marlins are not shopping McGehee.McGehee, signed for $1.1 million, has one more season of arbitration eligibility. So the Marlins can retain him in 2015, at a sizeable raise. Miami also is open to offering the third baseman an extension for a few more seasons.McGehee has offered protection behind Giancarlo Stanton, and he’s been a clubhouse leader.Right now, Miami views McGehee as a core player, who is under club control. There are no plans to move him."
Before leaving for a year in Japan in 2013, McGehee had struggled to the point that no teams were interested. He posted a .626 OPS in 2011 and an only-slightly-less-miserable .643 OPS in 2012.
McGehee has looked great so far in 2014, and perhaps there are adjustments in place that mean he is ready to stick as a productive big league player. But while McGehee’s overall numbers are impressive, .312/.380/.387/.766, his lack of power points to the possibility of steep regression if his on-base skills dip or if he drives in fewer runs.
Given his tiny salary, McGehee might still end up being a bargain for the Marlins beyond 2014, but it’s hard to imagine that they would turn down the chance to flip him for the value they could get in a trade.