Miami Marlins: Edinson Volquez
The Marlins are wildly unpredictable, and their downward spiral has been briefly paused with a solid week that has them back within 10 games of .500. With their sale still up in the air, Jeffrey Loria may hesitate to go for the full-scale fire sale the Marlins have become known for. A small-scale sell-off at the deadline is their most likely course of action.
Edinson Volquez is coming off a no-hitter and has pitched very well after an ugly start to the year. He has a 3.00 ERA over his past five starts and has pitched more than six innings in all five of them. Volquez’s 2-7 record is ugly, but it does not reflect how well he has pitched at times this season.
The veteran starter is a reliable innings eater who is good for 190-200 respectable innings a year. In 2014 and 2015, he put together seasons with numbers on par with a number-two starter. Volquez had a down year in 2016, but is pitching himself back into mid-rotation status this season. For $11 million per season, he is a bargain if this continues. Contenders will line up to have Volquez at that price if the Marlins put him up on the trade block.