MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: 5 trades Marlins should make

Trade Justin Bour to the Angels

There are a lot of reasons not to trade Justin Bour.

The 29-year-old is one of three Marlins sluggers with 20 home runs through the All-Star break (and he put on a show with 20 home runs in the first round of the Home Run Derby). Bour has hit .289/.367/.556 with 59 RBI and 35 runs scored in 77 games for the Fish this season. He primarily hits fifth in Don Mattingly’s lineup, where he provides protection for Ozuna and Stanton, making the lineup more dangerous through the middle since pitchers can pitch around all three.

Also, Bour will have logged roughly three years of service by the end of the season, which means he has three years of arbitration remaining until he becomes a free agent in 2021, keeping him pretty affordable over that span.

Of course, those reasons are the same ones that could boost Bour’s value high enough for a contending club to be willing to trade several good prospects to acquire the first baseman.

The two contending teams in most desperately in need of help at first base are the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees have injured Greg Bird as a long-term option at the position, who like Bour is a left-handed hitter. Therefore, it doesn’t make a ton of sense for New York to make a multi-year commitment a player with a similar skillset. Expect the Yankees to look for a rental or a right-handed hitter to platoon with Bird if they go for a younger, long-term option.

That leaves the Angels as the best fit for Bour. With Los Angeles just three games out in the Wild Card race and Mike Trout returning from the DL after the All-Star break, the club should strike to improve what has been the worst first base situation in the majors.