MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: 5 trades Marlins should make

Trade Marcell Ozuna if (and only if) the perfect offer comes along

The most valuable player on the Marlins roster at this point is left fielder Marcell Ozuna. A two-time All-Star, Ozuna leads the major leagues with 70 RBI, and has already tied his career high with 23 home runs – including a moonshot in Tampa Bay earlier in the season in which he hit a banner hanging high above the stands in left field. The 26-year-old is hitting a blistering .316/.374/.566, all of which are career highs and far above his career averages of .273/.323/.448.

Ozuna is a budding star, and it would be a huge loss for Miami’s current roster if he’s traded away. He’s young, he has huge power from the right side of the plate, and he’s proven he will be one of the most highly sought after players in baseball when he becomes a free agent in 2020.

And, while one would think that the two years of arbitration leading up to that year might be a reason why the Marlins shouldn’t trade Ozuna, the fact of the matter is his value would drop in each of the next two years because Ozuna is a Scott Boras client and therefore virtually guaranteed to test the free agent market regardless of what team he’s playing for at the time.

Also, Ozuna is still affordable for small market clubs to enter the bidding, and likely won’t be in 2019. To maximize the return, and to help rebuild the farm system, the Fish should act now.

Next: MLB Trade Deadline: 5 trades Braves should make

Nearly every team in baseball would love a player like Ozuna, and many would be willing to pay a premium to get him. If the Marlins can secure a deal for three to four top prospects – especially starting pitching or shortstop prospects – the club should pull the trigger. In a perfect world, if the Rays were willing to give up Brent Honeywell and Willy Adames, plus a couple of mid level prospects, a deal could work.