Marlins tried and failed to steal Yermin Merdedes from White Sox

The Marlins reportedly tried to steal Yermin Mercedes from the White Sox this past offseason.

Plenty of MLB scouts and executives are going to say they saw Yermin Mercedes’ breakout start coming. The Miami Marlins front office can reportedly be added to that list.

A story in the Miami Herald features an interesting note about how a source called the team’s pursuit of Mercedes “aggressive” this past offseason. This is some fascinating timing for such a story to break.

Marlins should have been more aggressive in pursuit of Yermin Mercedes

Mercedes had one lone at-bat in his MLB career before this season began. He then got off to an 8-for-8 start and was named American League Player of the Week. His .500 batting average through eight games is quite the ridiculous start.

Mercedes is an interesting player because the White Sox seemingly carried him for extra depth at catcher. Eloy Jimenez being out with an injury opened a spot in the lineup and Mercedes proceeded to get five hits in the season-opening win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Now the Marlins are leaking that they knew Mercedes was the real deal all along. And that is entirely possible. However, it changes nothing about the situation other than proving Mercedes had a reputation as a potential breakout player.

Several teams had given up on Mercedes in the past. He originally signed with the Washington Nationals in 2011, only to be released a few years later. He then signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014. Mercedes’ true path to the majors began when the White Sox made him a minor league Rule 5 pick. Unlike the Marlins, the White Sox acted on their faith in the young man.

Mercedes is one of the better stories in baseball to start the 2021 season and is a perfect example of what can happen when an organization gives someone with potential enough time to develop. The Marlins, meanwhile, can keep searching for breakout stars around the league.