MLB Rumors: Cardinals replacing Marmol, Braves top asset, Mason Miller trade likelihood

The best team in baseball lost to the Colorado Rockies last night, so anything is possible if you put your mind to it. That is the spirit (good) MLB front offices will embrace in the months to come. As the July 30 trade deadline looms ever larger on the horizon, GMs and personnel staff will need to engage in honest conversations about the state of their teams.

Contenders will look for short-term help, while teams on the downturn will look to liquidate expiring vets and reposition themselves for future success.

There is no shortage of juicy MLB rumors circulating the web today. Here is what demands your attention.

MLB Rumors: A's asking a lot, but listening to Mason Miller trade offers

The Oakland Athletics are stuck in a period of stasis as they await a much-maligned relocation to Las Vegas in 2028. Next season, the team will occupy a minor league stadium in Sacramento. For now, it's all empty stands, heartbroken fans, and bitter disappointment.

After an unexpectedly lukewarm start, the A's season has taken its expected southward turn. Oakland is 2-8 in its last 10 games and 21-32 on the season. Per usual, the A's are expected to place their best players on the trade block in hopes of recouping future value. The front office is exploring uncharted territory — trying to answer one of life's essential, existential questions.

If you kick the can down the road in perpetuity, does the road ever end?

That puts 25-year-old Mason Miller squarely in the spotlight. The hard-throwing righty has been the best closer in baseball, bar none, with a comical 2.05 ERA and 0.773 WHIP. He has broken statistical models and registered almost twice as many strikeouts (42) as innings pitched (22). He has nine saves in 17 appearances.

Under team control through 2029, Miller is the ideal long-term asset on paper. Of course, the A's can't stand to have a young prospect who actually delivers on the MLB stage, so there's real trade buzz. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the A's are listening to trade calls, despite an exorbitant price.

He reports that multiple teams are willing to part with top prospects who could be ready once Oakland transitions to Las Vegas in 2028. Miller will be in his 20s, still, but fear of future injuries and diminishing velocity could justify a trade in the front office. That is silly, of course — Miller is the best per-inning pitcher in the MLB with plenty of room to grow — but we are talking about the A's, so logic falls by the wayside.

MLB Rumors: LHP Dylan Dodd dubbed Braves' top trade asset

The Atlanta Braves are presumably in the market for starting pitching as the trade deadline approaches. Spencer Strider is done for the season, which puts Atlanta one more injury away from catastrophe. The bullpen has faired better than expected in Strider's absence, spurred by Chris Sale's return to Cy Young form. All it takes, though, is an unexpected surge of misfortune to derail Atlanta's championship aspirations.

There is already an issue with the fifth starting spot. Bryce Elder was the man of the hour for a minute, but the Braves sent him back to Triple-A in favor of A.J. Smith-Shawver, who immediately got hurt. There are plenty of intriguing prospects kicking around the Braves' farm system — Darius Vines, Allan Winans, Huascar Ynoa — but none are battle-tested, much less postseason-ready.

If the Braves decide to pursue a meaningful upgrade, we can expect some of those prized Triple-A pitchers to come up in trade conversations. Tasked with naming the most likely Brave to be traded, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter pointed to LHP Dylan Dodd. Currently on the 40-man roster but pitching for the Stripers in Gwinnett, the 25-year-old has seven MLB starts under his belt.

"Dodd, 25, made seven starts in the majors last year, and while he is not going to be the centerpiece in a huge blockbuster deal, that's not the type of trade the Braves are likely to make anyway. Controllable pitching is always in-demand for non-contenders, and he could bring back a piece that can help immediately."

He won't be the centerpiece in a true blockbuster, but Dodd could be the asset that returns a more proven veteran on the mound — a palatable fifth starter who the Braves can set and forget for the remainder of the season. Alex Anthopoulos has never been afraid to sacrifice mid-tier prospects in favor of veteran help, and he's one of the best in the business when it comes to locating value in the marketplace.

The Braves aren't short on up-and-coming arms, so losing Dodd — even for a short-term investment — shouldn't sting too much. The Braves should be focused on the present anyway. These title windows don't stay open forever.

MLB Rumors: If Cardinals fire Oli Marmol, his replacement is obvious

The St. Louis Cardinals are three games below .500, but it feels so much worse than that. This is an expensive roster built to contend, in theory, but St. Louis has essentially fumbled every meaningful roster decision over the last few years. Tying it all together is the god-awful coaching of Oli Marmol, who somehow landed a two-year extension over the offseason.

Despite that extension, Marmol is widely projected as the next manager out the door. He's going to be fired if the Cards can't turn their season around, and given his track record, it's difficult to imagine Marmol improving his situation. St. Louis is the most blatantly mismanaged team in the league, night in and night out.

If the Cardinals do decide to overhaul the coaching staff, one obvious candidate exists. So obvious that it's hard to imagine a different candidate taking over for Marmol.

FanSided's Robert Murray connected the dots in his latest column, pointing to Miami Marlins skipper Skip Schumaker as the logical successor in St. Louis.

"Schumaker, 44, had his club option for the 2025 season voided by the Miami Marlins after he voiced concerns following Kim Ng being fired. Team owner Bruce Sherman agreed to do it as a “show of good faith,” according to the Miami Herald, but considering the poor performance and Luis Arraez trade, the Marlins are clearly a team in flux. Which makes Schumaker instantly the most attractive available manager and a seamless fit in St. Louis if the Cardinals part ways with Marmol. Schumaker played in St. Louis from 2005-2012 and also served as the team’s bench coach before leaving for a job on the San Diego Padres’ coaching staff."

Having spent eight years with the Cards — including their magical 2011 World Series run — Schumaker would be welcomed to St. Louis with open arms. He took the Marlins job last season and immediately led Miami to an unexpected postseason appearance, despite a mediocre roster and bottom-dwelling payroll.

This season is different, of course, as Kim Ng's exit signaled a laughable aversion to competent management in the front office. Miami is quite poor, but it's not Schumaker's fault. He can't help the rotten situation he's in, but Miami is prepared to let him walk next offseason.

The stars are aligned perfectly. Now, the Cards just need to deliver.