What the Marlins Got Right (and Wrong) at the Trade Deadline
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The trade deadline is over. The Miami Marlins did manage to fill in some holes in their relief pitching.
The third base position is critical. It's one of the areas that the team needed to focus on, but one prospect might be the difference-maker if he turns out to be better than what we imagine.
What the Marlins Got Right
Hyun Seung Lee
One of the quiet and perhaps underrated trades is when the Pittsburgh Pirates sent Hyun Seung Lee to Miami for Lake Bachar and Will Sammon.
Lee is an 18-year-old infielder out of Seoul, Korea. It's a good trade for the Marlins because the team needs a third baseman. Lee can play shortstop and third base if the team needs him to. It's a good pickup for the Marlins. Lee hit .309/.396/.569 with six home runs in 35 games at rookie ball, with a .519 OPS in 15 games at Single-A.
Victor Vodnik Acquisition
Vodnik doesn't solve all the problems for the bullpen, but he's an important arm for the Marlins bullpen. The team got what they were looking for. Vodnik won't be a free agent until 2030.
What does Vodnik bring to the table? He has an electric four-seam fastball that reaches at least 98 miles per hour. Don't let the numbers fool you. He might have a 3-3 record with a 5.25 ERA, but he has more strikeouts than walks.
Also, Vodnik is in a better situation where he can compete for the playoffs. Vodnik and Fairbanks in the bullpen sounds like a good tandem. Vodnik is only 26 and slowly entering his prime years.
What the Marlins Got Wrong
Brandan Bidois and Brian Sanchez
Both players are still trying to find their way in their careers. Bidois is a 25-year-old right-handed pitcher, and we have seen him used as a starter and as a reliever. He's been struggling this season so far. Bidois did make his big league debut with the Pirates, but has spent the bulk of his time in the minors.
The Marlins will most likely have to find a throw at Triple-A Jacksonville. He has a 6.32 ERA this season with no wins or losses. As of right now, this addition doesn't bring anything exciting.
Sanchez is a 22-year-old infielder who is slashing .254/.340/.431/.772 with nine home runs, 40 RBI, along with 17 doubles and three triples. The concern about Sanchez is his durability, and this is his fourth organization in four years. Sanchez made previous stops with the Brewers, Yankees, Pirates, and now Marlins. That's way too many stops for a 22-year-old. He most likely won't be ready to help the team any time soon.
Honorable Mention:
Marlins got five prospects from the Liam Hicks and Brandon Garrett trades. The prospects that Marlins fans are looking forward to watching are the ones that came from the Tampa Bay Rays: Brayden Taylor, Jacob Kisting, and Adrian Santana.
Marlins got this one right as well by keeping the team young, and each of these prospects is in the top 30.
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After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.