2 trade candidates the Phillies should consider from the Marlins, 1 they should avoid
The Marlins are off to a poor start and may be sellers by the trade deadline. Which players should the Phillies consider trading for, and who should they avoid?
The Miami Marlins pitching staff suffered a major blow at the end of the 2023 season. Sandy Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery and will be out for the entirety of 2024.
Already without Alcantara coming into 2024, the Marlins suffered another loss to their starting rotation with the long-term injury to Eury Pérez. After experiencing elbow soreness, the 20-year-old right-hander was shut down late in spring training and underwent Tommy John surgery for a right UCL tear on April 8. He’ll miss the 2024 season and part of next year.
Starters Edward Cabrera (right shoulder impingement) and Braxton Garrett (left shoulder impingement) each began the regular season on the injured list. Jake Burger, who leads Miami with 15 RBI, suffered an oblique ailment and the club placed him on the IL before their April 15 contest.
Miami has not done well early in the season. The club lost its first nine games and is currently 4-15, 9.0 games back in the NL East. The dreadful start looks to have already impacted how well they will do this year. The Marlins could be sellers by the trade deadline (subscription required), according to Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
Would the Philadelphia Phillies have an interest in trading for any available candidates the Marlins decide to listen to offers for? What needs does the club currently have, even with a relatively healthy roster?
Rumored trade targets such as Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm, Jr., and Jesús Luzardo, as anticipated by CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson, are valuable but don’t fit the Phillies’ positional needs due to their already stacked roster. Miami will be looking for a haul of young prospects in a deal for each of these players.
Who should the Phillies consider targeting from the division rival Marlins, and should they avoid?
Phillies should consider trading for JT Chargois
JT Chargois has been an effective reliever during his career. He previously played for the Minnesota Twins (2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2018 to 2019), Seattle Mariners (2021), and Tampa Bay Rays (2021 to 2022) before being traded to the Marlins on Nov. 15, 2022.
While currently on the IL with neck spasms, Chargois is on his way back to action and may be an option for the Phillies to consider near the trade deadline based on his past productivity. He has one year of arbitration remaining before becoming a free agent following the 2025 season. The oft-injured Marlins roster could use him once he is expected to return in May at the rate players are suffering ailments.
Chargois is coming off of a season with the Marlins in which he appeared in 46 games, the second-highest of his career in the majors. He had a 3.61 ERA, 35 strikeouts and a 1.25 WHIP in 42 1/3 innings pitched. The 33-year-old hasn’t had much success throughout his career as a closer. He has successfully converted only one of 13 save opportunities, so he wouldn’t be an ideal option for the Phillies to use in that role.
According to his Statcast pitch arsenal on Baseball Savant, Chargois throws a sinker 50.6 percent of the time, a slider (41.5 percent), and a four-seam fastball (7.8 percent). His career exit velocity is 88.7 mph, which is near the league average of 88.4 mph. The native of Sulphur, Louisiana, has a career max exit velocity of 113.7 mph, lower than the MLB high mark of 122.4 mph.
Chargois would be a decent candidate for the Phillies to acquire for depth at the backend of the bullpen, especially if they are dealing with many injuries or some of the relievers are struggling. Teams can always benefit from more available relievers, based on how frequently pitchers deal with injuries in today’s game.
Phillies should consider trading for Josh Bell
Josh Bell has been involved in trades in each of the previous two seasons. The infielder represents the type of player that teams making a playoff push look to acquire at the trade deadline to improve their bench. The San Diego Padres acquired him from the Washington Nationals during the 2022 season, and the Marlins traded for him in a deal with the Cleveland Guardians last year.
Acquiring Bell would make sense for the Phillies, particularly if first baseman Bryce Harper were to miss time with injuries. The native of Irving, Texas, has primarily played at first base or has been a designated hitter during his career. He could fill in for Harper or Kyle Schwarber if either needs a day off.
He would benefit from playing at Citizens Bank Park, a stadium that favors hitters. Last year with the Guardians, Bell had a .233/.318/.383 line and a .701 OPS. His slash line with the Marlins was .270/.338/.480 with an OPS of .818. He posted 74 RBI in 2023, including 26 in 53 games with Miami.
The first baseman totaled 22 home runs in 2023, he hit 11 for both the Guardians and Marlins. Bell’s 11 home runs in 53 contests were an improvement over a shorter span of games compared to the same amount he had with Cleveland in 97 contests.
Bell hasn’t done well in 2024, with a slash line of .200 /.300/.329 and an OPS of .629 in 19 games. He would be a rental player, as he will be an unrestricted free agent following the season, and shouldn’t cost the Phillies much. While the season is just three weeks old, perhaps a change of scenery to a club with hopes of making it to the postseason will improve his offensive production.
Phillies should avoid trading for A.J. Puk
The Marlins have used A.J. Puk as a starting pitcher in 2024. In three starts, he’s 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA. He has more walks (14) than strikeouts (eight) with a 2.44 WHIP. The left-hander has allowed seven earned runs in 10 2/3 innings pitched.
The 2016 sixth-overall draft pick by the Oakland Athletics relies on five pitches. His primary pitches are a four-seamer, which he uses 39 percent of the time, and a sweeper (31.5 percent). He also throws a sinker (20.5 percent), a split-finger (7.5 percent), and a slider (1.6 percent).
So far in 2024, his average exit velocity of 85.2 mph is less than last year’s 87.3 mph. His maximum exit velocity of 108.1 mph this year is less than his 112.1 mph mark in 2023.
The Minneapolis, Minnesota, native has not done well as a starter. With the recent setback in Braxton Garrett’s rehab assignment, it appears the club will keep Puk in the rotation for now. As a reliever, the 28-year-old doesn’t have good career statistics in save situations, as he has only successfully converted 19 of 36 saves, including 15 of 24 in 2023.
If Garrett eventually returns while the other four rotation options, besides Puk, stay healthy, will the reliever-turned-starter return to the bullpen? If he continues to struggle starting games, it would behoove the Marlins to do so.
Puk has two years of arbitration left on his current deal before he becomes a free agent. How much will the Marlins want in return for him with two more years of club control remaining? More importantly, it doesn’t seem like a plausible option for the Phillies, considering how up and down he has been as a reliever during his career.
