Marlins talk: The trade deadline, who’s worth building around and prospects getting close

First of a two-part series

If you need your Major League Baseball team to be immersed in a playoff race to enjoy the games, there’s not much incentive to watch a 33-63 Marlins team that begins its second half of the season against the Mets on Friday evening at loanDepot park.

But the Marlins are nevertheless providing several subplots worth monitoring, story lines that will unfold during the coming weeks and months.

During the next two days, we will explore six issues that must either be resolved, or gain clarity, before November — some much sooner. The first three:

▪ Which players will be dealt before the July 30 trade deadline?

The Marlins are open to considering trades for Jazz Chisholm Jr., and something notable happened late last week when the team disclosed that Chisholm would begin playing some second base for the first time since he was moved to center field after the 2022 season.

Manager Skip Schumaker said last Friday in Cincinnati that the purpose behind giving Chisholm time at second is “trying to keep his bat in the lineup every day. Also trying to keep him playing every day for 160-plus games, which he has never done.

“So trying to get him DH days. Maybe second base is a way to get him off his feet a little bit. Because I think he could play that in his sleep.”

But a source said eagerness to show other teams that he can play second base also was a consideration. Chisholm was an infielder before he agreed to move to center field in 2023 because of a willingness to fill a major hole on the roster. He begins the post-All-Star break schedule hitting .249 with 12 homers and 42 RBI, with 18 steals in 26 attempts.

The Miami Herald’s Craig Mish reported recently that there’s a growing belief that Chisholm will be traded. USA Today reported this week that the Royals have expressed interest and Seattle also is in the mix. The Yankees reportedly have considered a pursuit.

Here’s how MLBtraderumors.com assessed him:

“Chisholm has drawn plenty of national attention despite results that haven’t quite caught up to his reputation. He’s a collection of loud tools and big personality that give him star potential even if he’s more upside than results to this point.

“Chisholm has shown huge power and speed alike but also been too prone to strikeouts. He’s a .253/.317/.459 hitter dating back to 2022, and he’s clubbed 44 homers with 52 steals in that stretch of 996 plate appearances.

“Injuries are a particularly big red flag, as Chisholm has only reached 100 games in a season once and has never topped 507 plate appearances in the majors. He learned center field on the fly out of necessity and hasn’t graded well there, but he was a plus defensive second baseman before that shift.”

Chisholm is earning $2.6 million and remains under team control through 2026.

“He has legitimate 30-homer, 30-steal upside if he can stay healthy,” MLBtraderumors. com added. “He’s never hit lefties particularly well but is still a potential everyday bat in the outfield or middle infield. An average hitter with the ability to cover multiple up-the-middle positions is certainly a valuable player, yet Chisholm hasn’t developed into the franchise building block he seemed during an All-Star first half in 2022..”

Meanwhile, that website lists closer Tanner Scott, an impending free agent with 14 saves, as No. 4 on its top 50 list of July traded candidates, with this comment:

“Scott might be the most quintessential trade candidate on the summer market. He’s not as good as his 1.42 ERA, as that belies a grisly 14.9 percent walk rate. Command has long been an issue for Scott, but he did walk a career-low 7.9 percent of hitters just last year while fanning more than a third of his opponents.

“Scott throws gas, keeps the ball on the ground and misses bats at a plus rate. His $5.7 million salary isn’t exorbitant. The Marlins are going to trade him, barring an injury. It’s just a question of where.”

Scott retired both batters he faced in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

First baseman Josh Bell (an impending free agent) and relievers Declan Cronin and Calvin Faucher also could be moved, as Mish reported.

▪ Will any position player on the roster besides Chisholm and possibly Jake Burger (who has slumped to .225, .265 on base average) show they can be projected as long-term starters?

Xavier Edwards is getting every opportunity and making the most of it, hitting .352 (.426 on base) in 61 plate appearances at shortstop.

Beyond Edwards, there’s support inside the organization for outfielder Jesus Sanchez, despite a .294 on-base average. He has 11 homers and 37 RBI in 86 games and he’s hitting .272 against right-handers. The team likes his exit velocities.

But he continues to get very limited opportunities against left-handers, and when he does face them, he remains unproductive (6 for 49, .122).

Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz cannot be ruled out as a 2025 starter, but he has just a .289 on base average and .242 batting average, albeit decent run production numbers (16 homers and 44 RBI in 95 games). He’s likely a fourth outfielder on a good team.

If Burger stays long-term — and regains the offensive form he showed after he was acquired from the White Sox last summer — it won’t necessarily be at third base.

▪ Which minor-league players could we see with the big-league team this summer?

The expectation is that former first-round pick Max Meyer will pitch again for the big-league club at some point this season.

Meyer had a 2.12 ERA in three games for the Marlins early this season before being sent to the minors so that the organization could monitor his innings following 2022 Tommy John surgery. He has a 4.45 ERA (and an 0-3 record) in 14 starts at Triple A Jacksonville, with 56 hits and 23 walks allowed in 54 ⅔ innings, and 62 strikeouts.

Among position players already on the 40-man roster, outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. has made a case in Triple A, hitting .268 (.328 on base) with 13 homers and 48 RBI in 72 games. The Marlins like his upside.

Among notable position players not on the 40-man roster and playing in Jacksonville, here’s where a few stand:

Though he plays a position where the Marlins are sorely lacking, catcher Will Banfield hasn’t made a strong enough case offensively at Triple A: .230, 7 homers, 30 RBI.

Outfielder Griffin Conine has been productive at Jacksonville: .271, .350 on base, 17 homers, 50 RBI in 83 games, though strikeouts remain an issue (96 in 292 at-bats).

Troy Johnston (.282, six homers, 44 RBI) could warrant a look at first base if Bell is dealt before the trade deadline.

Miami Herald senior baseball correspondent Craig Mish contributed to this report.

Coming next: Three other pressing questions, on Skip Schumaker (and the Erik Spoelstra angle), Edward Cabrera, Trevor Rogers and more.