Grade That Trade! Marlins Light Up The Fire Sale Again Edition
3U3D alluded to the Marlins fire sale possibilities on July 23rd, then again on July 25th, but it wasn’t really there yet. They had kept everyone they signed in the offseason on the team…so far. Then a little fuel was added to the fire sale with Heath Bell being sent to the Diamondbacks on October 20th. Tonight, the hot stove and fire sale was set ablaze with a blockbuster deal that ends an era in Miami before it even begins and put the Blue Jays in the thick of the AL East, making it officially the toughest division in baseball. Let’s take a look at the trade that’s going down.
The Blue Jays receive: SS Jose Reyes, LHP Josh Johnson, LHP Mark Buehrle, do-it-all player Emilio Bonifacio, and C John Buck
The Marlins receive: SS Yunel Escobar, RHP Henderson Alvarez, C Jeff Mathis, and prospects Adeiny Hechevarria, Jake Marisnick, Anthony Desclafani, and Justin Nicolino
The first thought that comes to mind is wow. Look at all of that talent that is heading north of the border. The Blue Jays have decided to take on a ton of money (up to $165 million) in order to try and compete in the A.L. East. The speed throughout the order with Reyes, Bonifacio, and Rajai Davis will be the best in the American League. Buehrle and Johnson instantly become the best pitchers in Toronto and can provided veteran leadership for Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero. Romero will need it after the 2nd half he had in 2012. The Blue Jays also shed Escobar who needed a fresh start after the unfortunate, gay slur incident. I do find it interesting that the Jays brought in John Buck in the deal. The Jays have J.P. Arencibia behind the plate starting and top prospect Travis d’Arnaud looking for his opportunity in AAA. It almost makes me believe that one of those three could get moved in another move to get more pitching help. Pure speculation though.
What do the Marlins get out of this? Well obviously more PR woes and grief that they may have fleeced the city into a new stadium, while not providing a competitive team. Not to mention the continued outcry for owner Jeffrey Loria to sell the team. Miami basically stole the Red Sox reset button and brought it to little Havana. They’ve undone everything that they did in the offseason and then some. Escobar is a good, but not great player. Alvarez showed some promise in 2011, but took a step back last season. He’s still young (turns 23 early in the 2013 season) and more importantly to the Marlins, affordable. We’ve seen pitchers turn it around in the N.L. maybe Henderson Alvarez is next. Of the prospects, Marisnick is the most intriguing. He’s ranked as the #32 best prospect in MLB by ESPN’s Keith Law. Nicolino was the best left-handed pitching prospect in the Jays system. Hechevarria could replace Escobar at shortstop in the near future and was ranked by MLB.com as the 7th best prospect for Toronto.
What does Miami do next? There are rumors that Giancarlo Stanton could be next on the block, with Stanton even saying on Twitter that he was pissed off at the situation. Fans for every team are already comtemplating trades to get the slugger on their team. Time will tell if the fire sale rages on in Miami.
-Bryan Mapes ( @IAmMapes)
Three Up, Three Down 
