Miami Marlins: What to Do with Marcell Ozuna? Trade or Extension?
As fans rejoice over the success of Marcell Ozuna, the Miami Marlins will eventually need to decide what to do with their outfielder. Do they trade him away or sign him to an extension?
While many pegged the Washington Nationals or New York Mets to win the NL East flag, thus far the Miami Marlins are managing to keep up with their division rivals. They are 6-4 against the Nationals and Mets, and their 7-6 standing comes thanks in part to the success of Marcell Ozuna.
Heading into Tuesday's action, Ozuna is batting .373 with five home runs, one shy of the most in baseball. Furthermore, he leads the majors with 18 RBI and is 10th with a .453 OBP.
Although he's not eligible for free agency until after 2019, Ozuna's strong start to the season shrouds whether the Marlins should trade or keep their outfielder.
On the surface, it appears that Ozuna's extension should be an easy sign. He has been with the Marlins since they signed him as an amateur free agent in 2008 and consistently batted around .265 since 2013.
Not to mention, at 26 years old Ozuna is in no way nearing the end of his career. With plenty of seasons left in the tank and signs of an all-career season, the obvious answer is to draw up an extension, right?
Not so fast.
On the surface, the Marlins might give off a healthy appearance, but their "win-now" strategy left their minor league system dangerously thin. According to Bleacher Report, the Marlins are stuck with one of the worst farm systems in the major leagues. Only better than the Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks, the Marlins are 27th in baseball's farm system rankings.
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The shining star of their minor leagues is top prospect Braxton Garrett, who was selected No. 7 overall last year. Besides him, the Marlins' farm system looks extremely sparse after trading away first-round selections from 2012, 2013 and 2015.
The condition of their farm system makes not only Ozuna, but the big names of Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich potential trading pieces to improve the Marlins' future.
