MLB Rumors: Miami Marlins may trade Dee Gordon in search for starting pitching
The Miami Marlins may look to the trade market for starting pitchers this offseason, and second baseman Dee Gordon could be on the move.
The Miami Marlins faded from playoff contention down the stretch this season, and with the untimely death of Jose Fernandez they are even more in the market for starting pitching this offseason. The free agent market for starters doesn’t look good this winter, so the Marlins are likely to trade for upgrades. Some notable players could wind up on the trade block, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported second baseman Dee Gordon is among the players the Marlins would listen to trade offers on.
After a breakout 2015 season when he was the National League batting champion (.333 average) while leading the majors in hits (205) and stolen bases (58), Gordon’s 2016 season was shortened by an 80-game suspension for violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Over 79 games this past season (346 plate appearances), Gordon posted a .268/.305/.335 slash-line with 47 runs scored and 30 stolen bases.
The Marlins signed Gordon to five-year, $50 million contract extension (with a vesting option for 2021) last January, after what he did in 2015. They obviously didn’t get that same player all season in 2016, and the speed that is Gordon’s calling card could easily start to fade as he enters his age-29 season in 2017.
Gordon’s compensation escalates over the course of his contract, from $7.8 million next season to $13.8 million in 2020. The 2021 vesting option is worth $14 million, with 600 plate appearances in 2020 or 1,200 plate appearances during the 2019 and 2020 seasons combined, with a $1 million buyout. With increasing salaries as he approaches and crosses 30 years old, the Marlins need to think about shedding Gordon’s bad contract that stands to only get worse.
Relative position scarcity could bolster Gordon’s trade value. If the Marlins want to get an ace starting pitcher this offseason, he looks like one of their best trade chips alongside outfielder Marcell Ozuna.
It’s a long way from trade talk to actual action, but the Marlins can acknowledge and move on from a financial mistake with Gordon based on their apparent faith he was a clean player. He may now be that clean player, after this season’s punishment, but 2015 is probably not coming back if he is. General manager Mike Hill may have to be proactive, as opposed to sitting back and waiting for offers, but Gordon could be one of the bigger names on the move this offseason.
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