The madness is starting to begin with two days left until the trade deadline. The first ‘blockbuster trade’ of the weekend occurred with Miami’s Starling Marte heading to Oakland for Jesus Luzardo.
The blockbuster deals are expected to unravel on Thursday and Friday, with players like Kris Bryant, Craig Kimbrel, and Trevor Story still on the open market. This was an interesting move by Kim Ng and Miami’s front office because they have a loaded pitching staff and limited offensive help.
However, Starling Marte is in the final stage of his prime years, and young arms are valuable for any franchise.
Starling Marte to Oakland
The A’s are showing that they want to win the American League West and their latest signings give them a glimmer of hope. The team started the week by trading for LHP Andrew Chafin from the Cubs to solidify their bullpen.
The addition of Marte adds an additional element to an explosive lineup behind Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, and Elvis Andrus. Luzardo’s loss will not be felt this season, but it could be detrimental in the future.
Although, the roster is talented enough to make a push at the division pennant or earn a Wild Card berth for meaningful October baseball. A’s GM David Frost spoke following the trade.
“We felt like Starling was the best position player out there. It’s not easy to trade a player like Jesús. But, bottom line, we’ve always said when the team and this clubhouse performs and puts itself in this position, it’s on us to try to do whatever we can to help them.”
Marte is slashing .306/.407/.453 with seven home runs and 25 RBI. Although, it’s expected that these numbers will rise drastically with Oakland.
The A’s have a superior offense to Miami, so he will have more opportunity to drive in runners with his high batting average. Marte can also run, which is apparent by his 22 stolen bases this season.
Manager Bob Melvin attested to Marte’s dynamic ability all over the diamond when asked about his new player.
“Not only does it give us a bat and solid defense, but it’s also a dynamic athletically. His run dynamic…he steals bases. He does everything. This is a big-time player. This adds to our team right now, for sure.”
Questionable Move by the Marlins
The Marlins have one of the best pitching staff in the game. When the age of these players is revealed, the unit has the most potential of any squad in baseball. Luzardo will add depth to this staff in the coming years, but this strategy will not benefit Miami in 2021.
Luzardo is 2-4 with a 6.87 ERA in 38 innings. Although, he is only 23 years of age, so if he matures as expected, the National League East should watch out in the future. Luzardo will likely start in Triple-A for the Marlins because of his struggles in the minors and the show for Oakland.
Starling Marte will join his club on Thursday. Marte will make his debut in Anaheim against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels. The club is hopeful he will propel its 15th ranked offense, allowing them to conquer their October dreams.
The trade deadline concludes at 4:00 PM ET on Friday.
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