Marlins GM Kim Ng: We'd want to be 'within striking distance' to be buyers

The Marlins, owners of a 34-40 record, have plenty of baseball to play before committing as a buyer or seller at the August 2 trade deadline. Given that record however, Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald spoke with Marlins GM Kim Ng about the organization's upcoming plans given its likely status as deadline sellers.

Ng, like most front-office members in June, didn’t throw the towel in on the season, but admitted the Marlins will need to close the gap in the NL East (13 games back of the Mets) or wild-card race (seven games back of the Cardinals) if they are to pursue veteran additions at the deadline: “[Y]ou want to be within striking distance. I hope we get there. The club is playing a lot better this month than they were last month. We’re getting healthier.” 

Ng also added that the Marlins will be ready to increase its payroll in the right scenario: “If we feel that we’re within that striking distance, I think [owner Bruce Sherman] will continue to be supportive.” That striking distance won’t be easy to obtain, of course, as two competitive teams in the Giants and Phillies are currently blocking Miami from even sniffing the wild-card spots held by the Padres, Braves and Cardinals.

Should the Marlins end up selling in a month’s time, Mish and Jackson speculate that they have a few bullpen arms who will be in high demand. The most likely candidates include Anthony Bass (1.74 ERA in 31 innings) and lefty Steven Okert (2.28 ERA in 23 plus innings), two relievers in their 30s with club control that extends beyond this season. Given the Marlins' crop of pitching on the farm and several other arms of note already in the bullpen, either veteran reliever figures to be expendable if it helps strengthen them next season.

Interestingly, sources within the Marlins cite the back of the bullpen as an area to improve via trade if they heat up in the next month. As buyers, the club also figures to target “a high-end center fielder” according to Mish and Jackson, but center field will likely be an area to watch even if the team is selling, thanks to the underperformance and misalignment of the team’s current outfield unit.

The Marlins currently hold a 3.9% chance of making the playoffs in the eyes of FanGraphs, but plenty of time remains for them to turn into bullpen buyers over Steven Okert sellers. Turnarounds from 2021 All-Star Trevor Rogers plus offseason acquisitions Avisail Garcia and Jacob Stallings could go a long way in bolstering a team that is otherwise receiving sneakily elite production atop its rotation and throughout its lineup.