Jun 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Jesus Sanchez (7) hits a three run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Grading The Miami Marlins, Houston Astros Jesus Sanchez Trade

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 9:30 PM ET

The Miami Marlins were largely quiet during the MLB trade deadline.

Peter Bendix decided to hold onto both Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrarear instead of moving them to a playoff contender desperate for a starting pitcher.

The biggest deal the organization made was trading outfielder Jesus Sanchez to the Houston Astros for a package of prospects.

Let’s take a deeper look at this deal and grade the trade from the Marlins’ perspective.

Miami Marlins, Jesus Sanchez Trade Grade: B+

The Marlins gave up one of the best power-hitters on the big-league roster for a package of three players: INF Chase Jaworsky (Houston’s No. 13 prospect), OF Esmil Valencia, and RHP Ryan Gusto.

The headline return for the Marlins is easily Jaworsky, a 21-year-old who is currently hitting .242/.353/.359 with an OPS of .712 at High-A. Jawrosky has a lot of discipline at the plate, but still has room to develop some power into his swing.

#Marlins buying into solid overall supplemental tools with Chase Jaworsky including speed and patience, but lofty swing needs work. Will also likely move off of SS.

Lots of time to project, but with limited size, will need to figure out contact consistency to be effective. pic.twitter.com/wzhEJKOXGt
— Fish on the Farm (@marlinsminors) July 31, 2025

Valencia, 19, is still at Low-A, but has also shown some promise with his bat. He’s tallied 16 extra-base hits in 83 games at Double-A, but there are some swing-and-miss concerns.

While two of the players in this trade likely won’t make their Marlins debut for a couple of years at the earliest, Miami did get a player who can help the MLB roster right now.

Gusto has pitched in 24 games (14 starts) for the Astros, recording a 4.92 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but Gusto is certainly a serviceable pitcher who is still under team control.

Overall, this is a solid return for the Marlins.

They traded a player who was no longer in the team’s long-term plans for two intriguing prospects with high upside, and a pitcher who could step into Miami’s rotation right now.

Either Gusto can be an option for the Marlins moving forward, or they could look to trade him for more young talent in the offseason.

Even though the Marlins didn’t make a lot of moves, this trade with the Astros makes a ton of sense for Miami’s long-term plans, which is what Bendix and the organization should be concerned with.

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