Marlins' Rising Star Named 'Favorite' Trade Target for AL Playoff Contender

The Miami Marlins have long been a hotbed for MLB trade deadline acquisitions, as they typically possess considerable young talent, but rarely keep it long term.

This year, the Marlins will once again take center stage between now and July 31, and while Sandy Alcantara will be the biggest name on the board for Miami, some other surprising moves could emerge for the Fish.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic has gone through each playoff contender and identified some trade targets for them, and when it came to the Minnesota Twins, he singled out Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers as their "favorite."

"The Twins are searching for a left-handed hitter and their two best realistic options could end up being Stowers or [Jesus] Sanchez of the Marlins," Bowden wrote. "Stowers is having a breakout season, slashing .280/.347/.479 with eight doubles, 10 home runs, 33 RBIs and a 127 OPS+. He can play either outfield corner and won’t be arbitration-eligible until 2027. The prospect price would be costly, but might be worth it if the Twins can find the right match with Miami."

Let's just get this out of the way right now: even though they're the Marlins and they're unpredictable, the chances of Miami actually moving Stowers one year after acquiring him are slim to none. He has been enjoying an All-Star-caliber campaign and won't hit free agency until years down the line, so the Marlins have absolutely no reason to trade him.

Miami initially acquired Stowers at last year's deadline in a deal that sent pitcher Trevor Rogers to the Baltimore Orioles. The Marlins also bagged third baseman Connor Norby in the package.

Stowers broke into the big leagues with the Orioles in 2022, but only saw limited action with Baltimore. Now that he is finally getting regular playing time, he is demonstrating why he was once a highly-touted prospect in the Orioles' system.

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