Marlins' Trade Bait

Does anyone else watch Chuck?

The Marlins don't appear to be re-inventing the wheel again, but they're willing to move a spoke or two. Scott Olsen, Mike Jacobs, Kevin Gregg, and Jeremy Hermida are probably the ones on the block, but it seems as though Uggla will be staying. Should your team be interested in any of the available guys?

Scott Olsen
He's a risk. He hasn't had an ERA under 4, and while pitched in 201.2 innings, his strikeouts continued to decline. In 2006, he had 180.2 IP and 166 K, but in 2007, he had 176.2 IP and only 133 K. He had 113 K this season. His GB/FB rate has gone from 1.21 to 0.88, and away from pitcher-friendly Marlin Stadium, his ERA will get worse. His BABIP was also a mysteriously low .266 after a mysteriously and ridiculously high .350 last season. So, his 4.20 ERA this season is probably a little low for what he'd actually do. His BB/9 rate did go down significantly from 4.33 to 3.08, though I don't know how that happens. I don't know if I'd do it unless I just needed a fifth starter.

Kevin Gregg
He's a bit of a mystery. His ERA went down, but he blew more saves (was 32/36 in 2007 to 29/38 this season). His GB/FB went from 0.53 to 1.26, and his BABIP went from .272 to .261. His HR/FB went down from 5.9 to 4.4, and he still blew more saves. The only things that make this make sense are that his K/9 went from 9.32 to 7.60 and his BB/9 went from 4.29 to 4.85. His LOB% dropped from 75% to 70% as well. So, do you get him? Well, if I was a team in need of a closer, I might take a shot on him instead of paying Fuentes or Rodriguez a lot of money.

Mike Jacobs
He doesn't walk, he doesn't hit for average, and he strikes out a lot, but he did hit 32 HR. His .247 BA seems low, but so does his .264 BABIP. He's not a .300 guy, but he's not a .240 guy either. He's not a particularly good first baseman, but if he can hit 30 HR, no one really cares all that much. He'd be worth it if you needed a first baseman (Giants?).

Jeremy Hermida
His SLG plummeted almost 100 point to .406, and his BABIP actually was a high .311. He walks a bit more than Jacobs, but he also strikes out more. He also doesn't hit as many HR. Miami is killer to lefty hitters, but he really isn't a great hitter. The plus is that he's only 24. There's still a little potential in there, but I think Jacobs is probably the better bet. If you need a corner outfielder and don't have to give up much, there are probably worse options.

Remember, all these guys are arbitration-eligible, so they aren't expensive. Jacobs and Gregg are probably the only ones I'd really think about trading for, but Hermida wouldn't be terrible option. Olsen is probably a bad idea, especially if you have a small park.