The Miami Marlins are obvious sellers ahead of this year’s trade deadline, and the New York Yankees are a perfect match given their need for relievers. A specific need has been the left-handed relievers, as outside of Tim Hill, nobody from the left-handed side has been reliable and effective. Not only does Miami have one name who can get out from the left-handed side, but they also have two attractive strikeout options that could appeal to Brian Cashman. With the Marlins completely out of it entering July, they could try to fix their farm system in one fell swoop.
Andrew Nardi and Tanner Scott could help the Yankees get some big outs and big spots, and they could acquire both in a big move that patches up their bullpen for good.
Mock Blockbuster Brings Two Relievers to Enhance the Yankees’ Bullpen
One of the biggest names that could be available ahead of the trade deadline is Tanner Scott, who has done an excellent job of getting strikeouts and soft contact. His command was spotty to open the season but his fastball-slider combination especially appeals to me because of how well it plays against righties and lefties. High velocity and good movement are what Scott brings to the table, and his fastball sits 96.7 MPH with plenty of vertical ride that plays up in the zone.
What makes the fastball even better is a slider that not only generates sharp dropping action but also generates 7.4 inches of horizontal sweep, making it a devastating pitch that can bury right-handers inside or get lefties fishing. I think the walk issues we saw from Scott earlier in the season are a fluke, as evidenced by a more recent stretch of dominance on the mound.
In Tanner Scott’s last 29 appearances, he’s posted a 0.61 ERA and 20.9% K-BB%, generating a ton of soft contact and picking up plenty of whiffs as well. The Yankees need swings and misses in the bullpen and Scott ranks in the 91st Percentile in Whiff Rate, making him about as perfect of a target as it gets. Furthermore, his experience as a closer could give Clay Holmes some time off to work in the middle innings, as he has some issues with the sinker to work through.
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In this deal, the Yankees would also add Andrew Nardi, who has an ugly 4.86 ERA but has pitched much better than that number suggests. He generates a lot of strikeouts while not walking a lot of batters, and if you remove his first two outings of the season from his ERA, it drops from 4.86 to 3.41. He gave up 44% of his earned runs through his first four appearances, and everything suggests he’ll only get better moving forward.
Nardi throws a fastball with good vertical life and a sweeping slider, making him a very similar lefty to Tanner Scott, and he brings even more swing-and-miss to a bullpen that desperately needs it. He’s a high-leverage weapon who could slot into the middle innings for the Yankees, where they’ve struggled to get much of anything out of their bullpen. Left-handed help is a must, and this trade could completely fix their bullpen in one big trade.
The Yankees have a -0.4 fWAR and 4.16 ERA from their left-handed relievers, as Tim Hill has been the only regular contributor to provide any sort of value for them. Caleb Ferguson has been a dud and Victor Gonzalez was already designated for assignment last month. They need help on that front, and these two arms can give the Yankees exactly what they need, without coming at a ridiculously high price.
- Benjamin Cowles
- T.T Rumfield
- Roc Riggio
Benjamin Cowles is Rule 5 eligible and has torn up Double-A, posting a 141 wRC+ with eight home runs and 22 doubles, showing off an excellent profile offensively and defensively in the infield. The Miami Marlins could use an infield option who is nearly MLB-ready, and he could be a nice weapon for them if the bat translates to the higher levels of professional baseball. He’s showing improved contact abilities while still hitting for power.
As for T.J. Rumfield, the left-handed hitting first baseman is an excellent glove at first base and could provide some immediate value for Miami. After hitting just three home runs in his first 36 games with Scranton, Rumfield has gone on a tear in June and July, hitting .292 with six home runs in 25 games and a .904 OPS. The strikeouts have gone down over that stretch as well, and there’s plenty to be excited about with his profile.
Roc Riggio’s .226 average is deceiving, he’s done an excellent job of getting on-base (.375) with some improving game power as well. He’s struggled to slug for most of the season but has turned it on in June and July as the weather has gotten warmer, and Riggio has the electricity and plate discipline to become a solid infielder at the upper levels of the Minor Leagues if he keeps up this developmental path.
Would Miami pull off this deal? That remains to be seen, but the Yankees could provide a variety of infield bats to help the Marlins’ rebuild, and they have two excellent left-handed arms who fit everything the Bronx Bombers need right now.