Mariners can now look to Marlins for potential trade fits

A new potential trade partner has come into the picture for the Seattle Mariners.

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And it’s one many Mariners fans likely wouldn’t have expected after the way they handled Seattle earlier this month.

The Miami Marlins, who went on a 12-game slide immediately after sweeping the M’s in Miami before the All-Star break, have fallen to two games back in a very crowded National League wild card picture. It’s led to the team being willing to listen to trade offers on some of its controllable young bats, according to a recent report from The Athletic.

Yahoo Sports’ Jordan Shusterman mentioned the Marlins as an interesting team to watch at the trade deadline during a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Wednesday.

“All-Star Otto Lopez, I mean, he is a heck of a player,” Shusterman said. “I would be shocked if they can find the price to move him there, but Heriberto Hernández is a younger, right-handed hitter and teams are really desperate for right-handed hitting, especially in the outfield.”

Let’s take a look at some of the Marlins’ trade candidates the M’s could inquire about.

The bats

The report in The Athletic named Lopez, Hernández, middle infielder Xavier Edwards and catcher/designated hitter Liam Hicks as the young hitters Miami is willing to listen to offers on.

Lopez, a right-handed hitting shortstop, would be the biggest get. He entered Wednesday leading MLB with a .329 batting average and 27 doubles to go with an .854 OPS, nine homers, seven triples and 22 stolen bases. His 4.4 fWAR trailed only Kansas City star Bobby Witt Jr. among MLB shortstops and his 131 wRC+ and seven defensive runs saved were both third. Lopez doesn’t walk much (5.1% walk rate), but he also doesn’t strike out often (13.8%).

The 27-year-old Lopez has also played some second base throughout his career and has some very limited experience at third base (37 innings) and the outfield (10 2/3 innings) in the majors. He’s under club control through the 2029 season.

Edwards, a switch-hitter and former first-round pick, has hit for average since debuting in 2023 and has added slightly more pop to his game this year. In 108 games entering Wednesday, he was batting .291 with a .775 OPS, a career-high six homers, six triples, 14 doubles and 17 stolen bases. He ranks 86th percentile or better in chase rate (23.9%), whiff rate (16.4%) and strikeout rate (13.6%) while also walking at a well above league-average clip (11.9%).

Edwards, 26, played four games in center field during his rookie year in 2023, but has been exclusively at second base or shortstop since. He is also under club control through 2029.

The Athletic’s report said both Lopez and Edwards would require “a significant return.” Considering both are middle infielders, they don’t seem likely to end up in a Mariners uniform.

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Hernández, a 26-year-old left fielder, may be the more realistic target. He entered Wednesday batting .241 with a .787 OPS, 15 homers and 12 doubles in 78 games this season. Hernández had done much of that damage against left-handed pitching with a .258 average, .921 OPS and eight homers. His 142 wRC+ against lefties this season is 14th among MLB outfielders.

Hernández has been an average defender but has plus speed and arm strength. He isn’t slated to reach arbitration until 2029 and is under club control through 2031.

Hicks is also having a nice season, but doesn’t align with Seattle’s needs as a left-handed-hitting catcher.

The arms

In addition to a few young bats, the Marlins have a trio of bullpen arms The Athletic reported they’re receiving interest in: right-handers Pete Fairbanks, Anthony Bender and Michael Petersen.

Fairbanks, 32, spent the past three seasons as the closer for Tampa Bay before signing a one-year, $13.1 million deal with the Marlins in the offseason. It’s been a struggle for Fairbanks in Miami, though, as he has a 6.96 ERA over 32 1/3 innings.

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Bender, a 31 year old under club control through 2027, might be the most intriguing arm out of the group, but he’s been on the injured list since June 30 with a stress reaction in his right shin. Bender has a 2.62 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 34 1/3 innings this season and has been one of baseball’s top relievers since the start of 2025. Over the past two seasons, his 2.35 ERA is 12th-best among relievers with at least 80 innings pitched. Batters are hitting just .117 off his devastating sweeper during that stretch.

Petersen, 32, is enjoying a breakout year with a career-best 2.84 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 44 1/3 innings, which includes a 29% strikeout rate that ranks 13th among relievers who have thrown at least 40 innings. However, he has struggled a bit with walks (10.2% walk rate). Petersen has yet to reach arbitration.

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