Another Marlins Rebuild Does A Great Disservice To Christian Yelich's Prime Seasons

The Miami Marlins’ offseason rebuilding project has been frequently criticized over several missteps by the new ownership group and the trades of Dee Gordon, Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton. It seems as if any ball player invited to spring training by the Marlins will need a name tag once they arrive at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, next month.

Outfielder Christian Yelich could be next in line in becoming a former Marlins ball player — perhaps by the time pitchers and catchers report to camp. Besides being an attractive asset to several ball clubs, there is something extra special about Yelich, and he deserves to play for a franchise committed to winning now and in the foreseeable future.

In a recent interview with ESPN senior writer Jerry Crasnick, Yelich’s agent, Joe Longo, used a phrase that eloquently summarizes the plight of several current and former Marlins ball players: The relationship between Yelich and the Marlins is “irretrievably broken,” according to Longo. Anytime words of this nature are used to describe a relationship between two parties, it means a parting of the ways is not only appropriate, but necessary.

The word “rebuilding” can strike fear in the heart of any ball player, especially someone who covets winning. Ozuna and Stanton have successfully escaped the perils of a long and tedious rebuilding process and have landed with franchises (St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees) that place a premium on winning with regularity. Now, it’s Yelich’s turn to depart, and the timing is perfect.

Yelich is a gifted ball player and someone you would consider to be one of the pillars of a rebuilding franchise. Some might even consider him to be a cornerstone ball player. However, the current rebuilding project of the Marlins is complicated based on history, timing and the dismantling of their core of young talent.

Yelich, a 2010 first-round draft pick by the Marlins (23^rd overall), has already accumulated four years of major league service (643 games) and is approaching his age 26 season in 2018. He also has a franchise-friendly contract that he signed in March 2015 for seven years, $49.57 million. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Marlins hold a 2022 club option for $15 million with a $1.25 million buyout. Excluding the club option and buyout, the Marlins currently owe Yelich $43.25 million over the next four seasons (2018-2021) as some would consider him entering the prime years of his career.

Under the current market conditions, Yelich is the perfect commodity. In truth, some might consider him to be a better option than current free-agent outfielders Lorenzo Cain and J.D. Martinez. Even though a franchise would have to part with coveted prospects to meet the Marlins’ demands via a trade, Yelich’s current productivity far exceeds the future potential of minor league ball players. Cain and Martinez are highly skilled outfielders, but both are on the wrong side of 30 years old and are commanding more than double what Yelich’s contract is presently worth.

Sources: Baseball-Reference.com’s Plax Index and Fangraphs.com

*Denotes Fangraphs.com’s version of WAR

It has been rumored that at least seven ball clubs have inquired about Yelich’s availability. Recently, the Atlanta Braves have been associated with trade conversations involving Yelich. However, it appears as if there is hesitation on the Braves’ part to include outfield prospect Ronald Acuna in a deal. The Marlins obviously know what they have in Yelich, and their asking price will be understandably high. Quantity and quality will be hallmarks of any trade proposal involving Yelich.

The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the ball clubs interested in Yelich. Without question, the ball club is fully committed to the “win now” approach, but with a window of opportunity that could be quickly closing because of the aggressive moves made by the Yankees this offseason as well as multiple expiring contracts over the next three seasons. Any trade discussions with the Marlins would probably include top infield prospects Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette. The probability of the Blue Jays' parting with either one of these prospects is quite low.

One ball club that might be an interesting destination for Yelich would be the Cleveland Indians, who have a winning culture and are a highly competitive ball club led by Terry Francona, one of the best managers in the game. The Indians’ top two prospects, catcher Francisco Mejia and pitcher Triston McKenzie, could meet the needs of the Marlins in terms of high-quality prospects. Over the past three seasons, the Indians’ outfield offense ranked 17^th in Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) at 100. Ironically, the best in baseball during this period was the Miami Marlins at 117, according to Fangraphs.com.

Yelich is a hidden gem approaching the prime years of his career. Wasting the remaining four years of his contract in a dreadful rebuilding process does him a disservice on so many levels. Ball clubs should take full advantage of the Marlins’ fragile state and trade highly regarded yet unproven prospects for immediate productivity at a franchise-friendly price.