This previous offseason, the Marlins prioritized contact in free company and trades, buying Yuli Gurriel, Jean Segura, and Luis Arraez to fill out an infield that already had Joey Wendle. I believe we will all agree that outcomes on these strikes has been blended. Nonetheless, the Marlins presently sit at 57–50 and are eyebrows-deep within the playoff race. The bubble season however, Miami hasn’t made the playoffs since 2023; bucking that pattern would imply the world for the Marlins.

In pursuit of that purpose, Miami shifted its focus and bought Jake Burger from the White Sox. Image Segura or Gurriel of their prime, or Arraez now. Burger is the alternative of that: a hitter with unbelievable energy who strikes out extra in every week than Arraez does in a month. In alternate, Miami despatched left-handed pitching prospect Jake Eder to Chicago. This alternate of Jakes will most likely go below the radar given the large names who had been moved, or not less than mentioned, this deadline, however it’s an enchanting commerce all the identical.

Again in April, when Burger was on a house run rampage, I wrote about his scorching streak based mostly on a dialog we’d had in spring coaching. A former first-round decide, he had misplaced primarily three years of his profession to accidents and their aftereffects. However after revamping his coaching strategies, he hoped to remake his recreation and stake a declare to a full-time job within the majors in 2023. The latter, definitely; the previous, nicely, form of.

The factor to love about Burger, other than his successful persona, is the truth that he can do that:

The Jake Burger dwelling run tour continues. pic.twitter.com/PFEnSyos8N

— MLB (@MLB) April 19, 2023

I linked this video within the above story, however it bears watching once more as a result of it’s solely certainly one of 4 batted balls with an exit velocity of 118 mph or greater this season. Shohei Ohtani hasn’t hit a ball that arduous this 12 months. Neither has Kyle Schwarber or Aaron Decide or whoever else. Solely 11 hitters have hit a ball that arduous in a regular-season recreation within the 2020s.

Aside from accidents (and enjoying for a White Sox crew that has the vibes of a nearly-insolvent insurance coverage agency), two issues have saved Burger from translating that energy into superstardom. The primary is what occurs when he doesn’t make contact. He doesn’t stroll very a lot; this was one of many greatest knocks on him as a prospect, and one of many areas he recognized to me as a spot to enhance. And he has, rising his stroll price from final 12 months… from 5.5% to six.8%. Burger is a pair plate appearances in need of qualifying for the speed stat leaderboards, however amongst 177 hitters with 300 or extra PA this 12 months, he’s 133rd in stroll price. He additionally has the sixth-highest strikeout price. So that is extra Teoscar Hernández than Max Muncy.

The opposite knock on Burger is his protection. He’s performed greater than half of his video games at third base this 12 months, however he hasn’t been good defensively. Amongst gamers with not less than 400 innings on the scorching nook this season, he isn’t actually on the backside of the defensive numbers, however he’s within the backside quartile. (Consider it or not, he comes with 71st-percentile dash pace, for what that’s value.) I believe that Burger’s athletic limitations get embellished as a result of he’s a husky fellow who’s named after a quick meals merchandise, however even I’ll concede that his long-term defensive house is both at first base or DH.

The Marlins aren’t going to be choosy about protection and strikeouts at third base. The incumbent at that place, Segura, was a wonderful contact hitter by the tip of 2022, at which level he acquired his expertise zapped away by the Monstars. He has been greater than a win under alternative degree this season and was traded to Cleveland shortly after the Marlins acquired Burger. (Extra on that on this website shortly.)

In an amusing coincidence, Segura and Burger have posted virtually the very same stroll price, batting common, and OBP thus far this season. The distinction is about 250 factors of ISO, at the price of double the strikeout price:

Bizarre!

Usually, I’m not a giant stylistic nitpicker in terms of offense in baseball. They don’t ask how, they ask what number of, because the saying goes. However the Marlins, it bears repeating, might use some thump. Burger has 25 dwelling runs in 323 PA; Miami as a crew has 96 dwelling runs in 3,998 PA. The Marlins are twenty ninth in your entire league in dingers and twenty eighth in ISO. Solely two groups presently in playoff positions have a worse wOBA: the Giants, who play in a pitchers’ park, and the Brewers, who most likely wouldn’t be in a playoff spot in the event that they performed in an actual division.

The opposite factor to suggest Burger over a rental like Jeimer Candelario, who went to the Cubs on Monday: He’s below crew management by 2028. That’s of use to a crew that doesn’t spend. There’s a non-trivial chance that Burger, an influence hitter with little to no defensive worth and vital contact points who’s already in his late 20s, is not a helpful huge leaguer by then, however the Marlins are taking a danger.

That’s notably so contemplating that it’s Eder going the opposite means. It is a huge title: Eder is a former Vanderbilt man with a plus-plus slider who regarded like a future mid-rotation starter earlier than he underwent Tommy John surgical procedure. When our Marlins record got here out on the finish of Might, he was the group’s no. 2 prospect behind solely Eury Pérez and sat in the course of the highest 100 total.

Per week after the record got here out, Eder made his first begin at Double-A with the brand new elbow ligament and has not regarded like the identical participant, in line with Eric Longenhagen. After TJ, plus a damaged foot that delayed his 2023 debut, his fastball has been down a tick, and his arm slot has modified, inflicting his stuff to again up throughout the board. A 50 FV prospect a couple of months in the past, Eder is now a forty five and is available in at no. 6 within the White Sox system.

This commerce is unquestionably concerning the Marlins getting higher now and the White Sox clearing the decks so as to add prospects, however it’s nearer to a problem commerce than your regular huge leaguer-for-prospects commerce. Within the medium time period, Burger might be a starter even when he doesn’t stroll extra or strike out much less, although his offensive profile and lack of defensive contribution makes that stability extra precarious than it might be for many gamers of equal high quality. And the Marlins should cope with the implications not only for three months, however for 5 extra years. Eder may simply be a reliever now, or he might return to his pre-surgery mechanics and velocity.

We received’t know who wins this commerce for years, which is uncommon in a win-now transfer. Normally, even when it takes half a decade for a crew to remorse buying and selling a low-minors Yordan Alvarez or Fernando Tatis Jr., we all know fairly rapidly if the established participant helped the crew win within the quick time period. This commerce requires an extended view.