The Miami Marlins‘ offseason overhaul continued on Friday, as the team reportedly struck a deal with the New York Yankees for super-utility man Martin Prado and right-handed pitcher David Phelps.
The Marlins officially announced the move on Twitter:
Marc Carig of Newsday had the particulars of the deal, which includes five players and three going to New York in exchange for Prado and Phelps:
In addition, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel reported the Yankees were kicking in some of the money owed to Prado:
Marlins President of baseball operations Michael Hill discussed the deal for Prado, according to the team’s official Twitter feed:
The Marlins, surprisingly, have been one of the most active teams in baseball this offseason. Prado and Phelps are the latest acquisitions, joining Mat Latos after he was traded from Cincinnati at the winter meetings.
The biggest move of all was re-signing Giancarlo Stanton to a record-setting $325 million contract, though there are skeptics about how legitimate the deal is on Miami’s part due to it being heavily backloaded.
Regardless of what happens down the road, it’s clear the Marlins view 2015 as an opportunity to compete for a playoff spot. As Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs.com jokingly tweeted, Miami’s payroll is suddenly spiking:
Prado isn’t a star-caliber player but did fare well in 37 games with the Yankees after being traded from Arizona. He hit .316/.336/.541 in 133 at-bats and has a career slash line of .291/.340/.429 in nine years, though some of that was likely helped by playing in offensive parks like Yankee Stadium and Chase Field.
Phelps is best served as a reliever, though he did start 17 games for the Yankees last season. He can open the year in Miami’s rotation if the team wants to move slowly with Jose Fernandez’s recovery from Tommy John surgery.
All of these moves give the Marlins versatility and at least make them more competitive than they have been in the last two years. Atlanta has taken steps back this offseason, while New York isn’t quite ready to compete offensively, so a playoff spot could be open in the National League for Miami to grab.
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