A star the Miami Marlins should target in a potential trade with Pittsburgh

There’s potentially something brewing between the Miami Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates. I’m hoping that Peter Bendix is going to get the best possible return, if a trade actually goes down. Pittsburgh has 5 top prospects, but it would be better to focus on Major League help in any trade return. There is one player that Pittsburgh might not want to trade, but that The Fish should absolutely focus on.

It’s clear that the Miami Marlins need a SS, yet none have been acquired so far for this upcoming season. With the rumored talks with Pittsburgh, Oneil Cruz stands out pretty easily as a trade target. The young SS had an intriguing 2022 season. That season saw him bat .233/.294/.450, with 17 home runs and 54 RBI in 87 games and 331 AB. He was injured last season, but did manage to bat .250/.375/.375, with a home run and 4 RBI in 9 games and 32 AB prior to injury.

It’s pretty obvious that Cruz has serious contact issues. Plate discipline is a big area of improvement for him. On the flip side, his career EV is a strong 91.9. He has power and given enough AB’s, could be a 30 homer threat on an annual basis. He also clearly fills a position of need for The Fish. The 25 year old won’t hit free agency until after the 2028 season.

It’s also pretty obvious that he’s very valuable to the Bucs. Would they value a cost-controlled starting pitcher over him? Or would they see Cruz as just too valuable to trade? Ideally, The Fish would trade starting pitcher Edward Cabrera for him. Cabrera has a 1.8 career WAR and Oneil Cruz has a 0.2 career WAR. Cabrera is a free agent after the 2028 season. I see a match here as Cabrera has the ceiling of an ace, though his control is an issue. Oneil can be an elite SS, but can also have serious issues with his contact.

Would Pittsburgh do Edward Cabrera + for Oneil Cruz? I can at least see the framework making sense.