Offishial News: Remembering the regrettable Miguel Cabrera trade

[Ely Sussman]

Today's news roundup also includes the annual Marlins ZiPS projections, and they're not very encouraging.

On this day 17 years ago, the Marlins dealt Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers for a handful of highly regarded prospects. It was "one of the worst trades in baseball history," Alex Krutchik explained in the Jeffrey Loria section of the new Fish On First ownership guide. Cabrera was inarguably baseball's best hitter during the early 2010s and he'd remain in Detroit through the end of his career in 2023, surpassing 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

FOF SuperSub Sean Millerick suspects that it's only a matter of time before current Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara is traded as well in a financially motivated move. "They just can’t afford to get another blockbuster deal like this one wrong," he writes for the IBWAA Newsletter.

More Marlins news and content below:

🔷 Speaking of trade possibilities, Reice Stark came up with five hypothetical deals that the Marlins should try to make this offseason, acquiring either prospects or former top prospects whose initial hype has worn off.

🔷 We have introduced a Marlins payroll blueprint tool. How would you assemble the 2025 roster on a $90 million budget? Submit your ideas.

🔷 Marlins director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere spoke to MLB.com's Christina De Nicola about how significant it'd be for the team to win the 2025 MLB Draft lottery, which takes place on Tuesday during the Winter Meetings. The Marlins haven't held the No. 1 overall draft pick since 2000 when they took Adrián González.

🔷 Dan Szymborski of FanGraphs posted his ZiPS projections for the 2025 Marlins. Here's his summary: "Should the Marlins have better luck with the health of the pitching staff, they could get just enough from their offense to squeeze into the playoffs. For that to happen, though, they’d probably need other teams to underperform...As far as team goals go, it’s a rather depressing one, but until the Marlins get better at drafting and developing position players or decide to spend more in free agency, this is the organization’s best case scenario."

🔷 Leo Morgenstern of Just Baseball makes the case that the Marlins are the best fit for free agent center fielder Harrison Bader (and I agree with that).

🔷 Former Marlins CEO Derek Jeter was back in Miami on Tuesday to check out a collection of paintings celebrating iconic moments from his playing career. The collection remains open through Sunday.

🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, every team still alive in the bidding for top free agent Juan Soto has reportedly bid at least $600 million. Soto's signing decision is expected within the next week. The Red Sox signed Aroldis Chapman to a one-year, $10.75 million deal. The Royals struck a new deal with Diamond Sports Group for local television rights. That leaves seven MLB teams who are still being carried by FanDuel Sports Network affiliates (including the Marlins).

 

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[rurrusuno]

The painful reminder for every hardcore Marlins fan although the Christian Yelich trade is arguably now the worst trade in Marlins history because at least some of the returns in the Cabrera trade lasted longer with the team and went on to have better careers (Andrew Miller in particular).

I'm all for Harrison Bader if they invest in him wisely.

I don't think the Fish are planning to trade Sandy anytime soon, but you never know what the front office has in mind. I just don't see any team biting either for him since he's coming off surgery. 

[One Regend]

12 hours ago, rurrusuno said:

The painful reminder for every hardcore Marlins fan although the Christian Yelich trade is arguably now the worst trade in Marlins history because at least some of the returns in the Cabrera trade lasted longer with the team and went on to have better careers (Andrew Miller in particular).

I'm all for Harrison Bader if they invest in him wisely.

I don't think the Fish are planning to trade Sandy anytime soon, but you never know what the front office has in mind. I just don't see any team biting either for him since he's coming off surgery. 

That trade is absolutely terrible for a completely different reason. While we didn't give up a HOF talent like we did Miguel Cabrera, at least the players in that trade netted us a cumulatitve net positive fWAR. Not a single player from the Yelich trade returned a positive fWAR for us. Not one.

[THOMAS JOSEPH]

At least we are comforted that the horrendous Cabrera extension, one of the worst in baseball history, was avoided. The last seven years of that extension hamstrung the Tigers - most of an entire decade. They are now flourishing with young players and building a solid, long-term core for way less money. 

[THOMAS JOSEPH]

I love the roster tool. Well done!

[MarlinFaninGA]

At least he didn't go to the Yankees. I know we are just a farm team for them but I still hate sending all our good players to them!