Marlins trade Jake Burger to Rangers for prospect package

Burger figured to be among the first to go. The return of multiple MI was a little surprising, but neither figures to actually play for the big league club. You can never have too many southpaws.

Oh, good! I was finding myself really liking Jake and that's not a good practice! You shouldn't feel good about your players. But it's too bad the Yankees didn't pick him up. We let them down. Sorry, Yanks!

I am officially done with these guys. Sherman and Bendix can both take a hike. Trading one of your better hitters and painfully few power bats for three A and AA players, who will probably have to buy a ticket to get into their next major league ballgame, means we will be completely non-competitive this entire year. I wonder what Sandy is thinking. Probably "get me outta here". Wake me up when we actually have a major league team.

I have been watching baseball religiously for over 70 years.  If they can lose me, they can lose anybody.

Actually the team most needs guys who get on base and make decent contaact. The trade of Burger was a declaration in favor of Bride as the more valuable player of the two defensive misfits. Right now I'm building my lineup around Edwards, Lopez and Bride.

Side note: it really sucked that the Pirates were able to grab Joey Bart for nothing last season. He would have been the Marlins' top hitter ... and at the catcher position of all things.

Did you read what you just wrote.  You are building your lineup around Xavier Edwards (who I also really like), Otto Lopez and Jonah Bride.   Enough said.

1 hour ago, Hans Herrera said:

As of today, Norby, Sanchez, Bride and maybe De Los Santos might be the 2-5 in the lineup. I like DLS but has yet to debut, so not high expectations (yet).

Norby's work product was similar to Jake Burger's. I expect to see him flipped as well. Jesus Sanchez can only contribute if he's limited to hitting RHP. Bride is a riser. De Los Santos is a loooong way from being a major league hitter.

But my question is, will Vargas actually stick at SS? Our current solution to SS right now is Xavier Edwards, and that just can't fly. Defensively, he's a 2B at best, and that's a very generous claim -- He could be following the Luis Arraez path of being a 1B/DH. The next best option at SS would be Otto Lopez and Lopez leaves a lot to be desired offensively. We just don't have anyone -- either on the 40 man roster or in the lower levels -- that can take charge at SS and not be a liability one way or another.

Jake Burger needed to be traded though. We have a logjam at 1B, with Jonah Bride, DLS, and Agustin Ramirez all likely to be battling for that spot in the lineup. (Agustin Ramirez is not a catcher. You can't convince me otherwise.)
Whether it pans out for us, we have yet to see. We got a surprising value out of someone who doesn't get on base, doesn't play defense, strikes out a lot, and only gets value out of HRs.