Two big advantages could separate Miami Marlins from the pack at the trade deadline

How aggressive the Miami Marlins choose to be at this year's MLB trade deadline remains anyone's guess. 

Of course, given the team's change of fortunes since the All-Star Break, it remains a bit of an open question as to whether Miami will act as buyer or seller come deadline time. While it would have been unthinkable for the club to do something as wishy-washy as "standing pat" as recently as last week, that could well be where the smart money should be placed right about now. 

However, for the sake of argument, let's assume that Miami does still plan to buy. After all, it's that or clicking refresh on your browser waiting for the next LeBron-related Heat social media post— and just look where that got you this week. So that leaves the Marlins as buying for the first time under Peter Bendix...and doing so at a time when each league has almost as many teams fighting for a Wild Card spot as the Marlins have dropped during what has to be the most poorly timed losing streak in franchise history.

Unfortunately, that makes it doubly bleak, and requires Miami recognizing that bypassing what might be a smart sell moment in a vacuum is by far the savvier business decision for the organization. 

Fortunately though, there are two factors that Miami has working in their favor should the team still choose to buy that could help make them the clear deadline winner when the dust settles on August 3rd. 

For one, they are flush with cap space. Unlike many contenders, they have precisely zero concern about needing to negotiate staying below the CBT threshold. As the club spending the least in the league on payroll entering a round of CBA negotiations where it would behoove them to be in the good graces of MLB and the MLBPA, the simple fact of the matter is that any money Miami spends could be viewed as an investment in their future. Look at it as their money being greener. Look at it as a case of spending money to make money. Look at it as one of those cases where every dollar spent yields far more in future returns. Pick a cliche. Miami buying buys them twice as much in credibility as however much WAR return any moves generate. 

For another though, and this is where Miami Marlins fans should really take heart, there's a case to be made for them actually having the easiest path to improving of any contender.  

Does this team need plenty of help? Absolutely. Would this article have been far more convincing if I had written it two sweeps ago during the Cleveland series? You betcha— blame the vacation I'm really starting to wish I was still on. 

However, it remains kinda true. The Marlins continue to boast some of the worst production at third base in the majors. Closer Pete Fairbanks sports a -1.4 WAR and a ghastly 7.42 ERA, yet most fans would still rather see him take the ball late than -0.6 WAR Calvin Faucher. They're pretty much back to only having two starting pitchers again. 

In other words, despite having multiple needs, it wouldn't take a lot to significantly move the needle for the Marlins in multiple areas.

Of course it would be nice to land Matt Chapman, Mason Miller, and/or TariK Skubal. Granted, that would require the complete decimation of the farm system and inches of snow falling in Miami tomorrow, but there's no denying that it would be nice. Yet there's also no denying that switching from the roughly 30th ranked to even the 25th ranked third baseman, a late-inning reliever with a positive WAR, and a starting pitcher who could consistently last five innings would mean more to the Marlins than any other team shopping for postseason help.

More importantly, those kind of upgrades are well within the budget of a team looking to reasonably and smartly enhance the roster. Even more within their budget would be taking steps to simply improve their platoon options, perhaps pushing Leo Jimenez and/or Brian Navarreto off the roster for more reliable bats. I mentioned as much in last week's Fish on First round table, but it feels worth repeating now that trade deadline expectations might need to be tempered. It would be the least they could do, but it's hard to imagine even that minor of a move not being worth a couple wins. 

Bottom-line? The Marlins have it in their power to massively upgrade their team over the next couple weeks, without breaking the prospect bank. 

All they need to do is get out of their own way...and maybe start winning a game or two again.