Giancarlo Stanton’s season is all but done after the Miami Marlins’ star outfielder suffered a grade 3 groin strain near the end of Saturday’s contest. Although he’s had a down year by his standards, Stanton’s 25 homers still easily pace the Marlins, and, with the club in the midst of a push for their first playoff appearance in 13 years, those are some mighty big shoes to fill.
Future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki will take over in right field for now, but at 42, he’s more of a part-time player, so the Fish need to get another powerful outfield bat before the Aug. 31 waiver deadline. It almost certainly won’t be Alex Rodriguez, who had been linked with his hometown club before his reps stated Monday that he won’t be joining another team this season, but some interesting names could be available to help Miami in the outfield down the stretch.
Here are three players the Marlins should consider to help replace Stanton:
Carlos Gomez
The Marlins have already been linked with the temperamental outfielder, who was DFA’d by the Houston Astros last week. Gomez has regressed since joining Houston at last year’s trade deadline, and was in the midst of a career-worst year (.210/.272/.322, five homers, awful defense) before being cut. Still, this is a 30-year-old two-time All-Star with 20-plus-homer power we’re talking about. Isn’t that exactly what the Marlins need? There’s little risk here for the team, as Gomez was set to reach free agency anyway. Given his past production, he’s worth a flyer. If he can return to his old self, he’ll make the Marlins look like geniuses.
Yasiel Puig
A caveat here: Puig must get through revocable waivers before the Dodgers can trade him, and it’s highly likely a team ahead of the Marlins in the waiver order will put in a claim. That said, if he does get through, they have to pounce. Puig’s obviously worn out his welcome in Los Angeles, and a change of scenery is needed. Miami’s Cuban-heavy population could make South Beach the perfect spot for the talented yet controversial outfielder to revitalize his career. He also represents a longer-term acquisition, as the 25-year-old could team with Stanton, Christian Yelich, and Marcell Ozuna in 2017 (assuming one of them isn’t dealt) to form a fearsome outfield unit going forward.
Melky Cabrera
All kinds of names sneak through waivers in August, and Cabrera could very well get there thanks to his contract. He’s making $14 million this year and $15 million in 2017, figures the sliding White Sox would probably love to get out from under. Cabrera’s a solid, middle-of-the-road option: he doesn’t do any one thing spectacularly, but he doesn’t do any one thing terribly, either. In other words, aside from the contract, Cabrera represents a perfect stopgap option for a team with eyes toward October. He might not match Stanton’s power, but he’d do a fine job atop the lineup getting on base and replacing that missing production.
