When the Marlins were sold to Jeffrey Loria and Derek Jeter in 2017, their mind-boggling plan was to rebuild the team from the ground-up. Since 2018, the Marlins have a 40.1%-win percentage (213-318) and watched the players they traded away become superstars.
Baseball is a sport where the best team, not the best player, tends to win. Though in this scenario, the Marlins new management destroyed a core that would easily be the best in baseball right now. The 2021 MLB Top 100 Players Right Now lists the best players in baseball based on player performance over the past several seasons with an emphasis on 2020 and projected 2021 performance. Of the top 100, four of those players were on the Marlins roster in 2017.
The Marlins took home a lot of individual hardware from 2015 to 2017 and had a bright future, consisting of one of the best outfields of all time. The rebuild was extremely disappointing to see after Stanton, Ozuna and Yelich were showing their potential.
Stanton brought home an NL MVP in 2017, as well four All-Star appearances and two Silver Sluggers. Yelich won a Gold Glove in 2014 and a Silver Slugger in 2016. Ozuna was an All-Star in both 2016 and 2017, while winning the Golden Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 2017 as well.
No. 9: Christian Yelich, outfielder.
The Marlins traded Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers on Jan. 25, 2018, for four prospects, including Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison, Isan Diaz and Jordan Yamamoto.
Since departing the Marlins, Yelich won the 2018 NL MVP award. He also won the Silver Slugger in 2018 and 2019, as well as being named an All-Star in those same seasons. Yelich is widely regarded as one of the best players in all of baseball. The Marlins gave him away for prospects that are still trying to make their way in the MLB.
No. 33: J.T. Realmuto, catcher.
The Marlins traded Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies on Feb. 7, 2019, for Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart.
Since departing the Marlins, Realmuto has been named an All-Star twice, as well as winning a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in 2019. Realmuto is listed as the best catcher in baseball according to the MLB 100. The players that the Marlins received, with the exception of Sanchez, have largely been underwhelming.
No. 37: Marcell Ozuna, outfielder.
The Marlins traded Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals on Dec. 13, 2017, for Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, Magneuris Sierra and Daniel Castano.
Since departing the Marlins, Ozuna won the Silver Slugger in 2020 and was sixth in NL MVP voting. Gallen is no longer with the Marlins, Sierra is a rotational player, Castano has appeared in a few games and Alcantara is one of Miami’s best pitchers on their roster. A top 40 player for a pitcher was a disappointing trade. Since his departure, Ozuna has hit 77 home runs and knocked in 259 runs.
No. 97: Giancarlo Stanton, outfielder.
The Marlins traded Stanton to the New York Yankees on Dec. 9, 2017, for Starlin Castro, Jose Devers and Jorge Guzman.
Since departing the Marlins, Stanton has had his fair share of injuries, though he has hit 75 homeruns as a member of the Yankees. When Stanton was a member of the Marlins, he was one of the best players in baseball. The prospects acquired in the deal have been a bit of a letdown. Devers has appeared in just 21 games for the Marlins, though he is only 21 years old, Guzman has played three games for the Marlins and the team allowed Castro to walk in free agency in 2019.
