Marlins’ potential fire sale and its impact on the Mets

Latest rumor tags Philadelphia in potential discussions with Marlins on outfielder, Christian Yelich

In the scope of trade rumors, this one is significant to the New York Mets. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies had internal discussions about acquiring Marlins slugger, Giancarlo Stanton and fellow Miami outfielder, Christian Yelich.

Rosenthal went on to say that the Phillies acquiring Stanton would be highly unlikely according to sources with both clubs. Yelich could be a different story. The 25-year old has a more affordable contract which runs through 2021 with a club option for 2022. Yelich signed a seven-year deal worth $49.75 million in 2015.

The Marlins sound like they’re closer to another fire sale. The payroll is set to increase, the attendance is near the bottom (28^th in the league), and the new stadium has been paid for nearly entirely by taxpayers. A new ownership group isn’t in place yet, but Jorge Mas has emerged as a clear favorite after a report surfaced last weekend that a deal has been reached. That report was later denied by the team, but Mas and Jeffrey Loria are reportedly “getting close” on an agreement. Once a new owner is confirmed, the sale will go forward should it transpire.

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Let’s get back to a hypothetical Yelich deal. It shows the Phillies are willing to get out there and spend after tearing down an aging team that brought a World Series in 2008. Obviously, Philadelphia is searching for ways to accelerate the rebuild process and they have a fair share of prospects.

More to the point for Mets fans, it’s another team within the division taking initiative. Washington is the flag bearer. Atlanta has several close to Major League ready prospects. Philadelphia getting back into the mix is going to put the microscope back on the Mets. New York is set to potentially sell off some of their expiring contracts, but it’s clearing the decks for a creative re-tooling of the roster.

Another question to be asked: could the Mets get in on the fire sale, should it take place? If that is the case, then J.T. Realmuto could be a very likely target. Realmuto isn’t eligible to become a free agent until after 2020.

Miami has one of the better lineups from top to bottom in all of baseball. If this domino falls though, it could lead to a spiral of deals that many teams will want to join in on. There are several players aside from Yelich with control who are attractive pieces to many other teams.

Next: Mets at the deadline: Buyers, sellers, or both?

Regardless, a Marlins’ potential sale will impact the Mets in some form. The next question is how that will happen.