Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Marlins are going to have a lot of priorities going into the offseason. The first plan for the franchise will be to try to give outfielder Giancarlo Stanton a huge contract extension. The next will be trying to sign Cuban first baseman Jose Abreu, who will me making his way to the United States early next year. What the Marlins are not going to do is trade its young pitchers.
Jose Fernandez, Henderson Alvarez, Jacob Turner and Nathan Eovaldi are all off limits to possible trade partners. There are a lot of questions surrounding the Marlins as to why the they are not going to trade average players like Alvarez, Turner and Eovaldi.
There is no doubt that Fernandez is the start of something good. Combine him and lefty Andrew Heaney, who is at Double-A Jacksonville, and the future 1-2 punch could be deadly. It makes sense that Miami would not try to trade either at this point.
However, Alvarez, Turner and Eovaldi are no Fernandez or Heaney. Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays, Alvarez has not played a lot this season because of injury. He has made eight starts and went 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA with 27 strikeouts. He is an average pitcher that would work as a middle of the rotation guy in the future.
Turner was acquired with catcher Rob Brantly from the Detroit Tigers last season for Anibal Sanchez. Formerly a top prospect, Turner has not pitched like a top pitching prospect but has slowly come back. His 3-4 record and 2.89 ERA in 14 starts is something to marvel at but if his inconsistency continues, it may not be likely he stays ‘untouchable.’
As far as Eovaldi, I was never a big fan of him when he made all of those starts last season after being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he’s gotten better and has allowed a lot fewer runs than last season through 10 starts. He has dealt with injuries this season as well.
Injuries have plagued these pitchers this season, but to label them as untouchables would be a farce. No one on the Marlins is ever really untouchable. Time will tell to see if these pitchers’ potential comes to fruition.
Ryan Gaydos is a MLB columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
