The asking price for Marlins ace Jose Fernandez is insane
When you’re willing to deal one of the best assets in baseball, you should expect a lot in return. Because of that, it’s no surprise the Miami Marlins are said to want a small fortune for 23-year-old pitcher Jose Fernandez.
On the surface, that seems logical. Fernandez is young, under team control at a cheap price through 2018 and already looks like a generational talent. Over his first 289 career innings, Fernandez has posted a 2.40 ERA while striking out 336 batters. He’s already a superstar.
That said, there’s a fine line between asking a ton for an elite player and turning into that really annoying guy in everyone’s fantasy league. Some of the alleged trade proposals for Fernandez have leaked, and it appears the Marlins want more than a … well, what’s higher than a king’s ransom? They want that.
To recap, that’s the package the Arizona Diamondbacks sent to the Atlanta Braves for Shelby Miller, plus pitcher Patrick Corbin and infielder Brandon Drury. Dansby Swanson was last year’s first-overall pick, Aaron Blair is one of the team’s top prospects and Ender Inciarte hit .303 as a 24-year-old in the majors last season.
[Elsewhere: The Cubs landed Ben Zobrist on a four-year deal]
The Marlins wanted that and 26-year-old ace Patrick Corbin, who came back from Tommy John surgery, but looked like a top of the rotation starter back in 2013. They also wanted the 23-year-old Drury, who hit over .300 in the minors prior to struggling in the majors last year. That’s quite a bit.
But wait, there’s more. The Marlins also talked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and wanted a similar package.
Julio Urias and Corey Seager are considered the team’s two best prospects, while Joc Pederson was among the best prospects in the game coming into last season. It would take those three plus two other players for Fernandez.
Right now, it’s unclear whether any team actually has the goods needed to acquire Fernandez. It’s definitely starting to feel like this:
Yep, that seems about right. An entire Double-A club would have to be dealt in order for the Marlins to part with Fernandez. Not one of those bad Double-A teams, though, one of them loaded with prospects. Twenty-five players doesn’t seem like enough at this point, it has to be 24 future all-stars and one generational talent. Even then, we can’t be sure the Marlins would accept.
[Elsewhere: The Yankees acquired infielder Starlin Castro from the Cubs]
It’s one thing for the Marlins to ask for a giant haul for one of the best players in the game. It’s another thing entirely to try and make your fantasy league deals a reality.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
