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The Miami Marlins went fishing for some infield depth ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline and hooked a big fish.
Miami acquired first baseman Josh Bell from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Jean Segura and infield prospect Kahlil Watson. The Guardians announced Segura will be released as part of the move.
The franchise is also sending first baseman Garrett Cooper and prospect Sean Reynolds to the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Ryan Weathers, according to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.
The Guardians, which are second in the AL Central with a 53-54 record, signaled they would be sellers at this year’s deadline when they traded pitcher Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays.
With the offloading of Cooper to San Diego, Bell will effectively replace the veteran at first base.
The 30-year-old, who is being traded for the second straight season, is in the midst of a solid 2023 campaign, slashing .233/.318/.383 with 11 home runs and 48 RBI in 97 games. He brings some much-needed power to the Miami lineup.
Cooper is also a solid addition for the Padres and it’s possible he’ll split time with Jake Cronenworth at first base. He’s hitting .256/.296/.426 with 13 home runs and 46 RBI in 82 games.
Landing Weathers is decent for Miami as they add depth to an already talented rotation that includes Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Johnny Cueto. However, they could also potentially add him to the bullpen.
Weathers is 1-6 this season with a 6.25 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 44.2 innings across 12 appearances (10 starts).
One of the biggest loses for the Marlins comes in the form of Watson, who is the franchise’s No. 11 ranked prospect, per MLB.com. The 20-year-old is hitting .210/.337/.390 with nine home runs and 24 RBI in the minor leagues.
Miami is in the midst of one of its best seasons in recent memory. The Marlins are third in the NL East with a 57-50 record and are currently occupying a wild card spot.