MLB Rumors: Miami Marlins Could Trade For Chris Sale At MLB Trade Deadline?

The Miami Marlins haven’t been considered serious contenders in the National League playoff picture for quite some time. It has been a long process to get back to the point where they could make a run in the postseason, but they are finally there. At this point in time heading into Sunday’s MLB action, the Marlins have a 56-48 record, which has them in tied for the second Wild Card spot.

If they want to take the leap forward and overtake the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers in the Wild Card standings, they will need to make a trade ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Ryan Civello of 12Up.com opined that the Marlins could make an aggressive play for Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale. It sounds like the White Sox are very open to dealing Sale, especially after his issues last week. According to a report from Tommy Stokke of FanRag Sports, Sale cut up throwback jerseys that the White Sox were going to wear because he thought they were uncomfortable.

Even with the drama, the Marlins should make a big run at Sale ahead of the deadline. He would make for a dominant duo with Jose Fernandez that could make Miami a team to be reckoned with come playoff time.

Throughout the 2016 MLB season thus far with the White Sox, according to ESPN statistics, Sale has compiled a 14-4 record to go along with a 3.17 ERA. Sale has a 4.16 K/BB ratio and has been Chicago’s ace over the last couple of years. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening at the deadline, but the Marlins aren’t going to be the only team interested in acquiring Sale.

At 27-years-old, Sale would be a huge long-term pickup for whoever he is traded to. He still has control left on his contract for the next few seasons.

Miami would immediately become a force to be reckoned with if they were able to snag Sale. They are already a tough team to defeat for the elite teams in the National League. There isn’t much of a chance that they would compete for a World Series appearance even with Sale, but that would certainly be a possibility in the next couple years if they built correctly.

Other teams that could make a play for Sale at the deadline include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, and Toronto Blue Jays. All three of those teams would immediately become serious contenders with a deal for Sale. They all have the pieces to put together an intriguing trade package for the White Sox to consider, as well.

Needless to say, Sale’s name is one to keep a close eye on over the next 24 hours. There is a strong possibility that he will not end up getting moved when everything’s said and done, but there is a lot of interest from teams looking to make a move for him.

Sale would likely welcome a trade out of Chicago after the issues that the two sides had last week. It is obvious that he doesn’t agree with everything that the franchise does. If he can get a situation where he can compete for a World Series over the next few seasons, he would likely be very happy with a change of scenery.

Expect to continue hearing Sale rumors as the MLB trade deadline continues to approach. There are only a few hours left for teams to make a move for him. Miami would make perfect sense and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them make an aggressive move for him in the near future.

Do you think the Miami Marlins should make a push to acquire Chris Sale from the Chicago White Sox? Would he make them a playoff team this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[Photo by AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh]