miami – The deconstruction of the Miami Marlins' theoretical super bullpen has begun.
The club traded righthanded reliever David Phelps to the Seattle Mariners for four prospects Thursday, the first of what could be several deals this month that ship high-leverage relievers from Miami to playoff contenders.
For the Marlins, moving Phelps, a significant roster piece, is the most straightforward acknowledgment yet that this season did not develop the way they had expected.
Closer AJ Ramos is a strong candidate to also be dealt before the July 31 trade deadline, with one source saying the Marlins have fielded calls from as many as a dozen interested teams. Righthanders Brad Ziegler (currently on the DL) and Kyle Barraclough have also had their names bandied about in trade rumors.
President of baseball operations Michael Hill said the market for Ramos is similar to the one for Phelps.
The quartet of minor leaguers coming back to Miami in the deal is headlined by 19-year-old speedy center fielder Brayan Hernandez. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 6 prospect in the Mariners' system.
Phelps, 30, had a 3.45 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 44 games for the Marlins this season.
Orlando Sun Sentinel
