Trade Bait

The Florida Marlins entered the All-Star break at 42-46 — and the ownership still wants you to believe this team is a playoff contender. But the reality is, the Marlins will start to trade players in the coming weeks. It’s predictable and sad. But mostly, it’s sad. As it is...

By Chris Joseph

July 22, 2010

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The Florida Marlins entered the All-Star break at 42-46 — and the ownership still wants you to believe this team is a playoff contender. But the reality is, the Marlins will start to trade players in the coming weeks. It’s predictable and sad. But mostly, it’s sad. As it is every year around this time, the first name to float around as trade fodder is that of Dan Uggla. Uggla never saw a pitch he didn’t think was in the strike zone, which is why most teams have been iffy about pulling the trigger to get him. But when Uggla connects, he brings the hurt on the baseball, making him a perfect fit on a contending team. The only question is, who will baseball operations president Larry Beinfest get for Uggla. The answer: Prospects — which, when translated into English, means more dudes none of us has ever heard of. But Beinfest has been known to have something of a magic touch in finding hidden gems. So there’s always a chance we’ll land a future star for Uggla or whomever the Fish find it necessary to trade away. And just as that prospect is making noise and we all finally learn his name, he’ll be traded for more prospects. And so the perpetual wheel of crap spins. The Marlins host the Atlanta Braves this Friday at Sun Life Stadium (2269 Dan Marino Blvd., Miami). First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. Tickets start at $9. Visit florida.marlins.mlb.com.
Fri., July 23, 7:10 p.m., 2010

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