Miami Marlins should consider trading for Indians starters

Miami is still deciding how to move forward with Marcell Ozuna. That much is clear. But if the organization feels Ozuna is not a part of its long term plan in center field, acquiring an Indians starter might be the best case scenario.

Cleveland was known to be seeking outfield help before the non-waiver trade deadline and expressed interest in Ozuna. And according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, Indians starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar are expected to be made available as the club seeks an additional bat.

In the days leading up to the deadline, the Marlins were reportedly scouting Cleveland's starting pitchers. As long as the Indians have interest in Ozuna, a deal could be realistic.

Although the Marlins do not have an immediate replacement in center field, moving Ozuna might result in the acquisition of a middle of the rotation arm. Miami is known to be seeking starting pitching this winter since Henderson Alvarez's future is unclear and a young core was plagued by injuries throughout 2015.

While he did spend a notable amount of time in Triple-A, Ozuna could still be viewed as a productive and controllable outfielder. Over 123 games with the Marlins this season, he batted .259/.308/.383 to complement ten home runs and 44 RBIs.

If Ozuna is moved, the expectation is the Marlins would seek starting pitching in return. Either Salazar or Carrasco would likely be valuable to the club's rotation moving forward.

Salazar pitched to a 3.45 ERA and 3.62 FIP over 185.0 innings this season. Over 183.2 innings, Carrasco pitched to a 3.63 ERA and 2.84 FIP.

Since the Marlins are adamant about adding starting pitching, they should at least consider one of the two Cleveland arms. Tom Koehler, Jarred Cosart and Jose Fernandez all have spots in Miami's 2016 rotation, but beyond that, the club only has minor league depth to count on.