Miami Marlins should pursue Stephen Strasburg if he becomes available

Miami is seeking another top of the rotation starter to complement Jose Fernandez and Stephen Strasburg would be a perfect fit. According to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, the Nationals are considering making Strasburg available this winter. If they do, the Marlins should be interested.

The Marlins most likely will not be involved in bidding wars for top free agent starters such as David Price. Even Zack Greinke might not be realistic, and if the Marlins do want to consider free agents, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro recently pointed out Yovani Gallardo could be an option to watch.

But if Miami wants to add a top notch starter without having to invest significantly for an extended period of time, adding Strasburg would be ideal. At 27, he has been plagued by injuries. He only made 23 starts last season as a result of an oblique injury but went 11-7 with a 3.46 ERA over that span. He has pitched to a career 3.09 ERA and has won 54 games.

Fernandez will open the season as Miami's ace, and the future of Henderson Alvarez is unclear. Jarred Cosart spent most of the 2015 campaign on the disabled list. Tom Koehler was effective and Adam Conley and Justin Nicolino took advantage of the opportunities they were given. But the Marlins are seeking an experienced starter to give them depth. Strasburg is just that.

While there is no guarantee he remains healthy in 2015, having Strasburg in the rotation would also help the Marlins within the National League East. He has experience and has pitched well against Eastern clubs. He has proven to lead by example. And, if healthy, in a lot of places would be the ace of the staff. Having Strasburg pitch behind Fernandez might put less pressure on him to perform well.

Strasburg is a Scott Boras client, but since he would be acquired in a trade, the agent situation would not be as pertinent. He is arbitration eligible for the final time and is set to become a free agent after 2016. As a result, the Marlins likely would not have to send much to Washington to add Strasburg.

Since they could lose Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister to free agency, the Nationals might not be open to trading Strasburg. But if they are, the Marlins should at least consider the possibility. After all, he is almost exactly what they are looking for.