Marlins attempted to trade for OF Nomar Mazara

9:06 p.m. PT update—The Marlins’ bid for Nomar Mazara apparently fell short. He’s heading to the South Side, tweets Rangers beat writer Evan Grant.

Original post—The Marlins aren’t content to leave San Diego empty-handed. President of baseball operations Michael Hill told reporters Tuesday afternoon at the MLB Winter Meetings that he’s “actively pursuing” an offensive upgrade for the 2020 roster. Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara appears to be their current target, as detailed by FNTSY Sports Radio host Craig Mish.

TR Sullivan of MLB.com describes Texas as having a surplus of left-handed-hitting outfielders. The club is listening on Mazara as well as Shin-Soo Choo and Willie Calhoun.

Among those three, Mazara is seemingly the best fit for the Fish. He’s the youngest,—turning 25 years old next April—and comes with untapped potential. His career .261/.320/.435 slash line translates to a mediocre 92 wRC+ when accounting for home games in the hitter’s paradise of Arlington. The combination of that, consistently below-average defense (in the eyes of Defensive Runs Saved) and no appetite for base-stealing explains why Mazara has never exceeded 1.0 Wins Above Replacement in any of his four campaigns.

But then, every once in a while, he does that:

Mazara was a consensus Top 100 MLB prospect prior to both the 2015 and 2016 seasons. For whatever reason, his gifts haven’t translated into substantial on-field value...yet.

Nonetheless, Mazara’s upside is still tantalizing. MLB Trade Rumors projects him for a $5.7 million salary in his second trip through the arbitration process. He’d be controllable for 2021 as well.

Sullivan speculated Tuesday morning that the Diamondbacks could express interest, and now the White Sox have ramped up their efforts. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic identifies the Tigers as yet another suitor.

Chicago’s Steele Walker is a former second-round draft pick who posted a strong .811 OPS in his first full pro season while looking very capable of sticking in center field. He profiles as the main piece that the Rangers would be seeking in a Mazara package. The Marlins don’t have an exact replica of Walker in their farm system, but think of outfielders Connor Scott and Jerar Encarnación as having comparable value.

While we await further updates, consider the proposed deal in the poll below...