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Marlins trade Zac Gallen to Diamondbacks for Jazz Chisholm

Arguably the best pitcher in the Marlins rotation over the past month, Gallen is shipped out three days shy of his 24th birthday in order to address a position of need.

Gallen emerged as a Top 100 prospect this season, and the Marlins have decided to sell high on him.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Marlins have decided to trade from their starting pitching surplus to address other needs, reportedly sending rookie right-hander Zac Gallen to the Diamondbacks. Shortstop prospect Jazz Chisholm is coming back to Miami.

The trade was officially announced less than an hour before Wednesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.

Gallen, who turns 24 on Saturday, annihilated Triple-A competition during the first half of the season to propel his way into the Marlins rotation. From there, he’s produced well with a 2.72 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 36 13 innings. Baseball America recognized him as a MLB Top 100 prospect earlier this month (currently No. 72).

Chisholm, 21, is slashing .204/.305/.427 at Double-A this season. The left-handed hitter entered 2019 as a consensus Top 100 prospect, but the recent offensive struggles caused him to drop off of Baseball America’s list. Originally a low-profile signing out of the Bahamas, he has demonstrated all the tools to stick at shortstop moving forward.

Here is footage of Chisholm from the 2018 Arizona Fall League, courtesy of 2080 Baseball:

(The 2080 evaluator, John Eshleman, is now employed by the Marlins. Maybe not a coincidence!)

As Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman of the Cespedes Family Barbecue Twitter account summed it up, this is undoubtedly a fun “challenge trade” for both sides:

The Marlins would need to place Chisholm on their 40-man roster this upcoming offseason to protect him from being selected in December’s Rule 5 Draft. There are currently two available spots on the 40-man, though Pablo López and Drew Steckenrider will likely be using them within the next few weeks upon returning from their respective injuries.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman was first to report Gallen’s involvement in the trade. FNTSY Sports Radio host Craig Mish broke the news about Chisholm.