The Marlins are open for business, and the Padres should keep walking

A recent article in The Athletic from Jim Bowden outlined everything the MLB insider has been hearing ahead of the trade deadline. In his article, he suggested that the San Diego Padres were willing to trade one of their top prospects to acquire a left fielder. He also said the Marlins would be listening to offers on outfielders Kyle Stowers and Jesús Sánchez, and specifically listed the Padres and Royals as teams who might be interested.

On paper, it makes sense. The Padres need a left fielder, and badly. So far this year, San Diego's left fielders have battled injuries and inconsistency. The Marlins are struggling and have a pair of corner outfielders who could help.

However, Bowden used an interesting term when he suggested the Padres as trade partners with Miami.

"The Marlins will listen to inquiries on their corner outfielders this summer since," wrote Bowden. "Teams like the Padres and Royals might overpay for Kyle Stowers or Jesús Sánchez."

The Marlins want buyers for their outfielders and the Padres shouldn’t take the bait

Bowden uses the word overpay. He seems to think San Diego could get desperate and send the Marlins more than what Stowers or Sanchez are worth.

Looking deeper into both outfielders, it is hard to see why San Diego should pay a premium for either one.

Sánchez, 27, has been with the Marlins since 2020 and is still waiting for his breakout season. He does have a career-high batting average of .259 and OBP of .337. However, his slugging is down to .394, the worst since his rookie season.

Sánchez holds a 102 OPS+ and 0.2 bWAR. Offensively, he is just barely above league average. Defensively, he provides slightly negative value, making him just above replacement level. Not exactly the savior the Padres are looking for. Better than Jason Heyward, sure, but Heyward has not set a high bar with his .176 batting average.

Then there's Stowers, who is off to a better start than Sánchez, but still lacks the value necessary to be worth a top prospect. The 27-year-old outfielder is slashing .272/.339/.465, good for a 120 OPS+. Yet, he has provided negative value defensively, and his 0.6 bWAR leaves much to be desired.

Ultimately, it feels like neither Sánchez nor Stowers would provide much more to the Padres in left field than their current situation. While they would be a slight improvement, their poor defense would only make them a liability on the field. If the Marlins are looking to sell high, the Padres should be wary, to avoid getting fleeced.