If the Miami Marlins decide to trade left-hander Ryan Weathers before the July 31 deadline, someone in the front office should be barred from making another call for the rest of the season.
Yes, the Marlins are sellers. Yes, GM Peter Bendix is reportedly open to flipping anyone not bolted down to the dugout floor. But Weathers? That’s a hard no, especially after trading Garrett Cooper and Sean Reynolds to get him.
CBS Sports’ RJ Anderson nailed it in his early trade deadline preview when he labeled Weathers one of the deadline’s biggest wild cards. He’s cheap, he’s young, he’s showing improvement—and that’s precisely why Miami should not move him. They had already bet on Weathers when they flipped some of their batting depth. Cashing him out now, before the investment matures, would be the kind of impulsive loss-taking that losing franchises make on repeat.
The Numbers Are Turning
Weathers isn’t just flashing potential—he’s turning it into results. According to Baseball Savant, his average fastball velocity is up, and his slider is missing more bats. Through his first 10 starts, he’s posted a sub-3.50 ERA with improved walk and strikeout rates, and he’s made straightforward strides in pitch sequencing and poise. It’s not flashy, but it’s real.
Most importantly, Weathers isn’t even arbitration-eligible until 2026. That gives Miami five more seasons of team control over a starter who looks like a mid-rotation mainstay. That’s gold for a rebuilding team—if they intend to rebuild smartly.
Why Trade a Solution to Chase One?
The Marlins’ most significant weakness has been their starting pitching depth following the departure of Jesús Luzardo and the prolonged absence of Sandy Alcantara for much of the season. So, how does trading Weathers make sense in that context? It doesn’t.
This isn’t an Alcantara situation where the Marlins might get cold feet and sell low because of injury uncertainty. Weathers is trending up, and the only reason to shop him would be to hope someone overpays based on small-sample shine. It’s a casino mindset, not a baseball one.
The Marlins have already shown a willingness to take risks by tearing down their post-2023 roster. Fine. But you don’t trade some good pieces only to immediately bail on the pitcher you got back the moment he starts looking like he’s worth it.
RJ Anderson’s Warning Was Clear
Anderson made it clear that Weathers “has the potential to be one of the deadline’s biggest wild cards” and could attract teams in need of another starter—teams like the Brewers, Red Sox, or Giants. That’s precisely why the Marlins should hold him. You don’t trade the guy everyone wants—you build with him.
There’s value in betting on your scouting and development. If you believed in Weathers enough to trade with the Padres, you believe in him enough to see where this goes. Otherwise, all you’ve done is sell high and buy low on yourself. That’s not rebuilding. That’s sabotaging.
Miami Needs Direction, Not Desperation
Bendix may be trying to build a Tampa-style asset churn, where every player is a trade chip, and the long game is everything. But even the Tampa Bay Rays know when to stop flipping and start developing.
Weathers has shown he can pitch in the big leagues. Let him. Let him take the ball every five days. Let him grow. And let Marlins fans feel like at least one piece of this rebuild is sticking around long enough to matter.
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