As trade deadline approaches, what can the Miami Marlins do to bolster roster?

The Miami Marlins aren’t worrying just yet. Their return following the All-Star Break hasn’t gone as planned, with the Marlins losing each of their first four games (including Monday’s 6-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals), but the team’s playoff hopes remain very much alive because of its strong first half of the season.

“We’re not done yet,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “A lot of work to do still, and we’re definitely not a finished product. No one thought that before anyways. We’ve just got some stuff we’ve got to clean up and we’ll be all right.”

While Schumaker’s comment was directed toward the team he currently has in the clubhouse, the sentiment can be extrapolated to what the team should be poised to do in the next couple weeks.

Even mired in a four-game losing streak coming out of the All-Star Break, the Marlins are in position to be buyers at the trade deadline for the first time under general manager Kim Ng, who is in her third season at the position. They entered Tuesday’s game against the Cardinals with a 53-43 record.

Exactly what moves, if any, they will make between now and the deadline on Aug. 1 is to be determined. What’s available on the market will dictate those moves.

And as it stands, the market is still a bit hazy, with a few teams still hovering on the outskirts of contention and still undecided about their direction moving forward with the season.

“There are not that many sellers,” Ng said July 7. “There are a lot of buyers. It’s not quite, but I think everybody’s just feeling each other out at this point. I’m sure the sellers are going to obviously try and get the best deals that they can, and I think there are a fair number of clubs that haven’t yet decided and are kind of holding the line.”

While player availability is still fluid, the Marlins’ needs are known. Priority No. 1 is adding another impact bat to the lineup. Second in line is a high-leverage right-handed reliever to balance out their lefty-heavy bullpen led by A.J. Puk, Tanner Scott and, when healthy, Andrew Nardi. Dylan Floro and JT Chargois are their top right-handed relievers, and neither has particularly impressed as of late. Matt Barnes, another righty option, is set to undergo hip surgery next week and is likely done for the season.

So who could the Marlins target?

When it comes to position players, Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario is the name that keeps surfacing as a potential fit. The 29-year-old switch hitter, who is set to be a free agent after this season, enters Tuesday with a .263 batting average, .826 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 14 home runs, 27 doubles 45 RBI and 48 runs scored. That’s more doubles than any Marlins player, home runs than every Marlins player not named Jorge Soler, more runs scored than every Marlins player not named Soler and more RBI than every Marlins player not named Soler or Bryan De La Cruz.

Plus, Candelario holds his own defensively. Statcast has him in the 93rd percentile for outs above average.

Other options who are expected to be on the trade block (although the likelihood of the Marlins acquiring will vary based on resources available or need) include Chicago Cubs outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger (who Miami pursued in free agency), Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson and infielder Paul DeJong, and a slew of catcher options (Yasmani Grandal, Yan Gomes and Elias Diaz among them).

When it comes to relievers, mainstream options would include the Kansas City Royals’ Scott Barlow and the Cardinals’ Jordan Hicks or Ryan Helsley (although Helsley is on the injured list).

Barlow, 30, has 54 career saves, including 11 in 13 tries this season. He is among the best in MLB this year in getting batters to chase (97th percentile) and hit into weak contact (96th percentile for average exit velocity allowed, 94th percentile for hard hit rate allowed). He is striking out 30.3 percent of batters he faces. Barlow is under team control through the 2024 season.

Hicks is in his final year before hitting free agency. The 26-year-old has a sinker that averages 100.6 mph, a four-seam fastball that averages 101.1 mph and a sweeper with a 58.2 percent swing-and-miss rate. He has 28 career saves in 40 tries and 44 holds.

Helsley is under team control through the 2025 season. His fastball averages 99.6 mph and his secondary pitches — a slider to righties and a curveball to lefties — both have swing-and-miss rates above 40 percent. He has 26 saves the past two seasons.

Another name who could be under consideration: The Colorado Rockies’ Justin Lawrence. The 28-year-old is under team control through the 2028 season and is in the midst of a breakout season, pitching to a 2.63 ERA with five saves and eight holds over 40 appearances. He has 50 strikeouts in 48 innings and is holding opponents to a .185 batting average against.

Garcia starts rehab assignment

Outfielder Avisail Garcia is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with the Double A Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He is slated to be the designated hitter and get three at-bats.

Garcia has been on the injured list since April 29 with back tightness.

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