The writing on the wall is that the Miami Marlins will be sellers at the trade deadline, and reliever A.J. Puk has regained traction as a trade candidate. Many other Marlins players were considered strong candidates to be traded, such as Jesús Luzardo, but he recently landed on the IL. Closer Tanner Scott and center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. have also been floated several times. But Puk still isn’t discussed as a trade chip as often as these other players despite improving his stats.
With a 2.39 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and five walks since an ill-fated rotation experiment, #Marlins southpaw is back on the radar as a trade candidatehttps://t.co/cOUel3WtlU pic.twitter.com/TSyodObc7M
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) July 18, 2024
Marlins Reliever A.J. Puk Gaining Traction as Trade Candidate
The lefty reliever Puk is gaining more momentum as a trade candidate for the Marlins, as he has turned around his season. In terms of relievers, he’s been one of the best across all of MLB recently. It’s understandable why he’s been under the radar as a trade candidate, as the start of his season was not so pretty. Back on June 23rd, his ERA was 6.10, but he has now lowered his ERA down to 4.73, the lowest it’s been all season. His revamped numbers have in turn increased his trade value.
Early in the season, Puk talked about his struggles, saying he usually doesn’t walk so many opponents and had issues with his grip. He issued a total of 17 walks through the end of April, while striking out only 12 in that time. This was unconventional for the 29-year-old southpaw. Puk has also played for the Oakland Athletics and college baseball for the Florida Gators. The lefty has a career record of 16-19 with a 3.93 ERA. It’s been a pleasant surprise that his trade value has increased, and he could provide a surprising boost to any team’s bullpen. Numbers don’t lie, and Puk’s ERA has improved every month this season. In March, he had an ERA of 18.00, April 7.71, May 4.05, June 2.45, and July 0.00.
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