Marlins’ Dee Gordon traded to Mariners for 3 prospects
MIAMI — The Marlins’ latest payroll purge began not with Giancarlo Stanton, but with Dee Gordon.
The two-time All-Star second baseman was traded Thursday to the Seattle Mariners for three prospects in the first big deal involving new Marlins CEO Derek Jeter. He wants to cut payroll by more than 20 per cent to $90 million or less, which is why NL MVP Stanton is also on the trading block.
Miami acquired right-hander Nick Neidert, the Mariners’ No. 2 prospect, along with infielder Chris Torres and right-hander Robert Dugger. The Marlins haven’t been to the playoffs since 2003, and they’re anxious to bolster a farm system that ranks among baseball’s worst.
“We need to add depth,” president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. “We need to do things to give us an opportunity to build an organization that we feel can win consistently. In this deal we took an All-Star calibre player in Dee Gordon, and were able to add three very talented pieces to our minor league system.”