Trade Rumor: Fernando Rodney heading to Miami

It’s not even July, but A.J. Preller is ready to make a move. While some of the more promising Padres trade bait like Jon Jay and Tyson Ross sit on the disabled list, Fernando Rodney is turning in the best season of his career. An elite closer doesn’t do much good for a team not doing much winning, which makes him the perfect target for a team that might just need that little extra push. Like, say, the Miami Marlins.

The Marlins already have a pretty good closer in A.J. Ramos, but it’s hard to compare with Rodney, who has allowed just one earned run in 28.2 innings. If you don’t feel like doing the math, that’s a 0.31 ERA. All that comes at a bargain, too. Preller signed Rodney in February for just $1.6 million, with a team option for $2 million next year. Of course, the wheels on Rodney could fall off at any moment, so a good low-level prospect is a pretty solid return, especially since the team is in need of talent at every level. There’s no word yet on who exactly that prospect may be. Hopefully Preller manages to fleece the Marlins on this one.