The Marlins may not be closing the door on Otto Lopez or Xavier Edwards, but they are making one thing clear: if they move either middle infielder, the return has to be significant.
Teams checked in on Lopez and Edwards before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and both stayed in Miami. That could still be the case in 2027, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports the Marlins are still open to hearing offers on both players if clubs are prepared to send back “a lot.”
That sort of price tag makes sense given what each player has become for Miami. Both are heading toward the first of three possible arbitration trips this winter, which means the Marlins could control them through 2029. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Lopez for $5.4MM and Edwards for $3.5MM.
Lopez, acquired off waivers from the Giants in 2024, has been a major win for the Marlins. He has posted 10.7 fWAR since arriving in Miami, and this season he put together the best offensive year of his career, hitting .305/.349/.437 with a 122 wRC+ across 687 plate appearances.
The pop was modest - 11 home runs and a .132 ISO - and he walked only 5.8% of the time, but he also struck out just 13%. That steady contact helped him finish with the majors’ fifth-highest batting average and seventh-most stolen bases, with 34.
His value went well beyond the bat. Lopez’s work at shortstop produced 14 Outs Above Average, 12 Fielding Run Value and 6 Defensive Runs Saved, making him one of the most valuable players in the sport this season. He tied Brewers second baseman Brice Turang for fifth in fWAR at 5.9 and finished seventh in bWAR at 6.1.
Boston was among the teams interested in Lopez before the deadline, and Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix wanted “elite” prospect(s) in return. There’s little reason to think that asking price has softened.
Edwards may not bring quite the same return, but he has given Miami plenty of value for his salary. Across 1,601 plate appearances since a brief debut in 2023, he has shown very little power with nine home runs and an .080 ISO, yet he has still managed a .282/.351/.361 line with a 106 wRC+ while striking out only 14.7% of the time.
From 2024-26, he totaled 7.1 fWAR. He also set a career high with an 11.4% walk rate this season and stole 21 bases, giving him his third straight year with at least 20.
The defensive numbers for Edwards changed depending on where he played. After he and Lopez switched positions early in 2025, Edwards was charged with 7 FRV, 9 OAA and 12 DRS in 97 games at second base.
That dropped this season, when he finished at minus-1 FRV and minus-2 in both OAA and DRS over 138 games at the keystone. Even so, that likely won’t keep teams away.
The Yankees could be one of the clubs to watch. They are expected to lose second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to free agency, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post said on a recent episode of his “Pinstripe Post” podcast that the Yankees have “greatly liked” Edwards for years. Sherman also expects New York to hand second base to ex-starting shortstop Anthony Volpe next season, which would keep Edwards from following Chisholm from Miami to the Bronx in a trade.
Lopez and Edwards were a big reason the Marlins spent a good chunk of 2026 in the playoff race. Miami entered the All-Star break at 52-45, not realizing it was already three losses into a franchise-record 12-game losing streak. That run wrecked the season and helped push the club to an 80-82 finish.
The Marlins haven’t finished .500 or reached the postseason since 2023, and moving one or both of their middle infield anchors would make the next step even harder if their aim is to compete again in 2027.
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