Despite an eleven-game losing streak that dates back just prior to the All-Star break, the Miami Marlins are one of several National League teams in contention for a Wild Card spot.

It really has been a complete 180 from being 10 games over .500 and second in the National League East, but they’re still just three games out of the final playoff spot and have intriguing personnel that should keep them afloat.

Let’s take a look at what could make the Blue Jays and Marlins trade partners for this year’s trade deadline.

March 29, 2026: Blue Jays acquire 3B Dub Gleed and international bonus pool money in exchange for SS Leo Jiménez.

June 25, 2025: Blue Jays acquire RP Robinson Piña in exchange for RP Colby Martin.

August 2, 2022: Blue Jays acquire RP Zach Pop, RP Anthony Bass, and C/1B Edward Duran in exchange for SS Jordan Groshans.

June 29, 2021: Blue Jays acquire RP Adam Cimber and OF Corey Dickerson in exchange for INF Joe Panik and RP Andrew McInvale.

August 31, 2020: Blue Jays acquire INF Jonathan Villar in exchange for OF Griffin Conine.

Since Peter Bendix has been the president of baseball operations for the Marlins (albeit just two-and-a-half years), he’s maintained one of the lowest payrolls in the league while flooding his rosters with young and controllable talent. Barring any change in how the Marlins choose to navigate the deadline, it’ll be interesting to see how he and the front office would add to a contending squad.

The most ideal candidate for a trade with the Jays would be Ernie Clement. Clement checks several boxes for the Marlins on and off the field; he’s still relatively cheap and he’s under club control through the 2028 season. His value is at or near its highest from Toronto’s perspective. He’s slashing .293/.319/.419 with 8 homers and 32 RBIs, and he was also the starting second baseman for the American League in the All-Star game this season.

Second base and shortstop seem to be well-covered by former Blue Jay Otto López and Xavier Edwards, so third base would likely be Clement’s primary position, although he does offer positional flexibility if needed. Miami would also be acquiring someone with playoff experience, which may be an understatement for the man who holds the record for most hits in a single postseason with 30.

The Marlins are built similarly to the Blue Jays from a handedness perspective with several left-handed outfielders, and another one of their most impactful bats, 1B/C Liam Hicks, is also a southpaw. The Marlins could draw some tough lefty pitchers in a Wild Card series and down the stretch – think Chris Sale, Cristopher Sánchez, Shota Imanaga, or Eduardo Rodríguez – so adding another right-handed bat in the mix would be beneficial.

Recent news about All-Star pitcher Max Meyer being shut down for two weeks after hitting the IL with a neck strain may impact Miami’s deadline plans. If they’re comfortable going the rental route, Shane Bieber is on an expiring contract and would aide a rotation that is starting to have their depth tested.

While Kevin Gausman is also in the same boat, Bieber would theoretically be the cheaper option financially for Miami, and he’s also trending upward after this last two starts (13 IP, 6 H, 1 ER), giving the Blue Jays a chance for a better return.

I wouldn’t put it past the Marlins to sniff around the Jeff Hoffman or Tyler Rogers market, either. The Marlins were willing to give Pete Fairbanks $13 million on a one-year deal for this season, and Hoffman and Rogers would cover the Marlins beyond 2026 with respect to their contract status.

Hoffman has settled nicely into a role of 7th or 8th inning relief, so if he isn’t meant to close, the $12 million price tag on him for next season may not be a pill Miami wants to swallow. Rogers is owed around $27 million over the next two years, as well as a vesting/club option for ’29. Again, that’d be somewhat steep spending for Miami, but the dependability, reliability, and consistency with Rogers is real.

Let’s think about where Toronto has struggled this season and where there will be areas of need heading into next year. A couple that jump out are lack of slug, and a pending vacancy in centre field barring a return from Daulton Varsho.

Let’s start in centre field where they could inquire about Cam Cannarella, which might be a tall ask given how his 2026 season has gone.

The 22-year-old lefty started the season in High-A and has reached Triple-A as of two weeks ago. Cannarella is hitting .355/.442/.585 between three levels this season, and has received high marks for his athleticism and glove in centre field. Having Kevin Kiermaier and Varsho patrol centre field in recent seasons, the Blue Jays value strong defence up the middle. Although power isn’t the name to his offensive game,

With Cannarella making noise and potentially knocking on the major league door within the next year or so, the current state of the Marlins may keep them from moving any significant prospects for this year’s trade deadline if they don’t have a chance to make or advance in the playoffs. But looking in Toronto’s lens, a slim free agent class overall might force them to get creative on filling some gaps. This would be one instance.

Looking elsewhere in Miami’s organization, 23-year-old Deyvison De Los Santos may be able to assist in the slugging department. De Los Santos has already been involved in trade deadline deals after being sent to Miami from Arizona in 2024 as part of a return for A.J. Puk. Admittedly, his power numbers have fallen off since moving into Miami’s system, but his strikeout rate has improved between ’25 and ’26, and his exit velocities still rank in the 96th percentile.