Jeter wants to 'get better' at Deadline

MIAMI -- With six days remaining before the Trade Deadline, many believe the Marlins will be in sell mode. CEO Derek Jeter doesn't see it that way.

"My message to the fans would be, ‘Don't look at things like that,’" Jeter said Saturday afternoon. "I think you go to the Trade Deadline the last couple of years, the moves we've made have been to make our organization better. We got Jazz [Chisholm Jr.], we got Lewin [Díaz], we got [Jesús Sánchez]. You know what I mean? We got Starling [Marte] last year. Every move we've made is to get better, and that's what we keep in mind every Trade Deadline. So anything that we're going to possibly do, we're looking out for the organization. I would tell them to not have that mindset of, 'We're getting rid of people.'"

Here's a look at the Marlins' moves around the Trade Deadline since current ownership took over:

2020
LHP Caleb Smith, RHP Humberto Mejia and PTBN to the D-backs for OF Starling Marte
INF Jonathan Villar to the Blue Jays for PTBN (OF prospect Griffin Conine)

2019
RHP Zac Gallen to the D-backs for INF Chisholm
RHPs Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards to the Rays for OF Sánchez and RHP Ryne Stanek
RHPs Sergio Romo and Chris Vallimont to the Twins for 1B Díaz

2018
OF Cameron Maybin to the Mariners for SS Bryson Brigman and future considerations
RHP Brad Ziegler to the D-backs for RHP Tommy Eveld

Jeter also addressed the following topics:

Is there anyone on the club you would deem untouchable?
"Yeah. I'm not going to tell you who it is, but yeah, we have those. We're going to have conversations -- we always have conversations -- not necessarily just right before a Trade Deadline. We do it during the season, in the offseason, before the Trade Deadline, after the Trade Deadline. We look at ways that we can make ourselves better, and I think we've made a lot of progress like you've heard me say before. The organization is stronger than it was three and a half years ago when we took over, but we could be better.

"Ultimately, we have to win more games. I think that the season up to this point has been a disappointment. I think it's been a disappointment for everyone. You ask everyone in the clubhouse, they'll tell you the same thing. And if they don't, then we've got to change their mindset. We need to continue to get better here, and that's what we're going to try to do."

There was a New York Post report on contract negotiations with Sandy Alcantara. What does he mean to the club?
"Like I've told you guys before, I'll never speak on any negotiations that we may or may not be having with players, because I know as a player, you don't want to hear it. You don't want to read about it. The last thing you want is someone talking about it from the organization, so I won't speak on that. In terms of what Sandy has meant to the team, I mean, it goes without saying he's our No. 1 guy, he's the guy that I think he's grown a lot over the last couple of years. He wants to be the guy, and he's stepped up and he's done that, and I think he's only going to continue to get better and better."

Is Marte still a guy the organization would like to keep for the foreseeable future?
"You can't trick me into answering any questions, you know that, right? Starling knows how we feel about him as a player. We've touched on that before, but you can't trick me on giving answers."

How confident are you in signing first-round Draft pick Kahlil Watson?
"We're hopeful. Like everything, you negotiate and see what happens. But I'm confident -- or I'm hopeful -- that our group can get him signed, get him underway here soon."

The Marlins have signed 15 of their 21 Draft picks. Joe Mack (Competitive Balance Round A) and Cody Morissette (second round) were introduced prior to Friday's 5-2 loss to the Padres. Miami must sign its selections by Aug. 1. The club has a bonus pool of $9,949,800, and the slot value for Watson at 16th overall is $3.75 million.