Marlins trade for White Sox INF/DH Jake Burger

MIAMI -- Ahead of Tuesday's Trade Deadline, the Marlins added much-needed power in the form of White Sox infielder Jake Burger. In return, Miami dealt No. 4 prospect Jake Eder.

The Marlins (57-50) entered Tuesday in a three-way tie with the D-backs and Brewers for the final NL Wild Card spot, despite being 4-11 in the second half.

A 2017 first-round pick out of Missouri State, Burger has slashed .214/.279/.527 with 15 doubles, 25 homers and 52 RBIs in 2023 -- his first full season in the big leagues. He has also posted a 31.6% strikeout rate and a 6.8% walk rate, which goes against the Marlins' philosophy of seeking out professional hitters with plate discipline.

However, Burger's 25 homers match Miami All-Star Jorge Soler for the team lead, and his 52 RBIs would rank third.

TRADE DETAILS
Marlins get: INF Jake Burger
White Sox get: LHP Jake Eder

According to Statcast, Burger is elite in the following categories: average exit velocity (92nd percentile), maximum exit velocity (100th), hard-hit percentage (91st), xSLG (93rd) and barrel percentage (99th). He is on the other side of the spectrum when it comes to whiff percentage (fifth percentile), K rate (seventh) and chase rate (sixth).

In Burger, the Marlins fill several needs:

• He's a controllable bat, who is not arbitration-eligible until 2026 and won't be a free agent until after the '28 season.

• He'll add power for a lineup that ranked third-to-last in homers with the fifth-fewest runs in MLB entering Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Burger has appeared at third base (53 games), designated hitter (25), first base (five) and second base (five) this season. At the hot corner, he has recorded -4 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -3 outs above average (OAA). At second base, Burger has has 1 DRS and 0 OAA, with a 0 DRS and 0 OAA at first.

The acquisition of Burger is the third trade the Marlins have made ahead of the Deadline. Last week, general manager Kim Ng fortified the bullpen by adding 2022 All-Star closer Jorge López (Twins) and Mets closer David Robertson.

In the one-for-one trade, the Marlins are expected to send the 24-year-old southpaw Eder. Selected in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt, the organization tested Eder from the get-go by sending him to Double-A Pensacola for his professional debut in '21. He shot up to Top 100 Prospect status thanks to a 1.77 ERA prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery that August.

Eder returned from the procedure and a fractured left foot this past June, but he didn't begin to find his groove until recently. During his start on Saturday, Eder struck out 10 batters in 5 2/3 innings for the Blue Wahoos.