HUGE BOOST: Reflecting acquisitions made by the Marlins in the trade involving 32-years old player, after a long time the deal finally took place

After taking some time to process the recent trade involving Luis Arráez, let’s revisit another instance when the Miami Marlins traded a standout player: Christian Yelich. In the offseason of 2017-2018, the Marlins sent Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers. In return for their highly regarded outfielder, Miami received four prospects:

Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison, both outfielders, Isan Díaz, an infielder, and right-hander Jordan Yamamoto. Yelich promptly made a significant impact in Milwaukee, securing the MVP title in 2018 and earning All-Star status. On the Marlins’ end of the trade, the four prospects they acquired faced challenges in securing regular playing time in the majors. So, where do these four prospects stand today?

The Marlins return for Christian Yelich

Lewis Brinson: Currently playing in the Mexican League
Isan Diaz: Playing with Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League
Monte Harrison: Playing college football
Jordan Yamamoto: Head baseball coach at Dwyer High School https://t.co/tu9T3liRJV

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) May 7, 2024

The Return of the Christian Yelich Trade Six Years Later

1. OF Lewis Brinson

At the time of the trade, Lewis Brinson, a former first-round pick, was performing well in the minors. However, his performance dipped after the 2017-2018 offseason. In his debut season with the Miami Marlins, he played a career-high 109 games but struggled with a disappointing .199 batting average, 120 strikeouts, and 11 home runs in 382 at-bats.

Brinson remained with the Marlins until 2021 when he was designated for assignment. He then signed a minor-league contract with the Houston Astros in 2022 but was soon traded to the San Francisco Giants. During his brief stint with the Giants, he appeared in 16 games in the majors, hitting .167/.211/.472 before being designated for assignment again.

Following his departure from the majors, Brinson, now 30, had a brief spell with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan before joining a team in the Mexican league. Despite his potential, Brinson failed to fulfill expectations in the majors, leaving many to wonder what could have been with the Marlins.

2. OF Monte Harrison

Monte Harrison, initially drafted in the second round by the Brewers, entered the majors in 2020 with the Marlins following the Christian Yelich trade. Despite playing a career-high 32 games that year, his performance was subpar, batting just .170 with minimal RBI and one home run. His stint with the Marlins lasted until March 2022 when he was released after only nine games the following season. Shortly after, he briefly played for the Los Angeles Angels before rejoining the Brewers on a minor league contract for the 2023 season. Throughout his ten-year professional career, he struggled to secure consistent playing time in the majors, only spending three seasons at that level.

Recently, Harrison has made a significant decision to transition to college football. Despite being a four-star football recruit in high school, he hadn’t utilized any college eligibility until now. At the age of 28, he’s set to begin his college football journey with Arkansas State, aiming for greater success in this new athletic pursuit compared to his baseball career.

Arkansas got a player that can do both 😎 Former MLB player Monte Harrison is going back to school and walking on with @RazorbackFB 👏 pic.twitter.com/HrVn4Dfdyr

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) May 7, 2024

3. INF Isan Díaz

Isan Díaz was acquired from the Brewers in a trade and showed promise in his initial years in the minor leagues. In 2019, he earned Miami’s Minor League Player of the Year title after hitting .305 with 26 home runs and 70 RBIs. That same year, his major league debut was unforgettable, as he hit a home run off Jacob deGrom with his family in attendance. However, despite this strong start, the remainder of his season was disappointing. He competed for the second base position but couldn’t keep up with players like Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Miguel Rojas. Consequently, Díaz was designated for assignment and later joined the San Francisco Giants in 2022.

Díaz didn’t return to the majors until 2023, when he played eight games split between the Giants and Detroit Tigers. Currently, at 27 years old, he is playing for the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Atlantic League.

4. RHP Jordan Yamamoto

Jordan Yamamoto, a right-handed pitcher, was selected by the Brewers in the 12th round of the draft. He showcased his talent in Class-A Advanced during the 2017 season, throwing 111 innings with an impressive 2.51 ERA. Soon after, he became part of the trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Marlins. Yamamoto made his MLB debut in 2019, starting 15 games with a 4.46 ERA. However, his career was hampered by injuries thereafter.

Before the 2021 season, he was traded to the New York Mets but struggled in the minors. He then signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers before ultimately retiring ahead of the 2023 season. Yamamoto has since transitioned into coaching high school baseball at Dwyer High School in Palm Beach.

The trade involving Christian Yelich didn’t yield the expected results for the Marlins. None of the four prospects they received managed to establish themselves in the majors due to various challenges like injuries and performance issues. This situation is reminiscent of the current scenario with Luis Arráez, but there’s hope that the prospects acquired in return will contribute positively to the Marlins’ rebuilding efforts.