Did perfect Yankees-Marlins trade just emerge out of the latest rumors?

The New York Yankees and Miami Marlins have a notable trade history, with the Fish previously shipping Giancarlo Stanton and Michael King to the Bronx in separate deals. Remember when Garrett Cooper was a Yankee? Exactly. But, as of late, these two have seemingly eluded one another.

The Pablo López trade that reportedly fell through was the culprit. Over the last year and a half, the Marlins have been said to be interested in Gleyber Torres, and the Yankees have listened intently in those discussions, but nothing's ever come to fruition.

In fact, in 2022 when that reported López-Torres deal fell through, it completely derailed the Yankees playoff run. The rumors affected Torres so greatly that his offense went in a tailspin for the month of August and nearly contributed to the Yankees blowing a 15.5-game division lead.

Then, after the Yankees traded Jordan Montgomery, seemingly under the impression López would be replacing him in the rotation, they went after Frankie Montas, who got injured and left the pitching staff thin. And that was all she wrote for the Yankees' 2022 campaign.

Now, as both teams head into what feels like an all-important 2024 season, they might be able to return to the negotiating table and work things out once and for all.

Did perfect Yankees-Marlins trade just emerge out of the latest rumors?

Per reports, the Marlins are receiving interest in pitchers Edward Cabrera and Trevor Rogers. It's unclear how willing they are to discuss further, especially with Sandy Alcantara out until 2025, but we do know Miami's one, defined strength is its pitching depth, both in the majors and minors.

They'd probably prefer to trade Rogers in any scenario, but Cabrera is the more sought after name. Could a Torres for Cabrera straight up swap satisfy both teams' needs? The Marlins have Luis Arraez at second base, yes, but there's been previous speculation they might look to trade first baseman Josh Bell. In that case, moving Bell would free up first base for Arraez and open up second base for Torres. The move would actually save them money, too, because Bell is set to earn $16.5 million in 2024, while Torres is projected to make $15 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility.

Also, are we so sure the Yankees are wed to Anthony Rizzo? Even if we ignore his concussion that pretty much made his 2023 season obsolete, he hasn't exactly been a difference-maker for the Yankees. He's more of the same in terms of their redundant hitting profiles, just from the left side of the plate.

What if they took on Bell in the deal, too, and found a new home for Rizzo? A lot of moving parts here, yes. But if we wanted to make this easier, let's say it's as easy as this: Torres for Cabrera, Arraez to first base, Bell to DH for the Marlins. Perhaps the deal needs to be expanded in some way, but that's a good starting point for one team that needs more pitching and another team that desperately needs more offense (and a potential long-term option in the middle infield).