The Marlins are looking to trim payroll, which has the sweet scent of opportunity written all over it

We have known the Marlins were bleeding cash for a while now, with Jon Heyman of Fanrag Sports reporting numerous times the organization lost $70 million this season, according to a source. With a bad television deal, poor attendance, and new ownership, the Marlins can no longer afford to keep their large, guaranteed contracts on the books.

Earlier today, Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald bring us this bit of insightful reporting. The article is worth a read in its entirety, but here is the takeaway that applies to the Angels.

The Marlins privately have come up with a preferred path to meet their $90 million payroll target, but whether it’s entirely realistic is debatable.

According to two sources, the Marlins will look to trade outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who’s due $25 million next season, and also will try to trade second baseman Dee Gordon and third baseman Martin Prado.

There could be a market for Gordon, who’s due $10.5 million, $13 million and $13.5 million over the next three seasons, with a $14 million team option in 2021.

But here’s the real kicker.

If the Marlins kept this roster together, their payroll would be $140 million. New owners Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman have told other owners they want to get it to $90 million.

Let me break this down further to see if there’s any correlation here!

- Desired payroll: $90 million

- Projected payroll: $140 million

- The Marlins are looking to trim their payroll by $50 million.

- Actual salaries of Stanton, Gordon, and Prado: $49 million

Further investigation by the author reveals that one of the aforementioned players is an above average second baseman and a leadoff hitter. The Angels need a second baseman. The Angels also need a leadoff hitter.

Though the cost for Gordon in trade would not be insignificant, the precarious financial situation of the Marlins offers a unique buying opportunity rarely presented in professional sports. Moreover, supply and demand works in the Angels’ favor as they can also pursue Cesar Hernandez as a similar, alternative long-term solution or Ian Kinsler as a short-term answer, leveraging this information to gain a better deal.

The Angels can keep their cards close to the vest, letting the situation unfold and strike when a favorable pact is reached.

The Marlins, on the other hand, cannot afford to sit on their hands. This time, they don’t have the MLBAM windfall to soften the blow.