July 31 is rapidly approaching. Buy or Sell lets each team know where they stand on the trade market with the deadline right around the corner.

America is no doubt waiting for the next great Marlin sell-off to begin. The team hits the All-Star break right in the thick of the NL East race, but still hasn't pulled in the kind of attendance numbers that would convince the Fish to add some big pieces to the puzzle.

Not that they really need big pieces, mind you. Most of the positions on the depth chart are pretty much set for the team with the most home runs in baseball. So don't expect them to go after a big bat like Adam Dunn or Jason Bay (notice I said "most" ... more on that later). And with the rotation receiving a jolt from Ricky Nolasco (10-4, 3.70 ERA), starting pitching is less of a problem than expected (although wouldn't it be a hoot if the Marlins got A.J. Burnett back after he openly longed for a city where baseball is the big dog?)
The bullpen is full of hard throwers like Renyel Pinto and Matt Lindstrom. But with the recent struggles of Kevin Gregg, the Marlins have been looking at guys like Brian Fuentes to be their closer. That would move everyone else down a notch on the depth chart and give the Marlins a versatile, hard-throwing, deep bullpen. It would be essential for the Marlins to try to upgrade the 'pen to match the Phillies (good all season) and the Mets (good lately).

For those still waiting for the Marlins to trade more good pieces for prospects, consider this: the Fish have inquired about Pudge Rodriguez in hopes that he would return to the team he led to a World Series win over the Yankees in '03. The Tigers have said no (although they could probably use some of those prospects they gave up for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis over the winter), so the Marlins will probably shoot for lower-tier guys like Yorvit Torrealba (who might be too expensive for them), David Ross, or even hope that Miguel Olivo might return. But the fact that the Marlins have asked about a guy like Rodriguez proves that the Florida Marlins are buyers, just as they should be.

America will just have to deal with it.