2009 Marlins Off-season Speculation, Rumors and Innuendo

[wanks1212]

The Marlins are interested in signing ex-Marlin Carl Pavano to a deal worth $1 million with incentives but were told Pavano wants $2 million. If any of the Marlins' five projected starters ( Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, Anibal Sanchez or Andrew Miller) is injured, Florida could turn to Rick VandenHurk or Ryan Tucker unless it adds a Pavano-type veteran.

Free-agents-to-be key for Miami Dolphins - Sports Buzz - MiamiHerald.com

[jay576]

Granted I love Pavano and would love to sign him to a deal like that. The marlins really need to make a little more progress on signing some catching options. Also was a new thread actually necessary seeing how this is the same offseason

[tjfla]

Can't really complain if its a 1mil+ incentives.

Anything more and I would pass we already have options for the Spot Starter/Long Relief Role(Frankie DLC,RVH,Tucker,Badenhop,Trahern,Delgado) We need a Catcher and a 4th OF who has power and hopefully is a Lefty Bat

[Lefty]

Pavano won't get much more than that, and I don't see why he'd pass up Fla all things equal.

[Hugg]

1 million, yes. 2 million, no.

[lou]

Originally Posted by jay576 The marlins really need to make a little more progress on signing some catching options

I firmly believe they are. Since the failed trade attempts, this waiting is intentional because each passing day is one more day Pudge, Zaun, etc, are annoyed they aren't signed. The Marlins are probably the team with the most playing time to offer any free agent catcher right now (unless you believe Wieters isn't coming up), so we are kind of in a position of power to all of these catchers right now.

I think it's more likely than not we sign Pudge basically. We're just waiting for the outrageous demands to come down and get him at the $3-4 million range to start 70-100 games. We can take on a $4 million Pudge and a $2 million Pavano and still be under $40 million for next year.

Basically this. The arbitration wins/losses should balance into something around here. I'd be happy with this depth chart entering the 2009 season, and just pray to god Cantu/McPherson can handle being the '4th' outfielder.

C Pudge Rodriguez $4,000,000
1B G. Sanchez $400,000
2B Dan Uggla $4,750,000
3B Jorge Cantu $4,000,000
SS Hanley Ramirez $5,500,000
LF Jeremy Hermida $2,500,000
CF Cameron Maybin $400,000
RF Cody Ross $3,000,000

B Dallas McPherson $550,000
B Wes Helms $950,000
B Alfredo Amezaga $1,750,000
B Emilio Bonifacio $405,000
B John Baker $405,000

SP Josh Johnson $1,400,000
SP Ricky Nolasco $2,750,000
SP Chris Volstad $405,000
SP Andrew Miller $1,350,000
SP Anibal Sanchez $420,000

RP Matt Lindstrom $420,000
RP Leo Nunez $420,000
RP Scott Proctor $750,000
RP Logan Kensing $550,000
RP Reynel Pinto $420,000
RP Carl Pavano $2,000,000
RP Meyer/Kroenke $400,000

$39,895,000

AAA - Coghlan, Raynor, Carroll, Tucker, Vanden Hurk, Badenhop, Trahern, Mobley, Rabelo, Doolittle
AA - Morrison, West, Thompson, Ceda, Wood, Leroux, Cousins, Sinkbiel, Petersen, G. Taylor, Winters

[Matt Wilson]

I don't want Baker on the bench goddammit. Give him 3-4 starts a week

[Lefty]

If we had Pudge, I could see a 50/50 split....until Baker proves he's not as offensively gifted as we thought, and then it would be 70/30

[lou]

Originally Posted by Jewb If we had Pudge, I could see a 50/50 split....until Baker proves he's not as offensively gifted as we thought, and then it would be 70/30

Exactly.

[Matt Wilson]

I think a downside Baker is still better than an upside Pudge.

[lou]

Originally Posted by Matt Wilson I think a downside Baker is still better than an upside Pudge.

I think they'd be a great 2009 platoon, as long as Pudge fits into the budget. Give most of the RHP to Baker, let Pudge get some RHP and all the lefties, and hopefully Pudge would take on the role to groom Baker and the starting pitchers.

[Matt Wilson]

I agree on the grooming Baker and the pitchers, I'm just not all that crazy about a straight R/L platoon. Pudge's power has been steadily declining in the past few years and he's not that much better against lefties than he is against righties. Maybe a 20-30 basis point difference in OBP.

I'd like him in maybe a 30-35% playing time role, but I doubt he'd sign on for that. He could probably start for somebody and I think he'd rather go that route.

[jay576]

I would prefer Zaun if we are looking at baker 70% playing time. It doesn't make sense to pay 4 mill to a player who only appears in 35% of the games.

[Nny]

Because if Baker doesn't pan out, we need a good back up plan.

Partly why our OF is in such an "okkk" thing at the moment because if Maybin struggles with the transition, instead of being able to shift Cody back there and putting X in a corner spot and producing like a 4th OFer produces instead we'd have Alfredo in Center and back to having a sub-.700 OPS in our line up.

Same deal with C. Baker was certainly amazing last season and certainly as a worst case scenerio he should atleast be able to hit RHP "good enough" (.725+). But we're also talking about at best average defense and a very poor arm.

He was in the PCL four years running and last season was the first time he had any real success. 2008 was a great season for him but his track record also makes it questionable. Insurance is never a bad thing. Ease a player in. Don't throw him into the fire without a plan B. Cuz Paul Hoover is not Plan B. Paul Hoover is "Shit, we fucked up."

[Nny]

also while we're reing: baker, one of the reason Baker's numbers were so wow-zam last year was his very high BABIP which I covered in a topic a very long time ago and evened out his BABIP to .300.

But now with the revelation of the new expected BABIP thing, his babip "should" have been .316

Bill James's projection has him at a .318 BABIP, certainly making me think he uses something similar. Has has baker with a .733 OPS. That certainly would not be bad, as that means his OPS against RHP would be in the upper .700's. Which would actually be good. So far this decade, catcher's have been somewhere around .720. And we had a .664 OPS last season from C, good for 24th in the majors. The offensive prowess upgrade we should get there will be a very big boost.

[marlinsman1120]

hey, i new to the site
i dont know how to post new forum, so im post a interest article on mvn.com:


Marlins Today


January 5, 2009
Andruw Jones: Should the Marlins roll the dice?

What do Andruw Jones and the current economic status of the United States have in common? They have both recessed a historical amount over the past two years. After hitting .263/.355/.908 with 92 homers and getting 380 combined MVP points in 2005 and 2006, the 30-year-old outfielder only managed to squeeze out a .190/.283/.614 line with 29 homers in 2007 and 2008 earning him a one way ticket out of Atlanta and most recently, one out of Los Angeles as well. It was announced on Friday that Jones and the Dodgers have reached an agreement that will defer the remainder of his backloaded two year $36 million contract while making it certain that he will not be in L.A. next season. Jones will be out approximately $21 million. Spring training is six weeks away. Thanks to the slowing economy, the free agent market is still loaded. Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, Garett Anderson and Ken Griffey Jr are just some of the outfielders still looking for a new home. Jones' re-negotiated contract is worth $5 mil. While that is too big a risk for the Marlins, with the depth still available on free agency, $5 mil for a .163 hitter last year may not be worth the rest of the league's time, attention or money either. If no one is interested in Jones, he will likely be released before spring training. He would then be a free agent and a very inexpensive one at that. The basis of Larry Beinfest's offseason plan has been to retool with speed and defense. Despite his offensive shortcomings in recent years (not to mention that getting out of the NL West, a dominant pitcher's division, could help him a bit at the plate) , Jones has been his usual impeccable self defensively, posting a 19.8 UZR, a 2.67 range factor and a +22 +/- in his last full season, 2007 and a still respectable 3.7 UZR and a 2.43 range factor in just 496.1 innings in 2008. Using Fangraphs' forumla, over the past two years, Jones has been 22.5 runs better than the league average player. He would make a great backup and mentor to Cameron Maybin in center field. Furthermore, he would give the Marlins a bit more leeway to deal Jeremy Hermida and he is still a recognized name that could help the Marlins prove to Scott Loft, the vice president in charge of ticket sales and service, that they can still fill seats as they look for a place to play in 2011.[

[PitchingWinsGames]

ehe... Alex Carver

http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/01/...-the-dice.html

[Ramp]

lolandruw

[marlinsman1120]

i think the marlins need a bat to replace luis gonzo, i dont know if dallas will do it if he is on the bench

[Matt Wilson]

I'd be fine with Andruw if we can find a way to get around those steroids policies.

[FishFanInPA]

Andruw Jones sucks now. Not worth even a minor league deal...not that he'd take that.

[PitchingWinsGames]

Originally Posted by FishFanInPA Andruw Jones sucks now. Not worth even a minor league deal...not that he'd take that.

I wouldn't go that far... if you bring him in to see if he'll stick, what's it hurt... you can always cut him loose during ST with no harm done... look at what we did with Jacques Strap... err Jones

[Matt Wilson]

Well if you can get him for dirt cheap and he comes off the bench, might be worth it. But if he takes any playing time away from Cam, nononononononono

[PitchingWinsGames]

Originally Posted by Matt Wilson Well if you can get him for dirt cheap and he comes off the bench, might be worth it. But if he takes any playing time away from Cam, nononononononono

I don't think anyone would even let that cross their mind... barring the unforeseen *knock on wood*

[lou]

Orioles are going to sign Zaun.

So to my estimation, that leaves the Marlins, Padres, and maybe the Astros as landing spots for Pudge. I don't think San Diego will pony up. I know a lot of you want to give Johnny Bake 120 starts, but the pieces are perfectly falling in place for us to get Pudge for cheap(er) because he has absolutely nowhere else to go for playing time, or, contending.