3B Search: Looks Likes It's Boner or Donnie

[Big Z]

-MLBTR

5:42pm: The Rockies "have [an] open mind about dealing" Lopez, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post, though the club feels "no urgency" to make such a move.

5:19pm: The Rockies have received some trade interest from other teams about infielder Jose Lopez, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Lopez is slated to be in the Rockies' second base mix, but if dealt, the job would fall to Ty Wigginton and Jonathan Herrera, Rosenthal notes.

Lopez was dealt to Colorado last December from Seattle, and his name surfaced in trade talks again in February when he was rumored to be part of the package the Rockies had offered the Rangers for Michael Young. Lopez will earn $3.6MM this season, and since Colorado signed Wigginton to a two-year, $8MM deal in December, Wigginton could take priority as the club's top right-handed utility option.

Given Chase Utley's injury woes, the Phillies leap to mind as a team that could be interested in second base help, their recent signing of Luis Castillo notwithstanding. While Lopez is best known as a second baseman, he started 142 games at third for the Mariners last season and fielded his position very well -- his UZR/150 was an impressive 7.5. The Marlins may have a hole at third base, though they were "not initiating trade talk about third base options with other clubs" and Lopez's salary is rather high for Florida.

Can Colorado use Mr. Nunez..

[emkayseven]

not sure why they'd want him with street, belisle, betancourt and lindstrom

[Ramp]

so no need for this face?

[Nick]

[Big Z]

The Marlins have a chance to do something that would be all of these things: bold, smart, important, unexpected, exciting and expensive. Franchise history suggests the latter alone likely will negate all the others, but we can dream can we not?

We can hope a club forever on a self-imposed too-tight budget might for once shock us and dare to do something its corporate accountants might not like.

The team should go get six-time all-star Michael Young from the Texas Rangers to play third base.

(Do you believe in miracles?)

PRESSING NEED

Young is available, and the Marlins have a pressing, immediate need. The teams have spoken, so there is obvious interest – and was even before presumed third baseman of the future Matt Dominguez proved not ready and was demoted Wednesday.

The issue with the perfect fit Young is that Florida would have to spend more in salary paid or in players given up than its track record suggests it will.

A bigger-spending, more now-driven ownership would find a way to make the deal. This one more likely will settle for a cut-rate alternative, claiming it already is overbudget — even though the club continues profitable and its 2011 payroll, while increased, still will be among the bottom fourth in MLB.

Marlins fans have become used to watching others (like the NL East benchmark Phillies) be the bold spenders making the big moves. Getting Young would declare the Marlins are in it to win it, too, and now, not in some vague future.

Start with the need.

WEAK HOT CORNER

Dominguez, 21, of the golden glove but iffy bat, has withered this spring and needs more seasoning. What’s left at third — likely utility guy Donnie Murphy starting with a platoon of Emilio Bonifacio and a sprinkling of Wes Helms — would give Florida the weakest third-base presence in the majors, and a black hole in the lineup.

“We’re just gonna put ‘em all in the pot and see what [manager Edwin Rodriguez] wants to do with it,” infield coach Perry Hill said Thursday.

The Marlins are close enough to being a playoff contender to fix this hole, not abide it. This has been a rough spring, but Mike Stanton’s two three-run homers Thursday spoke anew of this team’s huge potential.

Young would be the final piece that makes this a playoff team, it says here.

That won’t happen getting by with the existing journeymen at third, or with a coupon-clipping alternative such as maybe veteran Pedro Feliz, should the Royals cut him.

ESPN reported the Marlins, Phillies and Cubs were among teams exploring Young’s availability. It is turning interest into action that defines big teams from wannabe’s.

Owner Jeffrey Loria says by habit every spring that he expects a playoff season.

Time for him to play a role in his own optimism by spending here.

Young is 34 but remains a big, vital bat with much career left — or at least enough until Dominguez is truly ready in a year or two. Young is a career .300 hitter with five 200-hit seasons, a bankable 20-homer, 90-RBI guy hitting .341 this spring.

Also, he is the most versatile infielder in baseball, a manager’s dream.

Young played third base regularly for Texas the past two seasons. Before that, he was a five-year starting shortstop. And he began his big-league career at second, still calling that his natural position. This spring, he has learned to play first, too.

Is he Brooks Robinson-incarnate at third? No. He is adequate defensively. (Yes, he made 19 errors last year. And if I told the Mets’ David Wright won a Gold Glove at third a year he made 21 errors, you would say what?)

Young’s offense, versatility and clubhouse presence on a youthful, leadership-short team like the Marlins overwhelm any defensive concerns. And he would welcome a trade, wanting out ever since Texas spent big to sign third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Young is due $16 million this season and the Rangers seek top prospects to trade him, but this is where negotiation enters in. If Texas would absorb a substantial chunk of that salary, their argument for top prospects would be stronger.

I don’t like to play GM, but let’s conjecture that Texas might eat half of that salary if the Marlins would give them an expendable star off the farm and maybe throw in an arm from their sudden bullpen surplus. (Brian Sanches, maybe?)

A Marlins team that spent $6 million for one year of pitcher Javier Vazquez should be willing to spend $8 million to have Young.

It is timely to note that Forbes’ annual list of MLB franchise values, out this week, puts the Marlins at $360 million – up 13 percent over last year thanks, in large part. to the new stadium opening in 2012. That ties for the fourth-greatest increase in value.

The list also puts the club’s net operating income at a midpack $20.2 million, meaning the Marlins are profitable for Loria even before the guaranteed goose of a new ballpark. The stadium was, of course, a sweetheart deal for the Marlins, one reason Miami-Dade voters just fired mayor Carlos Alvarez in a recall election.

Bottom line? This club can afford to add Young and still be profitable. One might even argue that acquiring

Young would help fulfill something of a moral obligation to fans in return for all that taxpayer money poured into the new stadium.

It would be like a nice thank-you note from Loria!

Again, we can dream, right?

-Greg Cote(Miami Herald)

[PitchingWinsGames]

(Yes, he made 19 errors last year. And if I told the Mets’ David Wright won a Gold Glove at third a year he made 21 errors, you would say what?)

uhhhhhhhhh

[Party]

I Tweeted:

SoFlaMarlins SoFlaMarlins

@gregcote Why should the Marlins make a "bold" move when it is nowhere near a perfect fit?
48 seconds ago

SoFlaMarlins SoFlaMarlins

@gregcote Every def. statistic, classic and modern, pegs Young as a mediocre 3B. Most def. stats have Wright as above average.
1 minute ago

SoFlaMarlins SoFlaMarlins

@gregcote Michael Young has a career .733 OPS away from hitter friendly Arlington (.859 at home)
4 minutes ago

SoFlaMarlins SoFlaMarlins

@gregcote Rangers have said they will need big time prospects in order to eat most of Young's contract, Marlins don't have that right now

I sure showed him!

[Big Z]

I Tweeted:



I sure showed him!

You just made Cote your bitch!

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Edwin said 3B -- either Murphy or bonifacio -- could be fiinalizef by Monday. Rest of roster by Wednesday #marlins

-JoeCap

I'm hoping for Murphy, I don't want another Boner expirement.

We really need to get a real third basemen.

[CrimsonCane]

Cote is the worst. I'm sure if you go back through his articles, he always says, "(Insert Miami team) needs to make a bold move" before that team's season starts. The bold move is always to bring in an overpriced veteran with name recognition. That's probably because Cote knows absolutely nothing about baseball.

[Party]

He does it to get people who know nothing about sports to bob their heads.

[emkayseven]

YEAH! WE WANT A BOLD MOVE!

I mean, would it be nice to have Young? Yes, but not at the price tag or prospect cost. I'd rather save resources for July when we see what we need, than go get an overpriced aging veteran who probably wouldn't be a HUGE upgrade anyway.

[Omar]

Getting Pujols > Getting Young

:: walks out of thread ::

[lou]

I honestly think Texas is full of shit and ends up eating $24-30 million of his contract, making Young in the $6-8 per year. I don't give a crap about his splits outside Arlington or their demands for "top" prospects. He is a 2 WAR player minimum, and we have probably -2 at 3B right now. He's not a world beater, but he's a crazy upgrade for us, and could hold down 2B for 2012-2013 after Infante leaves next year. If we can get him for say, Nunez, Sanabia/West, and some asshole non Marinez RP prospect, it's a go if they eat that much payroll. We don't need those guys. It's not like Sanabia and West are going to wow us if one of our starters go down, versus the other one, or Hill, or Koehler, or Hand midseason.

We all bitch about payroll, but all it really does is add $4 million to this year (assuming Nunez moved). Our books are so incredibly empty 2012-2013 even with Hanley, Johnson, Nolasco, Buck, Coghlan(arb), Anibal(arb), and really that's it, that adding Young doesn't do to much to our ability to sign someone. There aren't really any prime free agents for us in 2012 (we're not giving Prince or Pujols $200 or $300 mil, next best guys - K. Johnson, Reyes, Aramis, Beltran, Cuddyer, Dejesus, Kubel, Swisher has an option, Edwin Jackson, our own Javy Vazquez, then it's an assortment of closers, Bell, Broxton, Capps, F. Cordero, Madson, Papelbon, Valverde. So many relievers means lower prices for all of them). So looking at that list, we're not "missing out on some awesome free agent that we can't sign because we have Young on the books." There is just no one to sign and it's still going to be 1 year Vazquez, or little Choate, type deals. We're better off looking into buyouts for Stanton, Morrison, Coghlan, maybe even Gaby, etc compared to MAJOR free agency acquisitions. Young only hurts if it's $12 million a year, not $6-8. That's the difference between having a bench or back of bullpen or not.

Michael Young would be amazing for us as long as we don't trade Dominguez, James, or Hand, and he comes under $8 bills a year. I don't think that is very unrealistic given Texas situation. You guys all want to point to his Arlington splits, but he kind of .848 away OPS in 2009. I know that was a peak year and he's getting older, but worst case scenario, rock solid .280/.330/.425 type line and 2+ WAR, plus he's not a huge injury risk?

Sign me up. We'd be so god damn lucky to get Michael Young under this scenario. I like Jose Lopez too on the cheap if they can do that for less, or even Mark Teahen if ChiSox eat some cash, or whatever. But I'm not going to complain if this organization steps up and goes after Young with a realistic, eat half the contract and you can have Nunez and some minor league pitching. That would make this team better better now, and not hurt the future. We could only be so lucky if they open the purse a little.

[Miamarlin21]

But with them naming Feliz a closer, would they even want Leo?

[lou]

He also had an .831 pre all star break in 2010, and is going to have a massive chip on his shoulder. Maybe you only play him 130 games and rest him routinely against tough right handers and work in Bonifacio or Murphy a bit to not tire him out in the second half. Regardless, still worth it.

I'm not saying Jose Lopez isn't a better idea if it's "free," I'm just saying Mike Young isn't a bad idea. Given limited options to upgrade, I can think of a lot worse ideas. And starting Murphy/Bonifacio, is one of them.
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But with them naming Feliz a closer, would they even want Leo?

Who gives a fuck? This is about the Rangers clearing massive payroll and getting a very disgruntled young out of their clubhouse.

And regardless, Feliz is going to start by August when they figure out their rotation sucks. They will slowly stretch him out. That's a non issue as far as I see it.
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And that's assuming Nunez is in the deal, which we are all just assuming to deflect payroll, but maybe Loria says fuck it. This team is close. Let's go for it, and just blow them out in July if they aren't contending. It's not like a cheaper Young and Nunez aren't massive contender trade bait.