Offseason Shopping (Seemingly) Over: So, Was It Good For You?

[Valid]

I wanted Pujols, but I am obviously not going to complain about our haul. It was a great off-season. However, as was already said in this thread, our season isn't going to depend on any of our winter acquisition: it's going to depend on Johnson's health. If he can remain healthy, I think this team will make the playoffs. If not, then...actually I don't want to think about that, so I'll just leave it alone.

[Miamarlin21]

I understand what Swifty is saying, but I don't know if I agree with it. Yes, it stings that we got our big three so early and then got rejected by Pujols, Wilson and now Cespedes. Maybe it's because it snowballed so early for everyone that expectations became way too high. Then the snowball just "melted" after the final signing. I don't think we'd have this conversation if say we didn't sign everyone/was rejected by everyone at once. Say we signed one, rejected, signed one, rejected and so on, I think it wouldn't "sting" as much (for lack of better word.) I am very happy, no, extremely happy with the off-season. Would I love to have Pujols or Wilson? Of course. But I am not saying it was a bust off-season because look at what we did get. As Chewie said, Reyes is a franchise-changing acquisition. If Pujols nor Fielder were on the market at the same time, Reyes would have been the top commodity. I am excited about this team, with the new players, new venue, new uniforms and everything.

[Ramp]

I think the fact that some are disappointed that we didn't sign Cespides or Pujols or Wilson just shows have far the team has come in the last 4 months. In 2011, most would be disappointed we couldn't sign a backup first baseman, not a Hall of Fame one.

I'd say this was a pretty damn good off-season and the fact that the Marlins are relevant again nationally is huge too.

[Mainge]

Exactly. Weren't we like "Ah fuck. That would have been cool." when Eric Chaves signed with New York?

Even though it would have, indeed, been cool.
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Or maybe that was just me

[Miamarlin21]

I wanted Chavez too, Mainge.

[Swifty]

So let's expand this further. The 2005 offseason was a ton of fun. Leiter, almost got Odalis Perez (who was kind of cool at the time) and then later Delgado. On paper a great team. Arguably stronger on paper than this team. (Actually, I'm not so sure it's even arguable, 2005 might be the best team we've ever had, again, on paper).

We all know how that ended and then what happened in the offseason.

So, does winning cure the malaise around the franchise?

Is the malaise already cured?

If the answer to either, or both, of those is 'no' then what does it?

[Miamarlin21]

Wow, I haven't heard Odalis Perez's name in forever. I hate to blame things, but forced scheduling really, really hurt our team. Weren't we very close to first in the Wild Card on September 1st? Playing all those games because of the hurricane and then I think we had some injuries (didn't Lowell play second or short for one game?) decided the Marlins' fate.

[Swifty]

We were buried in July, but then made a late run until Clemens homered off AJ and basically ended the season. It was a team wide slump and Lowell and Leiter deciding to shit the bed.

'04 was the bonkers scheduling. The "home" games in Chicago and Aramis Ramirez sodomizing Logan Kensing.

[The_Godfather]

Haven't read this thread, not sure the sentiment, and I've mentioned it in another thread; but color me thoroughly unimpressed by this spending spree. Not a single person can argue that we got any of the guys we signed for under market value. We overpaid, and it's not the way we should be doing business. All three major signings have huge risks.

Reyes isn't a run producer. No power, has injury problems, and speed is the first thing to go with age. I don't want a guy who hits doubles on that kind of contract, it could be an albatross in a year or two.

Buerhle is solid. Solid pitcher. Not the kind of guy at his age though who deserves the years and money we gave him. I want elite for those kind of numbers, not solid.

Bell. Bah. He is a freakin' closer, he pitches one inning, even if he was the most dominant guy in the league I don't want him, but like the other two guys we signed, he is aging and his peripheral numbers are on a downward slope. Do not want.

We sign Pujols...fine...this all would have made sense. We have the HUGE splash offseason going into the ball park, taking big risks and spending too much money, but we got the best hitter in the game, and we would make some noise...instead as is...we got three guys on the decline who got paid over market value. Just because we had money to spend doesn't mean we had to. Would have rather seen us resign our key guys long term, maybe over spend on the draft this past and present year, sign a couple international guys and spend some money on an undervalued FA or two.

I think in two or three years we are going to look back and regret being anchored and tied to these contracts. If just one of these three guys turns out to be busts, we are handicapped by them being in this market.

[CrimsonCane]

Name me an elite free agent pitcher who we could've obtained for Buerhle's salary. This offseason has shown that SP is going to come at a huge premium.

[Erick]

Reyes for 6/106 is a pretty good deal.

If you didn't like that deal, you basically didn't want a big free agent signing at all.

I think the only guy we went overboard with was Buehrle.

[TheMendozaLine]

This fan base is awfully difficult to please

[Erick]

For what it's worth, I think all 3 signings make the team better and since it's not my money...woohoo!

I just think Buehrle is overpaid due to the fact that he relies so much on contact although his pitching style might just help him age better. I don't like that he's getting 14.5 mill per year, which is just a mill less per year than C.J. Wilson. I don't believe they're even in the same tier, really.

Bell is overpaid, but I have no problem with it. He's not overpaid in comparison to what the market for closers actually is and I'm not all that worried about his declining peripherals/Petco factor. The declining peripherals were based on last year alone and you can't really judge a reliever on one year. Bell already had a year like this once and bounced back with fantastic peripherals.

Difficult to criticize the Reyes deal. He doesn't even have to play to his max potential for that deal to be worth it, financially. That was one of the best signings of the offseason.

[Bobbob1313]

I would have rather had Jackson at whatever he's gonna get than Beurhle, I think.
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Which is not to say that I think Beurhle is overpaid.

If you think Beurhle's overpaid, go look at the contract Ryan Dempster got after a single good year as a starter.

This is what the market is.

[Mainge]

For what it's worth, I think all 3 signings make the team better and since it's not my money...woohoo!

I just think Buehrle is overpaid due to the fact that he relies so much on contact although his pitching style might just help him age better. I don't like that he's getting 14.5 mill per year, which is just a mill less per year than C.J. Wilson. I don't believe they're even in the same tier, really.

Bell is overpaid, but I have no problem with it. He's not overpaid in comparison to what the market for closers actually is and I'm not all that worried about his declining peripherals/Petco factor. The declining peripherals were based on last year alone and you can't really judge a reliever on one year. Bell already had a year like this once and bounced back with fantastic peripherals.

Difficult to criticize the Reyes deal. He doesn't even have to play to his max potential for that deal to be worth it, financially. That was one of the best signings of the offseason.

I don't understand this. It's not your money, yes, but that doesn't mean you should give anyone a pass for inefficient spending.

And I'm not saying they were inefficient contracts (well Bell is), I just think "who cares, it's not my money" is silly.