Selling Time: Marlins Trade Deadline Discussion

[Namaste]

The first thing my brain thought when I saw that photo was "Chewie"

So your answer is yest

[Fritz]

They're Korean.

[Chewford]

They're Korean.

The only way to know for sure if they talk like "oobbaa, ee-go sa jusayo" or all like "CHING chong XER xie JING CHUNG".

/racist

[CrimsonCane]

No need to worry. Our GM is a Harvard graduate!

That means very little.

[Swifty]

Now that Infante's gone, you take best available offer for Nolasco assuming no $ is going the other way, or you find someone (Mets?) that'd take Buck if you eat half the contract.

There's your money for the BJ Upton signing. Assuming nothing else drastic, 2013 looks like:

C-Brantly
1B-LoMo
2B-Emilio
SS-Reyes
3B-Hanley
LF-Ruggiano/FA
CF-Ruggiano/FA
RF-Stanton

SP-JJ
SP-Buehrle
SP-Hand/LeBlanc/Turner
SP-Hand/LeBlanc/Turner
SP-Reclamation project/Z

I'm a fan.

PS:

To echo Chewie's sentiment, blowing up this team, now, is probably a bad idea. (1) You just solved a ton of your short term "how can I afford that" problems with Turner (and I'd assume Fernandez next year at some point) and, by all accounts, a lot of people like Brantly. I don't know a whole lot about him, but Gammons LOVES him (I know I know, so what) and the shared sentiment seems to be good glove, no-pop bat. I'd be lying if I said that has me excited, but we literally have nothing at the high levels, so that's a win in and of itself. Maybe he upgrades the C position, maybe he doesn't. He can't make it worse, and he'll certainly make it cheaper. (2) This team does have a talented core, it just needs help. Hopefully the organization realizes that there's more to baseball than the back of a 1970's baseball card and moves away from stolen bases and tries to put together a more balanced lineup.

If we are going scorched earth (and I have to say that based on what Rich and Tommy said about being "shocked" if JJ gets dealt I'm not sure we're there) but the "next" guy up probably should be Buehrle. I'd imagine a lot of teams that are poking around for pitching (Texas, Boston) would probably really like him. Plus, what good is a 34 year old Buehrle anchoring a 70 win club next season?

[Namaste]

Very well thought out post, Swift.

Disagree that Brantly can't be worse than Buck, though (of course).

Isn't his BP Perfect World scenario a big league back up catcher or did I read something wrong?

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Very well thought out post, Swift.

Disagree that Brantly can't be worse than Buck, though (of course).

Isn't his BP Perfect World scenario a big league back up catcher or did I read something wrong?

You did not read it wrong.

Perfect World Projection: A second-division starter or a good backup.

[Omar]

If we are going scorched earth (and I have to say that based on what Rich and Tommy said about being "shocked" if JJ gets dealt I'm not sure we're there) but the "next" guy up probably should be Buehrle. I'd imagine a lot of teams that are poking around for pitching (Texas, Boston) would probably really like him. Plus, what good is a 34 year old Buehrle anchoring a 70 win club next season?

This I have an issue with, from a long-term perspective. We don't have a very good track record with free agents and I don't want to be one of the teams that has to pay a premium to bring new players in. I fear that premium will come if we trade a second free agent, one performing well, in the first year of his new deal.

[Erick]

Brantly/Buck platoon next year?

[lou]

Brantly/Buck platoon next year?

I think he is July 2013 best case scenario for Brantly, let alone they are going to let Buck play. BABIP is humorously low, LD% career norm, BB rate way up. Something is going to give at some point unless someone is cool eating his salary in a trade (no one will). He's not great, but he can hit .230 from today till the end of his contract which buys time for Brantly to get PA in AAA, and Realmuto in AA.

[Erick]

I think he is July 2013 best case scenario for Brantly, let alone they are going to let Buck play. BABIP is humorously low, LD% career norm, BB rate way up. Something is going to give at some point unless someone is cool eating his salary in a trade (no one will). He's not great, but he can hit .230 from today till the end of his contract which buys time for Brantly to get PA in AAA, and Realmuto in AA.

Yeah, makes sense.

[Swifty]

This I have an issue with, from a long-term perspective. We don't have a very good track record with free agents and I don't want to be one of the teams that has to pay a premium to bring new players in. I fear that premium will come if we trade a second free agent, one performing well, in the first year of his new deal.

Eh, we blow it up (again) ain't nobody coming here on a discount anyway.
--------------------
PS:

I think you either do it with such reckless disregard and emotional detachment that you don't care what you "owe" someone (besides, they're the ones that signed the guaranteed deal with a no-trade anyway) or you do it with a cautious focus, but in that case, I think you owe it to Hanley (the face) or JJ (the homegrown All-Star) to keep them around and give them an opportunity to "make good." I also think, if you're going with the second option, you owe it to the franchise to at least do something "traditional" and keep a player around, even if some of their years aren't so great. Enough of this every year needs to be an absurd outperformance of their salary otherwise they're out. Baseball doesn't work like that. Crazy fluctuations happen year to year.

[HUGG]

Can we have a conversation about the fact that BJ Upton kinda sucks and how unfortunate it will be if we waste a bunch of money on him?

[Party]

I was thinking the same thing.

[Bobbob1313]

SO, trade Hanley to Oakland for one of their 900 young starters, and then JJ to Texas for Justin Grimm and MIke Olt and then we have a party.