Marlins Sign Kevin Kouzmanoff to Minor League Deal

[HUGG]

Justin Ruggiano should be starting until he proves he shouldn't be.

Which I fully expect he will, but he's earned the shot.

[dim]

Not arguing he shouldn't be starting. Just mentioned him because outside of last season, he has no track record of being good, and it's likely many fans who expect Cody Ross all over again from Ruggiano will be disappointed (although who knows, he could bat .300 again and be awesome, but let's be real).

Lou generally evaluates things on paper. Last season, at the beginning of the year, if you accounted for players previous track records, the Marlins had a chance at making, at the very least, the playoffs. This year, even before free agency, if you look at the Marlins roster, things look a little less bleak. And with talks of payroll going DOWN, it's a safe assumption we don't go after any big name or even medium name free agents. Thus, if you account for the current Marlins roster and few minor additions, on paper, the Marlins probably don't appear to be the SUPER DUPER OMG AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH kind of team that we want.

But hell, it's November, and I'm willing to see how things go down this offseason. If the roster's still like this come March, I'll be with lou.

No matter what happens, I still hate Jeffrey Loria because he's awful.

[Bobbob1313]

I guess I'm a bad fan, because I'm fine with reducing payroll and not making a run when it's not there.

[Big Z]

Ruggiano's numbers this season basically matched what he's been doing in the minors over his career. He's just never had a real opportunity in the majors, until this year.

[HUGG]

He also had an unsustainable .401 BABIP

[Beef]

It's nine years of questionable decisions by the front office (albeit with some good decisions in between) boiling up.

The Marlins front office generally makes it hard to want to root for them, as before this year they were constantly trying to pocket their revenue money, and at the first sign of trouble in the team's first season, of what was supposed to be at the very least a two or three year plan, they abandoned ship and traded a shit ton of players.

I think the idea of Donovan Solano, Emilio Bonifacio, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Justin Ruggiano being on your team's starting lineup should piss everybody off.

We'd have just as many annoyed/angry folks if they tried to keep that ship from sinking for 2-3 years

[lou]

You acknowledge the fact that we have 4 full months before the season starts, yet your still mad because we began free agency off by signing Kouzmanoff? To a minor league deal?

Did you miss the part how it is about everything?

I think the idea of Donovan Solano, Emilio Bonifacio, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Justin Ruggiano being on your team's starting lineup should piss everybody off.

I have no problem with Bonifacio at 2B, and Ruggiano as the primary LF (they should bring in a platoon partner who can hit RHP a little bit) as he has certainly earned an opportunity to become a Cody type player. I think Solano has even played himself onto the bench. Given an opportunity to win a starting job? No. Kouz is fine if he was brought in only to compete for that vaunted Helms/Kearns spot at the end of the bench. But I think we all know he's going to be given a chance to start too which is why they suck.

I just find it funny that lou is up in arms, before free agency even gets rolling, about the Marlins being sluggish in what is going to be the weakest free agent market in years. Next year is the free agent market where you want to see your team be a buyer.

2014 primary free agents - Morse, Saltalamacchia, Cano, Hill, Utley, J. Peralta, Prado, D. Wright, Kubel, D. Murphy, Granderson, Ellsbury, Choo, Cruz, Pence, and starting pitchers under 32 G. Floyd, Garza, P. Hughes, JJ, Lincecum, E. Santana, Vargas

Cano, Wright, Prado will be resigned
Granderson, Hill, Utley, Morse, Kubel, D. Murphy wrong side of 30
Choo, Pence and Cruz, they don't need corner OF with Stanton/Yelich/Ruggiano/Ozuna
Saltalamacchia, a catcher not needed as well

As for the starting pitchers, the Marlins currently have the best or second best (Garza) one of that group. So basically, in 2014 there is maybe Ellsbury (will be 30) and resigning Josh Johnson as the best two free agents that fit for the Marlins. Next best is Jhonny Peralta for 3B. And that's a stopgap.

In 2013, there is BJ, Bourn, Melky, Pagan, Victorino, McCarthy, Haren, E. Jackson, Anibal, Marcum and that's without Greinke and Hamilton who will eat up someones payroll making other guys more available.

So respectfully, I think the 2014 market is a lot weaker than the 2013 one. There are center fielders and there are better and younger SP available right now. Let alone, probably the best free agent fit for the Marlins in 2014 is Josh Fucking Johnson

This is the offseason to spend for 2014.

Justin Ruggiano should be starting until he proves he shouldn't be.

Which I fully expect he will, but he's earned the shot.

Yes, just get a guy who can platoon and maybe hit some RHP. This can be a bench level player like a Kearns, but I agree. Let Ruggiano play and hopefully he turns into a Ross so they don't have to rush Yelich (or can move Yelich to 1B if Morrison does not work out. Yelich played 1B in high school).

I guess I'm a bad fan, because I'm fine with reducing payroll and not making a run when it's not there.

It's not about making a run. It's about building the fan base with the new stadium. They are blowing their opportunity of giving themselves credibility. They are a JJ trade, and eating 2/3rds of Nolasco/Buck salary to save the other third from having the lowest payroll in baseball, in a new stadium. Regardless that there is an argument to be made their that those are productive moves, that gives the peanut gallery a one liner to keep repeating of how their payroll is low. Get rid of all those guys, then go out and get a center fielder and starting pitcher, and fill out the pen, bench, and 3B with 1 year veterans to at least give the team a shot. And as I showed up, this free agency is better than next for the Marlins needs.

They can't do this the 2nd year into a new stadium. It's insane.

[Namaste]

We're JJ, and part of Nolasco and Buck away from lowest payroll in baseball. And it's not like they are going to save that money to reinvest next year. That sucks. Nothing has changed.

Yep. A lot of you are downplaying the public relations nightmare that having a bottom feeder payroll in the SECOND year of new ballpark is.

They whistled this tune for a long time: Give us a new baseball only retractable roof facility and the payroll will reflect that. You can't go back to the old ways so soon. You fucking just can't.

bobbob, tell me how dumb I am. Or just say, "ehe". One time (or 845 times). : )


Edit: lou I just read your last post. There is an echo in here.

[Beef]

If there's an argument to be made that they are productive moves that you don't want to happen, then eph the peanut gallery. If we add span and suck the peanut gallery isn't going to be applauding the marlins for trying - they'll do what peanut galleries do and complain in unison

[HUGG]

Like when they did it last year and the reward was everyone wants them all fired.
--------------------
They signed all the guys people wanted them to sign and it tottttallllly failed and it's because they are dumb.


Well, not all of them. That's an exaggeration I guess.

[lou]

If there's an argument to be made that they are productive moves that you don't want to happen, then eph the peanut gallery. If we add span and suck the peanut gallery isn't going to be applauding the marlins for trying - they'll do what peanut galleries do and complain in unison

If this was year 12 in the stadium and not 2 I would agree with you. They need to make a commitment or things won't change until a new ownership group comes in. You cannot eph the fan base they need to survive. If they aren't drawing 25k a night average, they aren't going to be able to sustain a $90-95 middle of the pack payroll, which is both needed to realistically contend and what was 'promised' with the stadium to the tax payers. It's more than just fielding a team, they need to fill those empty retail options around the stadium and start to make good on things. Starting to establish they are legitimately running the organization through player acquisitions is a start. They made a great first effort last year, which I do acknowledge. But since it didn't work out. They are falling back onto how they have done things forever. I mean, what is their plan? To wait out the Rays moving to Portland or San Antonio and get a massive new TV contract and then they try to field a contender?

Also, as for "productively" moving Johnson, Nolasco, and Buck, that's only productive if they get a premium piece (preferably 3B, could be a SP) for Johnson, and use the, let's say the $20 million saved on 2013 payroll (plus the $25 saved with Hanley, Infante, and Bell between 12-13) to get a center fielder for 4 years, a # 3 SP for 3 years, and a few veteran stop gaps for 3B, 5th SP, bench, and bullpen on 1 year deals. Dumping Johnson, Nolasco, and Buck to save $20 million and make Jupiter/Jacksonville better is not helping year 2 in the stadium. Likewise, even if you want to argue "they aren't contending, so just get AA kids that line up with Yelich/Fernandez," I want to know where that $45-50 million that just came off 2012 and 2013 payroll is going. Call me out prematurely, but I'm willing to say they are not going to reinvest savings down the road. That's why these deals make sense. Save some cash, use savings to be better. It's not keep the savings and blame the fan base for not showing up because the team sucks.

[Swifty]

Just dropping in here, they didn't really sign anyone ALL the "guys" wanted them to sign aside from Buehrle. I don't think many people thought Reyes or Bell were smart signings. I think hindsight being what it is, those signings weren't. I think they spent poorly, which doesn't really make for "spending" and when it didn't work (albeit surprisingly, I think most, myself included thought that 2012 was at worst 85ish wins) they blew it up and go back to scorched earth. That's a problem.

I think the bigger problem isn't that they're fluctuating so greatly between spending and not spending, it's that they don't have an ounce of sense when they do either. There's just no reason to believe ANYTHING they do is going to work because it was intended, it's going to work because the broken clock is right twice a day or what have you.

Now, carry on.

[Beef]

Thanks

[Todd]

Just because the players this offseason are easier to attain(but no less expensive) does not make it a better free agent market.

[emkayseven]

They are players at positions we need. That's what makes it better.

I am with lou on this 100%