Marlins Sign Kevin Kouzmanoff to Minor League Deal

[Beef]

In what sense, that this free agent class is better than the next or that the marlins have clearly fallen back into their former ways and kouzmanoff is plan a or that fielding a semi decent team or kinda good team next year would make any difference with fans or some combo?

[Todd]

Not worth the money they would cost however.

[emkayseven]

"Worth" is relative. Worth in relation to baseball skills? Maybe not, but only by a slight margin. But what it represents is much greater. Already there is such negative press and feelings toward this team that a large segment of people have already been alienated. A bottom quartile payroll gives those people ammunition. This team cannot survive competitively with 15-18K a game which is what I'd expect numbers would be this year without something "interesting" drawing people to a game. Then in a few years when they let Stanton walk, haven't signed any FAs, etc. they say "Well we built this awesome stadium and no one came!" To have a competitive ballclub, you must sign players to plug holes. To be able to sign players you must at some point either overpay (a la Nats with Jayson Werth) or have a positive culture that makes someone want to play for you. The latter is what we had last offseason which caused us to be able to sign the guys we did. We don't have that anymore. We probably have the most negative culture in baseball right now. All things equal (money, starting jobs available, etc) why would anyone in their right mind WANT to play in Miami? In order to get people here we have to overpay. And once we do, if we start winning, the culture changes and players want to come here. But right now, we have no recourse. We cannot win with the players we have, and without winning we will not have fans, and without fans we will not have a revenue source, and without a revenue source we cannot sign players, and on ad infinitum.

[Ramp]

I think they need to reinvest with the team as we head to 2013. Not spend idiotically on a closer but show the fanbase that this isn't the same song and dance as it is every year.

[Todd]

who would you have them target? None of this years free agents are cost effective and overpaying is only good if the players will be productive. Giving BJ Upton or Michael Bourn $10 to $12 million a year would be a huge mistake.

[Bobbob1313]

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

I'm really not sure why I got called out for using Beef's signature moves, here.

[Beef]

You're a disrespectful meanie - leave me out of this

[emkayseven]

who would you have them target? None of this years free agents are cost effective and overpaying is only good if the players will be productive. Giving BJ Upton or Michael Bourn $10 to $12 million a year would be a huge mistake.

It's only a huge mistake in your weird world where BJ and Bourn are league average players

[Mainge]

It's only a huge mistake in your weird world where BJ and Bourn are league average players

No one has answered me yet, but I'll try again.

If BJ Upton is only average offensively, and the defensive metrics have him as average, average, and bad over the last 3 seasons, how is he better than average?

[nny]

No one has answered me yet, but I'll try again.

If BJ Upton is only average offensively, and the defensive metrics have him as average, average, and bad over the last 3 seasons, how is he better than average?

Positional scarcity

An average offensive and defensive CF is an above average value player

[Beef]

Also, eph defensive metrics and he might be more fun offensively

/in depth stuff

[lou]

base running bump too. BJ has been 10-11-10 in CF WAR last 3 years. Not a world beater, but still pretty good. And he is entering his prime.
--------------------

Also, eph defensive metrics and he might be more fun offensively

/in depth stuff

Personally, I've never met a BJ I didn't like.

[Mainge]

Positional scarcity

An average offensive and defensive CF is an above average value player

Hey a real answer!

[lou]

Hey a real answer!

Also if we are talking about a CF acquisition, "WAR" would indicate his value over a replacement level player. The marlins, don't even have that in CF, making BJ/Bourn/Pagan/Whoever that much more attractive.

I'm just saying, if the price is right, you live with the strikeouts.

[Todd]

Its not just the strikeouts that is bothersome. Its the strikeouts, the seemingly mediocre defense, and the fact that he doesnt get on base.