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Marlins special assistant Andre Dawson said owner Jeffrey Loria told him recently that he plans to acquire hitters, and Dawson said there are three priorities: third base, first base and catcher. But budget constraints again could prove limiting.
Marlins people (not Dawson) suspect the payroll will fall in the range of this season’s, which was $36 million before the Ricky Nolasco trade in July, plus $12.5 million paid to players dealt to Toronto and Arizona. But Loria hasn’t informed the staff of the 2014 payroll number and he’s prone to changing his mind.
“You are in dire need of offense, and it’s going to cost money,” Dawson said. “You have to spend to win, and you might have to overpay.… Jeffrey said on the last homestead that we have to get hitters in here and he’s going to.”
The Marlins entered Tuesday last in baseball with 503 runs (the average for National League teams is 630); last in homers at 95 (140 is the NL average) and last in batting average at .232 (.252).
The Marlins could fill one or two of those priority areas through trades. There are three problems with luring high-quality free agents, even beyond how much Loria is willing to spend: The team is coming off a horrible season; Loria is viewed suspiciously by players after trading Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle a year after signing them; and the roomy ballpark dimensions –-- criticized by Giancarlo Stanton and Logan Morrison –-- are a major turnoff to hitters.
“Any single person who has taken batting practice here,” Stanton reiterated this week, “is not talking about how beautiful the park is or what hitters they’re worried about. They’re talking about the graveyard it is out there.”
Stanton said he suspects Marlins management is aware of the “chatter about” the ballpark dimensions but said “it’s not my job” to implore Loria to move in the fences. Manager Mike Redmond said he would not get involved in the issue. The Marlins have hit just 36 homers at home, 59 on the road.
Among free agents at the three priority areas:
### Catcher: The Braves’ Brian McCann (.261, 20 homers, 57 RBI) is presumably out of Miami’s price range. Other notable free agents: Boston catcher and West Palm Beach native Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.266, 13, 59), Texas’ A.J. Pierzynski (.275, 17, 66), the Cubs’ Dioner Navarro (.303, 13, 34) and Philadelphia’s Carlos Ruiz (.273, 5, 37).
### Third base: Weak group of free agents. The Marlins want someone who can be productive there for at least a year or two until Colin Moran is ready. The top free agents are all between 33 and 36: the Dodgers’ Juan Uribe (.273, 12, 48), the Dodgers’ Michael Young, who previously drew Marlins interest (.284, 8, 46) and Arizona’s Eric Chavez (.283, 9, 44).
### First base: A Marlins person said Loria expected more from Morrison (.246, 6, 36 in 81 games), even though Morrison was coming off knee surgery. “With all due respect to Logan, you want to address the need for better defense and more production offensively,” Dawson said.
Among free agents, the Brewers’ Corey Hart (.270, 30, 83) would be too expensive. Also set for free agency: Cuban defector Jose Dariel Abreu, who intrigues the Marlins; Boston’s Mike Napoli, who grew up in South Florida and can also play catcher (.257, 23, 90), Pittsburgh’s Justin Morneau (.258, 17, 76), Tampa’s James Loney (.296, 13, 71) and Seattle’s Kendrys Morales (.276, 22, 78).
Fort Lauderdale native Mike Morse, 31, has slumped badly for Seattle and Baltimore (.215, 13, 37) but had two exceptional years for Washington in 2011 and 2012 (combined 49 homers, .298 average), and Marlins like taking chances on players one season removed from good years because they tend to come cheaply.
Marlins people (not Dawson) suspect the payroll will fall in the range of this season’s, which was $36 million before the Ricky Nolasco trade in July, plus $12.5 million paid to players dealt to Toronto and Arizona. But Loria hasn’t informed the staff of the 2014 payroll number and he’s prone to changing his mind.
“You are in dire need of offense, and it’s going to cost money,” Dawson said. “You have to spend to win, and you might have to overpay.… Jeffrey said on the last homestead that we have to get hitters in here and he’s going to.”
The Marlins entered Tuesday last in baseball with 503 runs (the average for National League teams is 630); last in homers at 95 (140 is the NL average) and last in batting average at .232 (.252).
The Marlins could fill one or two of those priority areas through trades. There are three problems with luring high-quality free agents, even beyond how much Loria is willing to spend: The team is coming off a horrible season; Loria is viewed suspiciously by players after trading Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle a year after signing them; and the roomy ballpark dimensions –-- criticized by Giancarlo Stanton and Logan Morrison –-- are a major turnoff to hitters.
“Any single person who has taken batting practice here,” Stanton reiterated this week, “is not talking about how beautiful the park is or what hitters they’re worried about. They’re talking about the graveyard it is out there.”
Stanton said he suspects Marlins management is aware of the “chatter about” the ballpark dimensions but said “it’s not my job” to implore Loria to move in the fences. Manager Mike Redmond said he would not get involved in the issue. The Marlins have hit just 36 homers at home, 59 on the road.
Among free agents at the three priority areas:
### Catcher: The Braves’ Brian McCann (.261, 20 homers, 57 RBI) is presumably out of Miami’s price range. Other notable free agents: Boston catcher and West Palm Beach native Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.266, 13, 59), Texas’ A.J. Pierzynski (.275, 17, 66), the Cubs’ Dioner Navarro (.303, 13, 34) and Philadelphia’s Carlos Ruiz (.273, 5, 37).
### Third base: Weak group of free agents. The Marlins want someone who can be productive there for at least a year or two until Colin Moran is ready. The top free agents are all between 33 and 36: the Dodgers’ Juan Uribe (.273, 12, 48), the Dodgers’ Michael Young, who previously drew Marlins interest (.284, 8, 46) and Arizona’s Eric Chavez (.283, 9, 44).
### First base: A Marlins person said Loria expected more from Morrison (.246, 6, 36 in 81 games), even though Morrison was coming off knee surgery. “With all due respect to Logan, you want to address the need for better defense and more production offensively,” Dawson said.
Among free agents, the Brewers’ Corey Hart (.270, 30, 83) would be too expensive. Also set for free agency: Cuban defector Jose Dariel Abreu, who intrigues the Marlins; Boston’s Mike Napoli, who grew up in South Florida and can also play catcher (.257, 23, 90), Pittsburgh’s Justin Morneau (.258, 17, 76), Tampa’s James Loney (.296, 13, 71) and Seattle’s Kendrys Morales (.276, 22, 78).
Fort Lauderdale native Mike Morse, 31, has slumped badly for Seattle and Baltimore (.215, 13, 37) but had two exceptional years for Washington in 2011 and 2012 (combined 49 homers, .298 average), and Marlins like taking chances on players one season removed from good years because they tend to come cheaply.
Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2013/09/loria-says-he-wants-to-add-offense-dolphins-injury-news-heat-canes.html#storylink=cpy
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