2014-2015 Marlins Offseason Rumors

[tjfla]

I think it's cute that tjfla still tries to do his "inside info" schtick.

I think it's cute that Todd still hasn't put me on his ignore list and still reads my schtick
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This is still going on.

Makes me wonder if a Cishek trade is already agreed subject to them getting K-Rod. They get an experienced closer, which they "value," and move Cishek for whatever else. Maybe Haren included and another SP comes in.

Anyways.

They want Krod on a 2 yr deal while he wants a 1 yr deal. They want a 2 yr deal so that when they get a deal they like for Cishek they can deal him and still have a closer

This could happen during ST,before the Trade deadline,next offseason?

[Nick]

I think it's cute that Todd still hasn't put me on his ignore list and still reads my schtick

I've missed this.

[lou]

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports that free agent right-hander Francisco Rodriguez has agreed to terms with a team and it isn't the Marlins.
The best guess is that he has re-signed with the Brewers.

Rotoworld blurb

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Not particularly surprising

[lou]

Not sure if this is relevant, but Oakland's manager saying Mark Canha might make their bench. Which is kind of scary because that is a much smarter organization than the Marlins and he would be an ideal 5th bench player next to Ichiro, Mathis, Baker, and Solano.

[dim]

I've touted Canha for three f-ing years. I hated how slowly this front office brought him along in the minors (I've compared Canha's treatment to what was done with Willingham back in the day, which is a bit ironic because of Willingham's history with Oakland) and have said at worst he's got Gaby Sanchez potential. I'm actually excited to see if Canha can be a decent bench guy with Oakland. Basically everybody we traded away or let go this offseason were guys that I personally liked in our minors (Domingo German, Austin Barnes, Chad Wallach, Kike Hernandez, Andrew Heaney). Don't get me wrong I love that they are going for it this year, and the guys I listed being traded were for the most part worth trading. But the Marlins still make strange decisions at times. Not protecting Canha was one.

But then again Canha isn't the difference between making and not making the playoffs, same with the minor league guys we traded, so it's a big reason why I have bitched all too much about these things this offseason.

[Mainge]

He's probably not Gaby Sanchez at worst.

[dim]

Never know until he's actually given a chance. Basically had an OPS over .800 at every minor league stop. Can play multiple positions. The dude is valuable. Stupid he has to wait until being 26 years old to get a chance. Gaby's always the player I use to compare for Canha. Worst scenario is worse than Gaby, but best case scenario is definitely better. I think Canha is better in the long run imo (aka more 2010/2011 Gaby type than 2012/2014 Gaby type).

[Bobbob1313]

Gaby had better minor league numbers and was generally the same age at each stop. Nearly identical power numbers, but Gaby had much better playe discipline. Not sure I see it, here.

[lou]

### Jeffrey Loria’s increased spending has extended beyond player salaries, and the Marlins say the days of wild payroll fluctuations are over and that the current payroll (about $82 million, second-highest in team history) is a reasonable range, with size of future increases dependent on revenue and on-field success.

Asked if payroll would be slashed dramatically if the Marlins underachieve, as they did after 2012, president David Samson said no. “We’re past that,” he said.

Samson said “we want it to be at a point of stability. It’s the ups and downs that have hurt the franchise. We’re trying to become more stable. The team is going to lose money. Jeffrey is writing checks. [But] our revenues are increasing. We want our payroll to increase.”

Every Marlins payroll spike has been followed by a steep reduction --- from $53.5 million in the championship season of 1997 to $13 million the next; from $60 million in 2005 to $14 million the next; to $101 million in the first year in MarlinsPark (2012) to $50 million and $45 million the next two.

The Marlins’ 2015 payroll could top $85 million if Ichiro reaches incentives on plate appearances. Of the $82 million, the Dodgers are covering $10 million (for Dan Haren) and the Yankees are paying $3 million of Martin Prado’s $11 million.

One factor affecting future payrolls is how much the Marlins can command in their Fox cable deal, which they would like to renegotiate and extend. The contract, which runs through 2020, reportedly pays them about $14 million annually --- lowest in baseball.

Meanwhile, Loria this offseason paid for a private jet with first-class seats for the whole team (the Marlins chartered on United last season), hired an assistant hitting coach for the first time (Lenny Harris), hired a chef to make nutritious meals for players, paid a club-record $18 million for draft picks and international amateur players in 2014 and added more than a half dozen employees on the scouting and administrative side.

General manager Dan Jennings said full-time scouts were hired in Mexico and Colombia in the past year and the Marlins now have scouts in every Latin American country.

### Unlike with Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins failed to strike long-term deals with outfielders Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna, who rejected multiyear offers but cannot be free agents until after 2019.

Yelich was open to it, had the money been higher: “I’m honored to be approached with something like that. I feel like we’re going to be good for a long time and it would be nice to be a part of it.”

Meanwhile, Ozuna said agent Scott Boras advised him to reject it: “He thought I should wait. I’m young.”

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sport...#storylink=cpy

Progress? So payroll is really $65-68 range after Dee Gordon money.

I suspect they'll sign Yelich before the 2016 season. Looks like Ozuna is shooting for free agency. Which is fine.
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They have around $70 million in 2016 payroll obligations to:

Salty
Morse
Gordon (arb projected)
Hech (arb projected)
Prado
Yelich
Ozuna (arb projected)
Stanton
Realmuto, Dietrich, Bour, Rojas, "final veteran bench guy"

Fernandez (arb projected)
Alvarez (arb projected)
Cosart
"Another SP"
Nicolino/Hand
Ramos (arb projected), Morris (arb projected), Capps (arb projected), Dyson, Phelps (arb projected), Dunn, Hand/Conley/Dayton

Gone FA - Haren, Latos, Baker, Ichiro
Gone Trade - Cishek, Koehler, Crow

So basically, they can trade Cishek, Koehler, and Crow after this season to get more infielders, Haren at the deadline when Fernandez is back, and get a first rounder for Latos, and add all of that to the above depth chart.

And then add a $10-12 million dollar SP and sign a veteran bench bat.

This according to their projected payroll thresholds.

[HUGG]

we didn't have a team chef?

[Nick]

[Bobbob1313]

So...

They have $69 million in payroll for next season, and Samson said "the team is going to lose money."

That's $8 million less than the 28th-ranked team from last season. And they're going to lose money.

I just don't see how this is a viable business model if that's true -- it's probably not true.

[tjfla]

we didn't have a team chef?

Wonder how hard of a choice it was for Jeff-Chef or Greg Dobbs for another year?

[Nick]

So...

They have $69 million in payroll for next season, and Samson said "the team is going to lose money."

That's $8 million less than the 28th-ranked team from last season. And they're going to lose money.

I just don't see how this is a viable business model if that's true -- it's probably not true.

I don't see how probably is even in the picture at this point.

[lou]

What's the valuation of the franchise from Loria's acquisition to now? I would imagine that counts as to whether they are making money. They may have had some operating losses in some of the years, but if the value is up half a billion dollars, I have no sympathy