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Marlins
Before signing Wei-Yin Chen to a five-year, $80 million deal earlier this week and reaching a five-year, $50 million extension with second baseman Dee Gordon on Wednesday, the Marlins had done nothing of substance to their roster. Their inclusion here is not a celebration of the Chen signing (though I do think a pitcher who has generally held his own in the AL East should live comfortably in the National League version).
No, this is a celebration of the Marlins -- to this point, at least -- not doing anything dramatic and drastic, on either end of the spectrum.
The Fish kept the asking price on staff ace Jose Fernandez so unrealistically high that there's little accuracy in saying he was "on the market" in the first place. And why not set the bar high? Fernandez will -- or at least should -- be on an innings cap in 2016 in his first full season following Tommy John surgery, but he's still very much on the upward escalator when it comes to establishing himself as a legitimate ace in this game, and dealing him three years in advance of his free-agent date ought to come with a truly overwhelming return. The Marlins have not let any potential consternation with Fernandez or his agent, Scott Boras, compel them to make a less-than-satisfactory swap.
Nor have the Marlins moved Marcell Ozuna, another Boras guy, despite the decidedly icy relationship caused by the Marlins' manipulation of his service time last season. Despite the big league struggles that prompted his surprise demotion to Triple-A last summer, a 25-year-old center fielder with power is tremendous currency in this game, and the Marlins -- again, to this point -- haven't moved him for the sake of moving him. Rather, they brought in Barry Bonds -- whose knowledge has a value that far exceeds any unnecessary hand-wringing over his PED past -- to help Ozuna reach his full potential.
Basically, what I'm saying here is that the Marlins haven't done anything crazy with a club that has a lot of good young talent. There has not been an ill-fated, 2012-like splurge, nor has there been a rebuild-signaling series of swaps. Having addressed some instability in their front office and in their dugout, where Don Mattingly now reigns, the Marlins have made moves and non-moves purely on their baseball merits. What a concept.
The Marlins probably still need to do more. Their rotation is full of uncertainty beyond Fernandez and Chen. The NL East figures to be a forgiving division this year, but you can hardly label the Fish a favorite at this juncture.
What you can say, however, is that they haven't been noisemakers or newsmakers on the Hot Stove scene. And given recent organizational history in this area, that's probably a good thing.
Before signing Wei-Yin Chen to a five-year, $80 million deal earlier this week and reaching a five-year, $50 million extension with second baseman Dee Gordon on Wednesday, the Marlins had done nothing of substance to their roster. Their inclusion here is not a celebration of the Chen signing (though I do think a pitcher who has generally held his own in the AL East should live comfortably in the National League version).
No, this is a celebration of the Marlins -- to this point, at least -- not doing anything dramatic and drastic, on either end of the spectrum.
The Fish kept the asking price on staff ace Jose Fernandez so unrealistically high that there's little accuracy in saying he was "on the market" in the first place. And why not set the bar high? Fernandez will -- or at least should -- be on an innings cap in 2016 in his first full season following Tommy John surgery, but he's still very much on the upward escalator when it comes to establishing himself as a legitimate ace in this game, and dealing him three years in advance of his free-agent date ought to come with a truly overwhelming return. The Marlins have not let any potential consternation with Fernandez or his agent, Scott Boras, compel them to make a less-than-satisfactory swap.
Nor have the Marlins moved Marcell Ozuna, another Boras guy, despite the decidedly icy relationship caused by the Marlins' manipulation of his service time last season. Despite the big league struggles that prompted his surprise demotion to Triple-A last summer, a 25-year-old center fielder with power is tremendous currency in this game, and the Marlins -- again, to this point -- haven't moved him for the sake of moving him. Rather, they brought in Barry Bonds -- whose knowledge has a value that far exceeds any unnecessary hand-wringing over his PED past -- to help Ozuna reach his full potential.
Basically, what I'm saying here is that the Marlins haven't done anything crazy with a club that has a lot of good young talent. There has not been an ill-fated, 2012-like splurge, nor has there been a rebuild-signaling series of swaps. Having addressed some instability in their front office and in their dugout, where Don Mattingly now reigns, the Marlins have made moves and non-moves purely on their baseball merits. What a concept.
The Marlins probably still need to do more. Their rotation is full of uncertainty beyond Fernandez and Chen. The NL East figures to be a forgiving division this year, but you can hardly label the Fish a favorite at this juncture.
What you can say, however, is that they haven't been noisemakers or newsmakers on the Hot Stove scene. And given recent organizational history in this area, that's probably a good thing.
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