Offseason Discussion - Positions Players/Bench

[SFiercex4]

I was presuming Amezaga didn't have to start a ton, because we would have decent players. Nevertheless, I misspoke, my apologies.

That being said, ran through some numbers, and maybe Carroll isn't a half bad choice. If he comes at around $2M and we have to start him, 2 WAR would not be surprising. He's not a good hitter, but he gets on base decently enough and (more importantly) he isn't Amezaga/Bonifacio. If he plays either infield spot at a +5 runs / 150 games, we'd be looking at a pretty decent player. So I retract my statement, this wouldn't be a bad move at or below $2M.

[Jay]

"I would love for Jamey to be a part of that organization because it's run well, they're good guys, I trust them, and it'd be a great fit -- for Jamey and the club."

I had to laugh when I read that

[lou]

Why are the Marlins so eager to trade Dan Uggla?

The answer was evident Monday when Chris Coghlan was named National League Rookie of the Year. Coghlan was shifted to the outfield this summer, but Florida can move back to his more natural position at second base if Uggla is unloaded.

An unnamed general manager said the Marlins' No. 1 priority is to trade Uggla for younger and less expensive players, reports the Miami Herald.

"There's a decent market for him," aid the GM, who added that Emilio Bonifacio could replace Uggla at second base.

Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports that the Marlins could use the savings of an Uggla trade to pursue a corner outfielder.

If Florida decides to keep Coghlan in the outfield, they could try to bring back former Marlin Craig Counsell.

We talked last week about how the Marlins are expected to aggressively shop this winter, and two clubs that have expressed strong interest are the Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants.

The key note shared by FoxSports.com is that both clubs view Uggla as a third baseman, rather than his natural position of second base.





Where else does Uggla fit?

Philadelphia, Seattle and Minnesota have vacancies at the hot corner
How about Boston if they move Mike Lowell?
St. Louis could use more offense and could be a trade match with the Marlins

Keith Law

Uggla could be a great get

"Now is actually a great time to try to trade for Uggla as he's coming off a slightly down year in batting average that is masking a significant spike in walk rate. He's always had power, and his approach at the plate has improved for several years. If he maintains those secondary skills and posts a BABIP over .300 -- something he did twice in three years before 2009 -- oddly, he's a potential MVP candidate."

From ESPN

[Fish and Chips]

We're hearing that the Marlins' Dan Uggla trade talk with the Giants and Rangers got "pretty hot and heavy" at the GM meetings, according to one baseball man. Florida has told other clubs that if it doesn't get what it wants, it will keep Uggla and deal someone else from its pool of arbitration-eligible players -- a group that includes Jorge Cantu, Cody Ross, Alfredo Amezaga and Ricky Nolasco. But Uggla still looms as the runaway winner of all Most Likely To Be An Ex-Marlin contests.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/column...e=MLBHeadlines

[Sashimi]

Too bad none of the other names involved were mentioned. It would be interesting to get a sense of his current market value.

[nny]

I was originally like lolwut at counsell but he could actually be a pretty ok 1 mil 1 year stop gap guy at 2b or 3b.

I mean, bad OPS (~.700) but above average OBP (~.345)....too bad he wouldn't hit 9th to put another guy infront of Hanley.

But, UZR absolutely loves his defense. +14 UZR/150 at 2b, +18 at 3b since 2002. Last year he was at +13.5 UZR/150 combining his time at 2b and 3b.

I mean, if we're looking at just saying "ok, we don't want another 3b embarassment this year, we just want ok enough production because everywhere else is tits", which it certainly seems like we are based off the supposed interest in Carroll and now Counsell, he fits the bill pretty damn good.

[m26555]

MIAMI -- The free-agency floodgates will swing open on Friday, and though the Marlins consistently sport one of the lowest payrolls in the Majors, they can factor in, too.

Florida had the least amount of money committed to its roster last year, and the front office has stressed that payroll will continue to match revenue until the club moves into its new stadium at the beginning of the 2012 season.

That means, of course, that the Marlins will not be in the running for such top free-agent prizes as John Lackey, Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. But that doesn't mean they can't use the free-agent market to get over the hump and into the playoffs for the first time since '03.

At midnight ET on Friday, the exclusive negotiating window between eligible free agents and their previous clubs ends, and those players will be free to talk with any team.

Florida can at least rest assured that the most coveted position pretty much every offseason -- starting pitcher -- is pretty much accounted for, despite a collective up-and-down season by its young staff. But perhaps one or two relievers would interest them, and maybe a veteran at third base, second base or left field.

The Marlins' payroll in '09 was approximately $36 million and will probably stay there in 2010 -- or perhaps go even lower.

Florida has 11 arbitration-eligible players, but the Marlins freed up money when they traded Jeremy Hermida to the Red Sox, and there is wide speculation that second baseman Dan Uggla -- who could make about $7 million through arbitration -- could be dealt, as well.

If that happens, Florida might be interested in a corner outfielder to help round out the starting lineup.

John Baker and Ronny Paulino are likely to return as platoon mates behind the plate, and Hanley Ramirez is a sure thing at shortstop. The Marlins reportedly have interest in bringing back Jorge Cantu to play third or first base, and the other corner-infield spot can easily be decided between Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison in Spring Training. In addition, Florida will probably have Cameron Maybin (center field) and Cody Ross (likely right) in the outfield next season.

Newly crowned National League Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan is perfectly capable of manning left field, but if the Marlins get an experienced corner outfielder, they can accomplish several things: They can move Coghlan to his more natural position, second base, relegate Emilio Bonifacio to being a super-utility player -- a role he seemed better suited for last year -- and have somebody who could not only serve as a stopgap until highly rated prospect Michael Stanton is ready for the big leagues, but provide a bat that can protect Ramirez in the middle of the order.

"We know [Coghlan] can play second, we know he can play third; we know he can do those things," Larry Beinfest, the Marlins' president of baseball operations, said recently. "But we have a pretty good second baseman in Dan Uggla, and Jorge Cantu is over at third, and he's done a great job for us the last couple of years between first and third. We'll see how things go. I don't want to get into what-ifs or what's going to happen."

A lot can change between now and the start of next season, but such players as Garret Anderson, Mike Cameron, Gary Sheffield -- who has expressed an interest in returning to South Florida -- and Marcus Thames could be relatively cheap outfield options.

If Florida opts to have Coghlan stay in left field, some second basemen who could be available -- again, assuming Uggla does not return -- include former Marlin Craig Counsell, Ronnie Belliard and, perhaps, Jamey Carroll.

Carroll's agent, Jonathan Maurer, confirmed on Wednesday that the Marlins have shown interest in his client but haven't been as aggressive as some of the other clubs he said have also been intrigued.

The 35-year-old Carroll plays solid defense at second and third base, has experience at shortstop and the outfield, and is a pretty good on-base-percentage guy -- something Florida always needs. But since the Marlins still have Uggla and Cantu on their roster, they're looking at Carroll merely as a utility player at the moment.

Since clubs can't actually negotiate with other teams' free agents until Friday, the two sides likely didn't really get into any specifics.

"Jamey would be very excited to consider the Florida Marlins should they extend an offer at some point -- when offers can be extended," Maurer said. "But at this point, there are other clubs a lot more aggressive than the Marlins. I'm not asking for the Marlins to be aggressive. [But] at this point, they have a second baseman and a third baseman."

An option at third base -- if neither Stanton nor Sanchez pans out, or if Cantu is dealt -- could be Melvin Mora, who saw a vast drop in numbers this year and would be pretty affordable.

As for in-house guys, the Marlins have four free agents -- Nick Johnson, Ross Gload, Brendan Donnelly and Kiko Calero.

Johnson isn't expected back, and after having a solid bounce-back year in '09, Calero probably won't be affordable. But Florida, which don't have a set closer and is rumored to be shopping hard-throwing right-hander Matt Lindstrom, is always looking for cheap bullpen options.

And though Gload's club option was declined, and several left-handed pinch-hitters can materialize through free agency or a trade, the Marlins may choose to bring back the 33-year-old, who formed a nice pinch-hitting duo with Wes Helms and played solid defense at first base when called upon.

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=fla

I'd love me some Mike Cameron.

[LocoMarlinFan]

Marlins Trying to Keep Gload in the Fold

The Marlins have extended an offer to Ross Gload, their top left-handed hitter off the bench last season when he led the majors in pinch hits. The offer is thought to be similar to the one received last year by Wes Helms, who agreed to a two-year deal for $1.9 million.

Gload said toward he end of the season that he would prefer to remain with the Marlins, especially if he could work out a deal early in the free agency process, thus relieving him of any uncertainty.The Marlins' exclusive negotiating window with Gload closes at midnight Friday, at which point any team can start discussing financial terms with the free agent.

The Marlins, as expected, declined to pick up a $2.6 million club option on the 33-year-old veteran.

Gload hit .318 as a pinch-hitter and .261 overall while appearing in a career-high 125 games, most of those occuring off the bench.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fish_...-the-fold.html

[wanks1212]

dear god, not a two year deal

[Ramp]

haha another 2 years, sure why not!

[wanks1212]

Meanwhile, add catcher Ronny Paulino's name to the list of Marlins that have attracted trade interest from other clubs. Paulino shared catching duties with John Baker and ended the season with a .272 average and eight home runs in 239 bats. Interestingly, the Marlins obtained Paulino and Gload in separate trades, four days apart, at the end of spring training last year.

Along with Paulino, the Marlins have also received nibbles on Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu, Cody Ross and Ricky Nolasco.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fish_...-the-fold.html

[m26555]

MLB.com's Joe Frisaro has a source suggesting the Marlins are "almost 100 percent" certain to retain infielder Jorge Cantu. Cantu is due an arbitration raise on this year's $3.5MM salary, and the Marlins "appear willing to pay."

Dan Uggla, the team's other arbitration-eligible infielder, will earn more than Cantu next year. Uggla is widely expected to be traded, with ESPN's Jayson Stark writing Thursday that the Giants and Rangers were hot and heavy on Uggla at the GM Meetings (November 9th-11th). However, Giants GM Brian Sabean told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle Thursday that no trades were close.

MLBTR

[Ramp]

ugh

[emkayseven]

whywhywhywhywhy

[wanks1212]

keep cantu and gload, dump jj and uggla.

marlins baseball: you gotta be here!