Offseason Outlook: Florida Marlins

What did they do with Ross Gload?

Gload has a club option for 2.6 million bucks for 2010.

Dump Uggla, Cantu, and Ross then bring up some kids...I mean, hasn't that been The Marlins' management philosophy since the franchised came into the league?

angryredmena the Marlins don't dump player and if you think so you should follow them more to learn. I am a Marlins fan and i got to arround 70 games a year. When you see the box score with 11,000 in attendance there are about a 1000 or 2000 n the ballpark. Most of the time the fans get in for free because of rain delays and different organizations giving tickets out. How do you think they can pay high salaries when they don't even receive money from the food sold at the park.

In my opinion they should get rid of Hermida, Pinto, Lindstrom, and Anibal Sanchez.. maybe even Cantu and Uggla if they can get some great players in return

Ok, we know the Dodgers arent trading guys like Martin, Kershaw, Billz, Broxton, or Kemp/Ethier. What would it take to get Uggla? Or Uggla and Johnson. Im curious what guys who see them play everyday or guys that are honest posters think. Thanks

Would Wren really trade Vazquez for Uggla straight up? I seriously doubt it. They need more for a guy who just had one of the 5 best years in the National League whose under control for a solid 11.5 million in 2010.

"For Uggla + Johnson, it would probably take the aforementioned and Xavier Paul, Chin-Lung Hu, Tony Delmonico, James McDonald, and Travis Schlichting in addition."

Sign me up now! That is really light, IMO. The Marlins would never do that.

But I really do not want Uggla taking groundballs at Second for us.

I'm laughing at anything including Blake Dewitt in a deal for Uggla. Why do the Marlins need that, and would place any value on him? And saying the Marlins should keep Coghlan in the OF trying to rationalize sending us an inferior middle infield prospect.... I mean, really horrible and totally homer-centric there and not understanding the Marlins. The Marlins aren't struggling - they won 87 games starting Bonifacio for 500 PA and having a total rotation meltdown besides JJ. No one of the team overachieved except for probably Coghlan and 20-30 AVG points and subsequent OBP/SLUG bumps. They are looking to improve. They can do this while trading Uggla, but they aren't taking an assortment of "meh" prospects that could help in 3 years. And there is a 100% chance the Marlins sign Josh Johnson to a 4-5 year contract. Our starters are not going to be traded. Maybe like Anibal or Miller, but not JJ, Nolasco, Volstad, and West.

Your top pitching prospect in the minors in AA/AAA that can help Summer 2010 minimum, and then a decent secondary piece of some sorts. That's what Dan Uggla is worth to the Marlins. And that's what the Marlins are going to get from someone. If I'm the Marlins, anything not including McDonald I am not taking. Unless Crazy Coletti wants to clear house and do Lindbolm, Elbert, and a power A ball reliever. It's that easy. If it's the Cubs, I need Cashner. If it's the Rays, I need Davis, maybe Hellickson, etc, etc, etc, for every team with a legitimate AA/AAA starter that can profile into at least a 3. This is what they are looking for, and eventually someone will cave just how Aldersen was traded for Freddy Sanchez.

I understand fans of other teams like to poke fun at the Marlins, but the front office is clearly top 5-7 in baseball. You aren't going to lowball them over a four year running .800+ opsing 2B, who may explode in a better hitter's park and lineup protection. Hermida and Cantu may be relatively worthless, but they will get theirs with Uggla. Near guaranteed.

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Also because I see this tac'd at the end, the Marlins have no need for an OF like Ethier, or OF prospects with Maybin and Mike Stanton, decent secondary prospects like Bryan Petersen and Scott Cousins, potentially Morrison moving to LF, and potential stop gaps with Brett Carroll, John Raynor, Jai Miller, etc. Plus low cost veterans. The Marlins do not need an outfielder in any way, shape, or form. The Marlins need PITCHING and MORE PITCHING, and their upcoming trades of arbitration bats will focus near exclusive on this because the organization is littered with high potential bats at every position (Baker/Skipworth, Morrison/Sanchez, Coghlan/Smolinski, Hanley, Dominguez/Smolinski, and aforementioned 4+ outfielders).

Uggla, Johnson, and either John Baker for Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, James Loney, Chad Billingsley, and either James McDonald.

Ya, that may be asking for too much but I wouldn't give up JJ unless I was getting too much. He's too valuable to this team. It's not as if ace starters grow on trees.

The Dodgers do not have any young prospects that really catch my eye other than Clayton Kershaw and Andrew Lambo. I think the Dodgers would much rather hold to those two. They can replace Kemp with Juan Pierre in center who may not have the strongest arm, but he does have incredible range and can get to every ball. He would lead off ahead of Rafael Furcal giving L.A. a great 1-2 punch at the top of the line-up. Uggla would play 2nd and bat in the middle of the order. Baker would take over for Martin as the starting catcher unless they go out and sign somebody in free agency (like Bengie Molina). Baker is very underrated and had a much better season than Martin. As for first base, I can see L.A. Signing someone like Nick Johnson to replace Loney.

On the Marlins side, They get a stud OF in Matt Kemp who could play all 3 outfield positions including left field. That would allow Chris Coghlan to move to 2nd base which is his natural position. Martin becomes the everday catcher and would really help the Marlins pitching staff. He struggled at the plate this season but is still considered a top tier catcher. Loney becomes the starting 1st baseman where he provides great defense. He's not much of a power hitter, but he still manages to get on base and drive in runs. Billingsley takes over JJ's spot in the rotation and would likely be the No. 2 guy behind Ricky Nolasco. He too suffered a down year I think he could bounce back. And finally, James McDonald. He can start, but I think he's much better suited in the bullpen. Could end up as the closer. He's got nasty stuff.

For the Dodgers: For the Marlins:
1- Pierre, CF 1- Coghlan, 2B
2- Furcal, SS 2- Maybin, CF
3- Eithier, RF 3- H. Ramirez, SS
4- M. Ramirez, LF 4- Cantu, 3B
5- Uggla, 2B 5- Kemp, RF
6- N. Johnson, 1B 6- Ross, LF
7- Blake, 3B 7- Loney, 1B
8- Baker, C 8- Martin, C

J. Johnson, RHP Nolasco, RHP
Kershaw, LHP Billingsley, RHP
Ben Sheets, RHP Sanchez, RHP

Broxton, Closer McDonald, Closer
Sherrill, Set-up man Nuńez, Set-up man

Maybe I am being a Homer, but I like this deal for both teams. What do you guys think?

fishrock, that post should explain why i thanked you for a normal post...

Well atleast you admit that you're an ass. I clearly stated about 3 times that I was being a Homer on that one.

I know Kershaw is not techniquely a prospect but he's still on 21. He's only going to get better.

Martin is no longer a top 4 catcher. Maybe defensively, yes. But offensively, he hasn't been a top for offensive catcher in 2 seasons. Look up the stats if you disagree. And I understand that Kemp is a great CF. Sometimes you need to give up some to get some. What do you honestly think? We're just going to hand you JJ and Uggla for free? None of your prospects outside of Andrew Lambo are all that good! You tell me, as a Dodger fan, what would you give up for JJ and Uggla. A top 2 second baseman in the NL (Top 5 in all of baseball) and Josh Johnson, an Elite Ace starter who's in his prime and will only get better. We're not giving him up for free so you tell me, what are you willing to give up?

Omg! You guys are nuts! Kemp for JJ and Baker???? Are you serious? That's way worse than my proposal!

That trade is in NO WAY one-sided! JJ is the unquestionable best player in that trade with Uggla being the 3rd best (Kemp is 2nd). It's a 3 for 5 deal! That's outstanding considering you can get 4 or 5 players alone for Josh Johnson! You guys are on cloud 9 if you think you can get JJ on the cheap. You'll never win a title with what you got now. Atleast with an ace like JJ, you'd have a better shot.

The Marlins players will never get the respect they deserve cause of where they play. And it's sad.

Um, I wouldnt say 'unquestionable' the best player in the trade. You havent seen Kemp play much, have you? He learned CF 2YEARS AGO and is already a top 3 CF. And Uggla as a top 5 2B in the game? I dont think so...

Regarding Martin, whos better in the NL? I got Y. Molina, McCann, and then Martin. I dont like Fangraph's value system, but even then, Martin was 7th in the majors, 3rd in the NL. And that includes VMart, who I feel is more of a DH/1B and AJ Pierzynski, who Im honestly suprissed hes on there... Even with a bad year, he still has a lot of value.

And why the hell do we trade a starter(Billingsley) for a postition player? The point is to upgrade our rotation first, then 2b. Taking out Billz kills what we were trying to do. And there are many reasons why Billz had a bad 2nd half. Broken leg, overuse by Torre in the 2st half, pitching in the ASG.(it sounds weird, but many pitchers and players prefer to have that 5 days of rest in the middle of the season, not be pitching to Joe Mauer...)

And No one is saying that JJ should go on the cheap. But to say that 4 guys, 2 of them former all stars, and Kemp should have been one, and a 1B that has hit over 330 in the postseason in his career and is a lock for 90RBIs for a good pitcher/ace, a 2B who gives power, but strikes out too much and his defense is... questionable, and a crappy catcher is insane. Just insane.

Like I said before, there is no reason to put our established players in trade proposals, when management has consistenly NOT traded these guys.

And I have no idea what it would take to get JJ and Uggla. I thought that the deal I said, DeWitt, Elbert, B/C prospect, Paul, Hu, Delmonico, McDonald, Withrow, Lindblom, is a good starting point, at least.

And finally, saying that all our prospects 'suck' is just a dumb statement.

I don't think anyone is disrespecting the Marlins players. The truth is, there is no way we would actually keep Kemp/Martin/Loney due to the massive pay raises they will get. Besides, I think Baker was better then Martin this past year so I have no idea why we would trade for him. And with all of our OF prospects, Matt Kemp isn't necessarily needed. I am not saying we wouldn't take him, but his salary is going to probably top Hanley's.

And until we get a new stadium and hence a revenue/payroll increase, the only other long deal is going to JJ.

That trade is plainly never going to happen since

A) The Dodgers aren't going to part with Matt Kemp.
B) The Marlins aren't going to part with JJ until they absolutely would have to.
C) Marlins aren't going to afford any of those players.

Our farm system is stacked with hitting prospects, so we are going to have no trouble there. Especially in the OF. We easily have 5 guys that could be opening day LF. I seriously think we are retaining Cantu, so that hopefully won't be a problem since we just slide Gaby to 3rd and let Cantu stay at 1st. Cantu has horrendous D at 3rd.

I wouldn't be shocked if we traded Uggla, Cantu, and Ross just so we can pick up more prospects towards 2012, and have more money to sign JJ.

- Uggla for Jair Jurrgens.
- Cantu to the Twins for 2 Prospects; Catcher Wilson Ramos and a mid-level prospect would be great, especially since Kyle Skipworth looks like a bust. Ramos is expendable for the twins because of their surplus of catching prospects, and oh ya! They have Joe Mauer. Enough said.
- Cody Ross to the Cubs for 2 prospects; RHP Andrew Cashner and a mid-level prospect.

2012 Line-up:
1- Chris Coghlan, 2B
2- Cameron Maybin, CF
3- Hanley Ramirez, SS
4- Michael Stanton, RF
5- Logan Morrison, 1B
6- Matt Dominguez, 3B
7- Wilson Ramos, C
8- Bryan Peterson, LF (Think Brent Gardener for the Yankees)

Starting Rotation:
Josh Johnson, RHP
Sean West, LHP
Chris Volatad, RHP
Jair Jurrgens, RHP
Chad James, LHP (Maybe, If he develops quickly)

Bullpen:
Jose Ceda, RHP (Closer)
Andrew Cashner, RHP (Set-up Man)
Ryan Tucker, RHP

What do you guys think?

JPizzle, maybe you need to check up on players. Jiar has a better ERA than any of the Marlins pitchers. He would be your 2nd pitcher, not your fourth. Also, the Braves aren't that desperate or stupid for a right handed bad. If you want Jiar, prepare to give up your farm.

I don't need to check up on anything. I know Jair Jurrgens has a 2.61 ERA. I say his name because two things. #1 this exact deal has been talked about on this site in the past. #2 the Marlins won't make a trade with a division foe unless they are getting what they want in return. It's either Jair or nothing. It's not a bad deal. For what it's worth, Jair had 10 losses. That's not good, regardless of the reason. Again, Uggla is being overlooked. He is the 2nd best 2B in the national league and a perrenial all star. 30+ homers in a terrible ballpark to hit in. Imagine what he'll do in a better park hitting behind McCann, and Chipper. And he's a much better defender than given credit. He's average defensively.

- Uggla for Jair Jurrgens"

So you go from Kemp, Billz, Loney and Martin, plus prospects for Uggla and JJ to Uggla for a #1, possibly an ace? Your argument is the Fish wont trade w/in the divison unless they get Jair? haha. I bet if they offered Heyward, something would get done, no matter what your fish prospects are. And your second arugument? HE HAD 10 LOSSES? wow. If you feel that losses and the record shows how good a pitcher is, then, by that logic, Pedro Martinez had a season 5x better than Kershaw's. I mean, Kershaw had a .500 winning percentage, while Pedro had a .833, right? Jeez...

And Jair is a top of the rotation guy. Accept it. He is better than Hudson, by a mile, better than hanson right now, and is better than Vasquez, even after one of the best season's of his career.