The Marlins intend to spend the money they saved in the Dan Uggla trade on an established starting pitcher and Javier Vazquez and Carl Pavano are among the team’s top targets, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
Vazquez is now the Marlins’ primary target, but he has a number of other suitors. At least six teams, including the Nationals, Rockies, Cardinals and Cubs, have expressed interest in the right-hander this winter, but he isn’t close to a deal with any of them. Vazquez, who has thrown the second most innings and recorded the second most strikeouts in baseball since the start of the 2000 season, would be closer to his Puerto Rico home if he signed with the Marlins.
Pavano is looking for a contract comparable to the three-year $33MM deal Ted Lilly signed with the Dodgers. If Pavano's willing to accept a shorter term deal, the Marlins could work aggressively to bring him back to Miami. Six to eight teams have expressed some interest in Pavano so far this winter.
NY is a 3 hour flight to PR.
For some strange reason, FL is almost the same amount of time.
My money is on the mets making an offer for javy.
Double Post
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Miami to PR is a little more then an hour. NY to Miami is more then 3 hours. I’ve made both flights.
If you flight out of NY, you pass right over Miami on the way to PR. Common Sense should tell you that Miami is obviously a shorter flight.
If Vasquez is looking to have the shortest flight home. The Marlins are the obvious choice. But we all know money will be a bigger factor and the Marlins may not match a big offer to him.
ummm…NY to PR is 3.5 hours…ATL to PR is also 3.5 hours…ATL is ALOT closer…
PR to FL is about 2.5 hours sometimes 3. my parents fly to FL and ATL every year.
I fly to PR at least 2x a year.
common sense should tell u the route may be different.
A team official was later heard commenting that they had budgeted $500 and all the free McDonald’s food a pitcher could eat. Luckily, Bartolo Colon has been looking for such a deal.
Wow, “Marlins” and “spend” in the same sentence. That’s a new one on me!
If Carl Pavano signs a 3 yr deal, he will spend the majority of 2011 on the DL. Just a gut feeling.
Long term deals and this guy are not a great idea. I think he is a steal for 2 yrs with a club option for a third. 23 million over 2 yrs with a 10 million dollar mutual option for 2013.
bad choice of words…pavano has already stolen 40 plus million from the bankees !
Note to Marlins: John Buck doesn’t pitch.
knowing the marlins they will have Buck pitch and catch at the same time.
u didnt think they were gonna spend 18 million on one person to just play one position at a time did u ?
Nationals hired Morgan to play all three outfields while Dunn and Willingham sits and plays with the grass.
Joe Morgan ?
Morgan Freeman ?
Nyger
Marlins trying to look like SF – Started with Buck at Catcher. Then the SD trade for Bullpen help. next starting pitching. Smart
Spending on pitching =/= signing Vazquez.
I guess this means the Marlins will give Vazquez a two year deal and if he has a bounce back season they will deal him next off-season. That sounds like the Marlins I know…
AKA Buy low, sell high?
Way to fail at trying to insult a team that has still has more postseason success than most others other that last 15 years.
That’s smart baseball. javier Vasquez isn’t gonna win you titles. Spinning him into solid prospects will.
Vazquez and the Marlins just seem like the perfect fit. He performed well in the NL East with the Braves. Of course, he really looked like a different pitcher last year, but he may be able to regain some value in Florida.
Vasquez is just what the Marlins need. I really hope this deal comes to fruition. He can be had comparatively inexpensively after the season he just had, but he will rebound this year back to his old self. He should throw 200 inning and take some stress of our bullpen, and he might even get close to 200 k’s! PLZ sign him!
Yes, he did perform well with the Braves. Only problem is, with the Fish, he will be pitching against the Braves and NOT against the Marlins for 19 or so games each. I just don’t see a bounceback year in the cards for him.
Javier being a SO/fly ball pitcher will do well in a spacious park with good running outfielders.
Offensive Stats last year:
Marlins: .254 BA 152 HRs 719 R
Braves: .258 BA 139 HRs 738 R
Both teams ranked about 14-16 in most major offensive categories.
So you’re saying that pitching against the Marlins instead of the Braves about 3 times a year is gonna suddenly turn a solid pitcher into a bad one. That makes sense. (Rolls eyes)
And the stats above don’t even take into account the upgrade the Marlins will get from getting Coghlan and Buck as well as having Stanton and Morrison for a full year. I know the Marlins and Braves flipped Infante and Uggla but the Marlins are still posied to be a better offense next year.
Ha! You’re right – I didn’t realize the teams were so even offensively. I checked Javy’s 2009 record against FLA – he was 1-4 and a 3.48 ERA. So maybe the move would help him.
My mistake – his 2009 ERA in Florida was 5.46 (31.1 IP, 19 ER) while going 1-4. Maybe the park isn’t as friendly to him as thought. Small sample though.
Both make sense for the Marlins. Remember when Pavano was on the World Series team in 2003? He also had a ridiculous 2004, probably helped by the pitchers park/hell hole for hitters that is Dolphin Stadium (or whatever it’s called today). Vazquez also seems like a smart move considering the success he’s had as an NL pitcher. Coming to Florida could recharge his value (pitchers park would really help, and apparently Florida cares about Defense now). Sure neither pitcher is perfect, but if the Marlins are able to get one to eat up some innings (Vazquez) they could really help their rotation. Think of this rotation.
1) Josh Johnson
2) Ricky Nolasco
3) Pavano/Vazquez
4) Anibal Sanchez
5) Alex Sanabia
Do you think that this would work well in this division? Obviously the Phillies are the team to beat, but there’s no reason that rotation couldn’t put the Fish into a decent position to make a run at the Wild Card. Especially if all these moves for the bullpen/defense pan out. Granted, this sounds like what the Red Sox did last year and it didn’t work like Epstein wanted.
Don’t forget Chris Volstad who despite being medicore so far in his career, has shown some flashes at times and is young enough and talented enough to develope into a solid mid 3-ERA, #3 type pitcher at any moment. Already at this point he’s already one of the better #5’s in the game if you factor in his upside. He just needs to be a little more consistent.
Quite frankly tho, I would have no problem centering a package for Justin Upton around Ricky Nolasco, Gaby Sanchez, Leo Nunez and another prospect or 2 (Ryan Tucker, Issac Galloway, Jhan Marinez, Brad Hand, etc.)
Shift Morrison to 1B, Upton to LF and use Clay Hensley in a part time starter/BP role with Sanabia for that 5th spot in the rotation. The pitching would take a slight hit but the upgrade offensively and defensively would be huge.
Having
C-Buck
1B- Morrison
2B- Coghlan
SS- Hanley
3B- Dominguez/Infante
RF- Stanton
CF-Cousins/Bonifacio
LF- Upton
That’s a solid lineup with above average defense at just about every position. Huge upgrade over last year.
The bullpen has already been upgraded a bunch and I’m sure we’ll see some vet signings to upgrade it some more.
And a rotation of:
Johnson
Sanchez
Vasquez
Volstad
Hensley/Sanabia
Is about on par with what we had all of last year which is solid (albiet lacking some on the back end)
the marlins have already said that coghlan is going to be playing cf
Total BS. They said they’d give him a look there because he asked for it. They didnt say he would play there. In fact, you you want to get technical. They said after his injury that they would be moving to 3B this season.
He was a bad defensive LF which means he’ll likely be worse in the huge CF of Joe Robbie Stadium and they’ll move him to his natural position very quickly.
link to florida.marlins.mlb.com
As part of their busy first month to the offseason, the Marlins announced the signing of catcher John Buck to a three-year deal on Wednesday. As of right now, joining him in the starting lineup would seemingly be Dominguez at third base — unless Emilio Bonifacio beats him out — Ramirez at shortstop, Infante at second, Gaby Sanchez at first, Morrison in left field, Stanton in right and Chris Coghlan — coming off knee surgery — adapting to a new position in center.
“We feel good about Coghlan out there in center field,” Beinfest said.
we dont need upton we have lomo chogz and stanton
the lineup could look like this
1.infante 2b
2.morrinson LF
3.hanley ss
4.stanton RF
5.sanchez 1b
6.chogz CF
7.buck C
8.dominguez 3b
9.pitcher
rotation
1.johnson
2.nolasco
3.vasguez
4.anibal
5volstad/sanabia (i prefer sanabia)
we went to the play off in 2003 making good plays and with pitching not hitting homers and doing errors (i like the uggla trade)
“…it didn’t work like Epstein wanted. ”
they won one less game than the AL champs even with a ton of injuries…don’t really think you can say the concept didnt work
That’s true, but Lackey, Cameron, Ellsbury didn’t play anything like expected. I thought Beltre was a steal when they got him so that worked out well for them. However, the goal was to make the playoffs, and the fact is they did not. Epstein got blamed by the fans and now they want more power back in the lineup. I was really hoping it would work but the fact is, Epstein has unrealistic expectations on him (namely win the world series or bust)
That’s true, but Lackey, Cameron, Ellsbury didn’t play anything like expected. I thought Beltre was a steal when they got him so that worked out well for them. However, the goal was to make the playoffs, and the fact is they did not. Epstein got blamed by the fans and now they want more power back in the lineup. I was really hoping it would work but the fact is, Epstein has unrealistic expectations on him (namely win the world series or bust)
hhhj;
I actually think he would be a spectacular fit. I hope they get this done.