Next in our Offseason In Review series, the Marlins.
Major League Signings: None
Notable Minor League Signings
- Mike MacDougal, Seth McClung, Derrick Turnbow, Jose Veras, Brian Barden, Mike Lamb, Donnie Murphy, Danny Richar, Hector Luna, Chris Schroder, Scott Strickland, Clay Hensley
Extensions
- Josh Johnson, SP: four years, $39MM.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired P Jose Alvarez and P Hunter Jones from Red Sox for RF Jeremy Hermida
- Acquired Rule 5 pick 3B Jorge Jimenez, SS Luis Bryan, and P Robert Bono from Astros for RP Matt Lindstrom
Notable Losses
- Jeremy Hermida, Matt Lindstrom, Ross Gload, Nick Johnson, Alfredo Amezaga, Kiko Calero, Brendan Donnelly
Summary
This was a typical Marlins offseason on the surface – no money spent on free agency, no arbitration offers to departing free agents, and a couple of salary dump trades. Still, the work of president Larry Beinfest and GM Michael Hill warrants a closer look.
The Marlins are known for pulling relievers off the scrap heap and getting good performances. Calero, Donnelly, and Brian Sanches were last year's minor league deal success stories. Chances are the Fish will squeeze the best out of MacDougal, McClung, Turnbow, and Veras, and they risked nothing. Lindstrom didn't have much trade value, as the best player the Marlins received was Jimenez (the eighth pick in the Rule 5 draft). Lindstrom is only costing the Astros $1.625MM this year, and you have to wonder if the Marlins sold low. In hindsight, the Marlins were right not to offer arbitration to Calero, who could only find a minor league deal and would have done better accepting arb coming off a 1.95 ERA.
Don't blame the Marlins for trading Hermida; he would've been a non-tender candidate for most teams. The Marlins are in good shape with a Chris Coghlan–Cameron Maybin–Cody Ross outfield. Credit Beinfest and Hill for hanging on to Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu, as trading either probably would've hurt the team's chances in 2010. There is some debate as to whether Type B free agent Nick Johnson deserved an arbitration offer, but that might've saddled the Marlins with a contract bigger than the $5.75MM deal he signed with the Yankees. I'll reserve judgment on the Marlins' choice not to bring in a different veteran first baseman, as Gaby Sanchez comes with a passable .270/.356/.430 projection.
The Marlins had no problem investing in young talent, as they locked up Josh Johnson for four years and showed a willingness to offer $20MM to Aroldis Chapman. It'd be overly simplistic to link either pursuit to the January 12th joint statement about the Marlins' use of their revenue sharing funds; the Johnson signing and Chapman offer were already well in the works.
Let's not get too crazy with our Marlins praise, though. Have they "consistently made every effort to put the best product on the field," as president David Samson said in the statement? The Marlins could point to their highest payroll in five years, a figure that will continue to rise. But a legitimate competing team would've at least added a starting pitcher or two, as the Marlins are all question marks after Johnson and Ricky Nolasco. I won't count out a management team that coaxed 87 wins out of $37MM last year, but on paper the Marlins don't appear to be contenders.
They never appear to be contenders, but almost always are.
Completely agree.
The Marlins are simply one of the top 3 best run organizations in Baseball. They draft great. They develop great. They spend very wisely (if at all). Loria’s boys, Mike and Larry…Plus many others, do a fantastic job on this team and every organization should admire the way the Marlins management do work. Plus, they do have a great group on young talent and possibly the second best player in Baseball.
The idea is, when one player leaves, the Marlins get draft picks and a Logan Morrison to replace a Nick Johnson. Just a fantastic organization. Matt Domingues will be next to replace Jorge Cantu. They will then get more draft picks. Cogs will move to second after Uggla gets traded next off-season. They just always seem to have an answer. And always an answer to winning. Have to Love the Marlins. I know I certainly do!
Jorge Jimenez is also having a fantastic Spring Training so far!
And the Marlins will win the wild card. Logan Morrison will have a huge season.
Just because a team doesn’t spend much money & presents a passable product does not qualify them as a top run organisation. A top run organisation is one which does whatever is necessary to put their team in a position to win year in & year out.
People have this habit of romanticizing low payroll teams & small market organisations as some sort of wonderful business model & ideal concept for the way teams should be run.
That is one thing qualifies a team as a top run organization.
The Marlins knew several years ago that there team was going in the wrong direction, so Larry committed to rebuild. Now the Marlins are ready to compete.
Jeffrey Loria is a scumbag. He ran the Expos into the ground & then his corrupt cronies at the top of Major League Baseball allowed him to purchase another team & then operate that one at bare minimum expense to him as well. Give me a break.
He is actually a really bright Baseball poresonell. And before blaming the Expos on him, Omar Minaya kind of traded Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Brandon Phillips for Bartolo. That didn’t keep the Expos in Montreal right?
Who do you think was behind those moves? Minaya is a front man for whichever ownership group he represents. You honestly think he’s making all the moves in New York too?
Who do you think was behind those moves? Minaya is a front man for whichever ownership group he represents. You honestly think he’s making all the moves in New York too?
I thnk he has a big role…
Back to the original point, dumping off their talented players when they’re due for a payday & putting out a serious contender only every 6 years or so doesn’t sell me on a classifying Florida as top 3 organisation.
I understand where you are coming from, but when a team is not set up for the future and doesn’t have the ability to go out and sign a top tier Free agent, the only thing management can do is rebuild. With that said, you have to like the work Beinfest has done. Acquiring Leo Nunez for Mike Jacobs, getting Uggla in the Rule 5, making the Beckett Hanley trade, and simply just maintaining a good organization when the Marlins clearly don’t have the biggest payroll or fan base. They have drafted very well, They have very good Baseball personell in the front office, and I can see this team only getting better as they move to the new Ballpark. The Marlins are just a very classy organization.
I thnk he has a big role…
He is actually a really bright Baseball poresonell. And before blaming the Expos on him, Omar Minaya kind of traded Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Brandon Phillips for Bartolo. That didn’t keep the Expos in Montreal right?
Jeffrey Loria is a scumbag. He ran the Expos into the ground & then his corrupt cronies at the top of Major League Baseball allowed him to purchase another team & then operate that one at bare minimum expense to him as well. Give me a break.
“I won’t count out a management team that coaxed 87 wins out of $37MM last year, but on paper the Marlins don’t appear to be contenders.”
More disrespect for the Marlins? What a surprise. I’m wondering when people will wake up and stop saying that the Marlins “aren’t contenders” every March. No matter how many times they prove people wrong, they’ll never get that respect, and it’s sad.
A) they weren’t contenders in ’07 or ’06 and B) if you read the entire post you’d be hard-pressed to say I disrespected them.
He didn’t say they aren’t, he only said that on paper they don’t appear to be.
marlins have been a good team but they really haven’t been contenders since 03.
90 wins? If Maybin produces all year and Sanchez and all the ridiculously young pitchers pull through, I think its possible. Playoffs are in the sights too (wildcard, not N.L. east)
One of my favorite teams besides white sox, always competitive and have great young talent. If they actually spent some money to keep guys around and free agency they could easily be best team in baseball.
You’re right, on paper they aren’t contenders. Good thing you don’t play baseball games on paper.
The 3-5 pitchers in the rotation will make or break the Fish this season. Our offense is going to be a-ok, just as it is every year. But after JJ and Nolasco, our rotation doesn’t have any consistent producers. Out of Volstad, West, RVH, Sanchez, Hensley, Miller, and Penn, none of them have a solidified spot in the rotation.
Volstad had a great ’08 but couldn’t seem to keep the ball in the park last year.
West was inconsistent, but still decent for a rookie getting spot starts.
RVH had a great WBC but was not very dependable as a starter, though he was looking good towards the end of the year.
Sanchez is just injury prone, but he may have the biggest upside out of the whole gorup.
Hensley had a great year in the minors in ’09 and pitched 3 scoreless innings with 4 K’s so far in ST.
If you look up inconsistent in the dictionary, there will be a picture of Andrew Miller. And for some odd reason, the Marlins FO keeps pushing Penn, though he has failed every test they have given him.
If 3 of those 7 step up and are respectable 3-5 SP’s, I have no doubt that the Marlins are a legitimate playoff team. If not… its going to make for a long year.
I think its a pretty nice article about us despite not really doing anything thins offseason. And on paper maybe we dont seem like contenders but the marlins certainly arent a team to take lightly. i am very optimistic about the season and there is a decent chance to make the playoffs. like everyone has said, the rotation needs to finally click to take us to the next level. we won 87 games last year with a pretty broken rotation, so who knows what would happen next? im banking on Anibal and VandenHurk to actually be heros for the year, and Volstad to improve and be closer to his rookie season. Stanton will make the callup after the all star break and blast some clutch homers to keep us right in that hunt until september as usual. thanks to everyone for showing some marlins love, its hard to find…
And Tim, although the marlins were terrible in 07, but keeping the marlins in contention for most of the year in 06 won girardi the manager of the year award
Wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see them dangling Uggla, Cantu, & perhaps even Ross at the trade deadline, depending of course, on how they’re doing.
The Marlins have two good pitchers and a few good hitters, temper your expectations. They do get a ton of bang for their buck but I just don’t think they’re good enough to hang with the Phillies and Braves this year.
They probably don’t hang with the Phillies, but I can see them battling the Braves all season long. Their manager keeps them playing hard until the bitter end and I don’t think he gets enough credit for that.
the braves are relying on way too many injured players to go anywhere. people talk about how improved they are. how? they let go of 2 really talented young relievers for 2 aging often hurt relievers, an aging injured bat, and let go of a great starter. a lot could go wrong for the braves this year too, the only certainty is Jair will be amazing and underappreciated as always, and McCann will remain the best offensive catcher around now. and remember, the marlins finished AHEAD of the braves last year.
Its cool guys let everyone keep counting us out.. we’ll see whats up once September comes around haha… GO FISH!!!!!