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Latest On Edwin Encarnacion’s Market

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The Blue Jays’ four-year, $80MM offer to Edwin Encarnacion has been taken off the table, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  Though that initial offer — made before Toronto signed Kendrys Morales — no longer stands, the Jays are reportedly still interested in Encarnacion’s services, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  Encarnacion is still “in play” for the Jays, Rangers and potentially two National League teams, who have called about the slugger with an eye towards using him as an everyday first baseman.

It probably isn’t a surprise that the Jays withdrew their offer in the wake of the Morales signing, as according to Encarnacion’s agent Paul Kinzer earlier this week, the two sides hadn’t talked numbers since that initial offer.  Other teams had made offers, though Toronto was “showing Edwin the most love,” in Kinzer’s words.  As Rosenthal notes in another tweet, however, the Blue Jays are also still exploring the outfield market, and they could forego re-signing Encarnacion if they land a big-ticket outfielder like Dexter Fowler.

Kinzer has also indicated that he and his client could be looking for five years and as much as a $25MM average annual value, though those comments are now almost a month old.  Five years in the $125MM range may have been a high target anyway (MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes projected Encarnacion to land four years and $92MM) and it could be an even longer shot given that Encarnacion’s market seems to have shrunk in recent days.  The Red Sox don’t seem to be in hot pursuit given their reluctance to surpass the luxury tax threshold again, while the Astros and Yankees have addressed their DH needs with less-costly one-year deals with Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday, respectively.

In regards to the Rangers, GM Jon Daniels told reporters (including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson) today that the team was more likely to use internal options like Jurickson Profar, Joey Gallo or Ryan Rua to handle first base than a free agent.  This could, of course, be some negotiating gamesmanship on Daniels’ part, as entrusting both the first base and DH spots to those inexperienced players would seem like an odd move for a contender, notwithstanding Profar and Gallo’s blue-chip prospect status.

As I noted in my Encarnacion free agent profile, the Orioles, White Sox, Rockies and Marlins make some sense as speculative fits for the slugger, though it isn’t known whether any of those teams are willing or financially able to make such a big splash.  Among NL teams, even Miami is something of a longshot since the Fish are more apt to be looking for a right-handed complement to Justin Bour (who had quite a solid season) rather than an outright replacement.  Unless a first base job opens up due to an injury or another trade, there doesn’t seem to be much room for Encarnacion within the National League.

Mets Notes: Rosario, Conforto, D’Arnaud, Bullpen

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By re-signing Yoenis Cespedes, the Mets have already accomplished their primary offseason goal before the Winter Meetings have even begun, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.  That doesn’t mean, of course, that the Amazins will be sitting back for the rest of the winter, though a team executive tells Sherman that without a long list of needs, the Mets have added flexibility to explore more creative upgrades.  Here’s some more from Citi Field…

  • In that spirit of creativity, that same Mets executive tells Sherman that the team is open to discussing trades for any of their young players, except for top prospect Amed Rosario.  This doesn’t mean the Mets will necessarily shop any minor league or controllable talent, though they’re at least willing to hear what other clubs have to offer.  The Mets will even listen to offers about Michael Conforto, if for no other reason than to gauge his value, even if Conforto is considered to be close to untouchable.  Dealing Conforto would be another way the Mets could solve their outfield logjam, and Conforto would net a much larger return than either Jay Bruce or Curtis Granderson.
  • The Mets’ plan to stick with Travis d’Arnaud as their primary catcher in 2017, and those plans haven’t been changed by other catchers (such as Welington Castillo) coming onto the market, ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin reports.  The injury-plagued d’Arnaud was limited to just 75 games last season, and he was reportedly included in trade talks the Mets held with the Brewers last summer involving Jonathan Lucroy.
  • In another item from Rubin, the Mets are looking to sign middle relievers to one-year deals, as GM Sandy Alderson has said that the team isn’t looking for closers.  If or when Jeurys Familia is suspended, New York already has Addison Reed to step in as the ninth-inning man.  If the Mets aren’t willing to commit to more a single year, however, it could limit their list of choices on the open market to second- or even third-tier options.
  • The Mets could also turn to internal choices for the bullpen, as Alderson told reporters (including Newsday’s David Lennon) that the club would “definitely” thinking about using Zack Wheeler, Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo as relievers for the start of the season.

Quick Hits: Chapman, Encarnacion, Yankees, CBA, D’Backs, Dodgers

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Some items from around baseball as we head into a new week…

  • The Yankees are widely considered the favorites to sign Aroldis Chapman, though not if the closer’s market reaches five years and $100MM, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.  One would think the dollar figure rather than the contract length would be the sticking point for the Yankees, as Chapman (who turns 29 in February) has long been expected to land at least a five-year deal this winter.  MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicts Chapman to land five years and $90MM, and would still set a new record high for a reliever contract even if it falls short of nine figures.  (Dierkes also has Chapman signing with the Yankees.)
  • Also from King, the Yankees similarly aren’t interested in a five-year deal with Edwin Encarnacion.  New York has checked in with Encarnacion but also with Carlos Beltran, who would come at a much lower price in both years and dollars.  Several other first base/DH types with lower price tags than Encarnacion have also been speculatively linked to the Yankees as well this offseason.  It’s unclear whether any team would be willing to guarantee five years to Encarnacion, who is entering his age-34 season.
  • If the new collective bargaining agreement expands rosters to 26 players, several general managers speculated to Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com that teams could often use that extra man for spot starts.  While not an official sixth starter, teams could call up a spot starter to give extra rest to the rotation or perhaps just one veteran starter in particular.  Another GM speculates that teams could use that extra roster spot to develop an Andrew Miller-esque reliever who can pitch multiple innings.
  • The bulk of Gammons’ latest column examines the challenges Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen faces with his new team.  One of those issues looks to be improving relations between management and the clubhouse — “players who were Diamondbacks may be unfair when they tell people that the D’Backs are the team that hates players, but it’s the reputation,” Gammons writes.
  • Rookies played a big role in the Dodgers’ NL West title, particularly due to the number of injuries suffered by the team.  President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman tells Baseball America’s Bill Plunkett that his club had a “number of fingerprints” on its success and credits manager Dave Roberts with his deft handling of these young and mostly inexperienced players.  “A great byproduct of the change and shift that we saw this year on the major league side with (Roberts) and his coaches was to be able to provide that soft landing spot, that environment where guys can come up and thrive and not be afraid to compete, to be put in positions to be able to succeed,” Friedman said.  According to Plunkett, rookie players accounted for 21.3% of Dodgers plate appearances and 29.6% of the team’s innings in 2016.

5 Ways The Dodgers Can Save Money & Stay Competitive In 2017

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With a debt reportedly in the hundreds of millions, the Dodgers are trying to cut costs in order to stay in compliance with MLB’s debt service rule, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported earlier today.  Obviously a debt of that size means that cutting player payroll is only one step the Dodgers will need to take to become more financially stable, yet given how the Dodgers ended last season paying over $291MM to its 40-man roster and have just under $172MM committed to 15 players (only 11 of whom are still in the organization) in 2017, payroll seems like a natural starting point.

The catch, of course, is that the Dodgers wholly plan on contending in 2017, so any type of a fire sale is out of the question.  (So no, there’s no chance of your favorite team trading for Clayton Kershaw.)  In fact, the phrase “too big to fail” comes to mind — the Dodgers have invested so much in their on-field product that they essentially can’t afford to fall out of contention, as drops in attendance or TV ratings would make their financial situation even more severe.

While Dodgers fans may be automatically fearing a return to the Frank McCourt era, there are plenty of reasons not to worry.  Andrew Friedman’s front office has plenty of ways to save money while still reloading the roster for another run at the postseason, some of which they’re already exploring.  For example…

1. Backloaded contracts for beyond 2018.  Kershaw, Kenta Maeda and Yaisel Sierra are the only Dodgers under contract past the 2018 season, and Kershaw can exercise an opt-out clause following the 2018 World Series.  Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and several other important players will be arbitration-eligible by that point and making well beyond their current minimum salaries, yet L.A. will have plenty of payroll breathing space in just two years’ time.  Even by next winter, they’ll have over $46MM worth of breathing space when Carl Crawford and Alex Guerrero come off the books and Andre Ethier’s club option is presumably declined.

If the Dodgers wanted to land a big free agent this winter or re-sign at least one of Kenley Jansen or Justin Turner, therefore, the team could manage it in the form of a backloaded contract.  Deferred money could also be an option; the Dodgers already used this tactic last winter with Scott Kazmir’s contract, as the lefty will be receiving deferred payments through 2021 even though his deal only runs through the 2018 season.

2. Replace Jansen and/or Turner internally, or with cheaper external options.  The Dodgers’ bullpen finished at or near the top of the league in many important categories in 2016, and while Jansen and fellow free agents Joe Blanton and J.P. Howell were big reasons behind the pen’s success, there’s still lots of talent on hand.  Pedro Baez, Adam Liberatore, Luis Avilan, Josh Fields, Grant Dayton, Josh Ravin and the newly-acquired Vidal Nuno all form a solid relief core, and that’s not counting further support in the form of starters who might be available for reliever roles.  The Dodgers could supplement this group with a free agent with closing experience (i.e. Greg Holland, Koji Uehara, Brad Ziegler) with a much lower price tag than Jansen.

The third base picture is less clear if Turner leaves.  Supersub Enrique Hernandez could take over in at least a platoon role, as Hernandez has hit very well against lefties in his career and the Dodgers could use another solid right-handed bat to balance their lineup.  Looking at free agents, Luis Valbuena would command a solid but not unreasonable multi-year commitment, while Trevor Plouffe or Stephen Drew would be more inexpensive options.

Probably the best common ground for the Dodgers would be to use one of these scenarios to address one departure and then re-sign the other of Jansen or Turner.  Letting both players leave would be a blow, though L.A. could collect the first-round draft picks attached to Jansen and Turner via the qualifying offer.  With the farm system bolstered, that could free the Dodgers to…

3. Trade prospects for stars on inexpensive contracts.  Thanks to their big spending and deep minor league system, the Dodgers are rumored to be involved pretty much every time a rebuilding team floats a notable player in trade talks.  Both at the deadline and during the early stages of this offseason, the Dodgers have reportedly shown interest in players ranging from top-of-the-rotation aces (i.e. Chris Sale, Chris Archer) to second basemen like Brian Dozier or Logan Forsythe.  These four not only bring value on their field, they also offer multiple seasons of cost-effectiveness thanks to team-friendly contracts.

It would take a lot to pry any of these players away from their current teams, though the Dodgers have the pieces to make a deal happen if they choose this direction.  While Friedman has moved his share of notable prospects, he has also wisely held onto such blue-chippers as Seager or Julio Urias.  Would he be similarly loath to part with the likes of Jose De Leon, Cody Bellinger or Alex Verdugo, especially since there’s no better way to keep payroll costs down than to replenish the roster with cheap young talent?

4. Swap one big contract for another that is a better fit.  One of the main payroll issues facing the Dodgers is the substantial amount of money committed to players whose role on the 2017 team seems rather tenuous.  With Kershaw, Maeda, Kazmir and Urias locking up the top four rotation spots, that leaves Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu (owed a combined $38.6MM through 2018) battling for the fifth starter’s role, and that’s assuming either can stay healthy.  Andre Ethier missed almost all of 2016 due to a broken leg, and while Yasiel Puig seemed to regain his standing within the organization after hitting well in September, it remains to be seen if the Dodgers necessarily still see him as a long-term building block.

Given how injuries ravaged the Dodgers’ rotation last year, it seems odd to suggest that they should consider dealing a starter, yet I’d think they would be quite open to moving McCarthy or Ryu if a decent offer arose.  Teams would normally stay away from starters with such checkered injury histories, though there might be a slight opportunity for L.A. this winter given the very thin free agent pitching market.  The Dodgers could explore trading McCarthy, Ryu or possibly even Kazmir for another player making a significant salary over the next one or two years, yet who is a better fit for their needs at second base, third base (if Turner leaves) or in the outfield.

Ethier and Puig are the most experienced names amidst the many corner outfielders on the Dodgers roster, a list that includes Andrew Toles, Trayce Thompson, Scott Van Slyke, Rob Segedin and even part-time infielders like Hernandez, Darin Ruf or Micah Johnson.  L.A. could continue to see what it has with its younger outfielders, or cut through the platoon-mix uncertainty by acquiring a clear-cut everyday corner outfielder.  The Dodgers already dealt from this surplus when Howie Kendrick was sent to the Phillies two weeks ago.

Since the Dodgers can and will be spending significant money regardless of their debt reduction actions, they might as well allocate those funds towards players who can more clearly help the 2017 roster.  They have the flexibility to mix and match a package of veterans, part-timers and prospects to make a deal happen — say, offering Puig, McCarthy and a good prospect for an everyday second baseman.

5. Keep doing what they’re doing.  As noted in Shaikin’s piece, both the Dodgers and Commissioner Rob Manfred are confident that the team will be able to avoid any notable sanctions under the debt service rule, and obviously the Dodgers didn’t just become aware of their debt overnight.

It could be argued that the Dodgers have been addressing their debt issues more or less since Friedman was hired in October 2014.  Team officials including Friedman himself, CFO Tucker Kain (as quoted by Shaikin) and team president Stan Kasten have often said in recent years that the team’s long-term plan was to revamp the farm system and international pipeline to such an extent that the Dodgers would no longer require payrolls in the $300MM range.

To that end, I’m guessing that Friedman and company have already explored the first four steps on my list, as the Dodgers work towards their three-pronged goal of winning a World Series in 2017, preparing themselves to contend every year in the future and getting payroll under control.  Considering that the Dodgers have continued to win NL West titles in the two years under Friedman’s leadership (including overcoming a ton of injuries in 2016), this slightly reined-in spending hasn’t damaged the product on the field.

Signing Notes: Napoli, Melancon, Revere

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Some items about notable names on the open market….

  • Mike Napoli received some interest from the Mariners earlier this month, though one club official tells Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune that Napoli “doesn’t fit” into Seattle’s roster plans.  The M’s intend to give Dan Vogelbach and Ben Gamel a clear shot at the regular first base and right field jobs, with Danny Valencia the top choice to spell both against left-handed pitching.  Guillermo Heredia, Richie Shaffer and Taylor Motter are also in the mix as right-handed bats to platoon with Gamel or Seth Smith.  (Dutton’s piece was written before the Mariners acquired yet another right-handed hitting outfielder in Mitch Haniger from the D’Backs.)  With all of these platoon pieces on hand and Nelson Cruz getting the bulk of DH at-bats, there just isn’t room for Napoli.  Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said earlier today that he is happy with his club’s position players and will now turn his focus to adding starting pitching.
  • Could Colorado native Mark Melancon return to his home state in a Rockies uniform?  Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post has serious doubts, as the Rockies have been burned on big pitching contracts in the past and the team would have to outbid several big-market teams in need of a closer to land Melancon’s services.  Making the signing, on the other hand, would show that the Rockies are serious about contending with their current core of talent, and Melancon would obviously be a big upgrade for a Colorado bullpen that struggled last year.
  • Ben Revere has long been considered a non-tender candidate, and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com still thinks that will be the case, it isn’t out of the question that Revere returns to the Nationals.  Zuckerman points out that Revere was bothered by an oblique injury for much of the season, which likely contributed to his career-worst .217/.260/.300 slash line over 375 plate appearances.  While Revere could very well bounce back if fully healthy in 2017, I would guess that the Nats would only re-sign him for a backup role or even a minor league deal.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/25/16

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The latest minor moves from around the game, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • First baseman Balbino Fuenmayor has signed on with the Braves on a minor league deal, his agents at True Gravity tweeted. The former Blue Jays and Royals farmhand, who’ll turn 27 tomorrow, didn’t quite repeat his impressive 2015 season, in which he hit a robust .358/.384/.589 with 17 home runs over 378 plate appearances in the upper minors. Taking his first full-season crack at Triple-A, Fuenmayor managed a much more pedestrian .291/.325/.405 output with just a half-dozen dingers in 381 trips to the plate. He continued to post rather drastic platoon splits, and this time around posted a middling .626 OPS against righties. Fuenmayor is still looking for his first chance at major league action.
  • The Mariners have signed catcher Steven Baron to a new minor league contract, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.  Baron, 25, is back in the fold after the M’s designated him for assignment and released him earlier this month.  He played 67 of his 68 games in 2016 at Double-A Jackson.  Baron has a .234/.291/.341 slash line over 2179 career minor league plate appearances since Seattle took him 33rd overall in the 2009 draft, and the catcher also played in four big league games in 2015.

Trade Rumors: Braun, Greinke, Vogt

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Some rumblings about major names who may or may not be shopped this offseason…

  • Ryan Braun is struggling with the uncertainty of knowing whether the Brewers will trade him this offseason, according to the Associated Press. “Not knowing 100 percent where [I’ll] be playing is hard. It definitely complicates things,” he said.  Brewers GM David Stearns, for his part, said he doesn’t have a trade involving Braun in the works.  “I know that’s a big story this offseason, but I’m very happy that Ryan is a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. I expect him to be a member of the Milwaukee Brewers going forward,” Stearns said.  Of course, the Brewers have already traded a long string of veterans as they’ve rebuilt, and Braun (who currently has 9.129 years of big-league service time) will acquire full no-trade protection after achieving 10-and-5 rights early in the 2017 season.  There were also reported talks last summer about a deal that would have sent Braun to the Dodgers.
  • Zack Greinke’s massive contract leaves Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen without much payroll space to work with, leaving ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (subscription required) to wonder whether Hazen can convince ownership to deal Greinke.  Despite Greinke’s off year in 2016, Olney argues that he still has value to other teams, though the D’Backs will have to eat some money to make a deal happen (something ownership wasn’t willing to do in brief talks with the Dodgers last summer).  If Greinke struggles again in 2017, however, then his value will plummet and the contract could become a total albatross for Hazen and the team.
  • With the Braves looking for catching, the Athletics’ Stephen Vogt makes some sense as a trade target but David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links) isn’t sure about a fit.  The Braves prioritize game-calling and framing behind the plate, which is why they were pursuing Jason Castro before he signed with the Twins.  Baseball Prospectus ranked Vogt near the bottom of the league in terms of both framing and blocking runs last season, so O’Brien isn’t sure Atlanta would offer much for Vogt despite his solid bat.

Nationals Notes: Encarnacion, Drew, Ramos

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Some news out of D.C. from Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post…

  • The Nationals could use a right-handed power bat and/or first base help given Ryan Zimmerman’s injury history, though the biggest option in both categories (Edwin Encarnacion) isn’t likely to be a possibility.  Janes notes that the Nats haven’t made much contact with Encarnacion’s agents, and he is an imperfect fit since Washington is still counting on Zimmerman (who is too expensive to bench) as a regular.  Janes cites Jose Bautista, Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday and Brandon Moss as potential Nationals targets who would bring an ability to help out in the outfield, though she notes that most of this group would be better suited to an AL team that can provide DH at-bats.
  • Stephen Drew is getting some attention from teams as an everyday player, which could make a return to the Nationals unlikely given the team’s infield depth.  Drew hit .266/.339/.524 over 165 PA for D.C. last season, splitting time between second, third and shortstop.  If Drew goes leave, Wilmer Difo is the top choice as the new utility infielder and Clint Robinson would become Washington’s top left-handed bench bat.
  • In another piece, Janes reports that the Nationals haven’t had many talks with Wilson Ramos’ camp in the last couple of weeks.  The two sides were scheduled to touch base at the GM Meetings, though apparently little has taken place since, leaving the Nats still looking for a catcher in a thinning market (as Brian McCann and Jason Castro have been removed from the board).  Since there’s still quite a bit of uncertainty about how much of the 2017 season Ramos will miss due to his ACL surgery, he could get more attention from Washington and other teams once his recovery timeline is more clearly established.

AL West Notes: S-Rod, Athletics, Gray, Astros, Cashner

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Here’s the latest from the AL West…

  • The Angels discussed signing Sean Rodriguez before the utilityman agreed to a deal with the Braves yesterday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports (Twitter link).  Fletcher isn’t sure whether the Halos had serious interest or were just considering all options.  Rodriguez could have stepped right in to fill the Angels’ hole at second base, or potentially taken over third base if Yunel Escobar had been switched to second.  Besides the Halos, the Dodgers, Pirates and Blue Jays were also known to have interest in the versatile Rodriguez.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports joins CSNBayArea.com’s Joe Stiglich on the A’s Insider podcast (audio link) to discuss several offseason topics, including the possibility of some Athletics trades.  Rosenthal figures other teams will have “some lively discussions” with the A’s about Stephen Vogt given the lack of catching around the game, and Oakland will get interest in Sonny Gray given the thin free agent pitching market.  That said, Rosenthal isn’t sure whether Gray will be dealt since his stock has been lowered by his rough 2016 season.  “I’m not so sure this is the right time to trade him because obviously if he puts together a good first half you’ve got the best guy at the deadline,” Rosenthal said.  “At the same time, there’s always the risk he gets hurt again. Maybe he doesn’t bounce back, maybe you lose value.”
  • The Astros and Rangers still look like the class of the AL West, in Rosenthal’s opinion, though both teams still have clear needs — Houston needs to add another starting pitcher, while Texas has holes to fill in its everyday roster due to several free agents.
  • The Astros’ need for pitching is what differentiates them from the Cubs, though as the New York Post’s Joel Sherman points out, Houston bears a lot of similarity to the World Series champs.  Like the Astros, Chicago also totally purged the roster in a rebuild effort and added several impressive young position players through the draft.  The Cubs then spent big to add veterans in free agency and trades to score the missing pieces, and the Astros seem to be on the same track by adding Brian McCann and Josh Reddick this winter.  The key for Houston, of course, is if Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers can provide the same top-of-the-rotation strength that Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta (not to mention Kyle Hendricks) gave the Cubs.
  • Andrew Cashner is an improvement over the departing Derek Holland in the Rangers’ rotation, Kevin Sherrington of SportsDayDFW.com opines.  Cashner, who the Rangers recently signed to a one-year/$10MM deal, has much better velocity, and the loss of zip on Holland’s fastball makes him vulnerable.  Also, as MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan previously noted, Rangers pitching coach Doug Brocail believes he can “fix” Cashner.

Marlins Notes: Wilson, Niese, Ozuna, Trades

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Here’s the latest from south Florida…

  • The Marlins have some interest in veteran lefty C.J. Wilson, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.  Wilson “isn’t on the verge of making a decision” about his next team, though the southpaw does intend to play in 2017 after being sidelined since July 2015 due to elbow and shoulder injuries.  Jackson notes that Miami had interest in Wilson the last time he was a free agent, prior to his signing a five-year, $77.5MM deal with the Angels following the 2011 season.
  • In another item from Jackson, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Marlins pursue left-hander Jon Niese.  Like Wilson, Niese is another veteran who’d be available at a relatively low price, which fits the Marlins’ plans of adding starting pitching without breaking the bank.  Niese posted a 5.50 ERA over 121 innings with the Pirates and Mets last season, delivering his usual low-strikeout, high-grounder arsenal but allowing a whopping 22.1% home run rate.  A move to Marlins Park would theoretically help Niese avoid the long ball, though PNC Park and Citi Field also aren’t generally homer-friendly stadiums.  Niese is a free agent after the Mets declined his $10MM club option for 2017, instead paying the lefty a $500K buyout.
  • Marcell Ozuna has often been cited as a potential trade chip for Miami, though MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro believes that dealing Ozuna and then spending big to sign another outfielder (i.e. Dexter Fowler) doesn’t make financial sense.  Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich are both getting raises next year, so signing a player like Fowler would put the Fish in line for roughly $42MM in salary for just three outfielders.  If Ozuna was to be dealt, the more likely scenario for a replacement is that the Marlins sign a short-term veteran to platoon with Ichiro Suzuki.
  • Also as part of Frisaro’s mailbag piece, he looks at the Marlins’ need for pitching and opines that Doug Fister would be a good fit in Miami.  If Frisaro was in charge, he would look to free agency rather than the trade market since he would “be really reluctant to deal any of the core position players off the big league roster” due to “a shortage of organizational depth.”

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