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Omar Infante

Olney On Marlins, Rays, Upton

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General managers say the trade market has been surprisingly stagnant, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. The value of a Wild Card berth has diminished under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, and executives wonder if this change has affected the trade market. “There's not as much incentive to being a Wild Card team as there has been,” one NL GM told Olney. Here are the rest of Olney’s notes and rumors:

  • Under the new CBA, the spending money attached to draft picks is more valuable than the picks themselves, one GM said. Teams with large spending limits have more flexibility than other clubs and can pursue players more aggressively.
  • Olney spoke with officials who are convinced the Diamondbacks will trade Justin Upton. Here are all the latest rumors on Upton.
  • The 43-46 Marlins and the 46-44 Rays could create a significant shift in the trade market between now and the end of July. Both Florida teams are hovering around .500 for now.
  • The Marlins will be willing to discuss every player on their roster, including Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Johnson and Omar Infante, if they decide to sell, Olney writes.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Marlins, ChiSox, Headley, Orioles

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a bunch of new rumors for us today in a pair of videos. Let's round 'em up…

  • Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria may soon be faced with the question about selling at the deadline, something he wanted to avoid in the first year of the club's new ballpark. The best thing they could do to improve their farm system likely involves trading guys like Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante, and the newly acquired Carlos Lee.
  • White Sox GM Kenny Williams always thinks big and it would not be surprising to see him get in on pitcher such as Zack Greinke. The problem is that his farm system doesn't have much to offer and they don't want to give up pieces off the big league roster while contending.
  • The best guess right now has the Padres keeping Carlos Quentin and trading Chase Headley. Rosenthal says it's simple supply-and-demand; as many as ten teams have shown interest in the third baseman Headley. The team isn't sure they can get more for Quentin in a trade than they would by letting him walk as a free agent and recouping draft picks after the season.
  • The Orioles are clearly buyers. They're willing to trade any prospect not named Dylan Bundy or Manny Machado, but they probably don't have enough to get Greinke. They do have interest in lesser arms like Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas, as well as leadoff man Juan Pierre.
  • The Brewers could pit the Rangers and Angels against each other in the Greinke sweepstakes. Texas is unwilling to trade Mike Olt, Jurickson Profar, or Martin Perez for a rental, which could create an opening for the Halos if they're willing to deal Major League talent.
  • The Phillies do not intend to trade Cliff Lee to create payroll room for Cole Hamels. If they do keep Hamels long-term, they could have $140MM tied up in just eight players going into next season.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Infante, Pavano, Twins

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We took a glimpse at the NL Central earlier this evening and in the interest of equal time, we'll run down the latest out of the AL Central as well..

  • The Tigers have Marlins second baseman Omar Infante on their shopping list, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  If Miami sells, Stark writes that the former Tiger would be an excellent fit for Detroit.  
  • Carl Pavano could have been a potential trade chip for the Twins but the hurler won't be back in action before the trade deadline, tweets Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN.  Mackey notes that the Twins acquired Pavano prior to the waiver deadline in 2009 and speculates that they could go that route this year if they choose to move him.
  • Adelyn Santa, the Tigers' most expensive international signing in 2011, is no longer with the team, writes Jim Callis of Baseball America.  The Dominican third baseman signed for $750K last year on July 3 and it's not yet known why he was cut loose by Detroit.

Marlins, Omar Infante Agree To Extension

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The Marlins have reached an agreement with second baseman Omar Infante on a two-year contract believed to be worth $8MM, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  Infante passed his physical Tuesday, tweets Frisaro.

The Marlins acquired Infante in last November's Dan Uggla trade and plugged the 29-year-old Venezuelan in at second base this year. He has a .277/.316/.381 line in 629 plate appearances in his first season for the Marlins and final season before free agent eligibility.

Combine his 2011 performance with his All-Star 2010 campaign and you get a projected Type B ranking. That means the Marlins would have obtained a compensatory pick in next year's draft if Infante had turned down an offer of arbitration to sign with another club as a free agent.

On most nights, this would easily be the biggest Marlins news, but that's not the case tonight. Jack McKeon announced that he won't return as manager in 2012 and the White Sox released Ozzie Guillen, who is expected to sign with Florida. For even more Marlins links click here.

Marlins Notes: Infante, Vazquez, Hensley

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The last-place Marlins won't taste the playoffs in 2012, but they're moving into a new ballpark next year and could spend big this offseason, so things might be different in Miami a year from now. Here's the latest on the Marlins…

  • Omar Infante told Christina De Nicola of MLB.com that he and the Marlins are going to postpone all contract talks until the season ends next week. The sides have discussed a multiyear deal this month.
  • Javier Vazquez has given every indication that this will be his final season, though he hasn't officially said he's going to retire, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. The Marlins haven't discussed next season with Vazquez, who has had a resurgent second half, as I explained last week.
  • Clay Hensley, a non-tender candidate this offseason, told Spencer that he would love to return to Miami in 2012. The right-hander earned $1.4MM in 2011 and will be arbitration eligible for the second time this offseason. He has pitched well recently, though he had two stints on the disabled list and struggled as a starter.

Marlins Notes: Infante, Hanley, Morrison, Ozzie

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A few items about the soon-to-be Miami Marlins…

Marlins, Omar Infante Discussing Extension

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The Marlins are discussing an extension with second baseman Omar Infante, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. The sides are discussing a multiyear deal, and though they aren’t currently close to finalizing anything, they could complete a deal before the season ends. 

Infante told Frisaro that he wants to return to Miami in 2012. The 29-year-old native of Venezuela has a .279/.321/.376 line with five homers in 574 plate appearances in his first season with the Marlins. Infante, who joined the team in last November's Dan Uggla trade, earns $2.5MM this year.

Infante will hit free agency after the season if he doesn't sign a deal with the Marlins. He projects as a Type B free agent, which means the Marlins could obtain a draft pick in 2012 if Infante turns down an offer of arbitration to sign elsewhere. Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reported this weekend that the Marlins want to bring Infante back in 2012 and will offer him a contract.

Marlins Notes: Infante, Sanchez, Beinfest

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While their new ballpark is "80 percent complete," the Marlins are trying to avoid the NL East basement.  Here's the latest from South Beach…

  • The Marlins want to bring Omar Infante back next season and will offer him a new contract, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.  The second baseman has a .272/.322/.373 line this season and will be a free agent this winter.
  • Also from Spencer, the Fish recently approached Anibal Sanchez about a contract extension.  The team turned down offers for Sanchez at the trade deadline and the right-hander is clearly seen as a big part of Florida's future plans.  Today, Sanchez threw one of the best games of his career, striking out 11 Pirates in a complete game gem.
  • Larry Beinfest's recent history of contract extensions, first round draft picks and the return on the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade has been less than impressive, writes Dan Le Batard for the Miami Herald.  We recently heard that Jeffrey Loria and David Samson could be taking a larger role in player personnel decisions, so perhaps team ownership has the same opinion.

Marlins Notes: Manager, 2012 Payroll, Offseason

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MLB.com's Joe Frisaro has a host of Marlins-related news as the team draws ever closer to its brand new stadium in 2012:

  • It appears unlikely that Jack McKeon will again manage the Marlins in 2012. McKeon, 80, would be 81 next season and is likely to return to the advisor position he held from 2005 until taking the reins this year. Ozzie Guillen and Bobby Valentine are again listed as possible managerial replacements.
  • With a new stadium on the horizon, owner Jeffrey Loria is ready to "do what it takes" to upgrade the organization. The club's payroll in 2012 is expected to top $70MM and could go as high as $80MM.
  • The Fish would like to re-sign both Greg Dobbs and Omar Infante for the 2012 season. The veteran infielders are both free agents, but neither should be overly costly given their modest production in 2011.
  • Starting pitching is a priority for the Marlins this offseason, and they'd like to add at least one left-hander. A look at the free agent market shows that the two biggest names that fit the bill will be C.C. Sabathia (assuming he opts out of his current deal) and C.J. Wilson, though it's hard to see the Marlins spending that kind of money. Beyond that, names include Erik Bedard, Mark Buehrle, and Chris Capuano.
  • The Marlins are expected to be busy on the trade front, with Chris Volstad being a possible piece to be dealt. The Marlins would be selling very low on the 2005 first rounder, but with a 5.05 ERA over his last 468 2/3 Major League innings, it's not hard to see why they'd prefer to deal him before he hits arbitration.
  • Selling low won't be an approach the team takes toward Hanley Ramirez. One of the Marlins' top priorities is getting their superstar healthy for Opening Day, and they aren't looking to trade him.

Marlins Receiving Calls On Omar Infante

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1:01pm: The Pirates are interested in many bats right now, tweets Jon Paul Morosi, including Infante.  Infante told Joe Frisaro he hopes to remain with the Marlins beyond this year.

10:27am: The Infante rumors have no legs, hears Juan C. Rodriguez.

8:29am: Infante is a popular target, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, but nothing is close with the Braves and the Marlins are leaning toward keeping him.

7:12am: The Braves and Marlins have had multiple conversations regarding Omar Infante, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  Infante's versatility would come in handy given the injuries to Nate McLouth and Jordan Schafer. Infante, 29, played three seasons for the Braves before November's Dan Uggla deal with Florida.  He currently profiles as a Type B free agent.

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