Larry Beinfest, In His Own Words
Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald spoke with Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest on Wednesday afternoon, and a range of topics were discussed. Among the talking points, Beinfest addressed the possibility of a waiver deal:
"It's tight out there," said Beinfest. "The waivers are winding down. If you're going to get somebody, you're going to need to do it this weekend, basically. We're always looking. If there's something out there interesting in terms of adding depth, or adding experience, or an upgrade, then of course we'll look at it. But it's pretty tight out there this time of year, just in terms of maneuverability — players that are eligible, willingness of other teams to give up their players, and also whether the player fits financially. It's not as easy as it was a month ago when you didn't need waivers."
We've done our best this month to track the players who have cleared waivers. Remember the deadline to make such a transaction is September 1.
Beinfest also made quick mention of the possibility of long-term contract negotiations with pitchers Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco. The Marlins have, in the past, dealt most of their young, talented hurlers.
"I don't think anything has really changed as far as long term (contracts to pitchers)," said Beinfest. "We've always been open. It's not something we've ever ruled out, and we'll go case by case. I think there is some recognition by the organization that pitchers can be risky because they do get hurt, maybe at a higher rate than a position player. But that doesn't mean necessarily we would rule out."
Marlins Have No Interest In Glavine
According to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel, the Marlins are at budget, and therefore have no interest in adding Tom Glavine to the rotation mix.
Instead, Florida will look to solve its rotation issues from within, starting with a promotion to the majors for Ricky Nolasco.
Money aside, can you blame Florida? Nolasco is 26, and pitched 212 1/3 innings of 3.52 ERA baseball last season. Tom Glavine is 43, and pitched 63 1/3 innings with a 5.54 ERA last season.
Sure seems like Nolasco is the better bet, regardless of money.
Marlins DFA Dave Davidson
According to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, the Marlins designated pitcher Dave Davidson for assignment. The 25-year-old Canadian pitched in just one inning this year, giving up four hits and four walks in an inning against the Rays last night. Davidson pitched for the Pirates back in 2007 and has since represented Canada at the Olympics and in the WBC. The Marlins made another change after last night's game, sending Ricky Nolasco to Triple A.
Marlins Catcher Rumors
Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has the latest on the Marlins’ trade talks for a catcher.
The Rangers could part with Max Ramirez or Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but want a frontline starter type such as Chris Volstad, Josh Johnson, or Ricky Nolasco. The Marlins aren’t willing to do that, but instead could flip Jonathan Sanchez to Texas if they get him. Or, they could send Anibal Sanchez if they add a starter.
The Marlins also have an eye on Pittsburgh’s Ronny Paulino. Meanwhile current Marlin Matt Treanor could be non-tendered or traded for a minor piece.
Florida Teams Talking Trade?
Here’s a rumor I missed from Jayson Stark’s column on Friday. Stark notes:
"Despite talk of the Marlins and Devil Rays reviving their long-rumored deal involving Rocco Baldelli, Florida actually appears to be more focused on the younger (and cheaper) B.J. Upton and Elijah Dukes as center field possibilities."
That makes sense, but what would Florida give up at this point? Scott Olsen has to be off-limits. Josh Johnson is hurting. Anibal Sanchez‘s shoulder inflammation has died down, but he’s still a risk. Ricky Nolasco might be reasonable, though it would chip away at the team’s strength. Nolasco for Dukes seems fair. Nolasco has maybe a 20% chance at becoming a star, while Dukes hovers around 40-50% (based on BP’s Stars and Scrubs charts). Dukes’s off the field stuff would even out the trade.
Meanwhile, Peter Gammons wrote on February 28th:
"[The Marlins] are not trading any of their good young pitchers to fill center field. They know every good team has flaws, and it’s a lot more difficult to get by with a pitching hole than with a center fielder like Eric Reed who, at worst, runs down balls."
John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus mentions another lower-cost possibility for Florida – Cory Sullivan of Colorado.
The Price Of Pierre
You already know how I feel about Juan Pierre. What’s the deal with the three pitchers the Cubs shipped over to get him?
Renyel Pinto is a 23 year-old southpaw with a plus changeup and 94 mph fastball. While ranked the Cubs’ 6th best prospect by Baseball America before the 2005 season, he’s now dropped out of the top ten. If you look at Pinto’s numbers the last couple of years, he’s mastered Double A but can’t crack Triple A. However, he’s gotten only about 30 innings in Iowa as an opportunity. Pinto prevents home runs well and strikes people out, but is a bit generous with the walks.
Ricky Nolasco is a 23 year-old righthander with a low 90s sinker and a good curveball. Nolasco was ranked just 19th among Cubs prospects before the ’05 season, and was upgraded to 7th overall after this performance in Double A this year. The Cubs pushed him up to Iowa for 40 innings in ’04 and he didn’t fare well. Nolasco has pretty good control and nice strikeout numbers. He was to be sent to the Rangers for Rafael Palmeiro in 2003, but Palmeiro vetoed the deal.
Cubs fans might be a little more familiar with Sergio Mitre, as he’s thrown 121 uninspiring innings in the big leagues. Mitre has looked OK at Iowa, but has been never been able to translate success save for a brilliant 16 inning stretch this year. He might be able to crack the back end of Florida’s rotation in due time.
To sum it up, the Cubs didn’t really give up any can’t miss prospects in this trade.