cobaincola

The market is saturated with bullpen help and as a result most of the guys will come fairly cheap, the market is also filled with potential bargains like Jeff Nelson, Jeff Zimmerman, Matt Mantei, Paul Shuey, Scott Williamson, Steve Kline, Jay Powell, Troy Percival, and Steve Reed...etc All those players are either too 'old' or too 'injury-prone' to be given any heavy contract, I'm sure with the right research the FO could nab a couple of those guys for very discounted prices and watch them contribute alot to this pen. With the right price it just might be worth the risk regardless. I think the Fish need to make a big push to improve their pen this year simply because this is the right time too, many potential bargains that would allow us to field a good pen despite the payroll restrictions. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1911763

The bullpen didn't keep us out of the playoffs. The pitiful offense did. Even a bullpen of Benitez, Rivera, Gagne and Wagner can't secure 1-run leads every night. Improving the offense should be at the top of the list this winter. Although a strong bullpen, which necessarily doesn't need to consist of overpaid veterans, may be more of a prority than a good 4th or 5th starter. 612813[/snapback] Yeah BUT the only way we can visibly improve this offense is to land a big name player, that's it. Making the bullpen a strength is a cheap improvement to the team and if we can't afford a big name slugger should be one of our chief aims. I'd rather get two long top relief pitchers than keep Lo Duca on this team.

LOL, fiction FACT or FICTION: Nunez will post better numbers in KC than anyone who plays right field for the Fish in 2005?

He's staying with the Red Sox, to even think that the Sox won't resign Tek is ludicrous. There isn't any team out there that is in need of a catcher that has more money than the Sox... 612038[/snapback] The Red Sox new front office is a bit more penny pinching then the past....why elese would they still want to move the Manny contract? They dont like long term deals, and 5 years is a loooooooooong time for a catcher past 30. This is a semi-moneyball GM. 612357[/snapback] Their payroll this season was 130 million, dwarfing any team that wasn't the Yankees. Obviously they don't dish out as much as the Yanks but it wouldn 't make sense for them not to resign Tek He's their clubhouse leader and a fan favorite They have the dough and more dough than any team in need of a catcher They just won their first WS in 86 years, from a business standpoint why would they try to mess with the current lineup? These fans aren't going to demand a WS title in the near future, but they'd like to see that their team is competitive year in and year out. All the Sox need to do to appease their fanbase for the next 86 years is to resign guys like Tek.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/basebal...sports-baseball Chicago has offered first baseman Paul Konerko, pitcher Jon Garland and prospects for Diamondbacks ace Randy Johnson, the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News reported. The Yankees are believed to be interested in Johnson, too, but were rebuffed when they offered catcher Jorge Posada, who is owed $33 million over the next four years 611984[/snapback] Yanks willing to part with Posada? Crazy...I would think he'd be untouchable given his popularity but when you don't have a farm system I guess you are forced into making tough calls like that...

He's staying with the Red Sox, to even think that the Sox won't resign Tek is ludicrous. There isn't any team out there that is in need of a catcher that has more money than the Sox...

Give em Pierre, and Enc for Guillen and a long reliever Let Pavs and LoDuca go, sign Clement and Drew and put Drew in CF The NL East would be guaranteed Castillo Drew Cabs Guillen Lowell Conine Gonzo Willingham

congrats to the rocket... good news for the marlins cause Pavano didnt even come close to winning the Cy Young so his Value just dropped... 611586[/snapback] I wish that was the case but teams have already started contacting Pavs quite before the Cy Young voting, do you think they are going to withdraw their pursuits because of how he faired in the votings? Doubt it.

Anyone that is willing to lay their body on the line for their country is a hero, Sorry for your loss

You'd have to have jumped on the Marlins bandwagon not too long ago to think that Cy Young goes to the best pitcher, whether or not that's what it's suppose to mean hardly dictates what has been the precedent for determining the Cy Young for quite some time now There is a huge plus to those with great winning percentages and totals. Brown was snubbed twice while wearing Teal in back to back season in 96 and 97 That should have taught you that it isn't always given to the best pitcher. If Brown didn't win it those years I don't really care if Johnson doesn't win it, even if he was the best pitcher. Of course the funny thing is that no one considers Sheets in the discussion who had a debatebly better season than either, albeit with time on the DL.

Dodgers and Cubs to Discuss a Possible Green-Sosa Trade By Jason Reid and Steve Henson, Times Staff Writers All-Star right fielders Shawn Green and Sammy Sosa would switch teams in a trade proposal the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs plan to discuss at next week's general manager meetings, baseball executives said Friday. The clubs will explore a deal that would send Green to Chicago and bring Sosa ? the 1998 National League most valuable player ? to Los Angeles in an exchange of high-priced outfielders. The Cubs were among the first teams to contact the Dodgers about acquiring Green, and baseball sources said Dodger General Manager Paul DePodesta and Cub General Manager Jim Hendry planned to pursue talks early during the meetings beginning Tuesday at Key Biscayne, Fla. [More in URL] You'll probably have to sign up but it takes no time at all. 609642[/snapback] That trade makes sense, as much as I'd like Sosa in Miami it just doesn't seem to make any sense from the Cubs perspective...

Do not trade with Billy Beane... Do not trade with Billy Beane... Just not worth it.

Sosa isnt the man he used to be. I wouldnt waste the money when we can aquire a more promising player. 609166[/snapback] he is still good for 40 homers if healthy and is a HUGE name. 609256[/snapback] And even if he battles injury he'll still knock in over 30 homers, this team needs power more than anything. Even a .260 35 homer season would greatly improve this team. Plus he's a huge draw. Anyone that thinks he wouldn't be thinks way too highly of this fanbase. Face it, most of the Fish fans don't know all that much about baseball, they flock to the stadium only when the team is winning or for special events. Miami fans in general, look at the Heat, they brought in Shaq and they had the highest attendance figure ever in their home opener. Miami fans aren't very loyal and they aren't very knowledgeable but you can still exploit them by putting one of the most marketable players in MLB (definitely top 3) in Teal.

Wow i cant wait to see next years team... C-posada 1b-giambi 2b-nomar 3b-arod ss-jeter lf-matsui cf-beltran rf-sheff dh-b.williams plus the pitching there going to add... hope its Yankees and Marlins again... 608982[/snapback] That is the most over-valued lineup imaginable... Who is to say that Giambi will come back healthy? Who is to say that Nomar will stay healthy? Williams? The Yankees are no more smarter than the Mets it's just that when they miss up they can cover up their mistakes by spending more...

He should be Booed for the way he hit against the Sox.... right Babe,yea Boo u suck... 608978[/snapback] He had a .900 OPS during the ALCS and an over 1.000 OPS for the postseason... He has been a great community leader, he gave UM a huge endowment not too long ago, he has done nothing but good for the Miami community... What a shame there are so many fairweather Boston fans in Florida...the stupidity is contagious I guess.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=241104014 Under Game Notes... This guy is a Miami native, loves the city and the crowd boos him? LOL, Marlin fans aren't fairweather...it's these fairweather Boston fans that adopt the Marlins that are fairweather....

That contract offer guarantees that 'Mando is 100% out the door, and that our offseason is pretty much over after that. 608390[/snapback] Mando's gone any way. It would be ignorant for a small market team like ours to go out and spend $5-6 million a year on a closer. Our team has been built around our starting pitching, and it's imperative that we keep it that way. Pavano is the best available pitcher out there. You can say all you want about this being his first good year. He has always had the talent and he had some solid years before this year, but what I saw from Pavz this year was a guy who had turned the corner mentally and made himself into a top of the rotation pitcher, and that mental aspect is not going to go away. 608396[/snapback] It'd also be ignorant for a small-market team to shell out all that cash on a guy that is coming off his only good season in the Bigs. I think he has turned the corner personally but I wouldn't bet 30+ million dollars on it.

Good for Carlos, he's earned it... Now let's look to Drew...

Mitchel Lichtman's Ultimate Zone Rating (definition, continued), which is basically Zone Rating adjusted for everything, ranks Alex Gonzalez has the best shortstop in the NL this year. Alex saving 19 UZR runs this year compared to Jack Wilson's 7 and Cesar Izturis' -2. Luis Castillo ranked third among second baseman with 4 behind Loretta (6) and Kent, yes Jeff Kent, (5). Others are right to say this is more an offensive award. Every player makes good plays and the media writers can't pick them out of the bunch. When you're hitting home runs or diving at every ball that comes your way *coughJimEdmondscough* the media will pay attention. Except in those rare cases like Matheny who is awful pitiful with the bat and mitt, but he's got the intangibles! 608525[/snapback] Interesting stuff, too much work to do now, but it seems like a nice read. Why they even use RF to judge a player's defensive worth buggles my mind.

This is BS...no way the Marlins FO could be stupid enough to consider this

Great offer by the FO, I think that really showed a commitment to trying to improve the team...they shouldn't offer anymore Hopefully Pavs declines and we use the money to get a middle tier pitcher and some bullpen help

And I think it's an insult to the voters for you to assume that his low BA kept him from winning the award, when offense doesn't count here. Offense gets attention. This is fact. If not for this, why does DLee not win a GG out of the chute? 608033[/snapback] Offense gets attention sure, but in gold glove voting? If this is true, then it's wrong. MAYBE there was someone better than Lee? It IS a matter of opinion, after all. There's a reason that if it was up to this board, 3/4 of the Marlin infield would get a gold glove. 608077[/snapback] Lee wasn't all that great defensively this year, if anyone got robbed at first it was Albert

NEW YORK -- Carl Pavano became a free agent Wednesday after meeting with Florida Marlins management and telling the team he wanted to test the market. Pavano A 28-year-old right-hander who went a career-best 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA this season, Pavano is likely to be among the most coveted free agents, which could put him in the middle of a bidding war between the World Series champion Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, baseball's biggest spenders. Pavano met for about an hour in Miami with Marlins president David Samson and general manager Admin Beinfest. "They expressed their desire to have Carl back, and Carl expressed his appreciation for everything the ownership group has done, in Montreal and in Florida," said the pitcher's agent, Scott Shapiro. "We're going to keep open communication. Carl has a lot of emotional ties to the Marlins, but he is committed to testing the market. Whether they have the resources to compete with some other organizations for Carl's services is the question at hand." Other free-agent pitchers include Pedro Martinez, Brad Radke, Russ Ortiz, Eric Milton, Matt Morris, Derek Lowe and Kevin Millwood. Players can start negotiating money terms with all teams starting Nov. 12. Pavano has a 57-58 record in seven seasons with the Expos and Marlins. He was drafted by Boston in 1994 and was sent to Montreal after the 1997 season with Tony Armas Jr. for Martinez. He had surgery to remove elbow chips in 2000 but has been healthy since. Pavano allowed one run in nine innings against the Yankees in the 2003 World Series and went 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA in two postseason starts and six relief appearances. Pavano, a first-time All-Star in 2004, earned $3,925,000 this year. "We're not going to comment on any discussions," Marlins general manager Admin Beinfest said. "We're going to keep everything in-house." The Yankees are looking to rebuild a starting rotation that struggled most of the season and collapsed against Boston in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series, while the Red Sox are facing the possible loss of Martinez and Lowe. Shapiro lives within walking distance of the hotel in Key Biscayne, Fla., where general managers will meet next week and will probably talk with some teams then. He said negotiations will probably take quite a while. "I know that Carl's main concern is that he wants to go to an organization that's committed to winning," Shapiro said. "He is going to want to meet the personnel. He's going to evaluate the defense and the run support he would have on a particular team." Pavano was among 11 players who became free agents Wednesday, raising the total to 190. Chicago White Sox second baseman Roberto Alomar and St. Louis outfielder John Mabry also filed. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1915730 I'd say he's 80% gone... Time to talk to 'Mando, Lowe, Clement, Pedro, Williams and Morris, see what shakes out from there :whistle . 608138[/snapback] I think he's gone too, he's stressing the whole need to take advantage of his opportunity (free agency) via the angle this is what he's worked his whole career for...yadda yadda yadda...to make it worse his agent has made it clear that he wanted to distance Carl from those rumors that he didn't want to play in New York so as to atleast involve NY teams in the bidding race so as to bump his market value Fish will offer their 3 years 21 million and they shouldn't offer anymore than that at all. I'd like Wright but it seems that he'd be very pricey and the Braves would be foolish to let him leave, I wouldn't mind seeing Clement or Perez here, Morris might command a bit too much but if the price is right we should take a risk on him because he has had a history of success though not much of it this season.

Marlins begin talks with Pavano today BARRY JACKSON bjackson@herald.com The Marlins will begin to address pitching (their biggest offseason priority) when general manager Admin Beinfest meets today with right-hander Carl Pavano and his agent, Scott Shapiro, for the first time since the season ended. But with other teams in position to offer more financially, the Marlins will need to appeal to Pavano with intangibles (such as the fact he likes South Florida, his teammates and the team's defense). If the decision comes down to money, the Marlins figure to be underdogs. ''I'm going in with no expectations,'' Pavano said Tuesday. ''I don't know what they're going to offer.'' Asked whether he prefers to stay with the Marlins, Pavano, 28, was noncommittal. ''There are a lot of factors that have to come into play -- seeing what other teams [offer]. I'm very excited about [free agency]. You play your whole career to get an opportunity to put yourself in the best position possible.'' Even if the Marlins offer Pavano a three-year deal topping $20 million, potential suitors such as the Yankees, Seattle, Boston and Baltimore will drive up the price. Players can sign elsewhere beginning Nov. 12. Pavano (18-8, 3.00 ERA) concedes, ''New York is a great possibility. I'm from Connecticut. [The Yankees] are in the thick of it every year.'' ? If the Marlins can't sign Pavano, they will have plenty of other options among free agent pitchers. The most affordable would include Paul Byrd, Esteban Loaiza, Paul Wilson, Woody Williams and Odalis Perez. If the Marlins decide to spend more, Jose Lima, Kevin Millwood, Matt Clement, Orlando Hernandez, Russ Ortiz, Eric Milton and Jaret Wright would be options. Pavano, Pedro Martinez, Brad Radke, Cris Carpenter, Matt Morris and Derek Lowe are the top-end free agents. ? Although the Marlins have had ''multiple positive talks'' with the agent for free agent Damion Easley, they called free agent closer Armando Benitez's agent Tuesday for the first time since the season ended and promised additional conversations when the team's budget is clarified. Mike Powers, Benitez's agent, was pleased to hear from Beinfest. On Monday, he said the fact he hadn't heard from the Marlins was ''disturbing and a lack of respect for a guy who put up big numbers.'' Easley's agent says there's mutual interest, but Easley wants to consider other options, too. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/10084051.htm 607691[/snapback] Lowe a top end free agent...lol And people wanted the Fish to entertain the thought of having that sad waste in Miami. Wright, Clement, Perez and Byrd are the best affordable options in that order 607745[/snapback] Lowe did win 17 games just two years ago you know and 14 games plus 3 in the postseason this year. He is a good pitcher and would do well in Pro Player with our defense. 608096[/snapback] If you think he is a top-end FA like Pedro, Pavano and Radke you are seriously mistaken. He won games, because he had the highest run support of any pitcher in the league this year. He won 17 last year because he was among the top in run support as well. He's a crappy pitcher that happens to be backed by one of if not the very best offense in baseball. He wouldn't do all that much better in Florida because Boston's infield defense may not be as good as that of the Fish but it's definitely not an excuse for his poor season with people like Reese and Cabrera on the team. He had a bad WHIP the season previous and was 'lucky' that his ERA was a very mediocre 4.50, his ERA this season was 5.42 and his WHIP is 1.61 I'd only entertain getting him if we could get Tejada to play short so as to give Tejada the opportunity to kick his azz any time he desired.

Alex had way more web gems than Izturis. He made plays on balls that most SSs would never get close to. Only his lowly BA kept him from consideration. 607914[/snapback] And Greene had alot more web gems than Gonzo and he isn't half the defensive player Gonzo is... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fieldi...umn=fieldingPct You can only evaluate players you haven't seen with players you've seen on the basis of statistics alone. You haven't seen enough of Izturis to even compare him with Gonzo, but you can see his stats. The most important of which is Zone Range, in which Izturis crushed the competition. Fielding percentage is also looked at and he came in third...