I'm not feeling too bad about the trades and our 2006 lineup right now. Barring any major future trades, our lineup should probably be
1b- Mike Jacobs
2b- Luis Castillo
SS- Hanley Ramirez
3b- Miguel Cabrera
RF- Jeremy Hermida
CF- Juan Pierre
LF- Jeff Conine
C- Paul Lo Duca
Now in losing Delgado, we lose out on a 30+ homerun, 100+ RBI player. But, in Jacobs, we recieved a younger, player that is better defensively, and will be able to put up some power numbers offensively. We can hope for at least 10-15 HRs and hopefully at least 70 RBIs. Now at 3b we got Miggy moving from LF, who is a proven player. We know what he's capable of and he'll only get better with age and seasoning. So in a sense, we're replacing Lowell not with Cabrera, but with Jeremy Hermida, and the kid's a stud. He'll be a special player, and I expect he'll have a breakout year that at least doubles Lowell's productivity (or lack thereof). I expect similar numbers from Hanley Ramirez that we got from Gonzo last year, the biggest worry is defense at this level. Ramirez is a gifted athlete, and has sky high potential, but rookie shortstops are infamous for making mistakes in The Show. Conine is a suitable replacement for Mr. Personality aka Juan Encarnacion, and will more than likely be a tad better than Encarnacion was last year. I think we'll do better offensively, even w/out Delgado, now the problem is if we can beat the opponents with our mostly unproven , but promising pitching staff. I'm optimistic about 2006, and I'm even more optimistic about the future of the Florida Marlins.