gomarlins9703

got mine too today

The White Sox nearly wound up with Carlos Delgado instead of Jim Thome. When Cashman inquired about Chicago center fielder Aaron Rowand soon after the World Series, White Sox GM Kenny Williams told him he didn't think the Yankees were a good fit for a trade -- unless they obtained Delgado from Florida. Cashman worked out the parameters of a deal with the Marlins, but the three-way deal fell through when the White Sox then insisted the Yankees pick up a large chunk of Delgado's contract. Source

we need to keep all terrorist's in our custody. Two escapes, let alone one is unacceptable. There was obviously help from both the inside and the outside in this escape. The US should not trust foreign governments with such important tasks such as watching extremely dangerous people. Sometimes if u want it done the right way, u gotta do it urself.

Bengie Molina - C - Angels The Blue Jays are close to signing Bengie Molina to a one-year, $5 million contract with a $7.5 million option for 2007. Molina's defense is slipping and last year's offensive performance was most likely a fluke, so he's not going to be too much of an upgrade over Gregg Zaun. His signing could result in Guillermo Quiroz being traded this spring. Jason Phillips also won't have any real chance of making the team. Feb. 6 - 1:33 pm et Source: FOXSports.com

"This homer is even more important than the one I hit for the Marlins in the [12th inning of Game 4 of the 2003] World Series," Gonzalez said. "This was for my country." ????

I would have Pokey play SS and Uggla start at 2B. I think Ramirez needs more time to develop and the longer we wait to get him to the majors the longer until arbitration and free agency come up. I know they may seem far away, but buy the time we are good many of these guys will start arbitration and get big rases. Letting some players develop and come up later could save us some serious $ in the future. Plus, I think Uggla is more ready than Hanley.

Florida Marlins 1. Jeremy Hermida - OF - DOB: 01/30/84 - ETA: Now .293/.457/.518, 18 HR, 63 RBI, 89/111 K/BB, 23 SB in 386 AB for Double-A Carolina .293/.383/.634, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 12/6 K/BB, 2 SB in 41 AB for Florida He may have gotten the nod anyway, but with Andy Marte gone, Hermida is the clear choice as the National League?s best prospect. The 2002 first-round pick may never contend for batting crowns or home run titles, but he?ll have Bobby Abreu-type seasons while playing right field for the Marlins. His patience will result in .400+ OBPs to go along with .290 batting averages, and he may peak at somewhere around 30 homers per year in his prime. The plan is for him to open this year as a regular, and he?ll probably end it as the Marlins? No. 3 hitter. 2. Yusmeiro Petit - RHP - DOB: 11/22/84 - ETA: June 2006 9-3, 2.91 ERA, 90 H, 130/18 K/BB in 117 2/3 IP for Double-A Binghamton 0-3, 9.20 ERA, 24 H, 14/6 K/BB in 14 2/3 IP for Triple-A Norfolk That Petit relies more on deception and command than velocity is going to leave many skeptical until he actually gets the job done in the majors. With the trade from the Mets to the Marlins, it?s more likely that he?ll receive his first opportunity this year. Petit spots his 88-91 mph fastball, slider and changeup with precision and does a superb job of hiding the ball, giving hitters less time to react. Maybe quality left-handed hitters will have some luck against him, but he should be effective enough against righties to settle in as a third starter. 3. Hanley Ramirez - SS - DOB: 12/23/83 - ETA: Now .271/.335/.385, 6 HR, 52 RBI, 62/39 K/BB, 26 SB in 465 AB for Double-A Portland .000/.000/.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2/0 K/BB, 0 SB in 2 AB for Boston There?s still no questioning Ramirez?s ability, but since the Red Sox figured he was at least a couple of years away from becoming an above average regular, they were willing to part with him in order to land Josh Beckett. Now that he?s a Marlin, he?ll have every opportunity to win a starting job this spring, though that could be about the worst thing for his development. Ramirez has excellent bat speed and a decent approach, but he?s not ready to hit in the majors. All he could manage in Double-A last year was a 720 OPS. He?s also not going to be a plus defender right away, although he should be in time. At minimum, a year in Triple-A would seem to be appropriate. 4. Anibal Sanchez - RHP - DOB: 02/27/84 - ETA: July 2007 6-1, 2.40 ERA, 53 H, 95/24 K/BB in 78 2/3 IP for Single-A Wilmington 3-5, 3.45 ERA, 53 H, 63/16 K/BB in 57 1/3 IP for Double-A Portland Before a rough finish to his season, Sanchez looked liked just as good of a prospect as either of Boston?s other young studs, Jon Lester or Jonathan Papelbon. He came down with a sore elbow at the end, an especially big concern given that he missed 2003 following never transposition surgery and had been babied ever since. Sanchez often works in the mid-90s and both his curveball and changeup are potential plus pitches. As a result, he probably has the highest upside of any of the Marlins? young arms. Fortunately, it looks like the team now has the pitching depth to continue to proceed slowly with him. It?d be for the best if he doesn?t see the majors this year. 5. Scott Olsen - LHP - DOB: 01/12/84 - ETA: June 2006 6-4, 3.92 ERA, 75 H, 94/27 K/BB in 80 1/3 IP for Double-A Carolina 1-1, 3.98 ERA, 21 H, 21/10 K/BB in 20 1/3 IP for Florida Olsen, the organization?s top pitching prospect a year ago, debuted with the Marlins last June and did a nice job in a month in the majors before returning to Double-A on July 22. He was diagnosed with elbow inflammation shortly thereafter and didn?t pitch again. Eventually, it was determined that he had a bone spur that didn?t require surgery. With a 91-94 mph fastball, a quality slider and a serviceable changeup, Olsen resembles a future third starter. He might even be a No. 2 if his command continues to improve. The injury has cut into his ranking a bit, but he?s expected to be fine to contend for a rotation spot this spring. 6. Gaby Hernandez - RHP - DOB: 05/21/86 - ETA: July 2007 6-1, 2.43 ERA, 59 H, 99/30 K/BB in 92 2/3 IP for low Single-A Hagerstown 2-5, 5.74 ERA, 48 H, 32/10 K/BB in 42 1/3 IP for Single-A St. Lucie Until hitting a speed bump in the Florida State League, Hernandez had been dominant since the Mets picked him out of a Florida high school in the third round of the 2004 draft. The Marlins acquired him for Paul Lo Duca and figure to put him back in high-A ball this year. Hernandez doesn?t have enormous upside, but he is a better bet to make it than most pitchers his age. He throws in the low-90s with movement, and both his curveball and changeup look like major league pitches. He?ll probably move quickly for a high school product. If he remains healthy, a debut not long after his 21st birthday is a possibility. 7. Josh Johnson - RHP - DOB: 01/31/84 12-4, 3.87 ERA, 139 H, 113/50 K/BB in 139 2/3 IP for Double-A Carolina 0-0, 3.65 ERA, 11 H, 10/10 K/BB in 12 1/3 IP for Florida Steady progress saw Johnson, a 2002 fourth-round pick, to the majors in September and could keep him there at the start of this year. A 6-foot-7 right-hander with a low-90s sinker, Johnson looks like a prototype middle-of-the-rotation workhorse. Neither his slider nor his changeup is good enough to make him a premier pitcher, but he could eat innings with the best of them. The Marlins will give him a chance to win a rotation spot coming out of spring training. 8. Josh Willingham - C-OF - DOB: 02/17/79 - ETA: Now .222/.300/.333, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2/0 K/BB, 0 SB in 9 AB for Single-A Jupiter .324/.455/.676, 19 HR, 54 RBI, 54/47 K/BB, 5 SB in 219 AB for Triple-A Albuquerque .304/.407/.348, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 5/2 K/BB, 0 SB in 23 AB for Florida This is Willingham?s age-27 season already, so it?s definitely time to see what he can do. The Marlins are planning on letting him compete for the starting job at catcher, though they may prefer to go with Miguel Olivo, who has quite a bit more potential defensively. Willingham?s bat would likely play OK in left field, but he might be a problem defensively there, too, depending on how long it takes him to adjust. Either way, the Marlins need to get him at least 400 plate appearances. He might be their second-best hitter, depending on whether Hermida is truly ready or not. With excellent on-base skills and 20-homer power, he should have at least a few quality seasons in him. 9. Ricky Nolasco - RHP - DOB: 12/13/82 - ETA: Aug. 2006 14-3, 2.89 ERA, 151 H, 173/46 K/BB in 161 2/3 IP for Double-A West Tenn Nolasco, a 2001 fourth-round pick of the Cubs, was acquired along with right-hander Sergio Mitre and left-hander Renyel Pinto for Juan Pierre in December. The Cubs never had a lot of use for him, first trying to deal him to the Rangers for Rafael Palmeiro in 2003. He initially skipped Double-A in 2004, but after he posted a 9.30 ERA in nine starts in Triple-A, he was demoted to West Tenn and left there for more than a year and a half, even though he was clearly ready to give Iowa another try last season. Nolasco doesn?t throw hard, average 90-92 mph with his fastball, but he has a great curve and a fair changeup. He could be a long-term fourth starter. The Marlins will likely give him a look before season?s end. 10. Jason Stokes - 1B - DOB: 01/23/82 - ETA: April 2007 .283/.340/.674, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 16/3 K/BB, 2 SB in 46 AB for Triple-A Albuquerque Stokes was supposed to be trade bait last season after the Carlos Delgado signing, but he was kept and Delgado wasn?t, meaning the 2000 second-round pick could yet be the team?s first baseman of the future. The problem is health. Stokes was limited to just 13 games last season by his latest round of hand issues. He has 40-homer power and he?s more than a year younger than Mike Jacobs, so this isn?t the time to be giving up on him. Maybe his vulnerability to quality breaking balls, combined with the injuries, will prevent him from developing into a regular. For now, I still think he?s a better bet than Jacobs. 11. Mike Jacobs - 1B - DOB: 10/30/80 - ETA: Now .321/.376/.589, 25 HR, 93 RBI, 94/35 K/BB, 1 SB in 433 AB for Double-A Binghamton .310/.375/.710, 11 HR, 23 RBI, 22/10 K/BB, 0 SB in 100 AB for New York (NL) Jacobs hit .329/.376/.548 for Double-A Binghamton in 2003, missed most of 2004 with shoulder problems and then returned last year as a catcher/first baseman and spent most of the year tearing up the Eastern League again. The Mets recalled him when Mike Piazza was hurt in August, but manager Willie Randolph didn?t want him as a backup catcher and he was set to quietly return to the minors until he delivered a pinch-hit, three-run homer in his first major league at-bat. From then on, he was about as good of a first baseman as there was in the majors. The Mets still weren?t sold on him, so Jacobs went to the Marlins in the Carlos Delgado trade. The talk is that he?ll be an everyday player initially, though using the right-handed-hitting Wes Helms in a platoon with him would result in more production. Jacobs might be Kevin Maas or he could be an eight-year starter at first base. I wouldn?t invest heavily. 12. Chris Volstad - RHP - DOB: 09/23/86 - ETA: 2010 1-1, 2.33 ERA, 25 H, 26/4 K/BB in 27 IP for Rookie GCL Marlins 3-2, 2.13 ERA, 43 H, 29/11 K/BB in 38 IP for SS Single-A Jamestown The Marlins had five of the first 44 picks in last year?s draft and selected pitchers with each one of them. Volstad, drafted 16th overall, was the first taken. A 6-foot-7 right-hander has a low-90s fastball and a couple of secondary pitches with plus potential in his curve and changeup. Because he has very good command and he?s not a maximum-effort pitcher, he probably has a better chance of staying healthy than most his age. 13. Travis Bowyer - RHP - DOB: 08/03/81 - ETA: Now 4-2, 23 Sv, 2.78 ERA, 51 H, 96/40 K/BB in 74 1/3 IP for Triple-A Rochester 0-1, 0 Sv, 5.59 ERA, 10 H, 12/3 K/BB in 9 2/3 IP for Minnesota 0-2, 1 Sv, 9.39 ERA, 28 H, 19/2 K/BB in 15 1/3 IP for Grand Canyon (AFL) Along with fellow righty Scott Tyler, Bowyer was picked up from the Twins for Luis Castillo. One of the hardest throwers around, Bowyer issues high-90s heat with regularity. His awful results in the Arizona Fall League were the result of him concentrating on throwing his slider. Bowyer needs to improve both his breaking ball and his command in order to fulfill his potential and develop into a major league closer. The Marlins hope he?s ready to occupy a setup role now, but he probably isn?t. 14. Aaron Thompson - LHP - DOB: 02/28/07 - ETA: 2009 2-4, 4.50 ERA, 42 H, 41/10 K/BB in 32 IP for Rookie GCL Marlins 1-2, 3.10 ERA, 25 H, 17/10 K/BB in 20 1/3 IP for SS Single-A Jamestown Thompson was the Marlins? second pick in the 2005 draft, going 22nd overall. He should be plenty effective against lefties with his 90-mph fastball and sweeping curveball. He doesn?t appear to have the upside of most high school pitchers taken in the first round of drafts, but he?s a polished product and could move relatively quickly. 15. Eric Reed - OF - DOB: 12/02/80 .255/.305/.299, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 62/17 K/BB, 23 SB in 271 AB for Double-A Carolina .310/.335/.404, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 31/3 K/BB, 17 SB in 171 AB for Triple-A Albuquerque Reed might be Juan Pierre?s replacement in center field this year, though there?s absolutely no reason to believe he?s ready to hit in the majors. Working in his favor is that Reed is a fine defensive center fielder and he?d probably be the Marlins? best basestealer. His offensive potential is quite limited. Reed did bat .300 or better at each stop until last year, though that only led to a career .306/.359/.373 line. He?s probably going to be a long-term reserve, but he may steal 40 bases a time or two as a below average leadoff hitter first. As a result, he?s a fantasy prospect. Next five: LHP Mike Megrew, RHP Chris Resop, LHP Renyel Pinto LHP Taylor Tankersley, SS Robert Andino

Third base is cloudier than Nick and Jessica's prenup. With Lowell gone, Cabrera could finally return to his natural and preferred position, but because the Marlins have no left fielder to speak of, he could be grudgingly sent out there again. (According to sources close to the Marlins, Cabrera is already peeved that the club didn't hire a Latin-American manager or coach; given that he's now the team's best player and will be looked up to by young Latin players such as Ramirez, this gets even more complicated for new manager Joe Girardi.) If Cabrera does not play third, look out for Wes Helms -- particularly if you sit behind first base. wtf? i don't believe this bs for one second. if cabrera wasen't happy we'd know. What a dumbass, third is the only postition locked in for next year.

i'm in

http://www.marlinbaseball.com/forums/index...showtopic=56288

There names were added to the Non-Roster Invitees list on floridamarlins.com, although I have not seen an official announcement.

this is the complete list: 1. Delmon Young - OF - Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2. Jeremy Hermida - OF - Florida Marlins 3. Brandon Wood - SS - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4. Prince Fielder - 1B - Milwaukee Brewers 5. Francisco Liriano - LHP - Minnesota Twins 6. Stephen Drew - SS - Arizona Diamondbacks 7. Carlos Quentin - OF - Arizona Diamondbacks 8. Matt Cain - RHP - San Francisco Giants 9. Andy Marte - 3B - Boston Red Sox 10. Billy Butler - OF - Kansas City Royals 11. Chad Billingsley - SP - Los Angeles Dodgers 12. Ryan Zimmerman - 3B - Washington Nationals 13. Justin Verlander - RHP - Detroit Tigers 14. Jon Lester - LHP - Boston Red Sox 15. Alex Gordon - 3B - Kansas City Royals 16. Conor Jackson - 1B - Arizona Diamondbacks 17. Lastings Milledge - OF - New York Mets 18. Ian Stewart - 3B - Colorado Rockies 19. Felix Pie - OF - Chicago Cubs 20. Scott Olsen - LHP - Florida Marlins 21. Joel Guzman - SS/3B - Los Angeles Dodgers 22. Jon Papelbon - RHP - Boston Red Sox 23. Joel Zumaya - RHP - Detroit Tigers 24. Jarrod Saltalamacchia - C - Atlanta Braves 25. Andy LaRoche - 3B - Los Angeles Dodgers 26. Daric Barton - 1B - Oakland Athletics 27. John Danks - LHP - Texas Rangers 28. Yusmeiro Petit - RHP - Florida Marlins 29. Chris Young - OF - Arizona Diamondbacks 30. Nick Markakis - OF - Baltimore Orioles 31. Anthony Reyes - RHP - St. Louis Cardinals 32. Anibal Sanchez - RHP - Florida Marlins 33. Brian Anderson - OF - Chicago White Sox 34. Thomas Diamond - RHP - Texas Rangers 35. Howie Kendrick - 2B - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 36. Hanley Ramirez - SS - Florida Marlins 37. Russ Martin - C - Los Angeles Dodgers 38. Jeremy Sowers - LHP - Cleveland Indians 39. Adam Miller - RHP - Cleveland Indians 40. Homer Bailey - RHP - Cincinnati Reds 41. Adam Loewen - LHP - Baltimore Orioles 42. Dustin Pedroia - 2B/SS - Boston Red Sox 43. Jeff Clement - C - Seattle Mariners 44. Neil Walker - C - Pittsburgh Pirates 45. Adam Jones - OF - Seattle Mariners 46. Phil Hughes - RHP - New York Yankees 47. Edison Volquez - RHP - Texas Rangers 48. Hayden Penn - RHP - Baltimore Orioles 49. Cole Hamels - LHP - Philadelphia Phillies 50. Craig Hansen - RHP - Boston Red Sox 51. Gio Gonzalez - LHP - Philadelphia Phillies 52. Jason Kubel - OF/DH - Minnesota Twins 53. Elijah Dukes - OF - Tampa Bay Devil Rays 54. Kendry Morales - 1B/OF - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 55. Troy Patton - LHP - Houston Astros 56. Garrett Mock - RHP - Arizona Diamondbacks 57. Eric Duncan - 1B - New York Yankees 58. Javi Herrera - OF - Oakland Athletics 59. Jeff Mathis - C - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 60. Scott Elbert - LHP - Los Angeles Dodgers 61. Adam Lind - OF - Toronto Blue Jays 62. Ian Kinsler - 2B - Texas Rangers 63. Jeff Niemann - SP - Tampa Bay Devil Rays 64. Jonathan Broxton - RHP - Los Angeles Dodgers 65. Dustin McGowan - RHP - Toronto Blue Jays 66. Carlos Gonzales - OF - Arizona Diamondbacks 67. Asdrubal Cabrera - IF - Seattle Mariners 68. Gaby Hernandez - RHP - Florida Marlins 69. Jason Hirsh - RHP - Houston Astros 70. Chuck James - LHP - Atlanta Braves 71. Eddy Martinez-Esteve - OF/DH - San Francisco Giants 72. Chuck Tiffany - LHP - Tampa Bay Devil Rays 73. Fernando Nieve - SP - Houston Astros 74. Jered Weaver - SP - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 75. Andre Ethier - OF - Los Angeles Dodgers HM. Elvis Andrus - SS - Atlanta Braves HM. Erick Aybar - 2B/SS - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim HM. Wes Bankston - 1B - Tampa Bay Devil Rays HM. Josh Barfield - 2B - San Diego Padres HM. Ryan Braun - 3B - Milwaukee Brewers HM. Reid Brignac - SS - Tampa Bay Devil Rays HM. Eric Campbell - 3B - Atlanta Braves HM. Cesar Carillo - RHP - San Diego Padres HM. Christian Garcia - RHP - New York Yankees HM. Justin Huber - 1B - Kansas City Royals HM. Matt Kemp - OF - Los Angeles Dodgers HM. George Kottaras - C - San Diego Padres HM. Cameron Maybin - OF - Detroit Tigers HM. Andrew McCutchen - OF - Pittsburgh Pirates HM. Miguel Montero - C - Arizona Diamondbacks HM. Matt Moses - 3B - Minnesota Twins HM. Dustin Nippert - RHP - Arizona Diamondbacks HM. Hunter Pence - OF - Houston Astros HM. Mark Rogers - RHP - Milwaukee Brewers HM. Ricky Romero - LHP - Toronto Blue Jays HM. Marcus Sanders - 2B - San Francisco Giants HM. Ryan Shealy - 1B - Colorado Rockies HM. Troy Tulowitzki - SS - Colorado Rockies HM. Merkin Valdez - RHP - San Francisco Giants HM. Chris Volstad - RHP - Florida Marlins You can find the complete reports on each player here:Baseball Analysts if you click on the link and scrool down.

of those, i'd like to sign hidalgo. I think he has the potential to be the best out of the group. All the others are washed up and you know what they are going to give you. Hidalgo will give you 20-30 HR's if you give him 500 AB's and could be a great hitter. You just don't know.

Young arms thriving in winter ball Garcia, Petit among club's prospects enjoying solid seasons By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com It may be a few more seasons before Harvey Garcia blossoms into an impact reliever with the Marlins, but for now, the right-hander is making an impact pitching for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League. "He's a bullpen guy with a really good arm," said Jim Fleming, the Marlins' vice president of player development and scouting. "We see him as a back-end-of-the-bullpen guy." Garcia was obtained by the Marlins from the Red Sox in a blockbuster Thanksgiving deal. Florida sent Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota to Boston for shortstop Hanley Ramirez, pitcher Anibal Sanchez, Garcia and pitcher Jesus Delgado. In 15 relief appearances with Caracas, Garcia has given up four runs in 17 innings. To go along with his 2.12 ERA, he is 1-0. The right-hander has struggled a bit with control, however, walking 11 to go along with 13 strikeouts. Garcia still is relatively young, and he probably will open the season at Class A Jupiter. In 2005, he pitched for low Class A Greenville in the Red Sox system. He appeared in 32 games and was 3-5 with a 2.01 ERA, throwing 44 2/3 innings, striking out 54 while walking 18. With so much turnover on their roster, the Marlins are providing plenty of opportunities for young players to develop and move rapidly through the system. A number of other prospects are also refining their skills playing in various Winter Leagues. Yusmeiro Petit: A promising starter, Petit will get a shot at cracking the Marlins' rotation in Spring Training. The right-hander is excelling for Magallanes in Venezuela. In nine games, Petit is 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA. He's thrown 49 1/3 innings, striking out 43 while walking just eight. "What we hear about Petit is he throws strikes and makes them put the ball in play," Fleming said. "In close to 50 innings, he's walked eight. His fastball is deceptive and he's a really good pitcher." Petit's fastball doesn't dazzle, but he has a knack for getting outs and winning at whatever level he has pitched. Sanchez: A teammate of Petit with Magallanes, Sanchez has been used mostly in relief this winter. The right-hander has not been involved in any decisions, and he has a 4.91 ERA in 18 1/3 innings. His strikeout totals are high (18) while he's walked six. Miguel Cabrera: The Marlins' two-time All-Star typically joins his native Aragua Tigers about this time of year. Seeking to get some action in the offseason, Cabrera has thus far appeared in 12 games, batting .293 (12-for-41) with two doubles, one home run and 10 RBIs. He's struck out eight times and drawn 12 walks. Renyel Pinto: Another Marlins newcomer, Pinto was acquired in December from the Cubs as part of the Juan Pierre trade. The left-hander is 1-2 with a 7.90 ERA for Caribes. Pinto has struggled with his control, walking 14 in 13 2/3 innings while striking out 10.

MIAMI -- On Wednesday, the Marlins announced the signing of veteran reliever Kerry Ligtenberg to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. If the right-hander makes the club, he will earn $600,000. And when the Marlins signed free-agent veteran Pokey Reese last week, infielder Josh Wilson became expendable. Wilson had been a candidate for the starting second base position vacated when three-time All-Star Luis Castillo was traded to the Twins. But on Wednesday, the Marlins designated Wilson for assignment. Along with Wilson, the Marlins also designated catcher John Baker for assignment. After the two transactions, the Marlins' 40-man roster is at 40. The 24-year-old Wilson was called up in September and saw limited action. He appeared in 11 games with the Marlins and had one hit in 10 at-bats. His lone hit was a double in the season finale, and he scored the game-winning run as the Marlins rallied past the Braves. A shortstop at Triple-A Albuquerque, the Marlins had been working Wilson at second base, where he saw action in the Arizona Fall League. At Albuquerque, he hit .257 with 17 home runs and 82 RBIs. With Wilson designated, the primary second base candidates are Reese and Dan Uggla, obtained in the December Rule 5 Draft. Florida obtained Baker off waivers from Oakland on Dec. 15. The catching situation is shaping up where Josh Willingham will compete with Matt Treanor and Miguel Olivo. Ligtenberg is a veteran setup reliever who was with the Diamondbacks last season. In seven games, he had a 13.97 ERA, giving up 15 runs in 9 2/3 innings. Ligtenberg broke in with Atlanta in 1997. After five seasons there, he was with Baltimore in 2003 and Toronto in 2004 before spending time with Arizona last year.

not good news really, everyone is playing poorly except for pettit Amezaga is impresseing. High Avg. and Very good Stolen Base #'s

Go, I'm curious where you dug those up, I've been trying to find a decent source and have failed miserably. Care to share? rotoworld

AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Aguila, Chris .241 108 11 26 4 1 1 12 8 20 1 Olivo, Miguel .200 90 7 18 4 0 2 11 8 29 1 Ramirez Hanley . 266 139 17 37 7 1 0 9 13 27 7 Amezaga Alfredo .294 265 36 78 12 4 5 33 25 42 17 Jacobs, Mike .237 93 11 22 6 0 1 9 14 23 1 Reed, Eric .257 113 14 29 3 2 0 5 3 24 8 W L ERA G SV IP H R ER BB SO SO/9 Petit, Yusmeiro 5 1 2.01 9 1 49.1 51 13 11 8 43 7.8 Sanchez, Anibal 0 0 4.91 10 0 18.1 19 10 10 6 18 8.8

I Have: 1) Reed-CF 2) Ramirez-SS 3) Hermida-RF 4) Cabrera-3B 5) Jacobs-1B 6) Willingham-LF 7) Uggla-2B 8) Olivo-C Rotation: 1) Willis 2) Vargas 3) Johnson 4) Olsen 5) Moehler Bullpen: 1) Bowyer 2) Borowski 3) Resop 4) Messenger 5) Mitre 6) Bump 7) Kensing Bench: 1) Treanor 2) Aguila 3) Helms 4) Reese 5) Amezaga I think there is a good possibility Hanley won't be ready for opening day and pokey will start in his place. I think Uggla will be on the roster weather or not he wins the starting job and I believe it's Reed's job to loose in ST. If Amezaga shows potential in ST I think we'll choose him over lenny, just based on his age.

Thats the "Run Joe Run" Game

Don't forget their rock solid acquisition of Admin Bigbie

Cardinals signed RHP John Riedling to a minor league contract. After taking a one-year deal from the Marlins, Riedling hurt his shoulder in March and never made much of a contribution, finishing with a 7.16 ERA in 27 2/3 IP. He could be a useful middle reliever if healthy. Have fun :thumbup what is up with all these pathetic signings by the red birds? :mischief2 what a horibbble off season

Marlins claim catcher John Baker off waivers from Oakland A's Florida extends Spring Training invitations to 12 players MIAMI -- The Florida Marlins today announced they claimed catcher John Baker off waivers from the Oakland Athletics. The Marlins also announced they have extended Spring Training invitations to 12 players. The announcements were made by Marlins Executive Vice President and General Manager Admin Beinfest. Baker, 24, batted .234 with five home runs and 41 RBI in 103 games last season with Triple-A Sacramento in the Athletics organization. In four minor league seasons, he has hit a combined .269 with 28 home runs and 212 RBI. Baker was selected by the A's in the fourth round of the 2002 Draft out of the University of California. Florida agreed to terms and offered Spring Training invitations to outfielders Matthew Cepicky and Mark Little, infielders Lenny Harris, Mickey Lopez and Michael Kinkade, right-handed pitchers Buddy Carlyle and Ryan Rupe, and left-handed pitcher Joshua Stewart. The Club also extended Spring Training invitations to the following organizational players: left-handed pitcher Taylor Tankersley and catchers Brad Davis, Brett Hayes and Ryan Jorgensen. Cepicky, 28, spent last season in the Washington Nationals organization, batting .240 with three RBI in 11 games with Washington and .269 with 14 home runs and 68 RBI in 99 games at Triple-A New Orleans. He has batted .222 with four home runs and 21 RBI in parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues with the Nationals and Montreal Expos. Cepicky has hit a combined .284 with 88 home runs and 493 RBI in seven minor league seasons. Little, 33, played in the Marlins organization last season and hit .276 with 18 home runs and 52 RBI in 83 games with Triple-A Albuquerque. He also batted .500 with two home runs and six RBI in two games with the Marlins' Gulf Coast League affiliate. Little has played in parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues, hitting .247 with three home runs and 22 RBI in 148 games. He has batted a combined .285 with 106 home runs and 450 RBI over 12 seasons in the minors. Harris, 41, hit .314 with one home run and 13 RBI in 83 games with the Marlins last season. He set a single-season Club record and finished tied for second in the National League with 19 pinch hits. He owns the Major League record for career pinch hits with 212. Harris has played 18 seasons in the Majors, batting a combined .269 with 37 home runs and 369 RBI. Lopez, 32, batted .286 with six home runs and 42 RBI in 113 games last season with Triple-A Fresno in the San Francisco Giants organization. He appeared in six Major League games and recorded one hit in four at-bats with the Seattle Mariners during the 2004 season. In 11 minor league seasons, he has batted a combined .287 with 61 home runs and 538 RBI. Kinkade, 32, spent last season with Triple-A Buffalo in the Cleveland Indians organization and batted .283 with 16 home runs and 74 RBI in 128 games. He has hit .256 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI in parts of six seasons in the Majors, including batting .380 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 37 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002. He last appeared in the Majors in 2003, when he hit .216 with five home runs and 14 RBI in 88 games with the Dodgers. In eight seasons in the minors, Kinkade has batted a combined .329 with 104 home runs and 680 RBI. Carlyle, 27, went 0-0 with an 8.36 ERA in 10 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He went 1-2 with two saves and a 4.88 ERA in 20 games (six starts) with Triple-A Las Vegas, and 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in one start with the Dodgers' Gulf Coast League affiliate. Carlyle has a career mark of 1-3 with a 7.41 ERA in 21 games (seven starts) in the Major Leagues. He is a combined 72-52 with five saves and a 3.85 ERA in 209 games (171 starts) over 10 seasons in the minors. Rupe, 30, went 4-6 with a 6.42 ERA in 23 games (11 starts) last season with Las Vegas. He has appeared in Major League games with Boston and Tampa Bay, going a combined 24-38 with a 5.85 ERA in 89 games (84 starts) over parts of five seasons. He saw his last Major League action in 2003 when he went 1-1 with a 6.30 ERA in four games (one start) with the Red Sox. In six seasons in the minors, Rupe has gone 21-15 with a 3.85 ERA in 68 games (54 starts). Stewart, 27, went 4-4 with a 4.25 ERA last season in 14 games (11 starts) with Triple-A Charlotte in the Chicago White Sox system. He is 1-3 with an 8.10 ERA in eight games (seven starts) in the Majors, including 0-1 with a 15.26 ERA in three games (two starts) with the White Sox in 2004. In seven seasons in the minors, Stewart has gone 42-40 with two saves and a 4.42 ERA in 146 games (122 starts). Tankersley, 22, went a combined 3-7 with a 4.70 ERA last season in 16 starts between the Marlins' Single-A affiliates in Greensboro and Jupiter. He went 2-7 with a 5.18 ERA in 12 starts with Greensboro, then 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts at Jupiter. Tankersley appeared in the Arizona Fall League this year with Grand Canyon and went 2-1 with two saves and a 6.35 ERA in nine games. Selected by the Marlins in the first round (27th overall) of the 2004 Draft out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, he has gone 4-8 with a 4.40 ERA in 22 starts during his professional career. Davis, 22, batted .228 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 64 games last season with Greensboro. Selected by the Marlins in the fifth round of the 2004 Draft out of California State University at San Bernardino, he has hit a combined .255 with five home runs and 38 RBI during his two-year professional career. Hayes, 21, hit .417 with two RBI in three games with the Marlins' Gulf Coast League affiliate and .239 with one home run and 12 RBI in 36 games with Single-A Jamestown last season. He was selected by the Marlins in the compensation round of last year's Draft out of the University of Nevada. Jorgensen, 26, made his Major League debut with the Marlins last season, going hitless in four games. He spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Albuquerque, where he batted .197 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 53 games. In six minor league seasons, Jorgensen has hit a combined .242 with 32 home runs and 182 RBI. He was acquired by the Marlins with pitchers Julian Tavarez, Jose Cueto and Dontrelle Willis from the Cubs for pitchers Antonio Alfonseca and Matt Clement in March 2002. Additionally, the Marlins signed the following players to minor league contracts: outfielders Chris Ashby, Mike Colangelo, B.J. Garbe and Jimmy Shanks; infielders Marcos Cabral, Juan M. Gonzalez, Frank Moore, Drew Niles and Jason Wood; catcher Jonathan Aceves; right-handed pitchers Brad Clontz, Jerrod Fuell and Andy Torres; and left-handed pitchers Chris George and Andy Van Hekken. More information on the Florida Marlins is available on the team's official website, www

good quality left-handed specalist

On MLB4U.com: Joe Dillon- Youmiri Giants of Japan interested and expect to reach a deal to acquire him from Marlins by end of the month