FutureGM

There was a report before this latest stadium announcement that MLB and Manfred want a team in the Tampa Bay area and do not want them to move. They are almost certainly going to push Sternberg out and then work out some kind of new stadium deal with a new owner. But the Trop is still a mess and I think these claims that they will be ready to play there again by opening day next year seem wildly optimistic.

MLB doesn’t care about who owns a team as long as the check clears. Look at the McCourt situation in LA, or the former Mets owners losing a bunch of money to Bernie Madoff

Someone actually needs to play for this team. Nobody's going to claim Bell at his current salary so I don't know why they don't just keep him for now. He actually has the 3rd highest OPS+ among hitters still with the team. Arraez and Jazz were both higher but they are now gone.

My assumption is that they decided to buy in on a guy who was lower rated because the other guys they wanted went before their pick. I could be wrong. It's just concerning because this team has not been able to develop good hitters in ages, especially prep hitters.

The last HS outfielder the Marlins took in the 1st round was Connor Scott, who never hit

This is a bad draft overall so I don't really know why they didn't take someone better early

My guess is that they took a cheaper guy so that they can spend more in later rounds Most of the guys I saw the Marlins linked to got picked before them, like Tibbs, Smith, and King

I can't really explain how he just completely failed to hit as a pro when he was one of the best college hitters of his class. Unfortunately some guys just end up like busts this way, but it's unusual when it happens to a college guy.

It helped in the Pablo/Arraez deal that the prospect we threw in, Jose Salas, has absolutely cratered as a prospect since the trade for whatever reason.

Arraez should absolutely get paid, he has a great bat at a premium defensive position. The Marlins were never going to keep him with this ownership regardless of price so it doesn't matter anyway.

They were going to trade Pablo at some point. I assume that they are going to follow this with trading Burger, Bell, maybe Edward Cabrera at least. I would say maybe Jazz but I don't know if that would bring back much right now.

Wrigley is a very nice stadium, although I haven't been there in 20 years and I know they did a bunch of renovations in that time.

Oh there is a plan, it's that they are going to start gutting the team in a month or so If they are not going to spend money on hitters, this team is doomed...the pitching will be there next year, but we have no hitters of note in the farm system. So I'm anticipating that you will see guys like Bell, Burger, maybe Jazz traded within the next two months Luis Arraez is also a very attractive pickup for a contending team

I agree with some earlier comments that this past winter may have been one of the worst for the franchise in terms of disappointment. They make the playoffs, and the response from ownership is to fire the GM, make the head coach a lame duck, and then sign more assistant GMs than actual MLB free agents. If Bruce Sherman is going to just continue to not care about the on-field product, then I'm not sure why we as fans should care. I have to assume the way that this team is going, we are about to fall into yet another years long rebuild.

Skip will have his choice of job next year, and I don't blame him wanting to leave. This ownership has nothing to offer him except disappointment.