When I first saw the post on this board that proclaimed the trade I quickly called Matt (FishFanInPA) as is my normal inclination when something big happens with the Fish. When he didn't answer I scoured the internet looking for proof but found none. I figured if so many people heard this it had to be true. I was most pissed off about trading Murphy, then about trading Choi, and, believe it or not, least upset about trading Penny. I am a Penny fan, and he has been our most consistent starter since 2000, but we needed LoDuca badly, and like someone here said, we now have a formidable bullpen. Then, being the fatass I am, forgot about it and went to have dinner.

 

Matt called as I was finishing dinner and said he'd heard it on ESPN but I, as usual, refused to believe it until I saw it or heard it from a reliable source, which, when it comes to sports news, ESPN is not.

 

Well, I get in the car and start to drive home, see that it's 7:20 and I turn on QAM, thinking that "If Choi's in the lineup, it didn't happen." And then I hear "Easley at first, in for Choi who was a late scratch, more on that in a moment." Being my angry self I pounded my fist, which resulted in the unnecessary honking of a woman some 75 years my senior.

 

I got home depressed and dejected and told my parents about the trade...how we no longer have a 5th starter, how there is no way that Encarnacion's .235 batting average helps us, how Encarnacion, Lo Duca, and Conine is no better than Choi, Redmond, and Conine.

 

I flipped on the game and I watch Josh warming up, and I felt almost...depressed. Like, literally. I never felt it when Dempster or Floyd were traded, deals that at the time didn't make sense to me. So for the first time in my life, I was home and did not watch or listen to the Marlins game...though I suppose that benefitted my in tonight's case.

 

So while I was watching the televised version of National Prayer Day on City TV (hey, don't make fun of me. I have Advanced Cable. We have shittier channels than Abu Dhabi), my mind starts formulating how I can't see Encarnacion and McKeon working together again, how maybe we'll call Willingham up again, maybe Easley will start at first with Conine in left and Encarnacion riding the bench. Then I shutter at the thought of our rotation including Nate Bump or Justin Wayne or...Mike Nannini. I think of the whole bullpen and wonder why we have no bullpen guys who can start.

 

And then I thought of Darren Oliver. Darren Oliver was the key to my sanity tonight.

 

I thought to myself, why would they trade Darren Oliver for NOTHING a week before they were going to trade a starter? A deal like this certainly doesn't formulate overnight, I'm sure this one was in the works when they traded Oliver.

 

The fact that they traded away a possible replacement starter...and the fact that Encarnacion and McKeon won't work well...could only mean to me that the Marlins have a deal (or deals) yet unmade. Somewhere, a starter is coming, whether he's good or just "Eh." It only makes sense.

 

So as upset as I am about trading Murphy, the strikeout machine (and a fellow lefty nonetheless), about trading Choi, the OBP machine, about trading Penny, the heat exhaustion machine, I am here waiting for the other shoe to drop. It may not be before tomorrow's deadline...it may happen sometime in August...but all signs point to it happening.

Something better happen because the Dodgers tore us a new one with this deal.

I love this deal even though i didnt wanna see no one of our rotation go

Something better happen because the Dodgers tore us a new one with this deal.

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How the hell do you figure? They didn't benifit as much as you think, buddy. They lost the heart of their team in LoDuca. Thats like if Lowell left us. Theyre 2nd best pitctcher, Mota is gone. And a solid OFer is gone to. I know Encars numbers arn't great this year, but he;s been injured. I remember in April he was tearing it up and i was mad because we didn't keep him. I think if the Dodgers don't get The Big Unit, theyre efforts would be in vain. Brad Penny rocks, but he's not the big uniit. He doesnt have 4000+ SO or a Cy Young. However he does have a 2-0 record in the WS. However, he does have a 5.00+ ERA in the post season, But he's 3-1 so it ultimatley makes that ERA a stupid stat there. Sure Penny will be missed, but we needed a bat and a catcher. Who the hell else was willing to part with a good catcher? Pittsburg obviously felt like it needed to keep Kendall and who else was left? Never in a million years would i have thought that LA would get rid of LoDuca. It almost makes no sense. but Beinfest made them an offer they couldnt refuse. I think Beinfest got Sampson to hold a gun to the head of depotista(however you spell it) and assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract that made the trade official.

 

 

Welcome LoDuca, Mota and welcome back Encarnacion...I say if Juan can pull out 40-50 RBI's he'll be worth it. Obviously, because he has the potential...hell if he gets 30, he'd only have 10 less than Choi had the entire season w/ us.

im glad to see penny go his out of shape! sad to see hip hop go damn it, hpe we get rid of ENC.

MarkKotsay7, Thanks for the reminder that when the FO dumped Oliver, they had to have known they would be trading Penny away. Therefore, they were planning on adding a new Starter.

I wonder if we have to wait 'til 3:59 p.m. today to find out who it is and how we did it.

 

Personal: If, as apparent, you are a Kotsay fan... you have to be really excited with his performance this season! And as a Craig Counsell fan, I'm happy, too.

I'm physically depressed at the moment.?

 

The impact on the survivors speaks for itself? 9 to zip.? Even against a "hot" Livan, there should have been a run or two scored.? Their heart has been torn out.

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If you were at the stadium last night and you saw the affect the trade had on the players. The dugout was a morgue, players on the field were not in the game and appeared visibly upset, hopefully it was just last night they'll snap out of it.

 

Any unhappiness I felt on a personal basis was mitigated y seeing the pain the players were in.

 

The thing that concerns me is trading Choi, not because of any attachment but rather because it made no sense to me. Here is a guy who represented the prototypical Marlins player, young, enthusiastic and affordable, being traded for over the hill rent-a-players. I'm nothing else if not confused as to what direction this franchise is moving.

I was pretty much excited about every trade rumor I heard until at the last moment Choi & Encarnacion got thrown into the mix.

 

I have no idea why Beinfest would agree to it for the same reasons you mention Marlins2003. Choi fits the team budget, the fans warmed to him, I really thought he was going to be a part of the future here.

I think you guys don't realize how much trade value Penny had on the trade market, and since we didn't improve our offense, we ended up trading our 26-year old potential staff ace for a 31-year old setup man. I don't care how great Mota is, no bullpen arm should be traded for a quality starter straight up. Hell, look what the mets had to give up for Benson, and Zambrano, who aren't as good as Penny.

Hell, look what the mets had to give up for Benson, and Zambrano, who aren't as good as Penny.

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prospects. not mlb talent.

 

 

 

.......oh and ty wigginton

I think you guys don't realize how much trade value Penny had on the trade market, and since we didn't improve our offense, we ended up trading our 26-year old potential staff ace for a 31-year old setup man. I don't care how great Mota is, no bullpen arm should be traded for a quality starter straight up. Hell, look what the mets had to give up for Benson, and Zambrano, who aren't as good as Penny.

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Farmer, drop the offense is downgraded excuse.

Lo Duca>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Redmond/Treanor

Choi for his power only drove in 40 rbi's the entire year. Now that had to do something with where he was but he also killed a lot of rallies.

Personal: If, as apparent, you are a Kotsay fan... you have to be really excited with his performance this season! And as a Craig Counsell fan, I'm happy, too.

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Yeah, it looks as if Kotsay is FINALLY playing the way he was projected to play, except maybe now he's got a little less speed than I think scouts expected him to. I was a fan of his in the minors, and once he got to the majors I expected him to be a 20/20 guy, but I realized he didn't have that kind of power after a year or so in the bigs. He's still a great guy and a great player though.

I think you guys don't realize how much trade value Penny had on the trade market, and since we didn't improve our offense, we ended up trading our 26-year old potential staff ace for a 31-year old setup man.? I don't care how great Mota is, no bullpen arm should be traded for a quality starter straight up.? Hell, look what the mets had to give up for Benson, and Zambrano, who aren't as good as Penny.

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Farmer, drop the offense is downgraded excuse.

Lo Duca>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Redmond/Treanor

Choi for his power only drove in 40 rbi's the entire year. Now that had to do something with where he was but he also killed a lot of rallies.

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If Easley started everyday he would get better numbers than Choi had while he was here :whistle

If Easley started everyday he would get better numbers than Choi had while he was here :whistle

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Because Easley is a proven veteran, Dusty?