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From the Sun-Sentinel this morning:

 

With Lowell in place, the Marlins can shift their focus to their other free agents. While they are prepared to make a run at starting pitcher Carl Pavano, closer Armando Benitez's days here are done. With a 2005 payroll that won't top $60 million, the Marlins won't attempt to re-sign Benitez. They have a more cost-efficient alternative in Guillermo Mota, who the Marlins believe has earned a shot to close.

 

Passing on Benitez should provide enough financial breathing room to accommodate Pavano and catcher Paul Lo Duca, assuming they agree to take a little less in 2005 as part of multiyear deals. Otherwise, Lo Duca would cost the Marlins considerably more in the short term through arbitration and probably preclude them from making Pavano a competitive offer. After 2005, the Marlins can pour an additional $10 million into their on-field product. This season, $10.5 million of the payroll is earmarked for Mike Hampton and Pudge Rodriguez.

 

"Until we get a payroll, you can't put the total puzzle together, but we're working through the timeline," said General Manager Admin Beinfest, adding he has not received his 2005 budget from owner Jeffrey Loria. "[Lowell's contract] was the No. 1 thing to work on."

 

Pavano is next on the list. While Lo Duca may be more agreeable to a back-loaded multiyear deal, Pavano would require some convincing. Among the teams expected to pursue him are the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles and Mets.

 

Expected to offer Pavano a three-year contract, the Marlins may have to lure him with a guaranteed fourth year. Considering he's 28, don't be surprised if the bidding escalates to five years.

 

 

Ugh. Somehow the team needs to find a way to keep Benitez. He's a great fit for this team....and Mota isn't ready to close.

 

Nice to see them try to work out backloaded contracts with LoDuca and Pavs.

Mota is not a Play-Off Contender Closer. He is a valuable (but not necessarily consistent) Set-Up Man.

He can be successful if the Marlins sticks give him a 2 or 3 run 8th inning lead.

 

Benitez is the Best. But, he's of no value unless the Marlins sticks provide Save situations (not blown by the Pen.)

 

So, reality sets in. Money crunch requires losing Benitez to try to get producing sticks and some Starting Pitchers who can go 7 innings.

 

What a shame. Benitez was a good fit for the Marlins in many ways.

Reality sucks.

It does suck that we may lose him but he made himself too expensive with that incredible season. I'd rather have our starting rotation set because that's always been our strength, hopefully we can convince Pavano to stay, otherwise let's go out and get a suitable replacement for him.

i dont know how many of u guys agree with me but we have to keep benitez or trade for a closer...Mota just doesnt do it for me...i like him as a set-up man but not as closer

I don't know about you guys, but I have absolutely NO confidence in Mota closing. After watching him this past season, I get really nervous with him having that ball to hold down a game.

 

 

Of course, thats just me. :plain

Everyone has to realize that the Bullpen should always be the last priority. Having a great closer does you no good if you never have the lead. If we're a contender come trade deadline next year, I'm sure there will be closers available but until then the combo of Spooney and Mota will have to do.

This sucks, but give the guy a chance. Last offseason, everyone was trashing the Benitez signing, so who knows.

Another year, another closer that isn't even spoken to.

Last week the Sun-Sentinel had Lowell gone, enough said on the source.

 

I love Mando but life goes on, with or without him. Before we all get our collective undies in a wad, let's see how things shake out this winter.

 

There's plenty of time to second-guess management, it isn't even November yet.

Ha you people watch Pavs WILL stay and all of you who wanted to throw him to the side should slam your heads into the wall. :mischief

Bold Prediction: Carl comes back and isn't half the pitcher he was this year.

I think Pavano will be fine.... What I don't get is how much the game has changed within the last decade. 10 years ago, a guy doesn't command such a large salary after one good season. A player would have to prove himself for 3/4 years before being considered a top free agent. Nowadays, a guy has one solid season, and the asking price is a multi year contract for $20/30 mil a season.....How times have changed... Players need to start proving themselves before asking for so much.

 

I'm not singling out Pavano here, but if this was 1994, we wouldn't even be talking about this.

I think Pavano will be fine.... What I don't get is how much the game has changed within the last decade. 10 years ago, a guy doesn't command such a large salary after one good season. A player would have to prove himself for 3/4 years before being considered a top free agent. Nowadays, a guy has one solid season, and the asking price is a multi year contract for $20/30 mil a season.....How times have changed... Players need to start proving themselves before asking for so much.

 

I'm not singling out Pavano here, but if this was 1994, we wouldn't even be talking about this.

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i agree..sad isnt it

Baxter

I would be surprised if the Marlins kept both Lowell and Pavano. Keeping Lowell, Pavano and Benitez is out of the question barring a major bump in payroll. But if the team is confident of the stadium deal, it could start spending those projected revenue increases like the Phillies did the year before Citizens Bank opened. Plus they're in the final season of paying Mike Hampton and Pudge Rodriguez, obligations that, when fulfilled, will free up about $11 million for 2006. A contract heavily backloaded might give them the salary flexibility they need

I'm not the biggest Mota fan either the way he played when he was in teal, but hopefully he steps it up.

 

There was no way the Marlins will have room in their budget for Benitez. What we need to hope for is a strong showing by the Spooney/Mota combo.

Its sucks that Benitez is leaving. Hes awsome. I could care less about Mota. He caused me many headaches. Again I will say I hate some of the decisions these people make in off-season.

Before you write-off Mota as your closer, keep in mind the job he did prior to coming here. He was a machine, lights out most nights. I submit that the Mota we saw was a guy who had been significantly overused by the Dodgers. All in all the guy threw nearly 100 innings in relief and appeared 78 games. His innings pitched were 50% MORE than Benitez.

 

I look at his stats - .218 BAA, 1.46 WHIP and 3.07 ERA (all inflated by his later season performance here) and I'm willing to see what the guy can do coming in to close in 2005 where he'll be pitching alot less innings and make significantly less appearances.

 

Only time will tell but, at least for me, I believe its premature to jump to conclusions on the guy.

Everyone has to realize that the Bullpen should always be the last priority. Having a great closer does you no good if you never have the lead. If we're a contender come trade deadline next year, I'm sure there will be closers available but until then the combo of Spooney and Mota will have to do.

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Right and being honest a mediocre starting pitching for about 2 million a season can make for an above average closer...

 

Closers aren't hard to replace, what Mando did last season is worth every penny he's going to get on the market but we can't as a small-market team allocate money to have the best if not one of the very best closers in the game while we could replace him with a solid above average one and maybe even better if we stick with Mota.

Good news. Pavano, LoDuca and Lowell are the 3 most important signings... very good news.

Before you write-off Mota as your closer, keep in mind the job he did prior to coming here. He was a machine, lights out most nights. I submit that the Mota we saw was a guy who had been significantly overused by the Dodgers. All in all the guy threw nearly 100 innings in relief and appeared 78 games. His innings pitched were 50% MORE than Benitez.

 

I look at his stats - .218 BAA, 1.46 WHIP and 3.07 ERA (all inflated by his later season performance here) and I'm willing to see what the guy can do coming in to close in 2005 where he'll be pitching alot less innings and make significantly less appearances.

 

Only time will tell but, at least for me, I believe its premature to jump to conclusions on the guy.

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I agree, I have no qualms with Mota as closer. I would, however, prefer to have a Benitez-Mota-Spooney trio.

Bold Prediction: Carl comes back and isn't half the pitcher he was this year.

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I'd don't know if I'd say half, but he won't pitch like this for the next three years, IMO. He's had one really good year in his career and didn't exactly step it up at the end of the year when we really needed him. We probably could sign Mando and a guy like Paul Wilson for almost as much as we'll have to pay Pavano and another RP. :confused

I am going to reserve judgement about Mota closing til we have some sampling to go on. But from what I have seen of late, around the league, guys who were great set up guys dont usually pan out and become great closers. Latroy Hawkins is an example that jumps out.

 

But I do agree with Marlins2003 that Mota was overused. When we got him, it seemed like he wasnt goign to get a day off. And we had that stretch where we had to play everyday without a break. And every game was a must win - which meant we had to go to our studs in the pen. It wasnt fair and we burned out. So, I have my reservations, but will hold off until we see Mota in action.

 

As for Pavano, I think he is going to be overpaid. I think we would be better off going with a cheaper alternative - like Lowe who needs to prove himself again. I would rather us upgrade our offense. Lo Duca is a high priority.

Mariano Rivera was a closer at first. Alot of the great closers didnt start off as closers, Gagne, Lidge, Rivera, and maybe Mota will follow suit?

 

Who knows? But hey Id rather keep Benitez, and Im sure everyone would. But who knows.

I don't see how we can sign 3 of the 4 (Lowell, Benitez, Pavano, LoDuca) and fill the other holes: RF, 5th starter, bullpen, bench.

 

Let's sign just 2 and split the $5-8MM between a quality OFer, lefty bat for the bench, swingman and lefty specialist for the bullpen.

 

Otherwise we'll have a worse team than we fielded the second half.

I don't know what you guys are so sad about. Benitez was an absolute choke. You just didn't get to experience it because you were not in a playoff race and he was on the DL when you needed him the most. If you ever managed to create a wild card team again (I don't know how it happened the 1st two times) it's likely Benitez would blow about 5 saves and have 3 losses. It's almost incredible how this guy can consistently blow saves in the post-season. You'd think he'd occasionally have an inning where they hit 3 line drives at people. But no, it doesn't. He's guaranteed to lose, it's truly amazing.