December 3, 200421 yr PB Post Marlins, Leiter close to deal By Joe Capozzi Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Friday, December 03, 2004 Imagine a Marlins rotation next year of Carl Pavano, Al Leiter, A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis. At least the Marlins' front office is thinking that way. The Marlins are close to a contract agreement with Leiter, a veteran left-hander who helped Florida to the 1997 World Series, two team sources said Thursday. The deal could be announced today, but possibly won't happen until next week. With Leiter aboard, the Marlins believe they would increase their chances of persuading Pavano to return to South Florida. Pavano is a free agent who is being wooed by baseball's largest-revenue teams after going 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA for Florida last year. "I know we're not out of the picture with Pavano. That would be really sweet to have him and Leiter in the rotation," said a team source. Scott Shapiro, Pavano's agent, was in Detroit with his client, and said a decision about where Pavano will wind up in 2005 could come at the winter meetings that start next Friday in Anaheim. The Marlins have offered Pavano a three-year, $21 million deal, but Pavano is expected to get larger offers from teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox. "We haven't ruled the Marlins out of anything. Carl is very loyal to the ownership," Shapiro said. Shapiro said he spoke Monday with Marlins General Manager Admin Beinfest. "I imagine we'll talk more in the next few days," Shapiro said. For now, the Marlins' target is Leiter, 39, a resident of Weston (near Fort Lauderdale) who has said the 2005 season will be his last. "We are in negotiations with Al Leiter's representatives," Marlins spokesman P.J. Loyello said, confirming rumors that have swirled for the last two weeks. The Marlins are believed to have offered a one-year deal worth more than $6 million, with a possibility of a broadcasting job for Leiter after he retires. Neither Leiter, who went 10-8 with a 3.21 ERA for the Mets last season, nor his agent, Randy Hendricks, could be reached. But in an e-mail to MLB.com, Hendricks wrote: "We are in serious discussions with the Marlins, but nothing is done. Leiter became a free agent after the Mets declined his $10 million option for 2005. He was expected to receive an offer from the Yankees. "He's a guy who could be a veteran to some of those young guys. He knows what needs to be done," a Marlins source said. An announcement could come today, but it might be more beneficial for the Marlins to wait until after Tuesday. Florida would have to give the Mets its first-round draft choice (16th overall) if the Marlins sign Leiter before Tuesday. But if they wait until Tuesday, they risk being undermined if the Yankees make a better offer over the weekend. Leiter pitched for the Marlins in 1996 and '97 and threw the first no-hitter in franchise history against Colorado on May 11, 1996. If Florida can't get Pavano, the team is considering making runs at Eric Milton, Jon Lieber and Jaret Wright, among other free agents. The Marlins also plan to talk to Ismael Valdez, who was 5-3 in 11 starts for the Marlins last season. The Leiter deal reportedly a one-year deal between $5.5M (Sun-Sentinel) and $8M (Herald) They're still considering Pavano and other mid-level starters? Maybe there's some truth to this Beckett-for-Dunn (and more?) rumor. Please be true, and please include Enc.
December 3, 200421 yr Imagine a Marlins rotation next year of Carl Pavano, Al Leiter, A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis. At least the Marlins' front office is thinking that way. 625968[/snapback] Geez, don't toy with me like that. Here's hoping that becomes a reality.
December 3, 200421 yr No Beckett for Dunn. It will be AJ for someone that can hit and doesn't strike out like a million times a year.
December 3, 200421 yr No Beckett for Dunn. It will be AJ for someone that can hit and doesn't strike out like a million times a year. 626015[/snapback] Strikeouts are the most overrated stats ever. Adam Dunn had a .370 OBP, 40+ HRs and 110 RBIs. If you don't like those stats, then you suck at life. Don't forget his 100+ BBs either. Anyway, how are 180+ Ks any different than 180+ groundouts to 2nd?
December 3, 200421 yr No Beckett for Dunn. It will be AJ for someone that can hit and doesn't strike out like a million times a year. 626015[/snapback] Strikeouts are the most overrated stats ever. Adam Dunn had a .370 OBP, 40+ HRs and 110 RBIs. If you don't like those stats, then you suck at life. Don't forget his 100+ BBs either. Anyway, how are 180+ Ks any different than 180+ groundouts to 2nd? 626022[/snapback] May favorite stat of his from last year is that not one of his RBIs came from a sac fly.
December 3, 200421 yr Anyway, how are 180+ Ks any different than 180+ groundouts to 2nd? Because when you put the ball in play (as Jack says over and over) good things happen. Runners get advanced, guys score from third, errors are made. Not a whole lot of runs score when you're walking back to the dugout with your tail between your legs. And for the record, it was 195 strikeouts, a historic record in major league baseball.
December 3, 200421 yr No Beckett for Dunn.? It will be AJ for someone that can hit and doesn't strike out like a million times a year. 626015[/snapback] Strikeouts are the most overrated stats ever. Adam Dunn had a .370 OBP, 40+ HRs and 110 RBIs. If you don't like those stats, then you suck at life. Don't forget his 100+ BBs either. Anyway, how are 180+ Ks any different than 180+ groundouts to 2nd? 626022[/snapback] They're different because a groundout to 2nd with a runner on second and less than two outs moves the baserunner to third base. A strikeout is basically a wasted at-bat, unless you work the count.
December 3, 200421 yr I hope we get Pavano back again. Al Leiter will be a great addition to the team. Let's hope for the best.
December 3, 200421 yr I personally am holding out hope for the AJ, Josh, Carl, Tim, Al rotation with Dontrelle being our closer...hehe. Seriously, I'd deal Josh for a good reliever like Jorge Julio or Shigetoshi Hasegawa because it would help us out there a lot. I don't need his foppish attitude in the clubhouse anymore.
December 3, 200421 yr I personally am holding out hope for the AJ, Josh, Carl, Tim, Al rotation with Dontrelle being our closer...hehe. Seriously, I'd deal Josh for a good reliever like Jorge Julio or Shigetoshi Hasegawa because it would help us out there a lot. I don't need his foppish attitude in the clubhouse anymore. 626052[/snapback] Yes, trade a potential 20 game winner for a reliever. Sure. You should ask the Marlins to replace Beinfest with you.
December 3, 200421 yr I personally am holding out hope for the AJ, Josh, Carl, Tim, Al rotation with Dontrelle being our closer...hehe. Seriously, I'd deal Josh for a good reliever like Jorge Julio or Shigetoshi Hasegawa because it would help us out there a lot. I don't need his foppish attitude in the clubhouse anymore. 626052[/snapback] Yes, trade a potential 20 game winner for a reliever. Sure. You should ask the Marlins to replace Beinfest with you. 626075[/snapback] At that point you could just turn Josh into a reliever.
December 3, 200421 yr No Beckett for Dunn.? It will be AJ for someone that can hit and doesn't strike out like a million times a year. 626015[/snapback] Strikeouts are the most overrated stats ever. Adam Dunn had a .370 OBP, 40+ HRs and 110 RBIs. If you don't like those stats, then you suck at life. Don't forget his 100+ BBs either. Anyway, how are 180+ Ks any different than 180+ groundouts to 2nd? 626022[/snapback] Game 4 of the 2003 World Series, Aaron Boone, bases loaded, one out, against Braden Looper. Boone struck out, that essentially lost the World Series for the Yankees...care to say that strikouts are no different than groundouts? Balls put in play have chances to find a hole and get through, or with runners on, at least move a runner over...strikeouts can't do that...and to make it worse, Dunn only averages 4.2 pitches per plate appearance, so he doesn't exactly work the count when he strikes out...
December 3, 200421 yr All of you people wailing over how absolutely terrible Ks are make me ill. 626116[/snapback] Shamster my dear friend, perhaps you need some Pepto Bismol. It's one thing to strikeout fifty or even a hundred times aseason, it's quite another to strikeout almost 200 times in a season and laugh about it. Here's what Dunn said when he hit 191, breaking the old record: "It's great. I'm the only person that actually has claim to that record. Now I'm just going to try to add on to it before the year is over," Instead of being embarrassed, instead of saying he could do better, instead of saying he needs to find more ways to help his team, he thought it was great fun that he had made his way into the record books. :thumbdown
December 3, 200421 yr when Dunn put the ball in play last year, he hit .430 or something like that Anyway, THERE IS NO REASON FOR THE REDS TO MOVE DUNN
December 3, 200421 yr Instead of being embarrassed, instead of saying he could do better, instead of saying he needs to find more ways to help his team, he thought it was great fun that he had made his way into the record books. It's called a sense of humor, you idiot. Something that Beckett doesn't have. Anyway, I think I'll trade Beckett's "potential" and injury problems for a guy who's a proven 50 HR hitter.
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