Ok, I want people to play GM, but lets not get crazy. I would like to see people come up with some realistic options for the Marlins to target. That means you have to try and support your targeted player with the resources that are available to the Marlins. It would be preferable if you could also post any media specific to your suggestions. Anyway, I will start...

 

Matt Mantei. Ok, I know. Since 2000 he has been off and on the DL. And with Valverde set to become the DBacks' closer, it seems Mantei's days are over in AZ unless he wants to be a set up reliever. That is all we should offer him at this point, especially with his health concerns. But if we could offer the right amount of money, maybe he would return. Plus, he would have the chance to close if he proves he is up for the task (and Mota falters). Either way, it would be a good situation for the Marlins. I would say offer him a 1 year deal at about $1-1.5M. That may be enough to entice him. And if he could get back to what he was just over a year ago even, we got ourselves a very nice arm in the pen.

Matt Clement.. The biggest bargain out there.

Admin Beinfest hasn't called me lately for advice but names that interest me are Wright, Clement, Osuna, Leiber, Lima, Martinez (Ramon not Pedro), Dessens, the list of players that are about to be available is endless.

 

Obviously some are better than others, some are at the ends of their effective careers, some will obviously draw alot of interest elsewhere and by no means is the list above complete.

any veteran righty...

 

:plain

Denny Neagle....

 

 

:plain

Call me crazy, but Matt Clement just turns me off. It just seems to me that the money can be better spent elsewhere than on someone who really is a shaky player, no matter how much you want to sugarcoat it.

 

And Jose Lima may have won a few games last year, but I view him as a big no-no.

Mantei and Lieber because they'll be in our price range and we're already bringing back old closers.

I'd welcome Mantei back, but for no more than $1 Million. Beinfest can only sign so many risky players. And Leiber is a good thought...

Call me crazy, but Matt Clement just turns me off. It just seems to me that the money can be better spent elsewhere than on someone who really is a shaky player, no matter how much you want to sugarcoat it.

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I respect your opinion but I disagree. I'm surprised he isn't viewed as one of the top FA pitchers this year.. He would have won probably over 15 games last year if he didn't have some of the worst run support in baseball.. He had an ERA of 3.02 for the first 4 months of the season.. but then had a nagging shoulder injury that made him have a bad August-September. He is also widely known for having one of the best sliders in baseball and Albert Pujols said he was the hardest pitcher he faced all year.

Call me crazy, but Matt Clement just turns me off. It just seems to me that the money can be better spent elsewhere than on someone who really is a shaky player, no matter how much you want to sugarcoat it.

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I respect your opinion but I disagree. I'm surprised he isn't viewed as one of the top FA pitchers this year.. He would have won probably over 15 games last year if he didn't have some of the worst run support in baseball.. He had an ERA of 3.02 for the first 4 months of the season.. but then had a nagging shoulder injury that made him have a bad September. He is also widely known for having one of the best sliders in baseball and Albert Pujols said he was the hardest pitcher he faced all year.

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I'm aware of his nasty slider, and I agree that he has great stuff. The only reason I DON'T think he is viewed as a top FA pitcher IS because of his inconsistency, and the fact his career has been less than stellar. And although Pujols is the best hitter in the game, I consider his words on this subject irrelivant.

FWIW, I get a lot of Cubs games where I live on WGN and FSN so I watched quite a few Cubs' games this year and I was very impressed the numerous times I saw him pitch. I'd love to add him to this team but I know that's not gonna happen.. so basically this discussion about him is a moot point anyway.

Albert Pujols said he was the hardest pitcher he faced all year.

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That's just because he's effectively wild. I think Michael Barret will also tell you he's the hardest pitcher in the league to catch.

 

That said, I'd like to have him if he signs for no more than $6 mil a season for no more than 3 years.

 

Ideally, I'd get him for 2/$12 because that way he's not going to give you a long-term headache if he doesn't perform.

 

But for us, I think the smartest signing (assuming Leiter is already signed) would be to simply bring back Valdez to be our #5 (because he'd be no more than $2 mil a season) and go get some real bullpen talent either through trade (Urbina) or to give a hell of a lot of ST invites and incentive contracts to guys like Mantei.

Urbina

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I'd be weary of him, because of the situation with his mom. If something happens and he has to leave the team we don't get that money back, at least not at the time, I think they'd have to at least fight for it if they even can get it back. So I'd steer clear of Urbina since we are strapped for cash. Unless the problem with his mother gets resolved.

Urbina

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I'd be weary of him, because of the situation with his mom. If something happens and he has to leave the team we don't get that money back, at least not at the time, I think they'd have to at least fight for it if they even can get it back. So I'd steer clear of Urbina since we are strapped for cash. Unless the problem with his mother gets resolved.

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He's said that he's coming back next year, situation resolved or not, but I understand the fear that if it's not resolved, he's only committed as long as he's at the ballpark.

 

But, the Tigers are now paying over $10 million to two players who could close, they're going to want to dump one of them. Urbina could be had for a moderate price tag now, waiting too long to get bullpen help can be a real problem for our farm system (look at what we had to give up for Urbina in 2003).

But for us, I think the smartest signing (assuming Leiter is already signed) would be to simply bring back Valdez to be our #5 (because he'd be no more than $2 mil a season) and go get some real bullpen talent either through trade (Urbina) or to give a hell of a lot of ST invites and incentive contracts to guys like Mantei.

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I agree.

Matt Clement.. The biggest bargain out there.

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I agree. I like Clement a lot. The problem is would he want to return?

You can add Chris Hammond to the list of available free agents. Oakland just let decided not to offer him arbitration.

Matt Clement.. The biggest bargain out there.

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I agree. I like Clement a lot. The problem is would he want to return?

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I'd think he would get something around 3 years, 21 mil... who knows.

The Tigers just declined to offer arbitration to Estaban Yan. 3.83 era and $650k last season.

 

(I'm just throwing them out as they come accross the wire)

Chris Hammond sounds cool

Carl Pavano, Rudy Seanez, Armando Benitez.... oh wait .

 

Steve Kline.

Aren't the Yankees going after Hammond?

nevermind, Williamson will miss most of 2005 with Tommy John surgery.

Grant Roberts, Scott Sanders :notworthy

 

Will add some more after I write my paper. Those are just two right off the top of my head.

Scratch Jaret Wright off your lists (thank God)

 

According to the Washington Post, Jaret Wright will sign a three-year deal to pitch for the Yankees.

 

The contract is in the same neighborhood of Kris Benson's three-year, $22.5 million contract with the Mets. We think that's too high unless Leo Mazzone comes with him. Wright isn't likely to collapse outside Atlanta, but he might not perform much better than Javier Vazquez did last season.