December 10, 200421 yr SHOPPING SPREE MANY FRONT-LINE PLAYERS SUCH AS CARLOS BELTRAN AND ADRIAN BELTRE ARE SEEKING BIG DEALS, BUT THE MARLINS ARE SEARCHING FOR BARGAINS TO BOLSTER THEIR ROSTER. BY KEVIN BAXTER kbaxter@herald.com ANAHEIM, Calif. - The New York Yankees come to baseball's winter meetings looking to add some front-line pitching, the Chicago Cubs come looking to make a trade and agent Scott Boras comes looking for a fortune (again). The Marlins, meanwhile, are looking to well. . . . to have a look. ''You just never know what opportunity is going to present itself,'' general manager Admin Beinfest said heading into baseball's annual four-day swap meet, which opens this morning at the Anaheim Marriott. ``Maybe somebody else has something new that we think can help the ballclub.'' But the busiest men figure to be those with money to spend or money to earn, which is where the Yankees -- baseball's richest team -- and Boras -- the sport's richest agent -- come in. Wednesday's signing of free agent Jaret Wright is likely to be the first of many moves New York GM Brian Cashman will make in an effort to shore up a still-shaky pitching staff. PAVANO SWEEPSTAKES Detroit, Baltimore and Seattle have also been aggressive in pursuit of pitching this winter and they, along with Boston, remain in the hunt for free agent Carl Pavano, whose stay with the Marlins could end soon. Wednesday, the Yankees reentered the sweepstakes with Cashman and Scott Shapiro, the Miami-based agent, having a long, detailed phone conversation. Meanwhile, Boras will be talking to a dozen or more clubs interested in his seven high-profile clients, who could command contracts totaling half a billion dollars -- more than the rest of the free agent market combined. At the top of Boras' list is center fielder Carlos Beltran, who has drawn interest from the Yankees, Angels, Astros and Cubs; major-league home run leader Adrian Beltre (Dodgers, Angels and Mariners) and slugger Magglio Ordo?ez (Orioles and Mets). At the same time, Cubs GM Jim Hendry will be trying to unload unhappy slugger Sammy Sosa, who has clearly worn out his welcome in Chicago. But Hendry might find that difficult given baseball's steroid scandal and the fact Sosa has a clause in his contract promising him $39.5 million through 2007 if he is traded. None of this is likely to interest the Marlins. Despite owner Jeffrey Loria's willingness to boost payroll to around $60 million for 2005, Florida goes into the winter meetings with little money to spend and few obvious holes. By signing former Marlins Al Leiter (to a one-year $8 million deal) and Antonio Alfonseca (two years, $4.75 million), Beinfest has already addressed his club's two biggest needs, adding a veteran top-of-the-rotation starter and an experienced reliever who has thrived in the setup and closer roles. And with arbitration-eligible catcher Paul Lo Duca the only everyday player not signed, the Marlins would appear to have a light agenda this weekend. ROOM TO IMPROVE But Beinfest has proven to be surprising and creative in his three years as GM, during which he led the team to consecutive winning seasons for the first time. ''Are we confident in our starting eight? Yes,'' Beinfest said. ``We think it's a competitive lineup. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to get better. We will listen to -- and are open to -- anything.'' Pitching remains at the top of the shopping list, with Beinfest promising to remain aggressive in pursuit of relievers, either through trades or free agent signings. The team's bullpen was a work in progress all last summer, with half a dozen auditioning -- mostly without success -- for the setup role. And now with Armando Benitez, who tied for the league lead with 47 saves last season, gone, Beinfest finds himself trying to solidify the bullpen again. ''It's safe to say that we are heavy into the relief market, both in trades and in free agency,'' he said. The Marlins could also use a left-handed bat and some veteran bench help, needs they could address by signing free agent first baseman Tino Martinez or Texas outfielder David Dellucci. Typical Herald. Trying to make the Marlins look bad, and totally ignorant in their attempts. The club is going to be busy hammering deals down with Burnett, Beckett and Mota in addition to a soon to be overpaid catcher. Read their editorial? Here. MARLINS ON DECK Where the Marlins stand heading into today's winter meetings: LINEUP ? The Marlins are in good shape here with catcher Paul Lo Duca, who is eligible for salary arbitration and the only member of the lineup not under contract. They could shop outfielder Juan Encarnacion and his $4.5 million salary for pitching help and to clear a spot in the lineup for a left-handed bat. STARTING PITCHING ? Even with Carl Pavano's all-but-certain departure, the Marlins are strong here with veteran left-hander Al Leiter providing balance to a young, hard-throwing rotation of A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis. BULLPEN ? The addition of veteran Antonio Alfonseca provides insurance if Guillermo Mota struggles in the closer's role or if setup man Tim Spooneybarger's right arm is slow to return from 2003 surgery. But the team is intent on adding depth with the likely targets to include Jason Christiansen of the Giants and Chris Hammond, who declined arbitration with Oakland. BENCH ? The Marlins lost the heart of the clubhouse when gritty utility player Mike Mordecai was not offered arbitration and backup catcher Mike Redmond signed with Minnesota. The team is likely to search for a second catcher, a backup outfielder and a left-handed hitter, preferably one with power. Free agent Tino Martinez looks to be the best fit, but he might be too expensive. Doubt the Marlins are looking for a backup catcher by trade or free agency. Unless it's thrown in another deal. Beinfest on quest to bolster bullpen By Juan C. Rodriguez Staff Writer Posted December 10 2004 The Marlins are arriving at this weekend's winter meetings in Anaheim with one reliever already in the shopping cart and looking to pluck more off the shelves. Free-agent right-hander Antonio Alfonseca this week agreed in principle to a two-year deal pending a physical. An official announcement could come today. That won't preclude the Marlins from seeking additional bullpen help. "Where we're at right now is we're very aggressive in the reliever market -- free-agent relievers as well as trades," General Manager Admin Beinfest said. "I'm not sure I'm as optimistic on the trade front as we head to Anaheim. I'm not sure we have the needs in the trade market or the agenda we've had in the past. It's safe to say we are heavy into the relief pitching both in trades and free agency." The Marlins will likely look to sign at least one lefty to complement or replace Matt Perisho, who is arbitration eligible. They reportedly have inquired about Giants left-hander Jason Christiansen, one of five free-agent relievers offered arbitration before Tuesday's midnight deadline. Luring him away from the Giants wouldn't cost anything in terms of draft compensation because Christiansen is an unranked free agent. Christiansen prefers to re-sign with the Giants. The other free-agent relievers offered arbitration are left-handers Terry Mulholland, Ron Villone, Mike Myers and Wilson Alvarez, who can also start. Only Alvarez and Villone would yield compensation. As far as the trade market, the Orioles are believed to be willing to move Jorge Julio. Julio, 25, is a hard-throwing right-hander who has converted 83 of 101 save chances the past three seasons. He had 22 saves (26 chances) in 2004, but his ERA was high: 4.57 in 69 innings. Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Julio should still be affordable in 2005, considering he earned $385,000 last season. The Marlins have asked about Julio in the past. Fort Lauderdale native and Reds right-hander John Riedling, as well as Athletics right-hander Chad Bradford, also are thought to be available. Riedling had his worst big-league season in 2004, logging a 5.10 ERA in 70 appearances (772/3 innings). He made $650,000 last season and should command a raise through arbitration. Bradford, who earned $965,000 and also is eligible for arbitration, is due a nice increase after appearing in at least 68 games for the third consecutive year. Like Al Leiter's addition to the rotation, the Marlins also are seeking to construct a more veteran bullpen. Alfonseca is an experienced arm that should ease the burden on younger candidates including Nate Bump, Ben Howard, Franklyn Gracesqui, and Randy Messenger. MARKET WATCH The starting pitching market has sufficiently matured to the point that three years, $21 million won't enable the Marlins to retain Carl Pavano. The Marlins are expected to increase their proposal to Pavano. Considering guys like Jon Lieber, Jaret Wright and Kris Benson are commanding three-year deals averaging $7 million or more a season, look for Pavano to get a minimum of $10 million per over four. That won't stop the Marlins from trying to convince him to stay. "With his tour coming to an end, it's going to be time to see if there's something that can be worked out within our limitations and within our allocations," Beinfest said. Free-agent relievers top Marlins' list of priorities By Joe Capozzi Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Published on: 12/10/2004 ANAHEIM, Calif. ? With left-handed starter Al Leiter signed, the Marlins plan to make a final run at free-agent pitcher Carl Pavano. But getting Pavano to return isn't Florida's top priority at baseball's winter meetings, which begin today. The focus, for now, is on shoring up a suspect bullpen that was weakened by the losses of Armando Benitez and Rudy Seanez. Mulholland sounds good. Versatile lefty. I still think you can get the job done with another Perisho-like spring training invite. "We're very aggressive in the reliever market,'' General Manager Admin Beinfest said. "We're looking at free-agent relievers. I'm not as optimistic on the trade front as we head to Anaheim.'' With that, the Marlins will make one of the first moves of the meetings by bringing back another of their former pitchers, right-hander Antonio Alfonseca, who converted 102 of 124 save chances for the Marlins from 1997 to 2001. After pitching the past three years in Chicago and Atlanta, Alfonseca has agreed to a two-year contract worth nearly $5 million, a deal he will sign if he passes a physical today. Alfonseca, 32, isn't the answer the Marlins' bullpen needs. But he may turn out to be Florida's's lone prize from winter meetings that could be marked by the official departure of Pavano, who won 18 games for the Marlins last season. Pavano has several preliminary offers worth nearly double Florida's three-year, $21 million offer, and he has told teammates he expects to play elsewhere next year. Still, Beinfest refuses to rule out the Marlins in the Pavano sweepstakes. "I don't think the door is closed,'' said Beinfest, who will meet with Pavano's agent this weekend to see if the Marlins have a realistic chance of matching those offers. "With his tour coming to an end, it's going to be time to see if there's something that can be worked out within our limitations.'' Beinfest also knows the Marlins' rotation won't be effective without a solid bullpen. If the season started today, unproven right-hander Guillermo Mota likely would be the team's closer, a role he has never filled. Alfonseca will compete for the job with Mota, or manager Jack McKeon will alternate the two in the closer's role, as he did in 2003 with Ugueth Urbina and Braden Looper. Urbina eventually won the job outright at the end of September, and the Marlins went on to win the World Series. "Guillermo established himself as a premier back-end guy. He hasn't had an opportunity to close but we believe he can do it,'' Beinfest said. The Marlins also will pursue a bench player to fill the vacancy left by Mike Mordecai. The team prefers a left-handed hitter, and one option the Marlins reportedly are exploring is first baseman Tino Martinez, who played for Tampa Bay last season. None of the papers had the Marlins even looking at Todd Jones. ---- Uh, can some mod fix the quote thing? Gotta run to work.
December 10, 200421 yr Good Posting! Thank you. Glad you included Joe Capozzi (PBPost). He is solid, year 'round, and has no bias or agenda. RFerry, your posting was a good Wrap on Marlins Reality.
December 10, 200421 yr :cool Uh, can some mod fix the quote thing? Gotta run to work. 631427[/snapback] No problem. You closed the "quote" tag one too many times. :cool
December 10, 200421 yr Great posting rferry :thumbup No to Terry Mullholland. He's like 80. Wilson Alvarez sounds like a smart investment partly because he can also do a spot start, which is something we needed alot last year due to injuries.
December 10, 200421 yr Great posting rferry :thumbup No to Terry Mullholland. He's like 80. Wilson Alvarez sounds like a smart investment partly because he can also do a spot start, which is something we needed alot last year due to injuries. 631438[/snapback] Alvarez would definitely be a useful guy to have in the pen, but I think we'd need more of a lefty "specialist."
December 10, 200421 yr I love how rferry loves to take his shots at Lo Duca but doesnt hate the signings of Alfonseca who sucks and Jones who sucks worse...He'd rather have more mediocrity on this team as opposed to a real talent like Duke.
December 10, 200421 yr I love how rferry loves to take his shots at Lo Duca but doesnt hate the signings of Alfonseca who sucks and Jones who sucks worse...He'd rather have more mediocrity on this team as opposed to a real talent like Duke. 631448[/snapback] :thumbup
December 10, 200421 yr alfonseca and jones dont suck. They solidify are bullpen big time. Theres no basis as to why anyone should say that Alfonseca sucks (or jones). Lets compare them to last years pen and see the result. Furthemore LoDuca is awesome
December 10, 200421 yr Wilson Alvarez would be a great signing...and even though the marlins have shown signs that they do want to make the bullpen solid...i dont trust jones and alfonseca....need to get a proven guy in there...
December 10, 200421 yr I'd like to get Hammond back. I liked him when he was here (and he can hit, too!)
December 10, 200421 yr Wilson Alvarez would be a great signing...and even though the marlins have shown signs that they do want to make the bullpen solid...i dont trust jones and alfonseca....need to get a proven guy in there... 631498[/snapback] jones is defintely proven, and so is alfonseca, I dont remmeber this supposed suckiness that he has. He played very well at PPS and he had that one year here with like 35-40 saves
December 10, 200421 yr I rather have 2 decent veterans in the pen than seeing the tour of not so ready AAA pitchers
December 10, 200421 yr I love how rferry loves to take his shots at Lo Duca but doesnt hate the signings of Alfonseca who sucks and Jones who sucks worse...He'd rather have more mediocrity on this team as opposed to a real talent like Duke. 631448[/snapback] Lo Duca is overrated and the two bullpen signings were pretty good, especially if you like at our pen at the start of last year
December 10, 200421 yr Alfonseca actually led the NL in saves one year, as a Marlin, with 45. 631532[/snapback] every Marlin seems to be up there... what can I say, we play alot of tight games
December 10, 200421 yr I love how rferry loves to take his shots at Lo Duca but doesnt hate the signings of Alfonseca who sucks and Jones who sucks worse...He'd rather have more mediocrity on this team as opposed to a real talent like Duke. 631448[/snapback] Lo Duca is overrated and the two bullpen signings were pretty good, especially if you like at our pen at the start of last year 631534[/snapback] LODUCA IS BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE. Remember last year w/ our catcher by committee problem? Lo Duca is one of the top 3 catchers in the NL, and defintely top 10 in the MLB
December 10, 200421 yr Overrated or not, with LoDuca from day one and we would have probably made the playoffs last year. . . . . I guess most don't remember the "we will be fine with Castro, STFU Pudge. . ." mentality. . .
December 10, 200421 yr I love how rferry loves to take his shots at Lo Duca but doesnt hate the signings of Alfonseca who sucks and Jones who sucks worse...He'd rather have more mediocrity on this team as opposed to a real talent like Duke. 631448[/snapback] Alfonseca's numbers last season with Los Bravos were great. As for Jones, he's no on special but probably a lot better than some of the guys who "graced" the bullpen last season.
December 10, 200421 yr Alfonseca actually led the NL in saves one year, as a Marlin, with 45. 631532[/snapback] every Marlin seems to be up there... what can I say, we play alot of tight games 631535[/snapback] And that's why we are all dying of heart attacks at 50 :thumbup
December 10, 200421 yr LODUCA IS BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE. 631536[/snapback] no argument there 631541[/snapback] No way is that true. I bet we can sign Ramon Castro for far cheaper and not miss a beat in offensive production. :plain
December 10, 200421 yr Overrated or not, with LoDuca from day one and we would have probably made the playoffs last year. . . . . I guess most don't remember the "we will be fine with Castro, STFU Pudge. . ." mentality. . . 631543[/snapback] Yup, I agree 100%. If the Marlins had LoDuca from day one, they are a postseason team.... I am sure of it.
December 10, 200421 yr Author And if the Marlins had Jose Guillen, Juan Rivera or any number of cheap 1B/OFers, they could re-sign Benitez or Pavano and get away with a Redmond or Willingham or even Treanor behind the plate on their way to the pennant. LoDuca, top 10 (I can think of 12-14 who had better seasons) catcher or not, produces as much offense as Conine. When you consider our strength down in the farm (and bench circa November 2004), it would make much more sense to trade LoDuca and Encarnacion for prospects, hand the catcher job to Redmond/Willingham (who together would produce as much offense as Enc), and then use the money for a real bat for the RF. But now that option has passed. Guess I'm still soured on how the board talked about Brad Penny and Hee-Seop Choi while noting Encarnacion's impact and LoDuca's supposed leadership with the Marlins and how he's the greatest thing since sliced bread because they live in the area and were in attendance that one night he hit the pinch-hit homer. Just because the players, fans and media have that felt good since the day he walked into the clubhouse doesn't mean he was a leader. This was a team that was in a huge slump and lost their lead in the standings and players to injury! They would have rallied around Juan Encarnacion, Ramon Castro or any bad hitter if they gave them a slightest glimmer of hope. Because LoDuca was that player doesn't mean he wasn't a below-average catcher defensively and barely an above-average one offensively. It was a terrible trade. Talent-wise. Money-wise. Everything-wise. I'm still upset over it. And every day that we close in on LoDuca's eventual raise I get more and more upset over what Beinfest did and what could have been: a better chance to win in the second half with another trade and a better chance to win in 2005 and 2006 with Penny and Choi and without three players whose contracts were expected to raise over $5 milion. But it's done so whatever.
December 10, 200421 yr If you want to talk about performances after the trade, look at Choi... Fact is, he was productive the first couple of months and that's it... Not to mention that LoDuca was playing with a fractured hand for like a month... The fans in L.A weren't crying after the trade because they liked his personality. The guy is a great player, great teammate, and a winner...
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.