February 8, 200521 yr Club to explore right field options Marlins might keep Cabrera in left, with Conine in right MIAMI LAKES, Fla. -- For the most part, a majority of the pieces are in place in the Marlins' projected everyday lineup. Still unsettled, however, is the regular right fielder. The free agent signing of first baseman Carlos Delgado left veteran Jeff Conine without a position, and has created several outfield options. Now, the Marlins are confronted with some tough decisions. Do they sit Conine, a consistent run producer, and start Juan Encarnacion in right field? Or do they swap Miguel Cabrera from left to right field, not his favorite position? By moving Cabrera to right field, Conine could slide into left field and Encarnacion would sit. During the Marlins Caravan, which is spanning various South Florida stops through Friday, general manager Admin Beinfest addressed the situation. The team is open to a number of ideas and not locked into any. Health and performance will eventually sort things out. One thing Beinfest made clear is the team isn't viewing having too much talent as a dilemma. Manager Jack McKeon has long preached that situations correct themselves, noting unexpected injuries or lack of performance. As of now, it doesn't appear either Conine or Encarnacion will be traded. "It's a good thing to have, too many good players," Beinfest said. "I think health is the No. 1 thing." Encarnacion and Conine each had offseason shoulder surgeries. Encarnacion underwent a procedure on his left shoulder in October, while Conine had two surgeries to his right shoulder. "We've got to see where both these guys are," Beinfest said. "I think Juan is going to be fine and will be ready to go [when Spring Training begins]. Jeff is going to be a little bit behind, but he's working hard. These things have a way of working themselves out." Encarnacion has more speed and a terrific arm in right field. He can also play left and center, although he has established himself in right. But Encarnacion was inconsistent last year, partly because of his shoulder injury. In 49 games as a Marlin, he batted .238 with three homers and 19 RBIs. Conine, coming off a .280 season with 83 RBIs, can play first base, third base and the two corner outfield spots. "In Encarnacion's case, he can play all three outfield positions, but he's an outstanding right fielder," Beinfest said. "In Jeff's case, he can play four positions. They both add depth. Jack and I have talked about it, and there is no easy answer right now." Toss into the equation Cabrera. In April, the budding star turns 22, and already he has played left field, right field, third base and even some shortstop (in the 2003 NLCS) in his brief big league career. A converted infielder, Cabrera opened last year in right field, but he wasn't comfortable there. He has said he sees the ball better coming off the bat playing in left field, and prefers that position. The move to left came when Encarnacion was acquired from the Dodgers in late July, which led to Conine sliding into first base for the second half of 2004. Keeping Cabrera happy and productive is crucial. But Beinfest isn't ruling out switching the Venezuelan star to right field. "I don't think we'd rule anything out. After we saw Miguel in right, everybody, including Miguel, thought he was more comfortable in left," Beinfest said. "But that's because we were able to bring back a better than average right fielder in Juan. But I wouldn't rule anything out with Miguel. He has shown he can do it anywhere at any time. As long as his bat is in the lineup, we'll find a spot for him. "We're not quite sure how that is going to play out. We really don't until we start playing. We'll figure it out." Cabrera is coming off a 33-homer, 112-RBI season, and he promises to equal or surpass those numbers with Delgado batting behind him. "I would be very sensitive to Miguel," Beinfest said. "When Jack put him in right field in the NLCS, he didn't say boo. He's never said boo to me. He's just a great kid and he's been so adaptable. I do think at times we take him for granted a little bit. We hope that we don't. If we do, it's because he's just been so good from Day 1. He can do so many things for us." At least early in Spring Training, Cabrera probably will remain in left field and Encarnacion in right field because of Conine's rehabilitation schedule. Conine is working towards being healthy for the April 5 season opener against the Braves. Over the course of the season, circumstances will dictate. "You want to add as much depth as possible," Beinfest said. "We'll see how it all figures out." http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...s_fla&fext=.jsp
February 8, 200521 yr Conine bat > Enc Bat Enc arm > Conine Arm > Cabrera Arm It's a pickle. Overall I'd take Conine because of his offense but it'd be nice to have someone in the outfield who can fire the ball back in.
February 8, 200521 yr Miggy has a much better arm than Conine, and probably a stronger arm than Encarnacion.
February 8, 200521 yr Miggy has a much better arm than Conine, and probably a stronger arm than Encarnacion. 680391[/snapback] Cabrera has a terrible arm dude. Certainly not an outfielders.
February 8, 200521 yr Author Miggy has a much better arm than Conine, and probably a stronger arm than Encarnacion. 680391[/snapback] Cabrera has a terrible arm dude. Certainly not an outfielders. 680393[/snapback] Are you joking? Cabs arm is a CANNON.
February 8, 200521 yr Do whatever it takes to keep Encarnacion from starting.. if that means putting Conine in RF, that works for me.
February 8, 200521 yr Cabs want to play LF. What Cabs wants, Cabs should get. Platton Juan and Conine over RF with Conine getting most of the pt
February 8, 200521 yr I think Enc can be a solid contributor this year. Contract year, more protection, and a healthy shoulder could mean he could put up some solid numbers. I wouldn't expect miracles, but I don't think a .260 BA 20 HR 75 RBI season is out of the question. Couple that with his great defense and he's a solid player who can contribute.
February 8, 200521 yr Miggy has a much better arm than Conine, and probably a stronger arm than Encarnacion. 680391[/snapback] Cabrera has a terrible arm dude. Certainly not an outfielders. 680393[/snapback] Are you joking? Cabs arm is a CANNON. 680395[/snapback] Uhhh...no. Enc has a cannon. Cabs is an infielder who got moved to the outfield. His arm is somewhat below average at best.
February 8, 200521 yr Cabs did pretty good when it came to outfield assists last year, way more than Juan E.
February 8, 200521 yr Miggy has a much better arm than Conine, and probably a stronger arm than Encarnacion. 680391[/snapback] Cabrera has a terrible arm dude. Certainly not an outfielders. 680393[/snapback] Are you joking? Cabs arm is a CANNON. 680395[/snapback] Uhhh...no. Enc has a cannon. Cabs is an infielder who got moved to the outfield. His arm is somewhat below average at best. 680413[/snapback] Dude, you haven't been watching enough games. Cabrera has a CANNON! If you don't believe me, go here and click on the August 12 hightlight against St. Louis: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...d=fla&ym=200408 You don't throw someone out from somewhat deep left field while backpedaling without a CANNON for an arm.
February 8, 200521 yr I'll also add that Cabrera's arm is good enough to play OF. EDIT: from espn.com's scouting report on Cabs: "...got plenty of chances to show off his plus arm, which got more accurate in his first full season in the outfield..."
February 8, 200521 yr Encarnacion's arm is sick. Vlad-like. Cabrera's arm is a notch below, but still very strong. Conine's got a left-fielder's arm. He depends a lot on getting to the ball quick and a quick release, as we saw in the 2003 NLDS Game 4. Just put Cabby at SS, his original position, and Niner in left, Enc in right! That solves everything! :plain
February 8, 200521 yr Conine's offense contributes much more to the team than Encarnacion's defense does. 680423[/snapback] Thank you. I do not want to see a lineup with Encarnacion and Gonzalez back to back.
February 8, 200521 yr I think Enc can be a solid contributor this year. Contract year, more protection, and a healthy shoulder could mean he could put up some solid numbers. I wouldn't expect miracles, but I don't think a .260 BA 20 HR 75 RBI season is out of the question. Couple that with his great defense and he's a solid player who can contribute. 680412[/snapback] Amen. But I like Conine too, and I think he needs to play. Quite a pickle.
February 8, 200521 yr The problem would be pretty simple if Conine could play right or if Cabs could play right but thats not ideal for both but certainly doable. Either way, one of those two has to bite the bullet if everyone stays healthy. My ideal situation is having Conine heal up and forcing Enc to the bench. The downgrade from Enc's defense to Conine's isnt as bad as the downgrade in offense from Enc to Conine.
February 8, 200521 yr I'm a big Conine fan, but let's not pretend that Conine is Babe Ruth here either. He couldn't hit much of anything for a big chunk of the first part of last year.
February 8, 200521 yr Miggy has a much better arm than Conine, and probably a stronger arm than Encarnacion. 680391[/snapback] Cabrera has a terrible arm dude. Certainly not an outfielders. 680393[/snapback] Are you joking? Cabs arm is a CANNON. 680395[/snapback] Uhhh...no. Enc has a cannon. Cabs is an infielder who got moved to the outfield. His arm is somewhat below average at best. 680413[/snapback] :blink:
February 8, 200521 yr Miggy has a much better arm than Conine, and probably a stronger arm than Encarnacion. 680391[/snapback] Cabrera has a terrible arm dude. Certainly not an outfielders. 680393[/snapback] Are you joking? Cabs arm is a CANNON. 680395[/snapback] Uhhh...no. Enc has a cannon. Cabs is an infielder who got moved to the outfield. His arm is somewhat below average at best. 680413[/snapback] LOL! you've got to be kidding me. Cabrera's arm below average?? LMAO! Classic! Did you even watch a Marlins game the past two years? I'd go as far as saying Cabrera has the strongest arm on the team. Yes, Encarnacion too has a cannon, but Cabrera's is EASILY just as strong if not stronger.
February 8, 200521 yr Encarnacion's arm is sick. Vlad-like. Cabrera's arm is a notch below, but still very strong. Conine's got a left-fielder's arm. He depends a lot on getting to the ball quick and a quick release, as we saw in the 2003 NLDS Game 4. Just put Cabby at SS, his original position, and Niner in left, Enc in right! That solves everything! :plain 680424[/snapback] Niehter of the two are near Guerrero or Ichiro...I'd say Cabrera has the stronger arm but Encarnacion(when his head is in the game) is more accurate.
February 8, 200521 yr Conine was superb last year in left and Cabrera was awful in right. With that being said, I'd like to see Cabrera in right just because he'll be 21 when the season starts and has the tools to be a right fielder for life. It'll only cost us a couple games.
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