Wild, Wild Card: While traditionalists may rail against it to their graves, the Wild Card has spawned an intriguing race heading down the stretch into the season's final two months. Perhaps no team's as happy for the format this year as the Fightin' Fish.

 

On May 22 ex-Marlin Livan Hernandez stymied the reeling Marlins, sending the Fish to a three-game sweep at the hands of the Expos, their sixth loss in a row. The red-hot Braves and surging Expos pulled way ahead of the Marlins in the NL East race. Even at that early date, the Wild Card was starting to look like a faint, distant hope as well.

 

The Fish worked their way back toward the .500 mark. But an 11-7 loss in Boston dropped Florida back below .500, to 41-42. At that point they stood 12 games behind the division-leading Braves, 5.5 games behind the Wild Card-leading Phillies, and five behind the third-place Expos.

 

Since then the Marlins have caught fire, rolling up a 14-7 record in their last 21 games. While the Braves remain all but uncatchable--they've actually built their lead to 12.5 games ahead of Florida despite the Marlins' hot play--the Fish have pulled ahead of Montreal for third place in the division. More importantly, a sweep of a crucial three-game series with the Phillies has drawn the Marlins to within two games of second place in the division--and of the Wild Card.

 

Florida's now tied with Arizona for second in the Wild Card race behind Philadelphia. No fewer than eight teams are now bunched within 5.5 games of the Wild Card lead: the Phillies, Marlins, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Dodgers, Expos, Rockies, and Cubs. Who'll be the team to get in? With three days to go until the July 31 trade deadline, a key acquisition or two could turn the tide for any of the contenders.

 

Fishing for a Deal?: The Marlins have been mentioned in trade talks with Pittsburgh for Reggie Sanders (.276 Equivalent Average) and with San Diego for Rondell White (.268 EqA). It's debatable either represents an upgrade over precocious left fielder Miguel Cabrera (.270 EqA). If they insist on making a deal anyway, Sanders would seem a doable get, given the Pirates have already cleared out several veterans, getting little in return for many of them.

 

White reportedly would cost more, as the Padres are said to be pushing for third-string catcher Ramon Castro instead of the Marlins' offer of pitching prospects such as Justin Wayne and Blaine Neal. While we're always in favor of any move that may Free Ramon Castro! as soon as possible, you have to give the Marlins credit for understanding the value of a cheap catcher who's shown he can hit at every level before being blocked in the bigs--even if he's waited so long he's now 27 years old. Well, sorta: the Fish seem to know enough not to trade him--especially with Ivan Rodriguez a free agent after this season--but we've been calling for Castro to get a shot at an everyday job behind the plate forever now, and it still hasn't happened.

 

That aside, with the best starting infield in the National League (total Runs Above Replacement Player, including Rodriguez: 134.9), the third-best starting rotation in the NL, the streaking Cabrera (.270 EqA) upgrading a previously awful outfield, and new trade acquisition Ugueth Urbina bolstering the club's biggest weakness, the bullpen, the Fish may be the one team without a clear weakness they'd need to address in the trade market--certainly not at the expense of any blue-chip young players at any rate.

 

this was written before last night, good article nonetheless

dead-on.

That aside, with the best starting infield in the National League (total Runs Above Replacement Player, including Rodriguez: 134.9), the third-best starting rotation in the NL, the streaking Cabrera (.270 EqA) upgrading a previously awful outfield, and new trade acquisition Ugueth Urbina bolstering the club's biggest weakness, the bullpen, the Fish may be the one team without a clear weakness they'd need to address in the trade market--certainly not at the expense of any blue-chip young players at any rate.

 

Like I said, their balance ishard to beat... :w00t

Like I said, their balance ishard to beat... :w00t

yup, you said it, great eye, you must know it all