her's my first post, new to this, have enjoyed the reading

 

I think if Willingham plays everyday, then he is a .285, 25-35 homeruns, 75-85 RBI guy...plus he has a good arm and if given the chance in the OF, he would make the necessary adjustments...thats my thoughts

her's my first post, new to this, have enjoyed the reading

 

I think if Willingham plays everyday, then he is a .285, 25-35 homeruns, 75-85 RBI guy...plus he has a good arm and if given the chance in the OF, he would make the necessary adjustments...thats my thoughts

 

 

Welcome to the boards.

 

I suppose the argument could be made he wouldn't be worse in the OF than Cabrera in '04, and we survived that.

her's my first post, new to this, have enjoyed the reading

 

I think if Willingham plays everyday, then he is a .285, 25-35 homeruns, 75-85 RBI guy...plus he has a good arm and if given the chance in the OF, he would make the necessary adjustments...thats my thoughts

 

 

Welcome to the boards.

 

I suppose the argument could be made he wouldn't be worse in the OF than Cabrera in '04, and we survived that.

 

Nah, Willy would probably be better than Cabrera (I mean, I saw Willingham play right-field in S.T. and he didn't look out of place there), but I have serious doubts about his ability to be a seriously productive outfield bat at the major league level. He'd be a solid, mid-range option for a team who has offense and needs to find a way to add a capable bat but at the same time remain cost-conscious...we need offense, and the corner outfield is a place to get 20 home-runs out of a $4 million player pretty easily, something I think we're going to need to do.

 

IMO, Willy's a .275, 15, 75 kind of guy, and that's on the high end of a 500 AB season.

I agree with you TSwift. And it's doubtful whether his patience will translate to very many walks at the major league level. No doubt it will help him lay off some bad pitches and get into hitter's count. But at first he'll be tested. Going .304 this year is a good sign and should be in the back of the minds of the opposition next year.

her's my first post, new to this, have enjoyed the reading

 

I think if Willingham plays everyday, then he is a .285, 25-35 homeruns, 75-85 RBI guy...plus he has a good arm and if given the chance in the OF, he would make the necessary adjustments...thats my thoughts

 

 

Welcome to the boards.

 

I suppose the argument could be made he wouldn't be worse in the OF than Cabrera in '04, and we survived that.

 

Nah, Willy would probably be better than Cabrera (I mean, I saw Willingham play right-field in S.T. and he didn't look out of place there), but I have serious doubts about his ability to be a seriously productive outfield bat at the major league level. He'd be a solid, mid-range option for a team who has offense and needs to find a way to add a capable bat but at the same time remain cost-conscious...we need offense, and the corner outfield is a place to get 20 home-runs out of a $4 million player pretty easily, something I think we're going to need to do.

 

IMO, Willy's a .275, 15, 75 kind of guy, and that's on the high end of a 500 AB season.

 

15 HR?

 

He had 19 in only 66 games at Albuquerque. I understand that we are talking about going from AAA to Miami, but I have to give the guy some credit for what he has accomplished.

 

Also notable is the fact that he has statistically improved every year he has played professional baseball.

The Pacific Coast League is a hitters paradise. Joe Dillon had gi-normous #'s there, and with the elevation of Albuquerque it makes Isotopes Park itself a hitters park...dont take AAA #'s into account.

Willingham would hit .275-.285, 15-20 HR, and drive in 75-90 runs (this very much depends on how many people get on base). Honestly, if we can't find someone that is a great fit in LF and we can move Mikey... I say let Willingham have a shot and have Niner split time with him and give Delgado some rest. I think Willy is a good hitter. We don't give him enough credit. :thumbup Let me also add that I think we should give Aguila more consistent opportunities. I think we greatly undervalued our young players this past season.

 

The Pacific Coast League is a hitters paradise. Joe Dillon had gi-normous #'s there, and with the elevation of Albuquerque it makes Isotopes Park itself a hitters park...dont take AAA #'s into account.

 

 

What the hell else are we supposed to do? Joe Dillon didn't have the chance to produce at the big league level... he barely played. How are you going to say his numbers at Albuquerque are not relevant when he wasn't given the chance?

My hope is that the Fish re-sign Conine and Easley to provide the nucleus of a versatile bench and (assuming Hermida has a lock on right field) Willingham and Aguila fight it out for the starting role in LF.

 

But for that to happen Josh has to make the commitment to learn the position and be ready to give it his all in spring training because you have to know Aguila will.

 

I admit to being conflicted regarding Willingham.

 

While I'm willing to accept my belief that Aguila is ready to be not only an everyday major leaguer but also a major contributor may be misguided, I don't think so. The kid did hit .400 in September and .417 in his his last 10 games, has terrific speed and a cannon for an arm.

 

And as for Willingham, I was impressed with his plate discipline and good September, especially his batting over .420 against lefties. To me there's alot to be said for both players and if it winds up they platoon in left, at least for awhile, I'm good with that. And having Willingham available to spot as a third catcher doesn't hurt the team either.

 

So as the hot stove league opens for business and the Marlins begin the process of rebuilding a competitive team for 2006, I think, at least as far as the outfield is concerned, short of bringing in "a" Gary Sheffield type guy who makes all the kids expendable, we have the pieces in place to staff the outfield and bench for very little money, even including a healthy raise for Pierre.

 

If you add up what reasonably can be predicted for JP, Conine, Willingham, Aguila and Hermida, collectively you're talking about $8.5 million for the five guys, which leaves a whole lot to spread around elsewhere.

After all of the moves that Loria and Beinfest have made over the last couple of seasons, I trust that they will make the right choices for the betterment of this team.

My hope is that the Fish re-sign Conine and Easley to provide the nucleus of a versatile bench and (assuming Hermida has a lock on right field) and Willingham and Aguila fight it out for the starting role in LF.

 

But for that to happen Josh has to make the commitment to learn the position and be ready to give it his all in spring training because you have to know Aguila will.

 

I admit to being conflicted regarding Willingham.

 

While I'm willing to accept my belief that Aguila is ready to be not only an everyday major leaguer but also a major contributor may be misguided, I don't think so. The kid did hit .400 in September and .417 in his his last 10 games, has terrific speed and a cannon for an arm.

 

And as for Willingham, I was impressed with his plate discipline and good September, especially his batting over .420 against lefties. To me there's alot to be said for both players and if winds up they platoon in left, at least for awhile, I'm good with that. And having Willingham available to spot as a third catcher doesn't hurt the team either.

 

So as the hot stove league opens for business and the Marlins begin the process of rebuilding a competitive team for 2006, I think, at least as far as the outfield is concerned, short of bringing in "a" Gary Sheffield type guy who makes all the kids expendable, we have the pieces in place to staff the outfield and bench for very little money, even including a healthy raise for Pierre.

 

If you add up what reasonably can be predicted for JP, Conine, Willingham, Aguila and Hermida, collectively you're talking about $8.5 million for the five guys, which leaves a whole lot to spread around elsewhere.

 

 

I agree 100%. I have a lot of confidence in Aguila as well... and I particularly like his speed and arm. Having three guys with good speed covering the outfield will help out our pitchers a lot and will certainly reduce the deficiency of JP's noodle arm. We would have a lot of versatility with Willy, Chris, and Niner on the club. Let the battle for LF begin!

IMO we could fleece the Yanks in a trade for Pierre...if we can do that, do it. Aguila is ready for CF.

Looks like we didn't wait for Spring Training to churn out the newest sensation.

 

Marlinsbaseball.com - Anything is possible!

The Pacific Coast League is a hitters paradise. Joe Dillon had gi-normous #'s there, and with the elevation of Albuquerque it makes Isotopes Park itself a hitters park...dont take AAA #'s into account.

 

Don't ignore how well Willy hit in the pitcher's paradises of the AA Southern League and A Florida State League where he was 3B before moving to catcher to suit Cabrera.

 

It took Aguila a few years to master those two levels. Not to say anything bad about the kid. I like him and think he can be a productive player. Just a shot at the homerism.

LF Willingham

CF Encarnancion

RF Hermida

1b Delgado

2b Castillo

3b Lowell

SS Who ever

C La Duca

 

I like this lineup for next year.

 

 

So we keep Encarnacion and Lowell but don't play Cabrera?

 

Brilliant!

 

3b meant to be Cabs my mistake..I want Lowell out..

I don't think Loria/Beinfest will ever blow the whole thing up like HWH did in 98. There will be changes every year though. Welcome to the new world of staying competitive in baseball. Your favorite player may not be here next year but that doesn't mean the team is giving up. The days of having the same line-up for 6 or 7 years are over unless you are the NY Yankees.

 

And the attempt to detract from Beinfests past deals was lame. You can't hold deals that never happened against a GM, and you can't say he just got lucky when he comes up with a Dontrelle Willis. How about unloading CJ and Preston and bringing Pierre in even after Hampton refused to come. And that deal would have been even better if Spoony didn't blow out his arm. Like I said that argument against Beinfest is Weak.

You can't hold deals that never happened against a GM,

 

Like hell you can't. That a GM was intrigued enough to submit the offer [to the other team or his owner] speaks to their ability to recognize talent and exchanges of said talent. If that's not a GM's job I don't know what is.

In my opinion, the biggest reason for the demise (decline, underachievement?) of the Marlins this past season, was not, Lowell or Pierre but Leiter. A good SP (12+ wins) would have changed the season. Furthermore, I think Pierre sucked worse than Lowell (although they both sucked). The more I watch Pierre the more I realize he's a defensive liability. At least Lowell can play defense. No power, didn't get on base enough. All he has is speed. I say if you can get a good SP or reliever for him go for it, save 5 Million. Package him with Lowell, since Lowell obviously does not have a position open for him. Possibly, give Aguila a chance. He has speed and some power. Although he may not hit for average. Or get an established OF.

 

I have to say that Lowell and Pierre are among my favorite players (along with Willis). But I am being realistic. If they get a second chance I would not complain.

 

 

I disagree completely and here's why:

 

In the case of Leiter, he was the best we could do in the off-season (proven pitcher, willing to take a one year deal). If it wasn't Leiter, we likely would have gone with Valdez and Moehler in the rotation to start the season, and assuming the injury still happens to Valdez, Nate Bump, Frank Castillo or possibly even Yorman Bazardo is placed in the rotation (there is no way in hell we would have gone with Vargas or Olsen out of spring-training), and let me tell you, I don't think they equal Leiter's performance, even at 3-7.

 

In the case of Lowell, Cabrera is more than able to capably play third base, and Conine is a defensive upgrade over Cabrera in left, so you could make the case that we upgrade both defensively and offensively. It's not incorrect to say that had Leiter won the 10 or 12 games that everyone was simply penciling in for him, we'd still be playing baseball right now, but it is incorrect to say that he's more to blame than Lowell.

we were on the WC lead 2 weaks before the season ended. That's long after Leiter left this team.

 

What could have been if Lowell and JP had average career years. . .