There's a table (if you click the link, it's free) showing the players the Marlins are losing, their salaries, and some of their stats for the year. I assume most people are already informed about that stuff, and I'm retarted at computers and couldn't paste it properly.

 

FLORIDA MARLINS

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Thirteen Marlins players might be leaving south Florida as free agents this winter. The group includes two fifths of the starting rotation, three eighths of the starting lineup, most of the bullpen, and two key utility players.

Overall, the gang was a nice bargain, driven by career years from Juan Encarnacion and Todd Jones, and big contributions from role players like Jeff Conine, Damion Easley and Brian Moehler. A.J. Burnett will be the most difficult to replace, and ironically, hes the one player who is undoubtedly not coming back, leaving on the sourest of notes.

 

Making up for so much inexpensive talent will be difficult, but the Marlins seem to be in a better position than most teams would be. Their farm system has provided an embarrassment of riches over the years--Miguel Cabrera, Luis Castillo, Edgar Renteria, Mark Kotsay, Charles Johnson, Kevin Millar, Josh Beckett, Dontrelle Willis, Burnett, Livan Hernandez, Brad Penny, Ryan Dempster--and it appears another crop is ripe.

 

Jason Vargas is etched in to the 2006 rotation, but Joshua Johnson and Scott Olsen are next in line to step in behind Willis and Beckett. The Marlins also drafted five pitchers within the top 44 picks of the June Amateur Draft.

 

Announcers and analysts often say things like, He makes everyone else in that lineup better, a statement thats almost always either outright false or solid evidence of a mancrush. But for top outfield prospect Jeremy Hermida, its almost true. Hermida debuted August 31 with a first-pitch grand slam, and Cabrera started 21 of his last 22 games at third base instead of left field. Granted, Mike Lowells bat-gone-AWOL also led to Cabrera being summoned for infield duty--maybe the mounting pressure of slipping in the Wild Card chase finally wore out the Marlins loyalty to Lowell--but the Marlins are still weighing their options for a permanent shift of Cabrera to the hot corner. Hermida doesnt make everyone in the lineup better, but Cabrera is slightly more valuable at third base than left field, where offense is a little easier to find. Theyre expected to re-sign Conine, which seems minor, but doing so could potentially signal many different scenarios:

• Trading Carlos Delgado sounds like an odd plan after just one year, especially one in which he posted a 71.7 VORP, but Delgados backloaded deal jumps from $4 million in 2005 to $13.5 million next year, the first of three seasons at Jim Thome money. Theoretically, Conine could play first base, leaving everyday jobs for Lowell, Cabrera, Juan Pierre, and Hermida, but that would basically set the team back to where they were before Delgado. On the other hand, the team could channel that money to extend the contracts of Beckett, Cabrera, and/or Willis, who is headed for arbitration as a Super Two player.
   
   
   
   
   
  
• Trading Lowell is unlikely without eating most of the $18 million left over two years, but if they find a taker it would slot Cabrera at third base and leave Conine, Pierre, Hermida in the outfield. A less likely but more creative option is minor league vet Joe Dillon for third.
   
   
   
  
• Trading Juan Pierre is another possibility. Pierre is exactly the type of player who could get more arbitration dollars than hes worth to the team. Flashy, .300-plus career batting average, oodles of stolen basesand a dearth of power that almost cancels out everything he does well. Pierres average and OBP dipped to career lows of .276 and .326, but the stolen bases continued. Pierre doesnt walk as much as Castillo, so if he ever suffers a similar leg injury and loses his speed, .276/.326/.354 becomes more of an upside than a career-worst performance. And defense? Using Clay Davenports fielding metrics, hes been below league-average for the past three years. Thats the hard part if the Marlins were to trade Pierre: who plays center? Hermida really belongs in a corner.
  

If the Marlins expect a 40-year-old Conine to repeat his .304/.374/.403 performance as a starter, theyre at best optimistic, at worst crazy. Ideally, theyll use him more sparingly, maybe even in platoon with Hermida. With Conine (if he re-signs), Cabrera, and catchers Josh Willingham and Paul Lo Duca (who both have some experience at other positions), the Marlins have no shortage of versatile players. That can only help new manager Joe Girardi next year, and can only help as GM Admin Beinfest works the phones this winter to replace half his roster. --Dave Haller

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=4580

So reading this article....tell me we're not sellers.

So reading this article....tell me we're not sellers.

 

 

I don't think we're sellers.

Any article that begins with the tired and misleading premise that thirteen players could be leaving the Fish in 2006, is by definition one that has been poorly researched and superficial at best.

 

More of the same inept reporting unless you think guys like Paul Quantrill, Mike Mordecai or a retring Jim Mecir means more than a hill of beans to the Fish in 2006. Or that Juan Encarnacion can't, and more importantly, shouldn't be replaced at $4 million + savings by Jeremy Hermida.

 

It really comes down to three players, AJ Burnett, Todd Jones and Gonzalez. And maybe Mike Lowell.

 

Easley can be replaced for the same money by any one of a dozen free agent players with similar experience, skills and cost.

 

Moehler. Ditto, although I'd like and expect him to stay with the team.

 

The only thing that articles like this do is further the misimpression of who and what the Marlins are all about.

 

When you suggest Delgado may be traded for financial reasons and you ignore Hampton's $9 million coming off the books clearly you are a writer who didn't do his homework.

 

I give it a C-, and that's because I'm in a good mood.