MarlinatPenn Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Sources: Marlins close to fire sale By Joe Capozzi Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Sunday, November 20, 2005 As the Marlins and Rangers continued talking Saturday about Florida sending Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Texas, multiple baseball sources said more of their Marlins teammates could soon leave the team, too. "They may take it all the way down, like we saw in '98," an American League source said, referring to the dismantling of the Marlins' 1997 championship team. Marlins President David Samson would not comment Saturday. But sources said Florida's front office has been telling teams that, except for pitcher Dontrelle Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera, everyone is available because of orders to cut payroll from the club-record $65 million spent on last season's team. One source said Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who is frustrated over stalled talks for a new stadium, is prepared to go with a 2006 payroll as low as $40 million, which could be the lowest in the major leagues. By trimming payroll, the Marlins could give themselves enough flexibility to offer long-term contracts to their two youngest stars ? Willis, the runner-up in the NL Cy Young voting, and Cabrera, who led the team in hitting (.323), home runs (33) and RBI (116). The Marlins have not made any trades yet, but they have been actively shopping their players for the past two weeks, starting with first baseman Carlos Delgado (owed $48 million over the next three years), who has received attention from the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and New York Yankees. Florida and the Mets have had extensive talks over the past two weeks about Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo. The Chicago Cubs and White Sox are interested in center fielder Juan Pierre. The Colorado Rockies like catcher Paul Lo Duca. The Marlins have talked to six teams about Beckett, including the Boston Red Sox, but they are demanding that Lowell (owed $18 million over the next two years) be included in any deal. Florida is closest to a trade with Texas. Under a proposal that was first discussed two weeks ago by Marlins General Manager Admin Beinfest and Rangers GM Jon Daniels at the general managers' meetings in California, Beckett would go with Lowell to the Rangers for two-time All-Star third baseman Hank Blalock. Loria and Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who is said to desperately want a No. 1 starting pitcher, continued discussions this past week during the owners' meetings in Milwaukee. The original proposal also called for Texas to send Florida one of two pitching prospects ? John Danks or Thomas Diamond, both first-round draft picks. But the Rangers' front office has balked at losing either pitcher and is now trying to find a way to finish the deal. One option is for Texas to dangle first baseman Adrian Gonzalez as trade bait to a third team for pitchers to flip to Florida. The Rangers and Marlins also have discussed scenarios that include Pierre in the deal. Gonzalez, Florida's first round pick in the 2000 draft, was traded to Texas on July 11, 2003, in a deal that brought reliever Ugueth Urbina to Florida. Gonzalez made his major-league debut with Texas in 2004 and batted.227 with six home runs and 17 RBI in 43 games in 2005. If the Beckett trade is completed, there's a chance the Marlins will trade Blalock to another team. Blalock might not fit into Florida's long-term plans because he is owed $3 million in 2006, $4.75 million in 2007 and $5.95 million in 2008. Beckett, the MVP of the 2003 World Series, made $2.4 million in 2005 and could make at least $4 million in arbitration this winter. A native of Spring, Texas, he is eligible for free agency after the 2007 season. "It's kind of a shock to me, almost surreal," Beckett said Saturday about the possible trade. "I've been with the Marlins all the time. I guess it happens to everybody. They say everybody gets traded at least once. I guess the first time for me is kind of weird." In their talks with the Red Sox, the Marlins want shortstop Hanley Ramirez and pitcher Anibel Sanchez, who was floated by Boston last summer in a proposal for Marlins pitcher A.J. Burnett. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapeFish Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Can you have a fire sale with this Marlins team and still call it a fire sale if Willis and Cabrera are untouchables? Maybe it should be a Bluelight Special? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Marlins having another fire sale? I don't buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapeFish Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Marlins having another fire sale? I don't buy it. You join millions of K-Mart non-shoppers nationwide. Maybe the Marlins will become a Sears Essential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarlinatPenn Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 I'm digging the Adrian Gonzalez talk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moneyball Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Marlins having another fire sale? I don't buy it. You better buy it, it is the real thing. Things aren't getting much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FishFanInPA Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 I am not doing another f***in firesale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanks1212 Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Rotoworld has this gem: It's like eight years ago, but without the championship :lol :plain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Trading Delgado, JP, LoDuca and Beckett with Lowell is one thing.. but trading Luis is hard to freakin swallow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying_Mollusk Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 This team is done in S. Florida is thats true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mva5580 Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Just trade them all away, what does it freaking matter anymore? No one can become a good player and stay with this franchise for more than 3 years. And I'm sorry, but if you're Miguel Cabrera or Dontrelle Willis, why on EARTH would you want to sign a long term deal with this franchise? They think by doing all this they can secure contracts with these 2 guys, but why in the hell would they want to stay involved in this stuff every year? I won't be a bit surprised if Cabrera doesn't sign a contract. And the only reason I think Dontrelle will end up signing is because he's such a good kid. But everyone has their breaking point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarlinatPenn Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 Just to quickly clarify the gloom and doom: - Moving to another city? None of the leading candidate cities (LV, Portland, Monterrey) have a ML-ready stadium right now, so if it happens it'll be at least 3-4 years down the line while they build a stadium... Essentially though, any move is unrealistic right now from what I've read. It's a payroll dumping, but there will be young talented players playing their hearts out for your Florida Marlins, if this is true, which I fear it might be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyggyMarlin Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Can't Loria find some investors and make it a group ownership, pool money for a stadium, keep the payroll respectable and keep the core of this team intact? This "poor" sh*t is old: can't keep players, can't fill seats, can't build a stadium, another damn firesale... Just can't stand watching this team sink lower and lower and no one (Selig, MLB, or wealthy investors) does anything about it... Maybe we should all buy gobs of lottery tickets, hope one of us wins a major jackpot and build the stadium ourselves... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSwift25 Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Am I the only one who finds it odd that neither the Herald or Sentinel are running with stories like this? Not even a mention of the Beckett rumor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarlinatPenn Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 Am I the only one who finds it odd that neither the Herald or Sentinel are running with stories like this? Not even a mention of the Beckett rumor. only two papers had the scoop for Saturday's paper... I'm willing to bet both the Herald and SS will both have stories on it for Sunday's edition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabdul Doobakus Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Last time we did a firesale we got a ton of great prospects that turned into another World Series. Why does it sound like we're getting a bunch of crap this time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyggyMarlin Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 ESPN.com is already posting the Beckett/Delgado rumors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flamarlins3 Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Trading Delgado, JP, LoDuca and Beckett with Lowell is one thing.. but trading Luis is hard to freakin swallow. I'm with ya on that one...This offseason is gonna be painful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fritz Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Viva Las Vegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyFan Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 First Josh...now Duca?? And Castle?? :crying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarlinatPenn Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 Viva Las Vegas they don't have a stadium either, plus the gambling issues, plus their mayor got in trouble recently they are not moving any time soon.. there's no where to go!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Das Texan Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Viva Las Vegas they don't have a stadium either, plus the gambling issues, plus their mayor got in trouble recently they are not moving any time soon.. there's no where to go!!! I'd take Vegas over the joint we are in now. And this is like deja vu. Slit my throat now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramp Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 gut the team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Das Texan Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 gut the team call the moving vans also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonDigital Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Marlins having another fire sale? I don't buy it. your living in a dream world and people screamed at me at the end of the 2005 season when i mentioned that dreaded word firesale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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