With the Marlins' permission, young star Miguel Cabrera is playing the final few weeks of the Venezuelan Winter League regular season with his hometown Aragua Tigers. Cabrera's goal is to help the Tigers qualify for the much-anticipated Caribbean World Series.

 

"We've always let our guys like Miguel play toward the end, but not the whole season," said Jim Fleming, the Marlins' director of player development and scouting. "They all want to play for their hometown teams down there. So we oblige within reason."

 

Cabrera, who hit .323 with 33 home runs and 116 RBIs for the Marlins last season, began playing for Aragua 12 games ago. He's hitting .333 with two home runs and eight RBIs. Cabrera has also committed to play for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic in March.

 

Cabrera is finding that fame doesn't always involve fun and games. Outside a Maracay nightclub last weekend, he was involved in a dispute that his agent, Andy Mota, said stemmed from an overzealous autograph seeker. The Aragua Police Department is investigating, but no charges have been filed.

 

Cabrera, who was accompanied by his two bodyguard cousins and his father, said in a statement, "I didn't hit anybody, and nobody hit me."

 

Aside from Cabrera, whom the Marlins expect to be among the National League's top hitters again next season, the club is quite pleased about the Winter League performance of right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, acquired from the New York Mets in the Carlos Delgado trade.

 

Pitching for the Magallanes Navigators in Venezuela, Petit, just 21, has impressed Fleming in particular with his low rate of walks. Petit has issued just eight walks in 50 1/3 innings, while compiling a 2.15 ERA. He's also 4-3, despite his team's 27-35 record.

 

"I like that in a young pitcher," said Fleming, who noted that Petit is being counted on to contend for a Major League job. "Absolutely. We've thought that all along."

 

The Marlins have several openings in their starting rotation, with former staff mainstays such as Josh Beckett (Boston) and A.J. Burnett (Toronto) having departed for other teams this offseason.

 

Petit, who at 6-foot-0 and 230 pounds is built along the lines of famed lefty Fernando Valenzuela, is known, like Valenzuela, more for his precise control over pitches than his velocity. But Fleming said Petit's velocity is underrated.

 

"People always say he's kind of a touch-and-feel guy, but his fastball is pretty good. It's not overpowering, but it's a solid Major League fastball."

 

The other player who has caught Fleming's eye this winter is shortstop Alfredo Amezaga, who will play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. The Marlins signed Amezaga as a free agent in the offseason. He reached the Majors with the Anaheim Angels, but did not hit well enough to stay. He played in the Majors last season with the Colorado Rockies.

 

Fleming said Amezaga was hitting "just under .300" in winter league play in Mexico recently. "We're hoping that he's going to mature into something this year," he said.

 

While Fleming noted that the Marlins "have a lot of candidates" for their middle infield jobs this season, he seemed encouraged that the slick-fielding Amezaga could emerge as a factor.

 

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...t=.jsp&c_id=fla

I really think Petit could be on the rotation this coming season. He could end up being ROY.

I really think Petit could be on the rotation this coming season. He could end up being ROY.

 

 

Not likely considering he struggled at AAA in his brief debut there and as for ROY, he's behind about 4 other players in the early season handicapping (Hermida, Zimmerman, Fielder, Jacobs).

I really think Petit could be on the rotation this coming season. He could end up being ROY.

 

ROY = Hermida

 

but Petit does look very promising

Alfredo!

 

I am a fan.

I really think Petit could be on the rotation this coming season. He could end up being ROY.

 

 

 

This guy is going to have detractors until he does it in the majors. His run of dominant numbers continues yet he is universally discredited because of his "stuff" or lack thereof. I can't wait to see this guy pitch and I do belive he's gonna stick with the big club out of spring training.

 

He will have a hard time being ROY on his own team, as I am convinced Heremedia's going to have a great year.

 

It's hard not to get excited about this team.