The 2005 Marlins were demolished as swiftly as a cookie-cutter stadium being replaced by a new ballpark. Which is interesting because if the franchise had had a stadium deal in place, the plunger wouldn't have been pushed.

 

When the final pillar had crumbled, 15 players from last season's club had been traded or left as free agents. And when it came to the salvage crews that hauled in the best Marlins, there was a definite East Coast bias.

 

The first ex-Marlins drama will unfold April 11, when Boston's Josh Beckett and Toronto's A.J. Burnett likely will square off in the Red Sox's home opener, a game in which Burnett could face Mike Lowell and Alex Gonzalez, who last season held down the left side of Florida's infield.

 

 

Who will fill all the vacancies in Florida? Aside from Miguel Cabrera and ace lefthander Dontrelle Willis, it's a blurry picture. For now, let's assume that most of the jobs will go to products of the farm system and kids acquired in all the offseason trades.

 

Starting pitcher

 

2005: Josh Beckett. He's a Curt Schilling boo-boo away from being the Red Sox's No. 1 starter, but as everyone knows, Beckett has yet to go through a big-league season without an injury.

2006: Josh Johnson. Johnson is a fitting successor for Beckett in one sense: He throws just as hard.

Career games: Beckett 106; Johnson 4

 

Starting pitcher

 

2005: A.J. Burnett. The big contract comes with big responsibility as the No. 2 guy behind Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay. Burnett needs to guard against overthrowing, especially in April.

2006: Scott Olsen. Olsen's elbow needs to hold up for him to make the rotation.

Career games: Burnett 134; Olsen 5

 

Closer

 

2005: Todd Jones. Jones is back with the Tigers, for whom he once was an All-Star closer. Now he needs to repeat the out-of-nowhere, 40-save season he turned in with the Marlins.

2006: Joe Borowski. Borowski, who has 44 career saves, hopes to rejuvenate his career with the Marlins just like Jones did.

Career games: Jones 812; Borowski 264

 

Relief pitcher

 

2005: Guillermo Mota. He went to the Red Sox in the Beckett deal, then moved to the Indians in the Coco Crisp trade. Recent elbow and shoulder injuries make him a risky choice as an eighth-inning reliever.

2006: Travis Bowyer. The big catch in the Luis Castillo trade, Bowyer is the closer of the future -- and maybe the present.

Career games: Mota 386; Bowyer 8

 

Relief pitcher

 

2005: Antonio Alfonseca. Like Mota, Alfonseca had elbow problems last year and was largely ineffective. He's trying to make the Rangers this spring.

2006: Sergio Mitre. One of three pitchers obtained for Juan Pierre, Mitre could wind up in the rotation.

Career games: Alfonseca 512; Mitre 36

 

Relief pitcher

 

2005: Ron Villone. One of several new Yankees relievers, Villone held lefties to a .222 average in 2005.

2006: Mike Megrew. A Rule 5 draftee, Megrew has a decent shot at sticking with the Marlins. He comes from the Dodgers organization.

Career games: Villone 473; Megrew 0

 

Catcher

 

2005: Paul Lo Duca. His defense and grit will offset the loss of Mike Piazza's bat. With Ramon Castro as his backup, Lo Duca can rest more with the Mets and avoid his annual swoon.

2006: Josh Willingham. Willingham's bat makes him intriguing, but if he can't hold up defensively, he'll be headed to left field.

Career games: Lo Duca 772; Willingham 28

 

First base

 

2005: Carlos Delgado. He gives the Mets a huge upgrade over Doug Mientkiewicz with the bat, but Delgado is a minus on defense. But Delgado is paid to rake. He should help Carlos Beltran a lot.

2006: Mike Jacobs. Jacobs has tantalizing power potential and was one of the prizes of the Delgado deal.

Career games: Delgado 1,567; Jacobs 30

 

Second base

 

2005: Luis Castillo. The Twins get a top-notch fielder who had just 10 stolen bases last season because of injuries.

2006: Dan Uggla. A Rule 5 pickup from the Diamondbacks organization, Uggla could jump from Class AA to the bigs with a strong spring.

Career games: Castillo 1,128; Uggla 0

 

Shortstop

 

2005: Alex Gonzalez. He should give the Red Sox better defense than Edgar Renteria's. If he can drive the ball, Gonzalez will be an asset as a No. 9 hitter.

2006: Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez will learn on the job, but he's a big-time prospect and was the main haul in the Josh Beckett deal.

Career games: Gonzalez 896; Ramirez 2

 

Third base

 

2005: Mike Lowell. Red Sox fans will know quickly whether Lowell is back; he hits best in April. If he stumbles early, the club will have another question about its offense.

2006: Miguel Cabrera. The club's left fielder for most of last season, Cabrera, 22, and Dontrelle Willis, 24, are now the Marlins' main men.

Career games: Lowell 989; Cabrera 405

 

Infield

 

2005: Damion Easley. His ability to play all over the infield could allow the Diamondbacks to trade Alex Cintron. Easley ought to have fond memories of Florida -- the Marlins helped revive his career.

2006: Pokey Reese. Reese, Lenny Harris, Wes Helms and maybe Miguel Olivo can provide some experience.

Career games: Easley 1,427; Reese 854

 

Left field

 

2005: Jeff Conine. He will play left field or first base for the Orioles and share time with Kevin Millar. Conine hit .304 in part-time duty last year.

2006: Chris Aguila. A backup last year, Aguila now is the senior outfielder on the roster.

Career games: Conine 1,781; Aguila 94

 

Center field

 

2005: Juan Pierre. His speed will only make a difference for the Cubs if he can hike his on-base percentage. He'll patrol an outfield that's about 30 feet shorter to dead center than Dolphins Stadium.

2006: Eric Reed. Reed has been compared to Pierre because of his speed, lefthanded bat and lack of power.

Career games: Pierre 845; Reed 0

 

Right field

 

2005: Juan Encarnacion. The Cardinals are betting $15 million over three years that he can hit enough to capably replace Admin Walker.

2006: Jeremy Hermida. Hermida could be one of the few immediate upgrades on this club.

Career games: Encarnacion 1,028; Hermida 23

very interesting

Actually one of the better previews that have been published. Doesn't dwell on any one thing and the research is solid if not of high quality for a (multi)national media source.

No. Reese >>>>>>>> Uggla.

Nice breakdown. Very accessible.

That really puts into perspective the fact that this year's team isn't as bad compared to last year as many people think.