GENERAL MANAGERS' MEETINGS

Marlins in no rush to make adjustments

Marlins general manager Admin Beinfest said the team is discussing potential trades and signing free agents but is `patient.'

BY KEVIN BAXTER

kbaxter@MiamiHerald.com

 

NAPLES - The Marlins continued to talk with free agents Wednesday and have at least two trade proposals on the table. But general manager Admin Beinfest continued to characterize his team's offseason approach as ''patient'' heading into the final day of baseball annual general managers' meetings at the Grande Naples Report.

 

''Things will get going. There's a lot of conversations,'' he said. ``The offseason has a cycle to it. The key parts to our team didn't come until after Dec. 20 last year. So it's still a little early.

 

``We're into it. But there are times where we need to be patient [and] remember there may be other opportunities. But there are things that we're trying to pursue now.''

 

The Marlins, whose rotation and starting infield are set, are looking for help in the back of their bullpen and in center field.

 

Two players they aren't likely to sign are free agents Joe Borowski and Wes Helms, both of whom were key parts of last year's team.

 

Borowski, who finished third in the National League with a career-high 36 saves last season, is being courted by at least a half-dozen teams, including Cleveland and Baltimore. The Indians are believed to be among the favorites to sign the 35-year-old right-hander, in part because Borowski's agent, Ron Shapiro, is the father of Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro.

 

Philadelphia GM Pat Gillick, meanwhile, said the Phillies are close to signing Helms with the intent of making him their everyday third baseman.

 

''For me it's not about money,'' said Helms, who batted a career-best .329 with 10 homers and 47 RBI in 240 at-bats last season. ``It's about playing every day. With the experience I have and the shape I've gotten my body into, I feel I can really do something. And that's all I really want.''

 

Helms, who backed up Miguel Cabrera at third and Mike Jacobs at first for the Marlins last season, has had more than 274 at-bats just once in eight big-league seasons.

 

INSTANT REPLAY

 

During Wednesday morning's formal sessions, the 30 general managers agreed to keep talking about making instant replay available to umpires, but there were no votes on the topic, said Joe Garagiola Jr., a senior vice president in the commissioner's office.

 

''It continues to be an issue that needs to be talked about,'' Garagiola said.

 

The general managers asked the committee that oversees umpires to investigate the use of technology, including instant replay, to assist in making on-field calls. Baseball is the only major professional team sport in the U.S. that does not allow its officials to use television replays.

 

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/16023839.htm

It's a weird headline in the context of what is written below it. "No rush" implies something that really isn't what Beinfest is saying when you read his quotes and the author alerts us to two trade proposals already made. Beinfest's point is, as I read it, that they are fully engaged in conversations and talking deals but things take time and they are already in pursuit of certain players.

 

Love to know what those two trade proposals look like and who's involved but then again (lol) so would everyone else.

 

Just an aside, is it me or is Lastings Milledge value dropping like a stone no matter how hard Omar Minaya tries to prop him up? And there's a blurb out there (I forget the source but I think it was Rosenthal) that the DRays tried to trade Baldelli to the Phillies for Cole Hamels but the Phillies shunned their offer. Perhaps that works to our advantage.

Milledge's value is dropping like crazy and that Martinez kid for them has his value raising like crazy.

Yes, I definately agree that Milledge's stock is not what it used to be.

 

As far as Beinfest, he holds the cards because he's got plenty of SP to work with. This definately works to our advantage and we have the upper hand.

The flower wilts a little bit when you get to the majors and look average (even in a short sample size.)

 

It probably is premature to lower his value. i am not a big milledge fan.

 

At this point I would prefer a healthy Rocco.

08:26 AM - Read: Milledge the Trade Chip

 

...posted by Matthew Cerrone...

 

In a column for Newsday about the value of Lastings Milledge, Ken Davidoff writes that the young outfielder appears to be more of a trade chip to the Mets than a future all-star at this point.

 

?the team is obviously willing to move the kid, i think that is pretty clear at this point?

 

?i mean, a year ago his name rarely came up in legitimate trade rumors?now, he seems to be involved in every single one?i?m not sure this signifies the mets no longer want him, or if it means so many other teams do want him, but the fact is that he?s being discussed, and that has to mean something?

 

Mets GM Omar Minaya says that Milledge currently ?fits in fine,? as he explains, among other comments, to Anthony McCaron in the Daily News.

 

?hmmm?a year ago he was untouchable?now, the kid is just fine?see what i mean?

 

?my thing with milledge has long been that two of his biggest strengths ? his value as a defensive center fielder and his potential to be an impactful leadoff hitters ? are two parts of the game the mets already have covered, in Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes, whom they will have for many, many years to come?

 

?milledge is not a corner outfielder?even if he realizes his potential, and hits, say, .290 with 20 HR, a team could still go out on the free-agent market, or trade market, and acquire a more potent bat for its corner spot?

 

?his value is, and will always be, as a speedy, versatile, center-fielder, which, if you look around baseball, is something several teams are in need of?the problem for the mets, however, is that these teams are looking for players who can be successful now, right now, and lastings, though very talented, still needs work?

 

 

 

http://www.metsblog.com/blog

 

 

interesting the mets fans are even saying it now, that would mean his value dropped alot

I'm not adverse to acquiring Milledge but certainly not for Willis or any of our starting pitchers.

 

If his stock continues to fall (and remembering he's only 21 years old) and a Jose Garcia +1 package would get it done, as loathe as I am to trade with the Mets, it would be hard to ignore his potential and not try to acquire him. Certainly he couldn't be worse than Reggie or Eric Reed offensively and if he's used in left, a year or two from now it could the steal of the century (exaggerating like crazy !).

 

Working against my little fantasy above are a number of things, not the least of which is Omar Minaya is nobody's fool. At some point if he is worth so little as trade bait it becomes wiser for the Mets to just let him play in AAA and grow up, hoping he'll mature into the player they want/expected him to be. I for one thinks Jose Garcia is the real deal, maybe a year away, but clearly quite a prospect (you minor league mavens out there may disagree, substitute who you think is the equivalent prospect for Milledge) but the point is, that is what the trade would/should be, prospect for prospect, and that is a deal I would do with the Mets.

 

But back to the Fish. While Beinfest made comment above about Dec 20th, it was really Thanksgiving when the Marlins and the Red Sox entered into the Beckett/Lowell for Ramirez/Sanchez etc. deal that began the deconstruction of the old team. With a little luck we won't have to wait until the end of December to see Beinfest in action and the face of the Marlins begin to take shape for 2007. I'm hoping we'll have something to talk about over the diningroom table next Thursday.

The 3 prospects in the mets that I want the most are Martinez kid (18 and is a little monster), Pelfrey and Humber.

 

But hey that is just me. I think if we culd get martinez, milledge and either humber/pelfrey it would be a complete steal for willis. Even though I dont want him traded.

I really like Milledge. Everyone forgets the kid is 21 years old. That's so ridiculously young. It might take 2-3 years, but he could easily turn into this .300/.350/.450 guy, with power growth on top of that. If they are really souring on him, which I don't believe the organization is despite whatever fans on the Mets board say, and he is attainable for Jose Garcia + something moderate like 03 suggests, you do that trade instantly and laugh in the Mets faces for years. I see the Mets needing SP like crazy, having Beltran in CF already, and not having a spot for Milledge so he's expendable. It's the same reason why Cleveland traded Coco and Kouzmanoff. They don't have natural spots on the team, but are still highly desirable where they can go out and get Andy Marte and Josh Barfield for them.

 

That's all the Mets are going to do with Lastings. They'll get some SP somewhere. I'm sure they want one of our guys, but Pittsburgh has a lot of young arms, so does Anaheim, and the Rangers. Someone will anti up a good SP for him eventually and I just don't see that as a knock on Milledge's value.

I really don't believe Milledge star has dimmed in the least. And if it has, then what does that say about Jeremy Hermida?

Milledge's star hasn't deemed at all. It's nutty to give up on a 21 yo prospect. He's more than a year younger then Hermida.

I am glad that Beinfest is being "patient" about this whole offseason thing, cause if you jump without really knowing what you really need, than that's how you make mistakes. Being patient has enabled us in the past to make great trades. Do what you do Beinfest, make us proud!

I really don't believe Milledge star has dimmed in the least. And if it has, then what does that say about Jeremy Hermida?

I don't think it has dimmed, but I think the Mets are probably becoming more realistic of his value. Both Milledge and Hermida have been tarnished by less-than-Hanley debuts...meaning that the Fish and the Mets can no longer claim these "superstars" are completely untouchable. The reality is that they are not superstars yet, and, while they have the "potential" to live up to the hype, waiting for their development is a risk. The Marlins can afford to do that with Hermida. Can the Mets afford to do that with Milledge? Probably not. Also, as noted in the article, Carlos Beltran finally played to his potential this season, meaning Milledge is blocked at CF for a long time. As a corner OFer, is his value truly a top 10 talent??

 

I think the Mets can no longer demand (with a straight face) a deal like Willis for Milledge plus B prospect. Maybe a more realistic deal is something like either Johnson or Nolasco for Milledge straight up. If Milledge wasn't blocked by Beltran, than Milledge would be much more valuable than this. But, if Milledge wastes away on the Mets bench for another season with similar numbers (or plays out of position), I don't think the Mets would be able to extract anything close to this for him after next year. They'd be looking at hauling in prospects only, something that the Mets don't want.

Milledge crumbled under the bright lights of NY....he will be back.

 

Hermida as it turns out was hurt for much of the season w/o really letting on.

 

I'd take Milledge in the right deal and I have am very confident we will see Hermida take a step forward in 2007.

I really don't believe Milledge star has dimmed in the least. And if it has, then what does that say about Jeremy Hermida?

 

Nothing, it instead shows that the Mets are dumber than we are. Right now, unless they fix the pitching troubles, the Mets are looking to be a $100 million team watching the playoffs on TV.