December 8, 200619 yr MIAMI -- Needing to be creative in hopes of filling their needs, the Marlins are taking a low-risk chance on a once promising talent. Florida signed Alex Sanchez to a Minor League contract on Friday with an invitation to big-league camp. Sanchez, who has dealt with adversity in the past, will get a shot to win the starting center-field job. Marlins pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training at the Roger Dean Stadium complex in Jupiter, Fla., on Feb. 17. The Marlins continue to explore center field options, and Sanchez is part of the mix along with incumbents Alfredo Amezaga, Reggie Abercrombie, Eric Reed and Cody Ross. Upon leaving the Winter Meetings in Orlando on Thursday, the Marlins continued to inquire about center field help. One possibility, MLB.com has learned, is dealing with the Devil Rays for B.J. Upton, who would be converted from an infielder to center. Financial restraints prevent the Marlins from being able to go out and sign high-profile free agents. What Florida does offer is opportunity. Sanchez will get that. On April 3, 2005, Sanchez became the first Major League player to be suspended for violating the league's new drug policy, which includes testing for steroids. Then with the Devil Rays, he sat out 10 days, costing him $32,787 in salary. Sanchez was out of the big leagues in 2006, and he last played at the Major League level for the Giants in 2005, where he appeared in 19 games. He began that season with Tampa Bay before his suspension. hot stove Complete coverage > The 30-year-old Sanchez was drafted by Tampa Bay in 1996, and he broke in with the Brewers in 2001. He joined the Tigers during the 2003 season, and he was with the club in 2004. Born in Cuba, Sanchez immigrated to the United States at age 18 in 1994. He attended Miami-Dade Community College. Sanchez has excellent speed. He's stolen 122 bases in 427 big-league games. http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...sp&c_id=fla
December 8, 200619 yr um... i thought we were looking for a defensive upgrade. This guy is the worst CF defensively I have ever seen and even has a worse arm than JP. No thanks.
December 8, 200619 yr The Marlins better go after Vernon Wells next season. This is ridiculous were watching all the top free agents go to other team and the Marlins don't make any effort to sign anybody. Nothing is EVER going to happen with Loria as the head of this team. I just wish the Commissioner could have the power to do something with this guy.
December 8, 200619 yr um... i thought we were looking for a defensive upgrade. This guy is the worst CF defensively I have ever seen and even has a worse arm than JP. No thanks. Couldn't have said it better myself. This guy hit decent in his brief stint with the Giants, but he was so bad defensively, they let him go.
December 8, 200619 yr I don't remember who his agent is but for some reason I think it's someone bigtime. I could be this signing is just a favor because it doesn't make sense otherwise.
December 8, 200619 yr I'm just going to go ahead and assume for the time being that Beinfest signed Sanchez to somehow bolster our position trading for a CF (having more backup options besides Amezaga/Abercrombie/Reed/Ross).
December 8, 200619 yr I'm just going to go ahead and assume for the time being that Beinfest signed Sanchez to somehow bolster our position trading for a CF (having more backup options) besides Amezaga/Abercrombie/Reed/Ross. I've thought that was the right strategy for quite a while but I've been told here in quite definitive terms I'm wrong. If Sanchez does nothing else than make a better deal come to fruition it will have been worth whatever we spent today.
December 8, 200619 yr The Marlins better go after Vernon Wells next season. This is ridiculous were watching all the top free agents go to other team and the Marlins don't make any effort to sign anybody. Nothing is EVER going to happen with Loria as the head of this team. I just wish the Commissioner could have the power to do something with this guy. Unfortunately this has never been the franchise to go after the big free agents. I've gotten used to that. However, it annoys me how year after year, we make fewer and fewer moves during the offseason. I was bored half to death this time last year, and now it looks like this offseason could be worse.
December 8, 200619 yr The Marlins better go after Vernon Wells next season. This is ridiculous were watching all the top free agents go to other team and the Marlins don't make any effort to sign anybody. Nothing is EVER going to happen with Loria as the head of this team. I just wish the Commissioner could have the power to do something with this guy. What do you want the guy to do? He brought in Pudge and we won a WS, he spent the money to pick up Delgado for 2005, and spent plenty to make/keep the team competetive. The result was still low attendance and no new stadium. Can you blame him for dumping off the guys he did, and thinking we could have a better team with a fresh start? And do you not think this team has promise than the 05 team would've had for 06? Paying someone a gazillion dollars a year isn't something we need to be doing. And once there is a new stadium deal, there will be more spending.
December 8, 200619 yr From Rotoworld: Alex Sanchez-OF-Marlins Dec. 8 - 5:33 pm et Marlins signed outfielder Alex Sanchez to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Sanchez apparently helped his stock by hitting .411/.436/.575 in 73 at-bats in the Venezuelan Winter League. The 30-year-old is a career .296 hitter in the majors, but he's had trouble finding work lately, in part because he's a bad center fielder despite his speed. Looks like Sanchez had a good winter . It is a minor league contract after all.
December 8, 200619 yr Take a look at zone ratings in ESPN and I don't think Sanchez was picked up for CF. Career zone ratings for CF would list our CF depth chart as: 1. Borchard .936 (192 innings) 2. Ross .929 (145 innings) 3. Abercrombie .902 (591 innings) 4. Amezaga .862 (529 innings) 5. Sanchez .857 (2746 innings) I believe Sanchez was picked up to come off the bench and come in defensively in LF. Sanchez as of now has the top zone rating for LF among all Marlins players(with at least 100 innings played in LF). Cody Ross is not much better than Willingham. Also, if there is any consideration to working out Willingham at 1B to platoon or possibly attempt to become a 1B if Jacobs is traded Sanchez if he hits is a capable LF'er. Sanchez .907 (144 innings) Ross .833 (215 innings) Borchard .818 (116 innings) Willingham .788 (1092 innings) If Sanchez has a good showing in the spring I could see Ross or Borchard possibly being out.
December 9, 200619 yr The Marlins better go after Vernon Wells next season. This is ridiculous were watching all the top free agents go to other team and the Marlins don't make any effort to sign anybody. Nothing is EVER going to happen with Loria as the head of this team. I just wish the Commissioner could have the power to do something with this guy. What do you want the guy to do? He brought in Pudge and we won a WS, he spent the money to pick up Delgado for 2005, and spent plenty to make/keep the team competetive. The result was still low attendance and no new stadium. Can you blame him for dumping off the guys he did, and thinking we could have a better team with a fresh start? And do you not think this team has promise than the 05 team would've had for 06? Paying someone a gazillion dollars a year isn't something we need to be doing. And once there is a new stadium deal, there will be more spending. It's not that I want them to spent millions on a player. Its just seem like they don't put any effort into signing anyone. I would be happy if we could trade for one of those top prospects like Kemp, Pie, or Ellsbury. that would be cool.
December 9, 200619 yr Alex Sanchez? That is one name I thought I would never hear again! Let alone i would never imagine him in a Marlin's uniform. He makes pretty good contact and can steal bases like crazy but is very limited otherwise, extremely limited :blink:
December 9, 200619 yr Don't think it's a big deal guys. He signed a minor league contract and will get a shot to win a job. If he wins a job then its a good thing we signed him. If he does not win a job he will sit in AAA until needed or until he is released.
December 9, 200619 yr I dont see what the big deal is here. We signed him to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Teams do it every winter. Big deal. If he pans out then great. If not then who cares?
December 9, 200619 yr Let's say for a moment Stag is onto something, it might mean revisiting Ramp's belief Jacobs get traded and Willingham moves to first theory. Just an observation. But as Eddie said, Alex Sanchez is a name I never thought I'd hear again nevermind in association with the Marlins. Time will tell I guess. It's like a game of Clue trying to piece the puzzle together. BTW, with two more hits tonight he's now batting .427 and playing CF for the Tiburones
December 9, 200619 yr I met Beinfest and the Troll at Disney today and told them they still needed a centerfielder, they both said they were working on it. I hope this isn't all their working on. BTW Beinfest was sporting a Marlins sweatshirt, glad to see he's Marlins proud.
December 9, 200619 yr I dont see what the big deal is here. We signed him to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Teams do it every winter. Big deal. If he pans out then great. If not then who cares? Totally agree with you DAS.. This isnt the guy, there just taking a minor league risk to see what happens
December 9, 200619 yr I dont see what the big deal is here. We signed him to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Teams do it every winter. Big deal. If he pans out then great. If not then who cares? If the Reggie Abercrombie experiment never happened I would tend to agree. last year was a totally different story than this year. its not like reggie did much of anything in the second half anyway and I'm not even talking about playing time. you cant expect the front office to figure it all out in one year, that being said, they did 'ok' in getting an entire middle infield last year.
December 9, 200619 yr From this morning's Palm Beach Post: Sanchez worth risk for Marlins By Joe Capozzi Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Saturday, December 09, 2006 Desperate for an affordable but experienced center fielder, the Marlins are taking a chance on the first player disciplined in 2005 under baseball's toughened steroids rules. Alex Sanchez, a career .297 hitter with speed but questionable defense, will compete for the center field spot in spring training after signing a minor-league deal Friday. Sanchez, 30, a native of Cuba who came to the United States on a rickety raft 12 years ago, was suspended April 3, 2005, for 10 days for violating baseball's new policy on performance-enhancing drugs. At the time, he was the first player publicly identified through the major leagues' tougher rules, and it surprised the baseball world. While the use of performance-enhancing drugs is associated with home-run sluggers, Sanchez had just four career home runs in 1,351 at-bats when he failed the drug test. "I'm surprised because look at what kind of player I am. I'm a leadoff hitter. I never hit any home runs,'' Sanchez said at the time, blaming the positive test on something he bought over the counter. "I know I did nothing incorrect. ... I take stuff I buy over the counter. Multivitamins, protein shakes, muscle relaxants. That kind of stuff.'' The Marlins hope Sanchez can revive a career that showed promise in five seasons with Milwaukee, Detroit, Tampa Bay and San Francisco. The left-handed hitter's best year was 2003, when he hit .287 and stole 52 bases with the Brewers and Tigers. Of that total, 44 were with Detroit, which placed him second in the American League. With his speed and penchant for bunting, Sanchez offers Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez the option of putting him in the leadoff spot and moving Hanley Ramirez lower in the batting order. Ramirez was the NL Rookie of the Year last season while batting mostly leadoff. The Marlins have said they envision him hitting lower in the order. This week, Gonzalez said the top of the batting order probably would look like last season, with Ramirez leading off, followed by Dan Uggla, Miguel Cabrera and Josh Willingham. The Marlins won 78 games in 2006, better than expected, despite a glaring weakness in center. Rookies Eric Reed and Reggie Abercrombie never blossomed. Alfredo Amezaga, a veteran utility infielder who never played outfield before 2006, wound up being the team's most productive center fielder. Amezaga could return to center next season if the Sanchez experiment doesn't work out. Sanchez left Cuba in 1994 when he was 18, leaving his family behind. He and his companions spent three days at sea before the U.S. Coast Guard picked them up. For the next 16 months, he was detained at Guantanamo Bay, where he played baseball with U.S. soldiers. Sanchez eventually settled in Miami and was drafted in 1996 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was Milwaukee's starting center fielder in 2002 but he was traded because of erratic defense and a poor attitude in the clubhouse. Sanchez signed a minor-league contract with the Reds last March but was released in June after hitting .225 in 38 games with Class AAA Louisville. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/conte...rlins_1209.html BTW, Sanchez went 3 for 4 last night in the Venezuelan Winter Leagues, raising his BA to .429. (Plays for the Timborunes, I believe he has the highest average for everyday players)
December 9, 200619 yr From this morning's Palm Beach Post: Sanchez worth risk for Marlins By Joe Capozzi Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Saturday, December 09, 2006 Desperate for an affordable but experienced center fielder, the Marlins are taking a chance on the first player disciplined in 2005 under baseball's toughened steroids rules. Alex Sanchez, a career .297 hitter with speed but questionable defense, will compete for the center field spot in spring training after signing a minor-league deal Friday. Sanchez, 30, a native of Cuba who came to the United States on a rickety raft 12 years ago, was suspended April 3, 2005, for 10 days for violating baseball's new policy on performance-enhancing drugs. At the time, he was the first player publicly identified through the major leagues' tougher rules, and it surprised the baseball world. While the use of performance-enhancing drugs is associated with home-run sluggers, Sanchez had just four career home runs in 1,351 at-bats when he failed the drug test. "I'm surprised because look at what kind of player I am. I'm a leadoff hitter. I never hit any home runs,'' Sanchez said at the time, blaming the positive test on something he bought over the counter. "I know I did nothing incorrect. ... I take stuff I buy over the counter. Multivitamins, protein shakes, muscle relaxants. That kind of stuff.'' The Marlins hope Sanchez can revive a career that showed promise in five seasons with Milwaukee, Detroit, Tampa Bay and San Francisco. The left-handed hitter's best year was 2003, when he hit .287 and stole 52 bases with the Brewers and Tigers. Of that total, 44 were with Detroit, which placed him second in the American League. With his speed and penchant for bunting, Sanchez offers Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez the option of putting him in the leadoff spot and moving Hanley Ramirez lower in the batting order. Ramirez was the NL Rookie of the Year last season while batting mostly leadoff. The Marlins have said they envision him hitting lower in the order. This week, Gonzalez said the top of the batting order probably would look like last season, with Ramirez leading off, followed by Dan Uggla, Miguel Cabrera and Josh Willingham. The Marlins won 78 games in 2006, better than expected, despite a glaring weakness in center. Rookies Eric Reed and Reggie Abercrombie never blossomed. Alfredo Amezaga, a veteran utility infielder who never played outfield before 2006, wound up being the team's most productive center fielder. Amezaga could return to center next season if the Sanchez experiment doesn't work out. Sanchez left Cuba in 1994 when he was 18, leaving his family behind. He and his companions spent three days at sea before the U.S. Coast Guard picked them up. For the next 16 months, he was detained at Guantanamo Bay, where he played baseball with U.S. soldiers. Sanchez eventually settled in Miami and was drafted in 1996 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was Milwaukee's starting center fielder in 2002 but he was traded because of erratic defense and a poor attitude in the clubhouse. Sanchez signed a minor-league contract with the Reds last March but was released in June after hitting .225 in 38 games with Class AAA Louisville. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/conte...rlins_1209.html BTW, Sanchez went 3 for 4 last night in the Venezuelan Winter Leagues, raising his BA to .429. (Plays for the Timborunes, I believe he has the highest average for everyday players) I dont mind this move it gives us another opion in center and on the bright side he is batting .429 in the Venezuelan league I wouldnt be suprised if this guy bats over .260 he also allowes Hanley to move down in the order
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