Rosenthal on Willis

[Fishfan79]

Making a play for Dontrelle

 

More bad news for the Yankees and other pitching-starved clubs: trading for starting pitching before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline figures to be exceedingly thin.

 

Probably the only way the Marlins would listen to offers for left-hander Dontrelle Willis is if they fell out of contention ? a possibility, but not a certainty ? in the NL East.

 

Willis' future with the club, major-league sources say, is not tied to the latest proposal for a new Marlins' ballpark, which is expected to be defeated by the Florida state senate.

 

Even if approved, the ballpark would not open until 2011, delaying an increase in the Marlins' revenues. The team would need to pay Willis, 25, for his final two years of arbitration, then possibly lose him as a free agent a year before the park opened.

 

The passage of the ballpark bill, then, would not ensure that Willis remained with the Marlins. If anything, it might increase the chances of him getting traded; the Marlins no longer would fear the political ramifications of such a move.

 

The defeat of the ballpark bill, on the other hand, wouldn't necessarily lead the Marlins to move Willis immediately. They would remain in their current position, able to afford Willis for the short term.

 

The Marlins, however, consider no player untouchable, and Willis' salary is likely to rise above $10 million next season. So, even if the team kept Willis through the deadline, it would figure to at least explore trading him in the off-season.

 

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6756838

[Skully]

Not that I take anything this article is saying to be actual fact, but if the Marlins moved Dontrelle, I think that would be a PR nightmare... I know the front office has shown us time and time again that no player is untouchable... trading guys like Beckett, Lowell, Castillo, etc... But if there is one guy that I think needs to remain a Marlin for friggin ever, it's Dontrelle. He's been the heart and soul of this team for 5 years now and I still look forward to each and every one of his starts. We need to make this guy our John Smoltz... Whatever it takes, he needs to remain here. Not only cause he's our ace, but for the kind of person he is in the community, his clubhouse leadership, and everything else that comes with him... he's just one of these guys that doesn't come along very often...

 

Can you tell I'm a big fan of the guy??

[Marlins2003]

Were the rest of the pitching staff healthy and achieving (not even over-achieving, just achieving) and there were a couple of young arms just screaming to be made part of the rotation, perhaps it would make sense.

 

But a few observations: Berardino and Rosenthal are thick as thieves and often share the same sources so when I read "major league sources" , small "m", small "l', I am reminded of how often those same "major leagues sources" these two depend on have been 100% wrong about the Fish at almost every turn. Every team has their haters, the Marlins included, you'll find a "source" (usually a dusgruntled former scout) to put down almost any organization so to me, considering Rosenthal's track record, this will likely turn out to be more filler than anything else.

 

I think he draws the wrong conclusions on both sides of the stadium issue and more importantly totally ignores what Dontrelle Willis means in the "team" sense. You'd have to be blind to not see how he interacts with every player in the dugout, how he's the guy who is always mentoring or consoling a young pitcher, he "is" almost more than anyone else including Cabrera, the "go to" guy in the dugout during games. That value is almost impossible to quantify.

 

I recognize Willis may ultimately pitch elsewhere but at two games under .500 and clearly able to contend with nine regulars on the DL, falling out of contention (regardless of how much a Ken Rosenthal wants it to happen) isn't happening any time soon, and either is trading Dontrelle Willis.

[Fishfan79]

I agree with you 2003 but I felt it was something that still should be shared at least as it is rare "news" (speculation mainly) for florida. Of course it is attached to a yankees article. I figured it would come up sooner or later as what is marlins baseball without rumors of us trading willis the past 2 years now.

 

Now if we get healthy and do fall out of it and we get an offer that is just wow, then I could see it happening.

 

Say TB or Seattle are in the race after the all star break. One of them offer up something like Jones and Clement? Then I could see it but otherwise, slim to no chance. And I doubt they are that dumb. But if we did move him it would be for an overpay.

[Marlins2003]

FF79, I wasn't faulting you for posting it. No way. :thumbup

 

The speculation is beginning, it's nothing new.

[Ramp]

Well obviously if the Marlins were to entertain offers from the Yankees, it starts with Philip Hughes

[Fishfan79]

Hughes, Pena (for a catcher) and melky? Or is that far too high Ramp?

 

Love that Tabata kid too

 

FF79, I wasn't faulting you for posting it. No way. :thumbup

 

The speculation is beginning, it's nothing new.

 

 

I know dude it is kewl :thumbup

[Ramp]

all I know is that it would start with Hughes

 

the Yankees would then probably hang up the phone, and both teams would move on

[Shamrock]

all I know is that it would start with Hughes

 

the Yankees would then probably hang up the phone, and both teams would move on

yeah...no way the Yanks part with Hughes unless they're talking about an elite of the elite SP under 30

[Admin]

I dont want Dontrelle to go, and the only scenario that would make it ok(IMO) is if it came down to him or Cabs.

[TSwift25]

I think anyone who is disregarding reason when keeping Willis should look at Barry Zito.

 

Now, I'm not saying the two are identical, but Zito's numbers were just average after his spectacular Cy Young season. Dontrelle seems headed down the same path, just without the award.

 

I love Dontrelle to death. He's fun to watch, he's exciting, but I've long said he's not an ace, and his statistics since 2006 have done nothing to categorically disprove that. And if some team is willing to trade us an ace bounty for him, it'd be tough to not take it (unless, of course, it's to help a division rival like New York or Philadelphia).

[Iowa]

I really hope we dont move him but I've already accepted the fact that I dont think he'll be a fish next year.

[Out of the Past]

I think anyone who is disregarding reason when keeping Willis should look at Barry Zito.

 

Now, I'm not saying the two are identical, but Zito's numbers were just average after his spectacular Cy Young season. Dontrelle seems headed down the same path, just without the award.

 

I love Dontrelle to death. He's fun to watch, he's exciting, but I've long said he's not an ace, and his statistics since 2006 have done nothing to categorically disprove that. And if some team is willing to trade us an ace bounty for him, it'd be tough to not take it (unless, of course, it's to help a division rival like New York or Philadelphia).

In his four seasons after the CY he averaged 223 innings with a 3.86 ERA in the AL. Those are very good numbers. Do you really think those are average numbers?

[TSwift25]

I think anyone who is disregarding reason when keeping Willis should look at Barry Zito.

 

Now, I'm not saying the two are identical, but Zito's numbers were just average after his spectacular Cy Young season. Dontrelle seems headed down the same path, just without the award.

 

I love Dontrelle to death. He's fun to watch, he's exciting, but I've long said he's not an ace, and his statistics since 2006 have done nothing to categorically disprove that. And if some team is willing to trade us an ace bounty for him, it'd be tough to not take it (unless, of course, it's to help a division rival like New York or Philadelphia).

In his four seasons after the CY he averaged 223 innings with a 3.86 ERA in the AL. Those are very good numbers. Do you really think those are average numbers?

 

 

55-46 since in Oakland, a consistently increasing WHIP and ERA along with declining K and increasing BB's sure isn't spectacular.

 

If a player's main selling point is his health, there's a problem with production.

[rferry]

It's funny that based on the opinions of this board, Dontrelle would be both sorely missed, but would be among the first to be traded if we ran the team.

[JetsMania]

I say hold on to him. Once we get everyone healthy I think we have a decent chance to fight for the wild card. Next season (if we keep everyone and stay healthy) I think we would have a great chance for the division title. Since there is no certaintly that we can keep cabrera and or willis after the 2009 season, I say lets keep them and see if we can make another run at the title rather than sending them for prospects and have the cycle keep going.

[Out of the Past]

I think you're putting to much weight on the W/L record. DTrain has pitched like crap and is 5-1. A starter who stays healthy and makes every starts is a very valuable asset but Zito is much more than that. In addition to his 3.86 ERA since the CY season I would also add he was 3rd in OPS allowed in '03 and 2nd in OPS allowed in '05 (in the AL). An average pitcher wouldn't do that.

[Admin]

His K/BB ratio is excellent as of right now.

 

Some of those scattered hits will stop falling and his ERA should go down. Wouldnt surprise me to see him put up an excellent May and have his ERA in the mid 3's going into June.