Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 08:43AM ET

If the Marlins deal Miguel Cabrera, one idea that intrigues them (for 2009) is moving Dan Uggla to third and using Single A prospect Chris Coghlan at second. But Coghlan -- whom Marlins advisor Jack McKeon predicts will be a good big-league hitter -- isn't close to being ready

I don't think that'll even come close to happening. Coghlan was a 3B and moved to second so he'd have a faster track to the majors.

 

Secondly, I pray we sell high on Uggla as he's a definite debut late, decline early candidate and I hope we aren't left holding the bag.

I have a better idea, let's have Cabrera play 3rd in 09. Hokay? Thanks.

I don't think that'll even come close to happening. Coghlan was a 3B and moved to second so he'd have a faster track to the majors.

 

Secondly, I pray we sell high on Uggla as he's a definite debut late, decline early candidate and I hope we aren't left holding the bag.

 

 

:notworthy Well said! Totally agree

If this team doesn't make every effort to resign Cabrera, they're going to lose a fan they've had since 1993 whose endured two firesales. Unless you get three allstars in return, I expect a future hall of famer to stay in teal.

If this team doesn't make every effort to resign Cabrera, they're going to lose a fan they've had since 1993 whose endured two firesales. Unless you get three allstars in return, I expect a future hall of famer to stay in teal.

 

I doubt the team makes any effort to resign Cabrera, unless theres new ownership. Looks like you wont be a fan for much longer.

Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 08:43AM ET

If the Marlins deal Miguel Cabrera, one idea that intrigues them (for 2009) is moving Dan Uggla to third and using Single A prospect Chris Coghlan at second. But Coghlan -- whom Marlins advisor Jack McKeon predicts will be a good big-league hitter -- isn't close to being ready

Does Uggla even have the arm to play 3rd?

Isn't the first question you should be asking yourselves when you read something like this is "Says who"?

 

That said, I like the idea of Uggla to third and said so before, but with Cabrera to first. In my book Uggla's best days are ahead of him and while his BA may have dropped in 2007 and he had an awful time with pitches down and away it was as much a product of a predictable bat twitch and pitchers learning how to pitch him as anything else.

I'm sure (figuratively, I can't read his mind) Uggla knows his major league career depends on him changing his approach at the plate and I think the same guy who didn't mind saying the team was in New York that last weekend in September to make sure the Mets went home just like they were, is a guy who is capable of change.

 

The Dan Uggla we saw part of the previous season and a good bit of this can't keep his hands (reasonably) still and after a few seconds in the batters box has to one-two-three times recock his bat. Opposing pitchers just wait him out and time their deliveries so the ball is delivered before he's done with this routine. He made some visible strides getting better bat control as the season ended and for spurts during July and August, I'm sure people watched him at times holding his bat much more upright and away from his shoulder without the trademark twitch. But bad habits are hard to break and he kept back-sliding. I think more time with Presley, an off-season to change his routine in a batting cage somewhere and ultimately a quieter bat are going to pay off big time for the Marlins and Dan Uggla. Think of Uggla's power in a more compact swing like Jeff Conine's and you get the picture (or at least the one I see).

 

To me Uggla's struggles are somewhat akin to sending a pitcher to the AFL or one of the winter leagues to work on his curveball and even though he gets pounded every time he throws it for a month and his stats blow up, and people are calling him garbage and a waste of roster space, when that curveball comes around and the guy now has three pitches instead of two, good things can happen.

 

I can't guarantee I'm right but from what I saw I was encouraged that the problem defined and the correction process began. If I thought otherwise I'd be in the sell-high camp but at least for now I think its premature and overly pessimistic. The guy has good arm strength, can probably handle the transition to another position and has enough range to make the left side of the infield better. Maybe it's not optimum range but certainly better than what's there now and if the idea is to keep Hanley at short, and Cabrera to first (yes I'm an optimist), Uggla would be a step up over Cabrera's defense at third, making Hanley better in the process. With less ground to cover to his right Hanley immediately becomes significantly better at SS where he moves to his left very well.

 

So, I expect to be told I'm wrong but we'll just have to see how it plays out. I don't think Uggla gets traded, nor Cabrera. Maybe if Miggy comes to camp in devastatingly good shape things get revisited and Uggla does become expendable at some point, but in my mind you're not selling high by moving Uggla now, your just going to wind up moving him without significantly improving the club and potentially weakening the team offensively.

Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 08:43AM ET

If the Marlins deal Miguel Cabrera, one idea that intrigues them (for 2009) is moving Dan Uggla to third and using Single A prospect Chris Coghlan at second. But Coghlan -- whom Marlins advisor Jack McKeon predicts will be a good big-league hitter -- isn't close to being ready

Does Uggla even have the arm to play 3rd?

No.

Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 08:43AM ET

If the Marlins deal Miguel Cabrera, one idea that intrigues them (for 2009) is moving Dan Uggla to third and using Single A prospect Chris Coghlan at second. But Coghlan -- whom Marlins advisor Jack McKeon predicts will be a good big-league hitter -- isn't close to being ready

Does Uggla even have the arm to play 3rd?

No.

 

He's got all of the necessary grit to be a third baseman though. Grit. Hustle. Gritty grit grit hustle.

Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 08:43AM ET

If the Marlins deal Miguel Cabrera, one idea that intrigues them (for 2009) is moving Dan Uggla to third and using Single A prospect Chris Coghlan at second. But Coghlan -- whom Marlins advisor Jack McKeon predicts will be a good big-league hitter -- isn't close to being ready

Does Uggla even have the arm to play 3rd?

No.

 

He's got all of the necessary grit to be a third baseman though. Grit. Hustle. Gritty grit grit hustle.

 

And heart, you forgot heart.

Isn't the first question you should be asking yourselves when you read something like this is "Says who"?

 

That said, I like the idea of Uggla to third and said so before, but with Cabrera to first. In my book Uggla's best days are ahead of him and while his BA may have dropped in 2007 and he had an awful time with pitches down and away it was as much a product of a predictable bat twitch and pitchers learning how to pitch him as anything else.

I'm sure (figuratively, I can't read his mind) Uggla knows his major league career depends on him changing his approach at the plate and I think the same guy who didn't mind saying the team was in New York that last weekend in September to make sure the Mets went home just like they were, is a guy who is capable of change.

 

The Dan Uggla we saw part of the previous season and a good bit of this can't keep his hands (reasonably) still and after a few seconds in the batters box has to one-two-three times recock his bat. Opposing pitchers just wait him out and time their deliveries so the ball is delivered before he's done with this routine. He made some visible strides getting better bat control as the season ended and for spurts during July and August, I'm sure people watched him at times holding his bat much more upright and away from his shoulder without the trademark twitch. But bad habits are hard to break and he kept back-sliding. I think more time with Presley, an off-season to change his routine in a batting cage somewhere and ultimately a quieter bat are going to pay off big time for the Marlins and Dan Uggla. Think of Uggla's power in a more compact swing like Jeff Conine's and you get the picture (or at least the one I see).

 

To me Uggla's struggles are somewhat akin to sending a pitcher to the AFL or one of the winter leagues to work on his curveball and even though he gets pounded every time he throws it for a month and his stats blow up, and people are calling him garbage and a waste of roster space, when that curveball comes around and the guy now has three pitches instead of two, good things can happen.

 

I can't guarantee I'm right but from what I saw I was encouraged that the problem defined and the correction process began. If I thought otherwise I'd be in the sell-high camp but at least for now I think its premature and overly pessimistic. The guy has good arm strength, can probably handle the transition to another position and has enough range to make the left side of the infield better. Maybe it's not optimum range but certainly better than what's there now and if the idea is to keep Hanley at short, and Cabrera to first (yes I'm an optimist), Uggla would be a step up over Cabrera's defense at third, making Hanley better in the process. With less ground to cover to his right Hanley immediately becomes significantly better at SS where he moves to his left very well.

 

So, I expect to be told I'm wrong but we'll just have to see how it plays out. I don't think Uggla gets traded, nor Cabrera. Maybe if Miggy comes to camp in devastatingly good shape things get revisited and Uggla does become expendable at some point, but in my mind you're not selling high by moving Uggla now, your just going to wind up moving him without significantly improving the club and potentially weakening the team offensively.

 

Except Uggla can't range to his left and his arm is meh.

 

Other than that, yeah he'd be an amazing third baseman.

Does Uggla even have the arm to play 3rd?

No.

 

Except he played well over 200 games at third base in the minors.

 

So I guess the correct answer would be yes.

 

And Uggla can't range to his left, give me a break.

I think his arm is too inaccurate for the long throws from 3B. If he plays 3B I think he would lead the league in errors.

I think his arm is too inaccurate for the long throws from 3B. If he plays 3B I think he would lead the league in errors.

 

At least you said "I think" which is fine with me, everyone's entitled to an opinion. I guess I think otherwise but we won't know until we see him there. If you look at his defensive numbers at third base in the minors he had one part-time bad set of stats at third but in most other years had the highest or one of the highest feilding percentages at the position on that team.

 

Does it translate to the major league level? I don't know but I'd be willing to see the experiment play out with an open mind if it meant Miggy was at first and the Marlins were in need of a power-hitting third baseman..

Does Uggla even have the arm to play 3rd?

No.

 

Except he played well over 200 games at third base in the minors.

 

So I guess the correct answer would be yes.

 

And Uggla can't range to his left, give me a break.

 

 

They tried to put him a third and he couldn't handle it.

 

That's why they sent him back to second.

 

Plus he loses basically all of his value going from a secondbaseman (Where his production is one of the best in the league) to a thirdbaseman (where his production is below average).

His Fielding % playing 3B in the minors was .929 which is pretty bad. Just for comparison, in MLB this year only Ryan Braun had a lower one.