MIAMI -- The Marlins entered Friday having to make decisions on 10 arbitration-eligible players. They placed tenders on all but one. Close to midnight ET on Friday, the Marlins announced that they didn't tender a contract to reliever Joe Nelson, who now becomes a free agent.

 

Florida did extend tenders to a number of its core players, including Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu, Jeremy Hermida, Cody Ross and Alfredo Amezaga.

 

Reliever Logan Kensing and third baseman Dallas McPherson also were tendered.

 

Nelson appeared in 59 games for Florida this past season, and he was 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 54 innings. The right-hander was a reliable option in the late innings. He was at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, and he was approached by Florida officials about his contract desires. The Marlins were offering about $650,000, and Nelson was seeking about $800,000.

 

Since the regular season ended, the Marlins have dwindled down a long list of arbitration-eligible players. Initially, 18 Marlins from 2008 had qualified, but the number steadily reduced.

 

Three trades since the World Series finished dropped the figure by four. Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, Josh Willingham and Kevin Gregg were dealt away at a time when they were in line for hefty pay raises.

 

The reason why the Marlins had such a high number of arbitration players stems from their flurry of deals after the 2005 season. Then faced with having to drastically trim payroll, Florida filled its roster with rookies. In all, more than 20 of them played in the 2006 season. Those players now have the necessary three years of Major League service time to reach arbitration.

 

Fresh off the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, the Marlins still are searching for ways to upgrade their roster. At the Meetings, they explored some trade options involving arbitration-eligible players.

 

Hermida, who is expected to switch from right field to left, was mentioned in several trade possibilities, ranging from going to either Texas, Seattle or Tampa Bay.

 

The Marlins are listening to offers for Hermida, but the team is not going to just give him away. The sense is Hermida will stay in Florida and move to left field.

 

For defensive purposes, the Marlins feel their outfield will be better with Ross in right and Hermida in left. Last season, Willingham was the primary left fielder.

 

Ross, coming off a 22-homer and 73-RBI season, made just one error in the outfield in 2008. The Marlins feel with his range, speed and reads on the ball, that he would be better suited to take over in right field.

 

Cantu also has been mentioned in a few trade scenarios this offseason, but the team is in no rush to deal the 26-year-old third baseman. The plan is keep Cantu at third and give rookie Gaby Sanchez first crack at winning the first-base job in Spring Training. Cantu is a fallback plan to play first.

 

After belting 29 home runs and driving in 95 RBIs in 2008, Cantu is projected to hit either third or fourth, depending on if Hanley Ramirez bats leadoff or third.

 

The Marlins consider Ramirez, who is signed for six years at $70 million, and Uggla as the faces of their franchise.

 

A two-time All-Star, Uggla has posted big power numbers since his rookie 2006 season. Last year, he generated personal highs in home runs (32) and RBIs (92).

 

Uggla's production to start off his career ranks among the highest of any second basemen in MLB history. After three seasons, he has 90 home runs and 270 RBIs.

 

Tendering contracts for Johnson and Nolasco also was expected. The two figure to challenge for the Opening Day starter spot. Even though both will make more than $2 million when they eventually sign, they are among the best bargains in the game.

 

Nolasco finished up 15-8 with a 3.52 ERA, striking out 186 in 212 1/3 innings. Johnson, meanwhile, went 7-1 with a 3.61 ERA in 14 starts after joining the rotation in July. Making a remarkable comeback from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery, the 6-foot-7 right-hander threw 87 1/3 innings, and he added the first complete game of his big league career. Johnson struck out 77 and walked 27.

 

Amezaga enters his second season of arbitration. An all-purpose switch-hitter, he appeared in 125 games, including 79 in the outfield, 19 at shortstop and 15 at third base.

-MLB.com

 

What!? Why not Nelson!?

This is absolute bulls***.

 

This shows that they were lying when they said payroll would not be factor with arbitration players. There's no way with payroll not being a factor, you would not want Nelson back. I mean really, Joe Nelson for $800,000? Even with regression, that's very fair. We were willing to pay Justin Miller $750,000 last year coming off a worse season than Nelson, and yet we could not pay Nelson $800,000? We can pay Helms $900,000 and not Nelson?

 

We better not let the pen struggle next year, or I'll be pissed.

Not happy about this. Our bullpen next year is going to look almost completely different, without Joe Nelson, Kevin Gregg, Justin Miller, Arthur Rhodes, and Doug Waechter.

This is absolute bulls***.

 

This shows that they were lying when they said payroll would not be factor with arbitration players. There's no way with payroll not being a factor, you would not want Nelson back. I mean really, Joe Nelson for $800,000? Even with regression, that's very fair. We were willing to pay Justin Miller $750,000 last year coming off a worse season than Nelson, and yet we could not pay Nelson $800,000? We can pay Helms $900,000 and not Nelson?

 

We better not let the pen struggle next year, or I'll be pissed.

No one has mentioned that the Royals took Doug Waechter for just $640,000. We couldn't afford that??

The bullpen is going to be a huge weakness again next year.

 

Thanks front office. Thanks, a lot.

How can the FO say they want to add depth to the bullpen when they are not willing to keep key players!? Unless they are thinking about signing a elite bullpen arm (K. Wood), this can come back to byte us.

As much as this move shows Loria's awfulness, it is also a statement on the FO. With a $35 mil payroll, you find 150,000 extra dollars to f***ing pay Joe Nelson.

 

Really, Kensing would have been fine. Now we don't have a setup guy next year, an unproven closer, and a bunch of wildcards. Just awful.

 

The FO is being greedy. They think they can find a Gardner/Nelson/Miller/Waechter every year. You can't get that kind of luck every year....

The FO always seem to find someway to disappoint us.

Joke of an organization.

I hope the Yankees sign him and shove up Samson's cheap ass.

Takashi Saito, the top closer in the National League based on the two-year Elias Rankings, headed a list of five Dodgers who became free agents Friday when the club did not tender them contracts.

 

-Hot Stove

 

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Loria, do me a favor and make this worthwhile.

Not a big deal to me. Yea he was good, but I know we can find another arm to replace him.

Not a big deal to me. Yea he was good, but I know we can find another arm to replace him.

 

Yeah, we can always find another arm to replace any reliever, but will it come close to what Nelson did this season?

Let's see what the FO apologists say about this one.

This is pretty horrific.

just f***in pathetic man.......not even half the minimum wage is what 150,000 dollars is!!! this front office makes me sick.....three quality releivers all let go that would have only cost us about 5.5 million and the yankees pour out 220 million for two guys. i know the yankees are the yankees but this was the true definition of pathetic.

just f***in pathetic man.......not even half the minimum wage is what 150,000 dollars is!!! this front office makes me sick.....three quality releivers all let go that would have only cost us about 5.5 million and the yankees pour out 220 million for two guys. i know the yankees are the yankees but this was the true definition of pathetic.

Let's not go crazy here. Gregg is going to make way to much money for 60 IP and Waecther couldn't make our pen right now. This is a pretty skeptical move, especially tendering to Kensing over Nelson which I don't get at all, but it's not a total breakdown like you're saying.