Posted December 14, 200915 yr Affordability is key for any established free agent the Marlins pursue. According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Marlins are among a growing list of teams coveting reliever Matt Capps. The Rangers, Rockies, Cardinals, Cubs and Diamondbacks also are listed as potential suitors. There are strong indications the Marlins are indeed exploring signing Capps, but cost will be a factor. Non-tendered by Pittsburgh on Saturday, Capps made $2.425 million in 2009. There is a belief that his dollar figure could again be in that neighborhood, or perhaps slightly less. If so, the right-hander could fit into Florida's budget. The Marlins expressed interest in Capps last season in trade talks. And the team could offer him the opportunity to compete with Leo Nunez for the closer spot. Upgrading the bullpen is a high priority for the Marlins. MLB.com http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/12/marlins_interest_in_capps.html
December 14, 200915 yr I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also.
December 14, 200915 yr I'd love to be proved wrong but I can't say I've been enamored with Capps. To me he falls in that category of good pitcher but with too high a price tag to make anything but a stellar season seem like you're overpaying for the guy.
December 14, 200915 yr things happen to pitchers when they play for the fish. I would not mind Matt Capps at all for the right price of course.
December 14, 200915 yr How about we spend money on something else? what money?? What's left of our payroll...
December 14, 200915 yr psssshh, which is barely anything. Believe me i would never want this team to transform into what the sox and yanks are (200 mil payroll are u kidding?) But our payroll is just ridiculous. The decisions this team makes sometimes, mind-blowing. But whatever, thats what being a marlins fan is all about.
December 14, 200915 yr I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. Don't feel bad about Lindstrom.But yes i agree with you, it's a joke.
December 14, 200915 yr I doubt the marlins are going to get Capps. He's not awesome, he's not even that great, but again sometimes pitchers come to the marlins and have the best yr of there careers. I'll tell you this ive got more faith in Capps right now than Nunez. But, reading that Capps to the marlins would probably mean something like 2 yrs for 6/7 mil...Makes me think the fish wont pull the trigger.
December 14, 200915 yr I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. Lindstrom and Pinto aren't exactly world beaters. They are decent average relievers. Donnelly is basically 40 years old and could easily fall apart. Kiko is still coming off an injury. What are we really losing here, and keeping them all would be a lot of money when Wood, Leroux, Vanden Hurk, etc, all display the same basic ability for cheaper. This is not a big deal. They just need to acquire more arms and let them fight it out.
December 14, 200915 yr Author I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. Trading away Lindstrom is upgrading the bullpen.
December 14, 200915 yr I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. could not have said it better.
December 14, 200915 yr What I find truly ironic is that our bullpen was pretty solid except for the closer role and the guys associated with it. Yet our FO says they are going to upgrade the bullpen just a week or two after saying that Nunez (a failure in the closer role) was going to be our closer next season (although the team was comfortable with both Lindstrom and Nunez).
December 15, 200915 yr What I find truly ironic is that our bullpen was pretty solid except for the closer role and the guys associated with it. Yet our FO says they are going to upgrade the bullpen just a week or two after saying that Nunez (a failure in the closer role) was going to be our closer next season (although the team was comfortable with both Lindstrom and Nunez). Not even close. A couple of us here said the mental pressure, high humidity, heat, and his small frame would contribute to a poor end of the season, read.... tiring out. And of course we were critisized for saying it. His numbers ballooned in Sept and Oct. where he got 3 of those blown saves and didn't consistently look like the pitcher he was before that time. I'm not real comfortable with him being our closer going into the season, but a good off season work out program, and the experience of last season, should help him become better.
December 15, 200915 yr I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. Trading away Lindstrom is upgrading the bullpen. Not agreeing with this either. Keeping him and getting him (and his catcher) to show more trust in his other pitches would have upgraded this pen.
December 15, 200915 yr I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. Lindstrom and Pinto were a liability. Donnelly signed just to prove he could still do it to get a better pay check somewhere else. The only argument you have is Kiko which can be explained with the following amended statement: The bullpen is a priority... within the right price.
December 15, 200915 yr I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. Trading away Lindstrom is upgrading the bullpen. Not agreeing with this either. Keeping him and getting him (and his catcher) to show more trust in his other pitches would have upgraded this pen. He didn't have any other pitches. He tried throwing a curveball and couldn't hit the side of a barn. All he has is the fastball. If you live by the fastball, you die by the fastball.
December 15, 200915 yr I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. Yeah, this is the first time I've heard anything about the bullpen suddenly being a priority. Which doesn't make sense when you don't even offer Calero arbitration. Lindstrom leaving doesn't change anything, but losing Calero does.
December 15, 200915 yr If our starters don't pitch better it won't matter anyway. As good as our pen looked early on last season, all those innings (& the law of averages) caught up to them eventually. What we need are smart, low-cost serviceable options like Sanches, a couple of the minor league callups to earn spots, and most importantly for our starters to last deeper into games. (sure, who doesn't?) If anything I'd look for Beinfest to find another cheap reclamation project like he did with Todd Jones & Borowski.
December 15, 200915 yr Author I find it interesting that it says upgrading the bullpen is a priority, yet we trade lindstrom, lose kiko and donnelly. And will possibly lose pinto also. Trading away Lindstrom is upgrading the bullpen. Not agreeing with this either. Keeping him and getting him (and his catcher) to show more trust in his other pitches would have upgraded this pen. What other pitches? He has a fastball that he throws 75% of the time and a slider. That's it. Any pitcher with such an anemic selection of pitches is at a strong disadvantage because each pitch becomes predictable. A pitcher like this can only survive if he can adequately locate the fastball and change speeds. Lindstrom doesn't do this. His command has been declining every year since 2007 as his walk rates have been going up. He's a negative presence to the club and will not be missed.
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