Wagner assesses Marlins

Will 2010 go down as a season of missed opportunities for the Marlins?

 

The team still has a chance to finish above .500, but there is a school of thought that if the club had upgraded in a couple of areas -- mainly their bullpen -- they could have seriously challenged for the NL East title.

 

Braves closer Billy Wagner certainly feels the Marlins are a quality team. Recently, Wagner offered this assessment of the Marlins to MLB.com Braves' reporter Mark Bowman.

 

"The Marlins are no fun to play," Wagner said. "They're probably the best talent and if they'd have had a bullpen, they'd have won this division.

 

"They've always been like that. Every time they've put a closer in their bullpen, they've won championships. Then they go through three or four years where they have unbelievable talent and starting pitching, but they don't have a bullpen."

 

-- Joe Frisaro

Can't find fault with what Wagner says, though maybe if we had more consistent pitching from Nolasco to start the season plus Hanley not slumping so much in the beginning, we would be a little closer. Maybe not by a whole lot, but a little.

he speaks the truth, club has what... 20+ blown saves?

Yeah, I can't argue with him there. A great bullpen can do wonders.

So sign with the marlins next season for the minimum and prove your point! lol

 

 

I think he'd rather just retire, lol

So sign with the marlins next season for the minimum and prove your point! lol

 

 

lol. Beat me to it!

What happens if Loria goes on a rampage and starts spending money? :mischief It'd be a gift from heaven if these released financial statements ironically forced them to spend. I highly doubt we trade away any key pieces, but just that won't be enough.

I actually take that as a compliment from Wagner.

I take it as a wake-up call to Loria. One of the greatest closers of all time is telling you your team would be legit if you had a bullpen. Now go get one.

"They've always been like that. Every time they've put a closer in their bullpen, they've won championships. Then they go through three or four years where they have unbelievable talent and starting pitching, but they don't have a bullpen."

 

That's false.

 

Anyway, if this current team had a bullpen...I don't know if we'd be in first place, but we'd definitely be playoff contenders.

"They've always been like that. Every time they've put a closer in their bullpen, they've won championships. Then they go through three or four years where they have unbelievable talent and starting pitching, but they don't have a bullpen."

 

That's false.

 

Anyway, if this current team had a bullpen...I don't know if we'd be in first place, but we'd definitely be playoff contenders.

 

 

It's not false, it's hyperbole.

"They've always been like that. Every time they've put a closer in their bullpen, they've won championships. Then they go through three or four years where they have unbelievable talent and starting pitching, but they don't have a bullpen."

 

That's false.

 

Anyway, if this current team had a bullpen...I don't know if we'd be in first place, but we'd definitely be playoff contenders.

 

 

It's not false, it's hyperbole.

 

 

Ummm...ok.

If he's exaggerating the "truth," then he's not really telling the truth; thus, it's false.

"They've always been like that. Every time they've put a closer in their bullpen, they've won championships. Then they go through three or four years where they have unbelievable talent and starting pitching, but they don't have a bullpen."

 

That's false.

 

Anyway, if this current team had a bullpen...I don't know if we'd be in first place, but we'd definitely be playoff contenders.

 

 

It's not false, it's hyperbole.

 

 

Ummm...ok.

If he's exaggerating the "truth," then he's not really telling the truth; thus, it's false.

I'm agreeing with Erick on both parts here.

 

If each time we had a good closer we won championships, then we'd have had a 4, maybe 5-peat from 03-07 cause we had solid closers each of those years. At least I think so.

Yeah, Wagner's basically saying what I figured would happen back in January when looking at our projected bullpen for this year. But back then I at least thought someone like Derrick Turnbow or Mike Macdougal, or one of those veterans would make the team.