#Marlins, still looking for bullpen help, working to sign free-agent LHP Randy Choate. #Rays #MLB

 

I like

waste o' money. 4.89 career ERA in 4 seasons, 73.2 IP, in the NL

Lefties only batted .529 OPS against him last year. Not bad.

 

Does NOT fare well against righties.

waste o' money. 4.89 career ERA in 4 seasons, 73.2 IP, in the NL

 

 

As long as they don't put him in against righties, he should be fine.

His career ERA is 4.39 poptart, you must have been looking at something wrong. It was 4.89 in his 4 seasons with Arizona, but it's been under 4 (on average) over the last 3 years, and he DESTROYS lefties.

His career ERA is 4.39 poptart, you must have been looking at something wrong. It was 4.89 in his 4 seasons with Arizona, but it's been under 4 (on average) over the last 3 years, and he DESTROYS lefties.

 

 

poptart was saying that his ERA was 4.89 in the NL.

 

But that doesn't matter though cause he kills lefties, which is the only reason we would bring him aboard.

Much needed... Hope they can bring him aboard...

He is the definition of LOOGY!

Lefties have a .598 OPS against him in his entire career.

 

This would be great to face the Howard/Utley and Heyward/McCann combo's.

Suspect it's a major league deal. We won't have much bullpen flexibility, but maybe that's not a bad thing.

Lefties have a .598 OPS against him in his entire career.

 

alright, i'm on board. so once we get this geezer is the team completed?

Lefties have a .598 OPS against him in his entire career.

 

alright, i'm on board. so once we get this geezer is the team completed?

 

No we still need to handle the lineup situations like Coghlan in Center and who's going to play 3rd which will be figured out in SP along with who will win the 5th spot in the rotation.

 

Another situation could be if the Marlins want to keep signing bullpen arms, maybe one more lefty to join the mix and give the team depth.

Choate = the lefty specialist I've been wanting since last season. (for those who remember) :cool

 

Awesome fit to our bullpen.

 

This likely also means that Leo is gone because Choate isn't a minor league contract guy, at this point in his career.

 

Dunn and Choate will destroy left-handed hitters.

Lefties have a .598 OPS against him in his entire career.

 

alright, i'm on board. so once we get this geezer is the team completed?

 

No we still need to handle the lineup situations like Coghlan in Center and who's going to play 3rd which will be figured out in SP along with who will win the 5th spot in the rotation.

 

Another situation could be if the Marlins want to keep signing bullpen arms, maybe one more lefty to join the mix and give the team depth.

 

 

Actually...after this signing, the only thing really left is a lefty bat off the bench (if they feel the need to get one with experience).

Another situation could be if the Marlins want to keep signing bullpen arms, maybe one more lefty to join the mix and give the team depth.

 

After this, the Marlins will have 8 relievers and only 7 spots (Nunez, Hensley, Mujica, Webb, Sanches, Badenhop, Dunn, Choate). There will be no more bullpen signings. If anything, Leo gets traded and they use the other 7 to start the year.

Lefties have a .598 OPS against him in his entire career.

 

alright, i'm on board. so once we get this geezer is the team completed?

 

No we still need to handle the lineup situations like Coghlan in Center and who's going to play 3rd which will be figured out in SP along with who will win the 5th spot in the rotation.

 

Another situation could be if the Marlins want to keep signing bullpen arms, maybe one more lefty to join the mix and give the team depth.

 

 

Actually...after this signing, the only thing really left is a lefty bat off the bench (if they feel the need to get one with experience).

 

Yeah this. Our rotation was set the minute we signed Vazquez.

Another situation could be if the Marlins want to keep signing bullpen arms, maybe one more lefty to join the mix and give the team depth.

 

After this, the Marlins will have 8 relievers and only 7 spots (Nunez, Hensley, Mujica, Webb, Sanches, Badenhop, Dunn, Choate). There will be no more bullpen signings. If anything, Leo gets traded and they use the other 7 to start the year.

 

I had completely forgot we had traded for Dunn

 

Yeah if we sign Choate this solidifies our bullpen possibly leading to Leo being traded.

 

As for the rotation it hasn't been set in stone yet.

The top 4 is basically a lock with J.J., Vasquez, Nolasco, Anibal but the 5th starter spot is a fight between Volstad and Sanabia and possibly guys like Villanueva and Kohler thrown into the mix.

But my best guess is that the more experienced Volstad will end up getting the job.

We're not giving up one hit to a lefty this year.

We're not giving up one hit to a lefty this year.

 

 

Correction: The Bullpen is not giving up one hit to a lefty this year...

Another situation could be if the Marlins want to keep signing bullpen arms, maybe one more lefty to join the mix and give the team depth.

 

After this, the Marlins will have 8 relievers and only 7 spots (Nunez, Hensley, Mujica, Webb, Sanches, Badenhop, Dunn, Choate). There will be no more bullpen signings. If anything, Leo gets traded and they use the other 7 to start the year.

 

I had completely forgot we had traded for Dunn

 

Yeah if we sign Choate this solidifies our bullpen possibly leading to Leo being traded.

 

As for the rotation it hasn't been set in stone yet.

The top 4 is basically a lock with J.J., Vasquez, Nolasco, Anibal but the 5th starter spot is a fight between Volstad and Sanabia and possibly guys like Villanueva and Kohler thrown into the mix.

But my best guess is that the more experienced Volstad will end up getting the job.

I'd put the odds on this

 

Volstad 98%

Sanabia 2%'

Koehler 0%

Elih -1,000%

Definitely a lefty specialist. Looking at his game logs from last season, he looks like Arthur Rhodes for us in 2008. Didn't allow a hit in his last 6 appearances last year, didn't give up an earned run in his last 14 appearances.

 

I loved Arthur Rhodes in our bullpen, as he was always money to get the big lefties such as Howard and Utley out. If Randy Choate is basically another Arthur Rhodes, which the numbers seem to suggest, very nice addition to the bullpen if we could get him.

 

When Beinfest and Co. said they were going to work on improving the bullpen and the defense, they weren't kidding. Making Dominguez the favorite to start at 3B, adding Infante at 2B, and Joe Buck at catcher should help the defense greatly, and guys like Choate, Webb, Mujica, and Dunn are all excellent additions to the bullpen.

 

I was skeptical of some of the moves this season, but we are starting to see the vision of Beinfest being put in place, and it looks really nice.

When Beinfest and Co. said they were going to work on improving the bullpen and the defense, they weren't kidding. Making Dominguez the favorite to start at 3B, adding Infante at 2B, and Joe Buck at catcher should help the defense greatly, and guys like Choate, Webb, Mujica, and Dunn are all excellent additions to the bullpen.

 

 

Only if Tim McCarver has been giving him tips.

When Beinfest and Co. said they were going to work on improving the bullpen and the defense, they weren't kidding. Making Dominguez the favorite to start at 3B, adding Infante at 2B, and Joe Buck at catcher should help the defense greatly, and guys like Choate, Webb, Mujica, and Dunn are all excellent additions to the bullpen.

 

 

Only if Tim McCarver has been giving him tips.

 

Well right now he is a defense and offensive upgrade over Hayes and Davis.

 

 

Dammit, nevermind

When Beinfest and Co. said they were going to work on improving the bullpen and the defense, they weren't kidding. Making Dominguez the favorite to start at 3B, adding Infante at 2B, and Joe Buck at catcher should help the defense greatly, and guys like Choate, Webb, Mujica, and Dunn are all excellent additions to the bullpen.

 

 

Only if Tim McCarver has been giving him tips.

 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

 

I swear that's the fifth time I've said Joe Buck when trying to say John.

 

Just a heads up, I will be doing that a lot the next 3 years.

That's a nasty Bullpen. Hensley closing, Webb as a setup man, Mujica as a 7th inning guy. Badenhop and Sanches in long relief, and Burke had a sub-4.00 ERA last year and Sanches somehow manages to pull off excellent ERAs. And then 2 LHP who absolutely kill lefties, and one of them has closer potential.

 

And oh yeah, then we have Ceda, Marinez, Jennings, West, Sanabia, and Buente ready to make the jump. And 2 of those guys have closer/setup makeups. Pretty great looking bullpen this year and moving forward, regardless of whether or not this deal gets done. But if we get Choate, then it looks even better for 2011.

 

Wow, our pitching should be extremely very improved quite a bit a lot this year.

When Beinfest and Co. said they were going to work on improving the bullpen and the defense, they weren't kidding. Making Dominguez the favorite to start at 3B, adding Infante at 2B, and Joe Buck at catcher should help the defense greatly, and guys like Choate, Webb, Mujica, and Dunn are all excellent additions to the bullpen.

 

 

Only if Tim McCarver has been giving him tips.

I know his CS% wasn't great but I noticed hardly anyone attempted to run on him. I choose to look at that as a positive