Palm Beach Post article

 

Here's a bit from it:

....Beinfest emphasized that the Redman deal and the other moves were not made to free up money for signing other players.

 

If that's the case, Florida may end up with a payroll of about $55 million, barely a glitch more than the $53 million team that won the World Series.

 

Loria did something else at the winter meetings -- he rejected the initial models of the championship rings, sending them back because they weren't big enough.

 

While he waits for the new ones to arrive, he and the front office can ponder this question: Can the Marlins realistically expect to defend their title after an off-season in which they lost 271 RBI, a starting left-hander who tied for the staff lead with 14 victories and no hard improvements to their bullpen?

well the media can spin any story two ways. so this is nothing new at all...

i read this earlier, mostly crapola, let them write what they want

a left hander who seemed to be falling appart by the end of the season. who led a staff of young, inexperience pitchers who will only get better next year.

 

i mean, we lost encarnacion and lee, but really we had no place for encarnacion and i don't thing there's a question that cabrera is capable of putting a lot better #'s and we the experienced he gained last season and during the play offs he can only improve. same thing for dontrelle.

 

this thing might not win it all next year, but it won't have the terrible start it had last year and will be in contention for a play off spot.

Cabrera > Encarnacion

Conine > Hollandsworth

= improvement in OF productivity

 

Burnett > Redman (if healthy)

Getting Neu, and cash or a PTBNL is solid. We save money to keep on budget - which we have NO choice but to do.

 

Castro/Redmond < Fudge (but not by much)

 

Ithink this team is fine. We do need to improveteh bullpen,b ut until we do, this article has a point - what is going on with all the freed up money? It is still too early to tell. I like this team...

According to some we are already at budget.....

I think we've all pretty much learned by this point to take almost everything said about this team by the media as useless.

 

Until we show that we're going to consistently win, they're going to continue to find the negatives in everything.

I don't see any big holes in the team. The bully obviously could use an upgrade but everybody knows that already. The moves made so far have been smart and calculated to help us keep in contention.

I believe that the Marlins have rightly decided that their proper path is to make offers they're comfortable with, but otherwise stay patient and wait for the marketplace to come back to them. They will not go into next season with a payroll lower than their target....that's just silly, especially for a World Series champ. But at the same time, they know that they will not win any bidding wars, either. They will play it like they played it last year: sit back, let the big guns blow their wads on the Tejada's, the Pudge's, the Foulke's, and then once the marketplace has settled down and players are a little more desperate to know where they're playing next year, pounce.

Cabrera > Encarnacion

Conine > Hollandsworth

= improvement in OF productivity

 

Burnett > Redman (if healthy)

Getting Neu, and cash or a PTBNL is solid. We save money to keep on budget - which we have NO choice but to do.

 

Castro/Redmond < Fudge (but not by much)

 

Ithink this team is fine. We do need to improveteh bullpen,b ut until we do, this article has a point - what is going on with all the freed up money? It is still too early to tell. I like this team...

agreed, replacing encarnacion with a full season of cabs will result in more rbis, and i think castro can come clost to the 86 rbis pudge had, the only big production questionmark is how much choi will produce, we may loose.

 

if you look at overall rbi production at leftfield last year, i'm sure conine will make a mockery of that figure with a full season next year

 

run production at right field will either stay the same or increase, i think cabrera can knock in 100+

 

1st base will prob go down, maybe 20-30 rbi, varying on how well choi does ofcourse, he may have a great year, he's young and talented, who knows...

 

i really dont think we will loose much run production at catcher, maybe loose 10-15, i really think castro can knock in the 86 that pudge did ( i think that number is right)

 

so everything cancles out, same run production....considering peeps play as well as last year, but that goes for any team

I told you guys this would happen.

 

Bullpen is not the only hole in our team. One big hole I see is that we're going to have to rely on unproven players at 2 positions next year. We need one more proven bat if we are going to contend for the championship again next year. It doesn't have to be Vlad, just a proven hitter that they know they can get production out of.

besides Pudge, what "proven" hitter did we have last year?

 

Lowell?

Cabrera > Encarnacion

Conine > Hollandsworth

= improvement in OF productivity

 

Burnett > Redman (if healthy)

Getting Neu, and cash or a PTBNL is solid. We save money to keep on budget - which we have NO choice but to do.

 

Castro/Redmond < Fudge (but not by much)

 

Ithink this team is fine. We do need to improveteh bullpen,b ut until we do, this article has a point - what is going on with all the freed up money? It is still too early to tell. I like this team...

I agree with you. I do not know why some reporters want to make it seem like we lost the entire team and some have gone as far as equating it to 1997's fire sale. The core of the team is solid IMO... Lowell, Conine, Luis, Juanpy, Cabrera, and all our best pitchers are still with us.... What are they talking about?

 

If we do not get a big name *avoids mentioning Vlad* it does not mean we are doomed!

besides Pudge, what "proven" hitter did we have last year?

 

Lowell?

I'm just talking about a guy who has been in the league for a while. A guy who can come in and start if we need him too.

Well, we got one hell of an experienced team next season. Almost all have World Series experience. Not to mention we have former All Stars in Lowell, Castillo, Willis, and Conine. Throw in Beckett, Penny, and Pavano who all balled out in the World Series. Pierre, who got MVP votes should be mentioned as well. We're gonna have a pretty badass team next season. I would like to see another outfielder signed...simply so in case Choi blows, we can put Conine in there. Also, I'm a bit worried about Conine. He may still play well, but at 38, it is natural to worry about injuries. We are thin right now, and just as we need pen help, we need another OFer or 1b.

Well, we got one hell of an experienced team next season. Almost all have World Series experience. Not to mention we have former All Stars in Lowell, Castillo, Willis, and Conine. Throw in Beckett, Penny, and Pavano who all balled out in the World Series. Pierre, who got MVP votes should be mentioned as well. We're gonna have a pretty badass team next season. I would like to see another outfielder signed...simply so in case Choi blows, we can put Conine in there. Also, I'm a bit worried about Conine. He may still play well, but at 38, it is natural to worry about injuries. We are thin right now, and just as we need pen help, we need another OFer or 1b.

niner is made of stone... wouldn't worry.....and about signing another outfielder, it wouldnt be worth paying a guy a lot of bills just to sit the bench, we may not need him if choi does well.........abraham nunez can be a kind of back up there, or banker for a short period, then if a need is really glarring we can make a trade once we are into the season

I agree with that article; I'll tell anyone that this was done to have us make payroll, plainly and simply, and this team, right now, would probably top out at 80 wins next year. However, I think everyone and their mother knew that the 20th would be the most important date for Beinfest because that's when we'll fill out our bench, and come January, if Benitez, Lopez, etc. are still on the market, well then we may have some deals put in place because of a down market. We can't afford to spend like the O's/Yanks/Sox, so we have to work with what we've got. Beinfest has made too many moves that looked "questionable" (Clement) work out for us, so until he turns into Steve Phillips, I'll have faith in him. :thumbup

and this team, right now, would probably top out at 80 wins next year.

No, that's the minimum in my eyes. Topping out is if Choi, Castro, Cabrera, Willis, and Burnett perform at the highest level possible. If that occurs, we could TOP OUT at 95.

if every one plays their best, we could win 100. :whistle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then again...

and this team, right now, would probably top out at 80 wins next year.

No, that's the minimum in my eyes. Topping out is if Choi, Castro, Cabrera, Willis, and Burnett perform at the highest level possible. If that occurs, we could TOP OUT at 95. I hope you're right; we lost our most consistent hitter with runners on (Pudge) we lost an outfielder who had an error free year, and we lost a fourth starter who won 14 games, and an "elite" closer in Urbina. I love the Marlins and I see a lot going our way, but at the same time I don't see Willis being as electric as he was, and certainly a lot of people had "career years" this year, and that was a large reason we made it as far as we did.

if every one plays their best, we could win 100. :whistle

If our pitching lives up to its potential, we have the best rotation in the game...

all those players that had career years, were because they hadn't had any years in their career before- i think Donterelle will put up similar numbers- maybe a little worse, but cabs could be HUGE, and well hopefully have mike lowell the whole season

I don't see Willis being as electric as he was, and certainly a lot of people had "career years" this year, and that was a large reason we made it as far as we did.

I see Willis being even better. He now has a post-season under his belt, and is a year older; more experienced. If he can control his emotions, he can better control his pitching, leading to near if not past 15 wins IMO.

 

And yes, most of the roster had career years. BUT, we are not like the Angels. A lot of their guys were 30-35, and there was no where to go but down. WE are different. Most of our guys are 20-30, and have nowhere to go but up up up.

and well hopefully have mike lowell the whole season

Why wouldn't we?

and well hopefully have mike lowell the whole season

Why wouldn't we? if he got injured again