Delay with Tigers deal fuels speculation Pudge might return to Marlins

 

"The longer Pudge Rodriguez waits to accept a four-year, $40 million offer from the Detroit Tigers, the more speculation grows that the 10-time All-Star catcher could still wind up back with the Marlins."

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-mar...la-sports-front

whipee

He better not expect that kind of offer from the Marlins. :plain

:w00t

 

I only wish that the Team will make him a better offer. God, he is worth that money, but if not man, $30 million is good any day...

 

 

That man is worth every penny. I think without him, Marlins won't be making a comeback for this year...

Marlins manager Jack McKeon has spoken by telephone with Rodriguez at least twice in recent weeks.

 

"I would hate to see him go to a lousy club and ruin all the good things he did last year that enabled him to have Hall of Fame credentials," McKeon said. "That's a decision he's going to have to make. I'm not in his shoes, so I don't know what his thinking is. But I'd love to have him back."

"I called Pudge the other night but he was working out," McKeon said. "I call him as a friend. I just have tremendous respect for him and like to stay in touch with him. He calls me occasionally and tells me how much fun he had, how much he enjoyed playing for me.

 

"He says I was the best manager he ever played for. I tell him he was the best catcher that ever played for me. I just loved the way he took charge. I wish him the best. He's a class kid."

 

Good to hear!

Does anyone know how the season ticket sales are coming along?

 

Maybe just maybe the fish can see the way clear to get him back. Somehow.

 

Lopez is gone. Is there another choice in that caliber of catcher? I do not think so. :mischief2

This looks like just more speculation from a writer (Berardino) who's out of the loop on things.

 

There were two other articles out today - one mentioned that Boras is making a counteroffer to the Tigers and the other says that the Mariners may have interest in Pudge now that they have some extra cash. I'd put more stock in either of those articles than anything Berardino can come up with.

 

It was fun while it lasted with Pudge, but it's way past time to move on.

Another Berardino classic. So if I got this straight, Pudge says no to 2 yrs 16 mil with option for 3 yr 24. Agent Boras says there are 4 yrs 40 mil offers out there, finds none from teams like the O's. Then the lowly Tigers "reportedly" have 4 yr 40 mil. Pudge, who was insulted about taking a "pay cut" with Marlins, turns down his initial demands and wants to wait it out til May 1 to rejoin the Marlins. And the Marlins, who say they don't have that extra 8 mil lying around any more, are willing to pay Pudge 8 mil to miss the first month plus spring training. There are no sources in this story. Not even "industry," whoever those are (ticket takers, program sellers?). We get a Jack McKeon quote saying he'd love Pudge back. Of course he would. Lots of teams would want Pudge for a reasonable price. Fans who say 30 mil over 3 years are just as misguided as Pudge. I'd leave well enough alone and move on without Pudge than in any way cripple the chances of signing Beckett or Burnett in a few years. But the wishful thinkers have so little business sense, they gladly double pay what a guy is worth. Based on the author of this story, I wouldn't be surprised if the Tigers held a press conference in a day or two to announce the Pudge signing.

Berardino's not saying it's going to happen, just that the possibility exists. I don't agree with him, but it is still a possibility. McKeon apparently has been talking with him too.

 

Presumably the Marlins 2 year 16 million offer would still be available, but he'd actually get closer to 7 million since he'd miss the 1st month of the season. I can't see Pudge taking that kind of cut after all the talk of being insulted or whatever by their offer in the first place.

 

Berardino seems to agree with us that a sign-&-trade to the Marlins (for Castro) while unprecedented (& possibily illegal) is also a remote possibility.

:w00t

 

I only wish that the Team will make him a better offer. God, he is worth that money, but if not man, $30 million is good any day...

 

 

That man is worth every penny. I think without him, Marlins won't be making a comeback for this year...

Get off your knees.

Berardino seems to agree with us that a sign-&-trade to the Marlins (for Castro) while unprecedented (& possibily illegal) is also a remote possibility.

I, too, have been wondering about the legality of the sign & trade. Does anyone have a definitive legal answer on whether Pudge could even return to the team under any conditions prior to May 1?

"I would hate to see him go to a lousy club and ruin all the good things he did last year that enabled him to have Hall of Fame credentials," McKeon said

 

i just like the lousy club part .... jack is so right its wrong.

 

 

castro in 04

258 18 73rbis ...... $750,000

fudge in 04

308 17 85 rbis ...... $10.000.000

 

do the math

I just read that IRod's agent is going to re-submit a counter offer to the Tigers. Also the Mariners are now interested in him. His agent is jacking the Tigers. I hope they hold strong and ends up playing for us for the Major League minimum. He needs a new agent.

"I would hate to see him go to a lousy club and ruin all the good things he did last year that enabled him to have Hall of Fame credentials," McKeon said

 

i just like the lousy club part .... jack is so right its wrong.

 

 

castro in 04

258 18 73rbis ...... $750,000

fudge in 04

308 17 85 rbis ...... $10.000.000

 

do the math

You can't assume exact statistics for them in a comparison.

 

Castro for $750,000: .240-.280, 18-30 home runs, 70-90 RBI

 

Pudge for $10,000,000: .290-.320, 15-20 home runs, 85-100 RBI

 

I don't know about you, but I choose Ramon, hands down.

I admit it, I'm unabashedly in the "bring back Pudge camp", I thought so in November and I still would like to see him back with the Fish.

 

That said I understand the economic argument which on paper would seem to favor the Castro/Redmond duo as our catchers.

 

But it's not just about money, it's about winning.

 

I only got to see Ramon Castro play one game in PR so anyone who wants to disagree is open to doing so. But the guy looked awful behind the plate (one error, throwing his only stolen base attempt into the outfield after three errors the night before) and his only hit (albeit a homerun) was off a pitcher who was probably AA caliber who got shelled.

 

Pudge is a leader, Jack reconfirmed that notion again in his interview with Berardino and he also called the guy "the best catcher that ever played for me". Coming from a catcher, and a guy whose whole life has been in baseball, that's high praise.

 

Were it me, I'd find a way to make this happen even if it means losing both Redmond and Castro and bringing up Treanor to backup Pudge. What will probably happen is that either Castro or Redmond goes, my guess is Castro because he has some marketability. If Pudge re-signs May 1 this Marlins fan will be one happy fellow.

 

P.S. I think Marlins go to the White House tomorrow to met the Prez, I'm assuming Pudge will be there.

I just read that IRod's agent is going to re-submit a counter offer to the Tigers. Also the Mariners are now interested in him. His agent is jacking the Tigers. I hope they hold strong and ends up playing for us for the Major League minimum. He needs a new agent.

OK, take this for what it is: a rumor, but I've heard rumblings that the Tigers have placed a deadline of tomorrow evening for the Pudge deal. I can't post a link because it's an unverified RUMOR, but it does add some interest to the whole indecisive front turning against Pudge and working in our favor... :mischief2

Berardino seems to agree with us that a sign-&-trade to the Marlins (for Castro) while unprecedented (& possibily illegal) is also a remote possibility.

I, too, have been wondering about the legality of the sign & trade. Does anyone have a definitive legal answer on whether Pudge could even return to the team under any conditions prior to May 1? From everything I've read, it's legal, but it wouldn't happen.

 

It circumvents the law, but all trades have to be approved by the comissioners office, who would, understandably, veto the trade because it is a slap in the face to the rule book.

"I would hate to see him go to a lousy club and ruin all the good things he did last year that enabled him to have Hall of Fame credentials," McKeon said

 

i just like the lousy club part .... jack is so right its wrong.

 

 

castro in 04

258 18 73rbis ...... $750,000

fudge in 04

308 17 85 rbis ...... $10.000.000

 

do the math

You can't assume exact statistics for them in a comparison.

 

Castro for $750,000: .240-.280, 18-30 home runs, 70-90 RBI

 

Pudge for $10,000,000: .290-.320, 15-20 home runs, 85-100 RBI

 

I don't know about you, but I choose Ramon, hands down. Only reason I would pick fudge is for his clutch hitting.The guy was the main reason the Marlins made it to the World Series.

"I would hate to see him go to a lousy club and ruin all the good things he did last year that enabled him to have Hall of Fame credentials," McKeon said

 

i just like the lousy club part .... jack is so right its wrong.

 

 

castro in 04

258 18 73rbis ...... $750,000

fudge in 04

308 17 85 rbis ...... $10.000.000

 

do the math

You can't assume exact statistics for them in a comparison.

 

Castro for $750,000: .240-.280, 18-30 home runs, 70-90 RBI

 

Pudge for $10,000,000: .290-.320, 15-20 home runs, 85-100 RBI

 

I don't know about you, but I choose Ramon, hands down. Why do you tell him not to assume stats, then go on to forecast similar stats yourself and AGREE with him? By the way, 18-30 HRs is hardly a projection!

Berardino seems to agree with us that a sign-&-trade to the Marlins (for Castro) while unprecedented (& possibily illegal) is also a remote possibility.

I, too, have been wondering about the legality of the sign & trade. Does anyone have a definitive legal answer on whether Pudge could even return to the team under any conditions prior to May 1?

The only condition under which Pudge could return to the team after May 1st would be if he was unsigned on April 30th. If he signs with another team, MLB would never let him be traded back to the Marlins.

 

now, there is a possibility that there was a tacit "understanding" between the team and Pudge when the deadline hit in December, where the team told him "this offer will remain on the table, and if you don't find a better offer out there, you can join us in May." But everything i have read about this negotiation suggests that it was not a pleasant one, and that Boras and Beinfest did not part on such good terms. so I imagine any "wink-wink" agreement is unlikely to have occurred.

 

but furthermore, remind me again why we would want to give up Castro AND $40 million dollars now, when we were barely willing to give up $17 million dollars for him just one month ago?

I admit it, I'm unabashedly in the "bring back Pudge camp", I thought so in November and I still would like to see him back with the Fish.

 

That said I understand the economic argument which on paper would seem to favor the Castro/Redmond duo as our catchers.

 

But it's not just about money, it's about winning.

 

I only got to see Ramon Castro play one game in PR so anyone who wants to disagree is open to doing so. But the guy looked awful behind the plate (one error, throwing his only stolen base attempt into the outfield after three errors the night before) and his only hit (albeit a homerun) was off a pitcher who was probably AA caliber who got shelled.

 

Pudge is a leader, Jack reconfirmed that notion again in his interview with Berardino and he also called the guy "the best catcher that ever played for me". Coming from a catcher, and a guy whose whole life has been in baseball, that's high praise.

 

Were it me, I'd find a way to make this happen even if it means losing both Redmond and Castro and bringing up Treanor to backup Pudge. What will probably happen is that either Castro or Redmond goes, my guess is Castro because he has some marketability. If Pudge re-signs May 1 this Marlins fan will be one happy fellow.

 

P.S. I think Marlins go to the White House tomorrow to met the Prez, I'm assuming Pudge will be there.

Sign me into the "bring Pudge back" club. However, I don't see how the heck this is going to happend. There may be more chances for any of us hitting the Lottery Jackpot, than this happening.

I admit it, I'm unabashedly in the "bring back Pudge camp", I thought so in November and I still would like to see him back with the Fish.

 

That said I understand the economic argument which on paper would seem to favor the Castro/Redmond duo as our catchers.

 

But it's not just about money, it's about winning.

 

I only got to see Ramon Castro play one game in PR so anyone who wants to disagree is open to doing so. But the guy looked awful behind the plate (one error, throwing his only stolen base attempt into the outfield after three errors the night before) and his only hit (albeit a homerun) was off a pitcher who was probably AA caliber who got shelled.

 

Pudge is a leader, Jack reconfirmed that notion again in his interview with Berardino and he also called the guy "the best catcher that ever played for me". Coming from a catcher, and a guy whose whole life has been in baseball, that's high praise.

 

Were it me, I'd find a way to make this happen even if it means losing both Redmond and Castro and bringing up Treanor to backup Pudge. What will probably happen is that either Castro or Redmond goes, my guess is Castro because he has some marketability. If Pudge re-signs May 1 this Marlins fan will be one happy fellow.

 

P.S. I think Marlins go to the White House tomorrow to met the Prez, I'm assuming Pudge will be there.

Not at $10M a year, which is what you noted. Fudge is highly overrated I feel. Sure, he brings a name and credibility, but his stats werent on par with his past achievements.

 

Let's not get confused here - Fudge didnt do us a favor. He signed with us because there were only two teams willing to overpay for him last year, us and the O's. We both had to because we were the 'lowly Marlins' last year. He didnt sign with us because he thought we could win a World Series, he signed to get the chance to play for the big contract - and he got to do it literally in his own backyard. If you disagree with that, what about the no-trade/no-arbitration clauses in his contract? What about his actions this offseason? The market fell out on him, and now he realizes it and wants to come back. I am all for it, but now we are going to have to:

 

a) sign him May 1 and shell out $8M a year to do it

b) sign and trade with the Tigers just to get the player who should have signed with us in the first place. That means we lose talent on top of the time/press lost just to get Fudge back.

 

Either way, it seems we are spending quite a bit on Fudge, and I am not sure he is worth it. Yes, he is a 'leader', at least on the outside. But what goes on in that clubhouse is very very different. Give Castro his chance, and this is all speculation anyway.

I admit it, I'm unabashedly in the "bring back Pudge camp", I thought so in November and I still would like to see him back with the Fish.

 

That said I understand the economic argument which on paper would seem to favor the Castro/Redmond duo as our catchers.?

 

But it's not just about money, it's about winning.

 

I only got to see Ramon Castro play one game in PR so anyone who wants to disagree is open to doing so. But the guy looked awful behind the plate (one error, throwing his only stolen base attempt into the outfield after three errors the night before) and his only hit (albeit a homerun) was off a pitcher who was probably AA caliber who got shelled.

 

Pudge is a leader, Jack reconfirmed that notion again in his interview with Berardino and he also called the guy "the best catcher that ever played for me". Coming from a catcher, and a guy whose whole life has been in baseball, that's high praise.

 

Were it me, I'd find a way to make this happen even if it means losing both Redmond and Castro and bringing up Treanor to backup Pudge. What will probably happen is that either Castro or Redmond goes, my guess is Castro because he has some marketability. If Pudge re-signs May 1 this Marlins fan will be one happy fellow.

 

P.S.? I think Marlins go to the White House tomorrow to met the Prez, I'm assuming Pudge will be there.

Not at $10M a year, which is what you noted. Fudge is highly overrated I feel. Sure, he brings a name and credibility, but his stats werent on par with his past achievements.

 

Let's not get confused here - Fudge didnt do us a favor. He signed with us because there were only two teams willing to overpay for him last year, us and the O's. We both had to because we were the 'lowly Marlins' last year. He didnt sign with us because he thought we could win a World Series, he signed to get the chance to play for the big contract - and he got to do it literally in his own backyard. If you disagree with that, what about the no-trade/no-arbitration clauses in his contract? What about his actions this offseason? The market fell out on him, and now he realizes it and wants to come back. I am all for it, but now we are going to have to:

 

a) sign him May 1 and shell out $8M a year to do it

b) sign and trade with the Tigers just to get the player who should have signed with us in the first place. That means we lose talent on top of the time/press lost just to get Fudge back.

 

Either way, it seems we are spending quite a bit on Fudge, and I am not sure he is worth it. Yes, he is a 'leader', at least on the outside. But what goes on in that clubhouse is very very different. Give Castro his chance, and this is all speculation anyway.

Jonny, I'm not the slightest confused. Are you? I didn't "note" $10 mil, I never suggested a dollar figure. All I said was I'd like to have the guy back and if the FO finds a way, either before or after April 30, I'm 100% in favor of it.

 

I have no problem with anyone who disagrees. My opinion is just that, my opinion.

I just heard Boras and Pudge plan to submit a counteroffer to the 4 year 40 million offer from Detroit.

Tswift and Fishin2004, thanks for that info.