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Fish Stew: Updates on all things Marlins around MarlinsNation

April 14, 2013 in Fish Stew

Enough about Jeffrey Loria, the slashed payroll, and the struggles of the offense. The Marlins are, yes, struggling to score runs and as we already discussed, that trend won’t last – but don’t expect it to go completely the other way, too. That is, not until bats like Christian Yelich come online.

Jacob Turner is Struggling – looks like the control issues continue to plague the arm that was supposed to be the #2 starter on this staff. Truthfully, the Marlins made the right call as he continues to work on locating his pitches and getting his velocity back.

Speaking of the Tigers/Marlins trade from last season, it was thought that Turner’s success was necessary for the Fish to break even. Truthfully, a deal with the Tigers will never ever break even just for the sheer fact that they have Miguel Cabrera. That said, Brian Flynn is helping the Marlins come out ahead on this version of the deal. Along with Rob Brantly, the Marlins did acquire some solid MLB ready prospects. Flynn is progressing nicely which offers a bit of hope even though Turner is struggling.

Mark Canha is struggling at AA Jacksonville. He has shown pretty good power (25 HRs in 2011 at Greensboro) but questions abound over his consistency against tougher pitching. Stay tuned.

Who got the better end of the trade? The Blue Jays or the Marlins? Jose Reyes injury does affect this question. Chime in and share your thoughts with us.

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Fish Stew: Marlins Spring Training 2013 Sunday Edition 3/3

March 3, 2013 in Spring Training

So, what is going on in the world of the Miami Marlins? Let’s pull up some chairs and take a look.

Dan Le Batard finally weighs in on the whole Jeffrey Loria thing. States that basically, this franchise has to win back the trust of the fans – but did they ever truly have it in the first place? Credibility is at the core of the problem for the Marlins and Le Batard, surprisingly for him, makes the case that the Marlins are the victims here. Read on! We kind of addressed it from a similar angle.

Greg Cote chews on the unpopularity of Loria as well.

Marlins sign Giancarlo Stanton – for $537K. Long term negotiations will come and the Marlins should do whatever they can to keep Stanton in Miami; even if that means overpaying. The only way to repair the long term damage done to this team is to show by your actions that you are committed to winning and keeping Stanton will do just that. Going to write something on this soon. Miguel Cabrera ended up netting $7.4M in his first year of arbitration and then was dealt (in arguably the most one sided trade in Marlins history, if not in baseball).

Jose Reyes sticks to his story about Loria and the whole house-buying discussion. It’s a he-said, he-said situation and the only clear way out is to back either Reyes or Loria. Whomever has more credibility will win the day, but does that mean Reyes is right? Personally, I don’t think it makes any sense for Loria to lie on this one but at the same time, if Reyes is not telling the truth, why does he feel the need to throw Loria under the bus?

Alex Sanabia is vying for the 5th spot in the rotation and is contending mostly with John Maine and Wade LeBlanc. He had a solid performance yesterday in Port Saint Lucie against the Mets going 2IP with 1K, no runs, and no BBs. Remember to vote in our poll for who you think will eventually win the 5th starting spot (my money is on LeBlanc).

Marlin legend Mike Lowell made a visit with the team to help out good friend Mike Redmond. He also was on the bench during the Marlins v. Mets game in Port Saint Lucie yesterday, where the Fish had to settle for an 8-8 tie after 9 innings. This is a good thing for the Marlins who are trying to sell themselves back to the fans. It shows that not all former players are bitter and hate this ownership group – especially when Lowell freely shares his thoughts about the team and the feelings from the fans’ perspectives. Wonder if he would take a one year deal to play 3rd again…

Adeiny Hechavarria gained a very strong endorsement from Hanley Ramirez, according to Jefrey Loria. Hech will be a defensive gem at SS, the question is can he hit enough to make him a quality SS or at best, another Rey Ordonez. He does have some ability to hit the ball and make contact, but he will never put up the kind of numbers Hanley Ramirez did – in his prime as a Marlin, of course. Still, there is a lot of buzz about the Marlins’ middle infield tandem in Hechavarria and Donovan Solano.

By the way – just a side note. Sun-Sentinel has decided to go behind a pay wall. Although I think this is a great move to protect their paper and business, this could backfire. Everyone will instead just read the Miami Herald or Palm Beach Post and push the Sun-Sentinel to the back. Not sure if they think they are the New York Times or not, but interesting to see if this works out for them. We can’t cite their articles because it would require users to create accounts to read them. Just something to consider Sun-Sentinel!

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Mark Buehrle moves on from his one season with the Miami Marlins – ESPN

March 1, 2013 in Offseason, Spring Training

Asked Friday if he’d seen or heard the words of Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who spent three days attempting to explain his team’s offseason to what’s left of its fan base, Buehrle quickly shook his head.

“I saw some of it and pretty much didn’t pay attention to it,” the 33-year-old left-hander told ESPN.com, “because I know what I was told and I saw what he was saying, and they weren’t the same thing. So I mean, I guess he’s got to do what he’s got to do to get the fans back. But whatever.”

It was only 15 months ago when Buehrle signed a four-year, $58 million contract, thinking he was heading for Miami to play for his old manager, Ozzie Guillen, and finish out his career as a Marlin.

Needless to say, that isn’t how it worked out.

Buehrle is well-aware of the comments made by Jose Reyes, who also signed with the Marlins and was traded away to Toronto this winter. Reyes complained this spring about broken promises made by the Marlins and said that just days before he was traded, Loria was telling him to buy a nice house in South Florida. (Loria denied that account this week.)

“I think that’s the biggest thing. I was told the same stuff,” Buehrle said. “I was the unlucky one who actually bought a house, thinking I was going to be there and use it as a retirement house. But hey, we took the risk. We took the chance of not getting a no-trade clause. So I always thought that possibility was there.

“But I never thought it would happen that quick. The last year of your deal, maybe, if your team hasn’t gone anywhere and they’re trying to get prospects — OK, I can see that. But the first year? I don’t think anybody could have seen that coming.”

Now that the shock and anger have begun to fade from the offseason trade that sent him to Toronto, Buehrle keeps going out of his way to praise his new team and the way it’s treated him and his family. Every once in a while, though, his feelings toward his former team seem to seep out, whether he wants them to or not.

“This has been a class organization, top to bottom, in the way they treat people,” he said Friday, after allowing one run on three hits in a two-inning outing against Tampa Bay. “The way they do things here, it’s definitely something that was missed, for one year of my career. But I’ve been fortunate to have an organization pretty much my whole career that’s been like this. So for me, that’s over.”

Buehrle spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox before spending a year in Miami that he says ranks “up there” among the longest seasons of his life. He turns 34 this month and has three years left on his contract. So before he’s through, he quipped Friday, he’d like to “win a Cy Young and strike out 80 guys a year.”

via Mark Buehrle moves on from his one season with the Miami Marlins – ESPN.

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Reyes Rips Loria in Latest From Trade Fallout

February 15, 2013 in Offseason, Spring Training

Jose+Reyes+5_o7Dc7EpbfmJose Reyes isn’t mincing words. He doesn’t seem overly bitter, but he definitely paints a direct picture of his former boss – one that just leads to more confusion and more questions.

“I was shocked, because Jeffrey Loria, he always told me he’s never going to trade me,” Reyes said with his new team at Spring Training. “He always called my agent and said, ‘Tell Jose to get a good place here to live,’ and stuff like that.”

“That was kind of crazy,” Reyes continued. “I mean, how can you want me to spend some money in Miami, when I have my house in New York, and you’re going to trade me in two days?”

So, what are we to believe? That Jeffrey Loria is either the shadiest owner alive, or that maybe even he didn’t know about the possible deal at the time? It is clear now that the Marlins were working on something with the Blue Jays. You don’t fire up a deal that large in less than 48 hours anyway, but the question is, was Loria aware of the finer points of the deal and if so, was Reyes supposed to be a part of that deal? Or, scary thought, was Reyes a toss-in to get the deal made?

The Marlins clearly needed to throw in something to move John Buck’s contract out of south Florida. That could have easily been Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle, or even Emilio Bonifacio on their own. Considering that there was very little on the radar screen when this deal went down, perhaps this was a quick and dirty deal and Loria may not have known, at the time, that Reyes was going to be a clincher in the deal.

It brings to light just how “hands-on” Loria really is. He is certainly depicted with a handle-bar mustache carrying innocent ball players and fans towards the train tracks. But could he really have been so cold-blooded as to tell Reyes to get a house in Miami only to deal him 2 days later? That doesn’t make any logical sense – why even make the suggestion? It wasn’t like Loria really had anything to prove at that point.

Then again, let’s flip this. Why did Reyes need reassurance he wasn’t going to be traded? Why did Loria have to contact his agent and say that Reyes wasn’t going to be traded? Why would Reyes sign a 6 year $106M contract and not buy a place in Miami, where he was expecting to finish out his contract? There are a lot more questions but as usual, the villain is painted here very clearly for all to see. Yet, there are more questions that need to be asked.

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Re-evaluating the Marlins and Blue Jays Trade

February 9, 2013 in Offseason

110503_chone_figginsThe Marlins recently signed Chone Figgins to a minor league contract. This guy, back in 2009, was an MVP candidate for the Angels as he was a one-man wrecking crew getting on base, stealing bases, and scoring runs. His stint in Seattle, however, was a disaster.

One of the heavy criticisms this offseason has been that the Marlins had a fire sale and shipped off their best players for nothing in return. Once the dust settled, the Marlins drastically improved their farm system (ranked as high as 5th by MLB.com) and their future. They lost established players like Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio; they lost high-profile free agents like Mark Buerhle, Jose Reyes; they even lost a horrible contract mistake like John Buck. Yet a lot of energy was spent tongue-lashing the Marlins for this gutting of big money and claims were instantly made that this team was facing a horrible 2013 and worse future. Ricky Nolasco wanted to be moved. Giancarlo Stanton, the franchise corner stone, publicly expressed his frustration and doubt of this franchise.

One of the pieces of the trade that frustrated me was losing Bonifacio. Yes, this guy drove me crazy, but he matured and became a formidable asset (to finally make up for the trading of Josh Willingham) that helped rebuild the team speed the Marlins have been known for. Yet now, in Figgins, the Marlins may have found his replacement at a valuable price tag. The only risk the Fish have is, well, none. He is signed to a minor league deal and if he makes the team, they will only owe him the league minimum. If Figgins returns to his pre-Seattle days, he will prove to be a boon to this team. If not, well, they can easily dump him and move on. Yet in Figgins, the Marlins illustrate the exact kind of reclamation project they are about these days.

As for the rest of this trade, well, consider:

  • Can Adeiny Hechavarria replace Jose Reyes at SS? Defensively he definitely will – the only question is, can the Cuban national hit?
  • Rob Brantly will hit better than John Buck and if all the buzz about Brantly’s defense is accurate, then this is a win for the Fish.
  • Can the Marlins find a way to replace the 393.2 IP of Mark Buerhle and Josh Johnson? They acquired more arms from the Blue Jays to stock up their farm system but they will not replace the experience either Buerhle or Johnson had. That said, there is potential in young arms like Jose Fernandez and Justin Nicolino to slide in as early as this season. I’m betting on Fernandez to make a splash. The Marlins did snag a couple of veteran arms that could get some time in the rotation, but even still there looks to be a plan in place to go with a youth movement and see where it takes this team.

If the Marlins are simply going to replace what they have lost, and do it cheaper, then this team is still a 69 win/93 loss team but at a more affordable price. And if winning has anything to do with the direction of this franchise, then they will be able to improve their record and do it at a savings and with an eye towards the future. Can they do that with the given personnel? We’ll definitely find out and a signing like the Chone Figgins signing could play a role.

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In a Sea of Villainy, Jeffrey Loria Shows the Way

January 18, 2013 in Commentary, Offense

Is Jeffrey Loria the devil? Or evil mastermind? Or just smarter than we all think?

Is Jeffrey Loria the devil? Or evil mastermind? Or just smarter than we all think?

Lance Armstrong is on Oprah confessing that he cheated. And that he lied about cheating.

Notre Dame media darling Manti Te’o, a runner up for the Heisman trophy and heart of the Irish defense, may have been involved in a hoax over a story about a girlfriend that died of leukemia.

Somewhere, Jeffrey Loria is sighing relief, smiling in the mirror giving himself an “atta-boy”.

You see, Loria, as vile as he may be to the shifting allegiances of Marlins’ fans these days, got one thing right – he shut up. He lied and he knows it. No matter how he spins it, he lied to people both “big and small” and made a decision that was vastly unpopular with pretty much anyone in South Florida. Whether or not you agree with his decision, the team did have 93 losses and spent over $100M last offseason to get to that point. That’s a reality.

And one can argue that he is handling it horribly, too. His initial reaction to the media was ”We finished in last place. Figure it out.” He didn’t go on Oprah and confess anything. He didn’t do an apology tour. In fact, his PR shot in the arm is usually David Samson, team president (and stepson) who gets out in front of these things and takes it on the chin. He goes on radio shows – heck, has his own radio spot from time to time. People may not totally embrace his distinctly vinegar personality, but they are at least entertained by what Samson says.

Total silence. Blackness. That is what Loria wants. He wants his organization to not even address this publicly. There has been no public attempt to smooth things over with frustrated wunderkind Giancarlo Stanton. Heck, even the annual Fanfest has been cancelled and renamed “Winter Warm Up”.

But you know what? Loria realizes that nothing good can come from it. That in opening his mouth, no one is going to buy what he says anyway. There is no point. In this, he looks like a genius, a mastermind. Lance Armstrong is going around trying to pitch a new, honest, and humbling image – you know he is up to something. Te’o has yet to interview and address this, which in his case may prove to be a mistake. Then again, maybe the silent treatment in this of endless blogging and social networking is the way to go. Let people think what they will, you can do little to change it and probably do more damage trying to defend yourself. Especially when you are guilty to begin with.

Then again, if the Marlins do turn this around and start winning, what will Loria’s reaction be then? Definitely not a “I-told-you-so”. But he certainly would have the ability to “buy back” some trust from this fan base. Admittedly, that is a pretty big “if” looming over that fancy new Marlins Park – built by an angry tax paying community that feels betrayed. Yet in light of today’s sports landscape, and in our society in general, lying, cheating, and stealing is rampant. So, get in line. You bought the ticket, now see the show.

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