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Matt Dominguez Trade: A Big Mistake For the Marlins

December 21, 2012 in Offseason

In order to try and jumpstart the offense last year, the Marlins traded away their top 3B prospect, Matt Dominguez, to the Astros for Carlos Lee. “El Caballo” was expected to help create more run production for the Marlins, who were also facing  a lot of time without Giancarlo Stanton, to try and get the team out of cardiac arrest.

A few weeks later, the Marlins ended up trading Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers. The rest is (bad) history for the Marlins as they began their project of jettisoning their heavy payroll for a fresh start.

Now the Marlins are in a serious bind. They are without a 3B for the immediate and foreseeable future. There is no clear vision at the position and in their desperation, the Marlins have been trying to hammer out some sort of a plan.

Before settling for Polanco, the Marlins were reportedly kicking the tires on several other teams’ young 3B options. They talked to the Rangers about Mike Olt, the Tigers about Nick Castellanos, and the Padres about Jedd Gyorko. They also tried to pry Mark Trumbo from the Angels, but that fizzled. Details about these discussions are not available, but it could be assumed that Ricky Nolasco was tossed in there as a possible scenario.

This is troubling because it shows a front office that panicked and ended up gambling away from a position of severe weakness to broker its future. It also perhaps shows the naivete that this front office may possess in trying to pry away top prospects from other organizations without having much to offer in return. A deal for Olt would make sense if the Rangers believed in Nolasco enough, but that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case. At any rate, the Marlins are settling for a short term fix and with Zack Cox and Derek Dietrich in the system, it remains to be seen what the long term vision will be.

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Not Likely: Possible Nolasco For Trumbo Deal Not Happening

December 21, 2012 in Offseason

While the past few days rumors have surfaced that the Marlins were talking with the Angels about a possible Ricky Nolasco for Mark Trumbo swap, there are strong suggestions that this possible scenario is dead.

First of all, there is the Kendry Morales for Justin Vargas (an ex-Marlin) deal. The Angels were able to trade one of their biggest strengths (power hitting) for a lefty starter to add depth to their rotation. Both teams actually got better after this deal, and although Nolasco may seem an equitable return for Trumbo, his price tag ($11.5M) may have been a bit too much to swallow even for the Angels. Vargas is in the mid-$2M range, and is a wash for Morales’ departing contract.

Trumbo also may have been pushed over to 3B for the Marlins. Recently the Marlins tried to acquire Nick Castellanos from the Tigers, but in falling short of that they may have shopped the Angels for Trumbo. Signing Polanco seems to be waiving the white flag on finding a third baseman and all but confirms the roster, as of now, is settled.

Juan Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel confirmed our suspicions via Twitter today, too. So, don’t bet on Trumbo settling in with Stanton any time soon here in Miami.

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Mark Trumbo For Ricky Nolasco Next Move for Marlins?

December 20, 2012 in Offseason

Mark Trumbo_650x440There are a lot of reports that the Marlins are in discussions with the Angels for a possible trade. The Angels are looking to bolster their starting pitching and the Marlins may indeed be shopping Ricky Nolasco, who is due $11.5M in the final year of his contract.

Nolasco has been very candid about his displeasure with the direction of the team and as the last player from the 2006 era, he may be an antiquity that needs to be reshuffled. More importantly, Nolasco offers a quality arm for any team looking to log innings and get an improved chance of winning (see his WAR stats for better understanding of how he could contribute to a team’s bottom line). Nolasco may perform better on a team with higher pay grade and his performances may be a bit of a waste on a young, developing team. Nolasco is also from California, and being in the final year of his contract, is going to be using this upcoming season as an audition to land a big contract – like former teammate Anibal Sanchez did with the Tigers.

Mark Trumbo has a lot of power potential and has splashed over the 30 HR plateau this past season. He is young and under team control for a few more years, which means he fits right in with what the Marlins are doing. Pairing him in a lineup with Giancarlo Stanton, and if Logan Morrison can finally deliver on his promise of hitting the ball (instead of Tweeting about everything in sight), this may have the makings of a very formidable young power lineup.

This deal would make sense but it is all about getting what each team wants. The Marlins may be willing to pay a bulk of Nolasco’s salary to net a guy like Trumbo – and if they are not, they better seriously awaken to the possibility. Acquiring a guy like Trumbo would not be seen as a pay dumping move but instead a build for a blueprint of the future where the Marlins would be setting themselves up for a brighter future. They would also communicate to Stanton that they want to form a strong nucleus of hitters around him which bodes well for a future deal with him. The Marlins, as Joe Frisaro has suggested, may even up the ante and send off a prospect to seal the deal. So Nolasco, a pitching prospect (outside of Jose Fernandez, of course) and, depending on how much salary they would have to eat, could make this deal happen.

Discuss potential deal of Nolasco for Trumbo with us!

 

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