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Mild Rumors For Marlins as Winter Meetings Commence

December 3, 2012 in Offseason

Last year, the Marlins made a big splash with their free agent acquisitions. Everything was set to remake the Marlins and kick things off in a new era with a brand new ballpark. A year later, a lot has changed after a disappointing 93 loss season; the payroll was gutted and the Marlins brass decided a reboot was more prescriptive for what ails this franchise. The fans, disappointed to say the least, are not excited about the on-field product for next season.

Still, there are some who think the Marlins are not quite done with their offseason. Jim Bowden seems to think that the Marlins will sign a major free agent to a short term deal with a no-trade clause. It has been done before – back in 2003 when the Marlins signed Pudge Rodriguez to a one year deal worth $8M.

The Marlins have glaring needs at 3B and could use some starting pitching depth as their staff is made up mostly of rookies with very little experience. They have a short term answer in LF with Juan Pierre returning, supplying the missing speed of Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio which leads to speculation about what the long term goal is.

Judging by the rumors, don’t expect a big splash from the Marlins on the free agent market. Here are some names being tossed around as of now:

Mark DeRosa? According to Juan Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel, he might be a good fit for the Marlins who are looking to bolster their bench a bit. The 37 year old is flexible enough to come off the bench for pinch hitting, play some 2B, 3B, and even LF.

Another speculative report has the Marlins in the hunt for Ryan Raburn to possibly sign on as a utility man for the Fish. Raburn could give the Marlins another OF, but his skill set doesn’t look to differ too much from what the Marlins already have on staff.

If you are thinking the Marlins could pull off a trade, the only veteran assets they have to move with any value are Yunel Escobar, Giancarlo Stanton and Ricky Nolasco. Stanton is all but untouchable – as he should be. Nolasco has very little value because he is in the final year of his contract, which is guaranteed to net him $11M this upcoming season. Very unlikely the Marlins move him and the front office has made some assurances they are not going to deal him this offseason. Then there is recently acquired Yunel Escobar, who could be moved as well but it remains to be seen who will be a taker on a guy with a reputation for having an attitude problem. Maybe a package deal with 2 of those three names gets something done.

Stay tuned as the Marlins look to pick through the garage sales and try to find a diamond in the rough. They should be players in the Rule 5 draft on Thursday, which means they could take a player for only $50K but he would have to stay on their 25 man roster for at least the next year. Chris McGuiness or Nate Freiman look intriguing enough to possibly see the Fish take flyerson.

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Rule 5 Draft May Offer Marlins Depth, Upside

November 30, 2012 in Offseason

Right now, the Marlins are in the market for affordable options to hit the ball and hopefully, find some power in that process. Don’t expect a splash in the free agent market this offseason as the Winter Meetings amp up on Monday. Instead, expect a more subtle and shrewd move from the Fish as they look to stockpile some depth for next spring’s preseason.

In fact the Marlins picked up Joe Mahoney from the Orioles, which give the Marlins some corner OF depth as well as some 1B potential.

The Rule 5 draft will kick off on Thursday at 10 ante meridiem and although it will be nearly impossible to find a superstar stashed there, a la Dan Uggla, the Marlins can get some depth. Teams have to shell out $50K to draft a player and that player has to stay on their 25 man roster for at least one season. That said, the Marlins can find some hitters which could be MLB ready and could add some depth on the bench and maybe blossom into solid big leaguers. Two hitters offer some interesting possibilities:

  • Nate Freiman hit .298 last season with 24 home runs and 105 RBIs on the Rangers’ AA farm last season. He also collected 154 hits against 95Ks and at 25, and 6’7″, he could be primed to step in and offer some depth at 1B with some upside with the bat. The question is, will the Marlins take a risk on a guy who only plays 1B when they have Logan Morrison already and this may not provide enough flexibility?
  • Another interesting prospect available is Chris McGuiness who had a .268 AVG with 23 home runs and 77 RBIs was also hitting in the Rangers’ system. He finished tied for 4th in his league for home runs and 7th for RBIs. He also had 122 hits with 107 Ks, making for a solid offensive showing last season. McGuiness also had an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League, collecting some hardware as its MVP while collecting 27 RBIs in 25 games. He also is working on playing corner OF positions to help his versatility, which makes him a prime target to add depth on the Marlins bench and hits from the left side of the plate, which the Marlins have expressed as a need. His advanced approach at the plate also may make him MLB ready and a possible solid contributor to the Marlins next season.

Only 12 teams actually picked in the Rule 5 last season, so expect maybe a pick from the Marlins given that their current roster is at 37 and they have a few extra spots open. Of the two possibilities mentioned, McGuiness seems to be a better fit given his flexibility. There are pitchers available but the Marlins are looking to add a veteran starter which most likely would not be a viable option through the Rule 5 draft.

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