The Marlins are moving into a brand new retractable ballpark in 2012 and they'll look to make a big splash on the open market this winter, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is one of the top free agents who is clearly on the Marlins' radar.
Internally, the club views him as a good fit for a lineup as they look to add an established veteran to a youthful squad. The addition of Ramirez would also give rookie Matt Dominguez more time to develop.
The Fish may also wind up making inquiries on top free agents Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and Jose Reyes. Sources say that the Marlins will also explore signing C.J. Wilson and the left-hander is already being talked about.
Reyes? Marlins have a plan to break that to Hanley?
Position change most likely.
However, they haven’t made an inquiry yet anyways.
Hanley has already gone on record saying he’d move to third if Reyes is signed.
It was Hanley’s suggestion..he said he would move to 3rd if fish signed Reyes.
“While there’s no guarantee that the Marlins will wind up with an elite free agent, for the first time in more than a decade, they seem poised to pursue the big names.”
Carlos Delgado says Hi.
And Pudge
Don’t forget about us.
– W. Helms and A. Benitez
Wes Helms a big name?
Delgado was via trade
Nope, 4 year/52 mil deal.
I wouldnt be surprised if the Marlins got Ramirez or Reyes as they could easily get Hanley to move to third and put reyes at short. But ofcourse Aramis being a marlin is more probable than reyes.
I’m wondering how many years Aramis will sign for. He could potentially get a four year deal, IMO, which last year seemed like that would be impossible.
Sigh….. I’m so tired of being burned by this ownership, I just roll my eyes when I read stories like this. So sad to be a Fish fan. So freakin’ sad…..
so you think there just trying to get fans intrest? saying their in on everyone
Maybe the Marlins are the new Mets.
Mets, Dodgers, Marlins…who cares?
They’re*
git outta herr you duumb engwish teicher
How about that…the only one he didn’t try
If the Cubs let Aramis go, who is going to play 3rd in 2012? Vitters is no where near ready. Not now and maybe not ever.
There are no other 3rd baseman F.A. out there.
I’m afraid the Cubs are kind of screwed here. Let’s just give A Ram his money and worry about the starting pitching.
Starlin Castro could move to 3B. Aramis Ramirez might be a great hitter, but man they need to get more athletic, and Starlin isn’t very good defensively at SS
Who’s gonna play shortstop then?
I think Castro will probably move to the outfield within the next 2-3 years.
Barney was originally a shortstop.
People like you make me laugh, Castro is 21 and makes highlight plays very often. Before you try to bring up his errors look at ozzie smith, he made over 50 errors his first 2 season.
Just because he makes highlight plays doesn’t mean he’s a good defensive shortstop……all that means is that he makes highlight plays.
Or even now? A-Ram cant play 3rd anymore. His defense is a joke. The Cubs may be forced to consider other options whether they bring him back or not. Give LeMaheiu a shot or move Castro there.
As a White Sox fan I say to the Cubs let him walk. He is the last thing that team needs. Underachieving malcontent. There will be someone to trade for or an unexpected FA that pops up. There is always the possibility of signing Cuddyer who can play third and he can move around the infield and outfield. That would allow them to put a Vitters or some other young guy in and not have to live and die with him. there are other options instead of being stuck with Aramis Ramirez.
Ramirez is the fifth highest-rated 3B this year in terms of WAR and he has an .874 OPS. Since you think he’s underachieved, what should he be hitting?
Yes he has padded his stats (once again) after he helped bury the Cubs by his awful start to the season.
His laziness will rub off on guys like Castro. I have been a big fan of ARam, but now is the time to let him walk.
the cubs might as well re-sign him
3b is one of the worst positions to have a hole in behind starting pitching and shortstop in my opinion
has any team (1980-p) ever had a 3b with a 2 or lower WAR make the playoffs?
Phillies won the world series with Pedro Feliz as their starting third baseman in 2008 if i’m not mistaken.
Just among World Series winners since 1980 (let alone playoff teams):
2010 Giants – Pablo Sandoval, 0.5 WAR
2008 Phillies – Pedro Feliz, 0.6 WAR
2005 White Sox – Joe Crede, 2.0 WAR
2004 Red Sox – Bill Mueller, 1.0 WAR
2001 Diamondbacks – Matt Williams, 1.0 WAR
2000 Yankees – Scott Brosius, -0.4 WAR (yes, negative)
1999 Yankees – Scott Brosius, 0.9 WAR
1993 Blue Jays – Ed Sprague, 1.1 WAR
1992 Blue Jays – Kelly Gruber, -0.2 WAR
1988 Dodgers – Jeff Hamilton, 0.5 WAR
1984 Tigers – Howard Johnson, 0.9 WAR
1983 Orioles – Todd Cruz, -0.6 WAR
So… 12 of the last 30 World Series Champions had third basemen with a 2.0 or lower WAR.
Owned.
Didn’t the Fish have to give away the last 3b they had on a fairly decent salary (Lowell) and he wasn’t even going to get nearly as much as the older Ramirez thinks he is worth, plus was a much better fielder?
This sounds likes madness from the Fish. Can understand them wanting to make a splash and increase spending, but not on someone like this.
No. They traded Lowell and Beckett for Anibal Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez. Not exactly giving them away.
The Red Sox were required to accept the overpaid under performing Lowell as part of the trade for Beckett. Yes, Lowell did fairly will in Boston but he smelled up the place with the Fish.
Right. Lowell was a salary dump part and the deal could not have been made if boston did not take him and the remaining 2/18m left on his contract. Strange as he only had the one bad offensive season for the Fish, then went to boston and performed outstanding those last 2 years of his deal on both sides of the field, even WS MVP in 2007.
the marlins can barely get enough fans in the multi purpose stadium now, even if this ballpark is awesome, can they expect a dramatic improvement?
yes they can. the stadium is built to combat the florida weather which makes it more fan friendly and an all around better place than that POS that they are playing in now.
wait….the marlins spending money? i thnk this was a misprint
CJ is very West Coast so I doubt he’d move so far away from home. When the Rangers went to Florida last season all CJ did was complain, he couldn’t wait to get out of there. IMO getting him in Miami next year would be an up-hill battle, but maybe he’d take to the new park.
How do you know “all he did was complain”? Are you a friend of his or personal assisstant or somthing? I dont see any way that you could know somthing like that.
Because all CJ does is complain.
CJ Wilson pitched in Japan and you don’t think he will go to whoever gives him the most money, no matter where that is?
I don’t understand where the money is going to come from. The fish have gone on record saying that they will spend about $70-80 mil if I remember correctly.
Current 2012 Contracts:
Hanley: $15 mil
Johnson: $13.75 mil
Nolasco: $9 mil
Buck: $6 mil
Choate: $1.5 mil
They are expected to resign Nunez and Anibal Sanchez. Let’s say they sign the two for a combined $13 mil. They are expected to sign Infante. Let’s say he gets 3 mil (conservative).
If they signed the rest of the team to roughly the minimum, that is another $7.25 mil, bringing us to a total of $65.5 mil. Realistically, that number will be more if they keep guys like Mujica and Dobbs who make more than the minimum, bringing the total up to an estimated $67 mil. I just don’t see where we are going to have the cap room to sign most big names, without dumping someone (probably Nunez).
If everyone on your team but 7 guys are making the minimum you have serious problems somwhere.
I agree. That is the point. Keeping Nunez, our payroll will already be just under $70 mil.
Something tells me the problem is not not having enough “cap room”…
If they stayed in Sun life stadium, you might be right, but they’re not. They’re betting on getting sellouts every time out and they’re willing to spend to get fans excited. If they do, payroll won’t be a problem
The novelty of a new ballpark wears out fairly quickly.
The players at the ballpark is what will keep the fans coming back.
They have already said what they are going to spend. Using that number, I want somebody to explain to me how we are going to fill out our roster with one of the probable “big moves” without letting a guy like Nunez go.
They won’t keep Infante if they get Reyes or A-Ram. They’d move Bonifacio to 2b most likely.
This is what I see the Marlins doing trade Nunez because he sucks Vs the braves and phillies period, and he is going to make like 7 or 8 million which could go towards a free agent. Also trade chris volstad he can net us good prospects.
Heres an idea say the fish get david wright who is younger and makes less. I think he just needs to get out of citi field. He knows the east way beter than ramirez which helps and the mets dont need him. thoughts?
Chris Volstad won’t get you any decent prospects. He is Andrew Miller 2.0.
Am I the only one that would like to move Gaby to 3rd? If you think about his defensive skill set, he plays the balls hit at him pretty well and has a good arm. He also CANNOT scoop a ball in the dirt, which makes him a below average defensive first baseman but could make him a solid 3b. Any thoughts?
Then who’s in LF?