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Dan Uggla

What’s Next For The Marlins?

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The Marlins and Tigers have been baseball's most aggressive teams so far this offseason.  The Fish made their biggest free agent signing since 2005 in John Buck, and also traded away Dan Uggla, Cameron Maybin, and Andrew Miller.  Owner Jeffrey Loria held court at the GM Meetings today, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has details.

Loria says to "stay tuned" for further activity, specifically involving the bullpen.  One source tells Rosenthal the Marlins have only about $3-4MM left to spend.  If the team is to make additional splashes, it'll have to be in the trade market.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Leo Nunez dealt, and the team could use a starting pitcher as well.  Indeed, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel hears the Marlins are turning their attention to the rotation now.

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald has quotes from Loria on Uggla.  The Marlins' owner remarked, "Dan is a wonderful kid, but I can't speak for the advice he gets."  Uggla was dead-set on a five-year contract, but the Marlins wouldn't go past four.

Loria also commented on Hanley Ramirez, telling WEEI's Rob Bradford he expects the shortstop to retire a Marlin.

Marlins Notes: Uggla, Pavano, Prado

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The Marlins wasted no time trading Dan Uggla this offseason, sending him to Atlanta for Omar Infante and Mike Dunn on Tuesday. The move came less than a week after the team broke off extension talks with their All Star second baseman due to a gap in negotiations.

Let's round up the latest Marlins' news in the wake of the trade…

Odds & Ends: Westbrook, De La Rosa, Papelbon

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Links on a busy Tuesday as the first day of the GM Meetings wraps up…

Braves Acquire Dan Uggla

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The Braves landed one of baseball's most powerful second basemen today, acquiring Dan Uggla from the division rival Marlins for utility man Omar Infante and lefty reliever Mike Dunn. 

Uggla, 31 in March, had another fine season in 2010 with a .287/.369/.508 line in 674 plate appearances.  Uggla is one season away from free agency, and extension talks with the Marlins broke off after he rejected a four-year, $48MM offer.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports feels that the Braves will attempt to sign him long-term.  Martin Prado will step in at third base as Chipper Jones recovers from knee surgery or log innings in left field if necessary, tweets Rosenthal.  Uggla should be happy to remain at second base.

Infante, a super-utility type, hit .321/.359/.416 in 506 plate appearances for the Braves this year.  He's under contract through 2011 at $2.5MM with another possible $1MM in plate appearance incentives.  The loss may put the Braves in the market for a utility player, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  Dunn, 26 in May, is a hard-throwing left-handed reliever who came to Atlanta from the Yankees a year ago in the Javier Vazquez deal.  Dunn racked up big-time strikeout and walk numbers this year between Triple-A and the Majors.  The intra-division asking price for Uggla was expected to be large, but this is a disappointing return for the Marlins.  They have succeeded in revamping their bullpen for the long-term, adding Ryan Webb, Edward Mujica, Dustin Richardson, and Dunn in recent trades.

The Cardinals, Blue Jays, Nationals, and Tigers were other reported suitors for Uggla.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick broke news of the agreement on Twitter, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and Mark Bowman of MLB.com provided updates as the story developed.

Dan Uggla Rumors: Tuesday

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The Marlins are known to be shopping second baseman Dan Uggla; the Braves, Cardinals, Nationals, Blue Jays, and Tigers are reported suitors.  There is some debate as to the Marlins' sense of urgency in making a deal, though MLB.com's Joe Frisaro joins ESPN's Buster Olney in the "aggressively shopping him" camp (Twitter link).  Here's the latest on the slugger…

  • The Marlins and Braves are talking about a deal that would send Uggla to Atlanta for Omar Infante and Michael Dunn, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Infante, a super-utility man, hit .321/.359/.416 in 506 plate appearances for the Braves this year.  He's under contract through 2011.  Dunn, 26 in May, is a hard-throwing left-handed reliever who came to Atlanta from the Yankees a year ago in the Javier Vazquez deal.  Dunn racked up big-time strikeout and walk numbers this year between Triple-A and the Majors.
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests Uggla could provide backup at third base as Chipper Jones recovers from August surgery to report a torn ACL in his knee.  Another possibility: Uggla or Martin Prado could spend the season in left field if Jones is healthy.  Would the Marlins be willing to deal within the division with the Braves or Nationals?  Yes, one rival executive tells Rosenthal, "but the ask is very high."

Melvin: “We’re Not Shopping Prince”

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Prince Fielder has just one more year to go before becoming eligible for free agency, and as a result many around the game expect the Brewers to shop their hulking first baseman. GM Doug Melvin told USA Today's Bob Nightengale that isn't the case however, saying explicitly "We're not shopping Prince." Here's the full quote…

"We're not shopping Prince,'' said the Brewers GM. "I'd like to keep him. He's a homegrown player who wants to play every inning of every game. But we'd like to get something done by the end of the off-season. I don't want to negotiate during the year.''

Melvin indicated that the end of Spring Training is the team's deadline for working out an extension with their two-time All Star. Fielder, 26 and a Scott Boras client, is a .279/.385/.535 career hitter, averaging 38 home runs in his five full seasons as a big leaguer.

Nightengale also lists a number of players that are already "under discussion," including Zack Greinke, Dan Uggla, Adrian Gonzalez, Bobby Jenks, Jonathan Papelbon, Nick Swisher, Jason Bartlett, Mark Reynolds, and both Justin and B.J. Upton. 

Dan Uggla Rumors: Monday

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Yesterday we heard that the Marlins intend to trade Dan Uggla and that the Blue Jays could be the favorites to acquire him if a deal does occur. Here's the latest on the second baseman:

  • The Cardinals have interest in Uggla, though a source told MLB.com's Matthew Leach that the club is concerned about the cost not in dollars, but players. Leach says reports of Florida's asking price "may be misleading."
  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson confirmed that the Nationals have interest in Uggla. The Marlins want both pitching and a catcher in return.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweets that there is no sign that Uggla will relent and accept the team's four-year, $48MM contract offer.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that some clubs "perceive the Marlins are absolutely intent on moving Uggla ASAP, and they are not asking for a high rate of return — a couple of decent guys, no A-plus prospects necessary."
  • The Marlins are not shopping Uggla aggressively, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter). They are concerned over the stalled extension talks and preparing in case they can't reach a deal.
  • Rival executives tell Jon Heyman of SI.com that the Marlins' four-year $48MM offer was reasonable. I thought so, too.
  • Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos told Jeff Blair on the FAN 590 that both Aaron Hill and Jose Bautista would be willing to shift to third base if the Blue Jays acquire "someone who can make an impact." Hill hasn't played at the hot corner since 2005, but Anthopoulos says he has enough arm strength and athleticism to handle the shift.

Braves Close To Nearing Deal For Dan Uggla

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The Braves "appear to be very close to nearing a deal" for Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, tweets MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted minutes ago that the division rivals are discussing a deal that would send Uggla to Atlanta for utility man Omar Infante and lefty reliever Mike Dunn.

Infante, a super-utility type, hit .321/.359/.416 in 506 plate appearances for the Braves this year.  He's under contract through 2011.  Dunn, 26 in May, is a hard-throwing left-handed reliever who came to Atlanta from the Yankees a year ago in the Javier Vazquez deal.  Dunn racked up big-time strikeout and walk numbers this year between Triple-A and the Majors.  The intra-division asking price for Uggla was said to be large, but this return would be OK at best.

Rosenthal On Brewers, Doubront, Marlins, Barmes

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In case there was any doubt, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Brewers aren't going to trade Ryan Braun. However, the Brewers are open to trading any of their other top hitters for rotation help. That means Rickie Weeks, Casey McGehee and, of course, Prince Fielder would be available in the right deal. Here are the details and the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:

  • The Brewers don't want to trade top players for back-of-the-rotation starters, but teams are reluctant to include top young pitchers in potential deals.
  • The Padres have spoken repeatedly to the Brewers about minor league infielder Brett Lawrie, who could be obtained for young pitching.
  • Adrian Gonzalez is still drawing trade interest, even though he won't be ready to swing a bat until the end of Spring Training.
  • Two GMs tell Rosenthal that the Red Sox are open to trading Felix Doubront. One says Boston would part with the left-hander "in a heartbeat" and the other guaranteed the Red Sox will trade him by mid-summer. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told Rosenthal that the Red Sox "value Felix tremendously" and that the report "couldn't be further from the truth."
  • Every young Orioles pitcher "could be in play for the right bat," Rosenthal reports. 
  • If the Marlins trade Dan Uggla, they would use the savings to sign at least one free agent. John Buck is a target for the Marlins regardless of whether they trade or extend Uggla.
  • The A's don't have interest in Mark Reynolds.
  • The Rockies are drawing lots of interest in Clint Barmes. They could trade or non-tender the infielder if they aren't able to sign him to a multi-year contract.
  • Cody Ross and Javier Lopez are strong candidates to receive extensions from the Giants.

Jays The Favorite For Uggla, Rox Priced Out?

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After having their four-year, $48MM extension offer to Dan Uggla rejected, the Marlins seem intent on trading their second baseman. Uggla has his faults; he's not a gifted defender, strikes out in more than one of every four plate appearances for his career, and he's due a nice raise on his $7.8MM salary for 2010. What Uggla does best is hit the ball far, and hit the ball hard. He's never hit fewer than 27 home runs, and has topped 31 long balls in each of the past four seasons.

ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that two rival executives have told him Toronto would be the favorite to acquire Uggla in a trade, should the Marlins indeed follow through on their trade intentions.

The Blue Jays may not seem the most apparent fit at first, given Aaron Hill's presence, however they could intend on moving Uggla to third base. And Uggla certainly fits in with the Blue Jays' mold from 2010. Toronto led the Majors with 257 home runs, and the club parted ways with third baseman Edwin Encarnacion earlier in the week.

Toronto also has a depth of pitching talent available, something that other teams no doubt covet. While the Marlins have acquired three young relievers in the past week (Ryan Webb, Edward Mujica, and Dustin Richardson), they'll no doubt still be on the lookout for young, controllable talent in any return for Uggla.

In a second tweet, Olney also notes that the Rockies were interested in acquiring Uggla midseason in 2010, but the Marlins slugger is likely to be too expensive for their tastes now.

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