What is going on with me? I will be stepping down from the blog in order to take over for SB Nation’s FishStripes blog. Of course, Marlin Maniac will always be my first home, and I would like to think of this blog as the place where I learned to be a decent writer and blogger, where I took my first toddler steps into the world of blogging. As the new lead at FishStripes, I will be bringing the same hard-hitting saber-slanted analysis that I did in my time here at Marlin Maniac, and my new writing staff and I will continue to strive to give you the best Marlins content available, regardless of where we will be. As for my future with MM, I have spoken with John Parent and Wally Fish, godfathers of FanSided’s excellent MLB blogging crew, and they have mentioned that I am welcome to come back if our blogging paths cross again, and I’d like to once again thank them for making my time here memorable. I will be regularly communicating with the crew of Marlin Maniac and would like to help grow this site from the outside as much as I tried to help it grow from the inside as the lead blogger here for two years.

I say so long to those of you reading on Marlin Maniac, but I insist that you guys continue reading the fine work these two gentlemen will be doing in my place. I also insist that you come with me and my new crew when we start tomorrow, November 1, at the new FishStripes at SB Nation. We promise to bring you big things that include collaboration with the best Marlins blogs in the business, including Marlin Maniac. In short, if you did not have FishStripes on your reading list, please add it, and please maintain your current reading list that includes Marlin Maniac. So long for now, and I hope to hear from you all tomorrow!

Is there a good possibility that the Marlins will try to go after left-hander C.J. Wilson in free agency? If so, how much money would the Marlins be willing to spend on him?
– Jonathan V., Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Now here’s a fan that’s thinking smart! I’ve yet to reveal my offseason plan for the Marlins, but C.J. Wilson figures to be in the cards. Aside from C.C. Sabathia, who appears to be opting out of his deal with the New York Yankees, Wilson looks to be significantly more affordable and could allow the Marlins to pursue two free agents this year instead of going for one big fish. Since becoming a starter in 2010, Wilson has done some pretty impressive things for the Texas Rangers.

Those are good numbers for two years of pitching. In addition to that, Wilson accomplishes his pitching goals in my preferred method; he gets a decent amount of strikeouts (21.3 percent strikeout rate since 2010) and keeps the ball on the ground (career 50.7 percent ground ball rate and no season under 49.0 percent). Finally, Wilson is lefty, which fits perfectly with the team’s need for a lefty to contend against the top lefty hitters in the division. As for money, Wilson will demand a hefty salary, but his age (31 years old in 2012) and sudden status as second-class starter in the free agent market precludes him from receiving top dollar, so Frisaro’s four-year, $60 million estimate is not out of reach. Great pickup for the team, though you already heard that before here.

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There is talk that the Marlins will sign big name free agents. They haven’t done so before, will they really do so now? Who might be some of the players they go after?
– Eric F., Hollywood, Fla.

There will come a time for me to go over this, but for now I’d like to get to this point made by Frisaro.

From what I’ve heard in recent days, the team ideally would like to add a free agent who will guarantee huge ticket sales beyond next year. Naturally, the club anticipates big crowds for its first season in its retractable-roof stadium. But what about after that? To generate a long-lasting buzz, the team feels it needs a major impact player who has star power. That’s why I fully expect the Marlins to make a strong push for Albert Pujols. And, yes, I think the team would offer more than $200 million, with the years to be worked out.

Indeed, the Marlins may “go after” Pujols, in the sense that they will make offers to entice him to come to south Florida much like the Oakland Athletics made offers to entice Adrian Beltre to come to their team. But the question is whether those offers will be competitive. Pujols stands to make upwards of $30 million per season on his next contract. He has been the best player in baseball over the last decade if you measure by any Wins Above Replacement metric. In 2011, he hit .299/.366/.541, good for a ,385 wOBA and a 148 wRC+ (48 percent better than the league average hitter), and those were the worst marks of his career.

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Let’s get this out of the way: from a baseball standpoint, this move is meaningless at best and backwards at worst. After the Triple-A season Martinez had this year, there is not much traction in the idea that he will be a major leaguer anytime soon. After a good season in Double-A, he completely regressed and does not appear to be ready until at least 2013. In other words, there is an excellent chance that he ends up being just another Pablo Ozuna or Robert Andino, a run-of-the-mill utility infielder. That said, trading a player with a possible future for a manager with little effect on the game would seem like an even more useless move. As much we’d like to think that managers bring a whole lot to the table, it just isn’t likely. Aside from deciding who receives playing time, there is likely little baseball impact that managers can make, even managers as charismatic as Guillen. There’s a reason why Guillen is being paid $2.5 million per season: the team does not think he is worth more than half a win over a scrub replacement (call him Edwin Rodriguez, let’s say), and they are probably right.

So what does Ozzie bring to the table then, if not the ability to produce wins? Well, we know about the tangible aspects, but there are some extra benefits to bringing in Ozzie Guillen that are specific to the Marlins’ situation and culture. And, after all, he does bring some fire.

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