Alex Rodriguez finds himself stuck in another PED mess. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Braun has had accolade after accolade piled on him, starting with Rookie of the year in his major league debut season (2007) though his selection as NL MVP in 2011 and the home run champion last year.  He was also called on the carpet to answer to a urinalysis test that showed elevated levels of testosterone.  His (somehow) successful defense?  The sample collector didn’t get to the FedEx office quick enough to suit the arbitrator.

September 18, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun (8) at the batting cage before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It really sends a helluva message to the rest of the world.  Juice, if you want to have your name in lights and have rewards piled high. Juice and you might be the next Barry Bonds, the next A-Rod.  The next Ryan Braun. Don’t juice, and you might not even get a cup of coffee in The Show.  It’s easy.  Just go see an unlicensed doctor in Florida with a Banana Republic degree.  He’ll hook you up, and it’s undetectable on a standard MLB piss test.

This is so wrong on so many levels, and will hopefully put to bed once and for all the question of whether or not PED-enhanced ballplayers should ever make it to Cooperstown. If Joe Jackson can get banned for life for allegedly throwing a game, how can Barry Bonds be considered for the ultimate accolade in baseball when he had to answer to Federal charges of perjury? Alex Rodriguez is going to be competing with Pinocchio for the all-time prevarication title. Ryan Braun?  His credibility is on a par with a guy named Orenthal, of USC, Buffalo, and California Penal System fame.

Major League Baseball has taken the Steroid/PED mess seriously, and has implemented some serious policies to rid itself of the specter of juiced athletes. Unfortunately, it looks like the siren song of MVP performance in a bottle hasn’t been quieted yet.

There are plenty of astounding athletes that are eager to play pro ball without juicing themselves.  Baseball needs to send a clear message: Players caught juicing will be banished from the game. End of story.

Cheating is cheating.  I don’t see any nuance, or any shades of gray.

I really hope none of our guys, the Bad News Bears Marlins of 2013,  come up dirty on this. That would be like kicking a man when he’s down.

I think Marlin fans should really hope this deal does not happen. However, I believe that if the Yankees eat enough of the money owed to Alex Rodriquez it will be a hard deal for the Marlins management to pass up. There is a hole at third in Miami and while Alex is better than what the Marlins currently have, the baggage that comes along with him is huge. The Marlins management is in a spot where they really need to be honest with themselves. With the young cores that the Braves and Nationals have, this team could be a few years away from being a serious contender. If that is the case, why do you need Alex Rodriguez? You don’t field a team with the sole purpose of putting butts in seats and I sincerely hope that Marlins management realizes that. If they don’t, take a long look at last year with Ozzie.

Oct 16, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez before game three of the 2012 ALCS against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

It’s official.  The rumor season has started for the Marlins.  Last night and this morning, bandwidth has been spent reporting on a conversation between Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and Randy Levine of the Yankees.  The subject?  Mot mangers.  Not front office personnel.  Players.  Specifically, a third baseman at the start of the downhill side of his career, who’s still owed a crapload of money, but can’t hit well enough to avoid losing AB’s to a pinch-hitter in the playoffs.  The source is the stable, sober-sided, most non-hysterical reporter in the history of forever, Keith Olbermann. Please take appropriate precautions regarding the veracity of the rumor. Hip waders and a sturdy shovel might be a good start. Aaron Somers has an in-depth review here.

This is bad news for Marlins fans all the way around.  First and foremost, Loria is back out there in full-on “look at me” mode.  I’m sure it’s a big thrill for him to be in the midst of conversations about a future HOF player, but he’s forgotten that he’s an owner again, and not the GM. One that has been reported to want an $80m payroll this year.

Alex Rodriguez is owed roughly $114m over the next five years, plus bonuses for milestone home runs and other achievements.  Averaging out to $22.8m per year, picking up that contract would have one player representing over 25% of Loria’s rumored payroll cap for 2013. A wrinkle in the deal might come in the form of relief from the Heath Bell albatross, as the Yankees might need a late-inning guy to set the table for Mariano Rivera, if he comes back next year.

While Mr. Rodriguez is most definitely a welcome sight around town, and is certainly one of the city’s marquee products in the sports world, he’s a star that looks to be fading fast. The number of games he’s played has dropped since 2009, as have his HR totals and slash lines.  During the ALDS, Raul Ibanez famously pinch-hit for Rodriguez, popping clutch homers to defeat the tougher-than-expected Orioles.

I guess the question for Loria might be: If you’re busy wiping the egg off of your face for the last high-dollar, long-term contract for a player you overrode your GM to sign (Bell), why on earth would you look to drop better than 25% of next year’s payroll on a guy who looks to be on the far side of his career? Joe Girardi’s unwillingness to play him in a clutch situation is just doubling down on the warning signs.

This, however, is typical of the kind of deals that owners like Dan Snyder and George Steinbrenner (during his bonehead years) simply couldn’t pass up.  Yes, Rodriguez belongs in the pantheon of Great Yankees, but that doesn’t mean that the Marlins have any business dropping a quarter of the payroll on a guy that is very likely headed for Buck/Sanchez stats in the next year or two.  It would be much better to develop six or seven players with superstar potential, than to make an offer to an aging player to go to Florida for his retirement.  We get enough of that on our roads. We don’t need it in our ballpark.

Now, at first glance the entire idea tosses a lot of “That’s ridiculous!” thoughts out into the air – or some stronger verbage, if that’s your preference – but could there potentially be some merit to the idea?

To begin, a “free” Alex Rodriguez could certainly do some good for the Marlins organization (as if that statement wasn’t an obvious one).

Alex Rodriguez has had a rough postseason, but has it been rough enough to jettison him out of town? (Image Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

He grew up and went to high school in Miami (Westminster Christian). He still has a home in the area. He’d instantaneously serve as a new bridge to the heavily-Latin community that makes up the Miami area and an added connection to the fanbase. That’s not to suggest that Rodriguez’s heritage is the sole factor in why Miami could be a logical landing place for him, but the fact remains that he could likely help put fans in the seats which, in turn, drives more revenue into the organization and potentially lets ownership spend more to build a competitive roster around him (in theory, at least). Higher revenue potential coupled with not having to pay Rodriguez’s salary sounds like a win-win situation for the Marlins. Rodriguez is fond of New York, but he might be persuaded to waive his no-trade rights in order to facilitate a change of scenery.

Rodriguez also provides an instant upgrade to the Marlins roster, regardless of whether he stays at third base or moves across the diamond to first*. An argument could be made that the Marlins should look to address both corners of the infield this winter, but third base would certainly be the preferred hole to patch up. Looking at the organization’s 40-man roster there aren’t many options with any experience at third base. Greg Dobbs is under contract for another season and won’t cost much (roughly $1.5 Million), but he isn’t the most inspiring option for a full time starter at the position. He did bat .285/.313/.386 over 342 plate appearances, but doesn’t offer any power or speed. His value is mostly tied into his positional versatility as he appeared at both corner outfield and infield positions. Beyond Dobbs, the next best internal option would likely be Zach Cox – a former 1st Round pick of the Cardinals that Miami acquired last summer when they sent Edward Mujica to St. Louis – but he is not yet ready for the Major Leagues. Cox struggled in his experience at Triple-A this past season, prompting Miami to assign him to Double-A upon his acquisition and he hit just .253/.321/.368 with a lone home run over his final 106 plate appearances on the year.

Across the diamond Miami appears to already have two options – a healthy Logan Morrison or a possibly-resigned Carlos Lee. Morrison missed the last half of the 2012 season after suffering a knee injury, but according to his own Twitter account his rehab is progressing as planned and he’s starting to feel good again. Morrison has spent most of his time with the Marlins out in left field but the bulk of his time in the minor leagues was as a first baseman. His move to the outfield was largely a result of the team’s desire to get him into the lineup with Gaby Sanchez already entrenched at first base. With Sanchez now gone after being shipped to Pittsburgh last July, Morrison can potentially return to his natural position which could let him settle in offensively and be the .275/.380/.450 hitter with 20+ home runs that he’s long been projected to become.

As for Lee, his future is still a little uncertain despite rumblings that he and the Marlins are interested in signing a new deal. He hit a modest .243/.328/.325 with 4 HR and 48 RBI over 338 at bats once he joined Miami last season, playing respectable defense at first base. At 36 Lee isn’t getting any better defensively at this point in his career and his mobility in left field is a liability at this point, ruling out a return to the outfield in all likelihood. He’s held a strong track record for remaining healthy over his career but one has to wonder how well he’ll hold up under another season starting everyday. Like Morrison, Lee likely won’t cost much should the Marlins choose to bring him back for another season. Presumably it’d only require a one year deal (as there’s little to justify giving Lee anything longer) in the neighborhood of $3-5 Million would be sufficient. Perhaps that’s even an overstatement of the potential dollars he’ll be able to get on his next contract.

* Olbermann suggests such a move could make sense, but does not specify whether the suggestion is based on something he’s heard from a source or if it’s merely his own speculation. In theory there could be some validity to the idea, as Rodriguez is already 37 years old and has already started to show signs of aging. A transition to first base would be less taxing on his body defensively which could in turn keep him more productive at the plate. Should he remain with New York, he’d likely be relegated strictly to DHing as the Yankees’ infield is locked up for the next several years.

Rodriguez would certainly be an upgrade for the Marlins roster, even if he’s no longer the same feared hitter he once was. (Image Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE)

Here is where things start to get a little hazy, however, as the likelihood of this deal starts to fall apart on New York’s end.

To be clear, Rodriguez is no longer a $114 Million player at this point in his career. Over the next five seasons he is due payments of $28M, $25M, $21M, $20M, and $20M. Rodriguez did miss some time this year to injury, but otherwise batted .272/.353/.430 on the year over 529 plate appearances, adding 18 HR and 57 RBI. It was just the second time since 2000 that he wasn’t a part of the All Star Game festivities and the second consecutive “down year” for Rodriguez. Add in his dreadful performance during the 2012 postseason (a combined 3 for 23 through Game 3 of the ALCS, benched twice by manager Joe Girardi, plus a possible public relations nightmare stemming from trying to pickup two women during a game) and it’s a discouraging picture for the Yankees. For a team hoping to cut back on payroll in the coming years, an opportunity to move Rodriguez contains a certain obvious element of appeal.

The other part of the problem, however, is how do the Yankees go about replacing him at third base?

Internally, like the Marlins the Yankees have few options. Eduardo Nunez has seen some limited time at third in his brief career, though not with spectacular results defensively. He also doesn’t offer much power (7 career HR in 491 plate appearances over the past three seasons), something teams typically look for at the corners. Nunez’s value may be highest in a utility role rather than starting at third. The team could look to resign Eric Chavez this winter, but like Nunez he likely isn’t a viable everyday option at this point in his career, despite batting .281/.348/.496 in 313 plate appearances (his highest single season total since 2007) this past season.

This would likely force New York to look at the free agent and/or trade market in an effort to address third base and the pickings are expected to be slim. Scott Rolen is arguably the top free agent option at the position but he’s set to retire by all accounts. The next best option is likely Kevin Youkilis, but the chances that he and the Yankees would make for a good pair are slim at best, not to mention the fact that Youkilis is likely better served at first base at this point in his career. New York could look to acquire a third baseman via trade – such as San Diego’s Chase Headley – but the cost won’t be cheap given the high demand for quality third baseman across the league.

Replacing Rodriguez wouldn’t be an easy venture for the Yankees. The task becomes even more of a challenge if the team is actually covering the entire $114 Million remaining on his contract. While the organization’s desire to get out from under that deal is obvious, it makes little business sense to pay such an significant amount of money for him to play for another team. It makes even less sense if all the Yankees are getting in return is Heath Bell. Ultimately this is where the rumored deal starts to fall apart from a viability standpoint, even before we factor in the timing (New York is still in the playoffs, so it’s unlikely they’d already be discussing a trade with another organization.) and Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s denial that talks have even taken place.

New York may “explore” moving Rodriguez this winter but by no means is a deal a certainty. Miami will do something to address their third base situation, but Marlins fans shouldn’t get too comfortable just yet with the expectation that Rodriguez could be the answer, especially not a “free” Rodriguez.

July 17, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Miami Marlins player

The Marlins traveled to Chicago to face the Cubs in an evening game. The on-field heat index was north of 100, and a light breeze was blowing out of Wrigley Field.  The Marlins took advantage of the warm air, balmy breezes and short fences, putting three into the bleachers as they notched a 9-5 victory over the northsiders. Carlos Lee added another grand slam to his record, moving him past luminaries like Henry Aaron and Babe Ruth. At 17 career slams, he is now tied for second place with Ted Williams and Jimmy Foxx. At 23, the all-time leaders are Alex Rodriguez and Lou Gehrig.  Rare air indeed.  Well done, Carlos.  Omar Infante put a two-run shot out in the fourth, and Hanley Ramirez hit such a hard line drive to the center field bleachers that it looked like it was still going up as it cleared the fence. Lee’s slam came as part of a five-run fifth inning that featured Anibal Sanchez as both leadoff and final batters of the frame.

Lee’s fifth inning slam provided a welcome cushion for Sanchez, who threw seven sweet innings, giving up one earned run and two walks, striking out seven. The 9-run score also served to help Sanchez inch closer to moving off of the bottom of the average run support list.  Keys to the success of Anibal’s outing were his ability to keep the ball on the corners of the zone, and his effective use of velocity, rather than bend, to fool hitters into swinging.  Lots of Cubs were way out in front last night.

As the trade deadline approaches, and as Edward Mujica gets closer to completing his rehab assignment, I suspect that the atmosphere in the bullpen is a bit like it is late in spring training.  Everybody knows that someone is getting tapped to head down.  Chad Gaudin didn’t make a convincing argument to keep him around. Facing four batters, he gave up a walk and three earned runs on three hits. Gaudin didn’t tally any outs during his eighth inning appearance.  Thankfully, manager Ozzie Guillen pulled the plug on Gaudin before any more blood was spilled.  In his defense, it has been almost two weeks since Gaudin has thrown in a game. Randy Choate stepped in and finished the inning, setting the stage for a Heath Bell ninth inning non-save appearance.  The ball was really jumping out of Bell’s hand last night, and he dominated the end of the game. It will be a bonus for this team when he figures out how to bottle up those aggressive pitches and uncork them at will.

It’s the Cubs again tonight.  Josh Johnson faces Jeff Samardzija.  Both are right handers, and both are probably due to regress a little bit tomorrow.  Johnson has struggled to get through six innings lately, and Samardzija has allowed only four runs in his last 14 innings.  Baseball has a way of evening out streaks and slumps, and Johnson is a fundamentally better pitcher.  Combined with the energy injection coming from Emilio Bonifacio and Carlos Lee, the Marlins will be tough to beat tonight.

Prediction:  Marlins by two.