Even us pond scum bloggers need a little spring training, I guess.  The Marlins hosted what’s left of the Yankees ( I think they’re from New York, somewhere) in a midday matchup at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL. In a 6-1 game, the Marlins, led by Nathan Eovaldi, shut down a no-name squad at the long end of a bus ride from Tampa.

With $60m of payroll on the DL, the Yanks are looking to get as much of their farm system  up for a look as they can.  It showed, as Eovaldi put up a good outing, going four innings with one earned run and giving up three walks.  He struggled a bit with the edges of the strike zone early on, but settled into a nice groove as the first third of the game eased by.

The real story of the game was the Marlins’ hitting.  Led by Juan Pierre, the Marlins pounded the right side of the field.  The hit-and-run was the order of the day, and it paid off with six runs on eleven hits.  If the rule of thumb in spring training is that hitters always have to play catch-up to the pitchers, then I’m going to revise my 70-win prediction to 75 wins. I saw good plate discipline, and excellent opposite-field hitting.

The only give-up on the defense came from a long one-run RBI fly ball that Juan Pierre couldn’t quite run down to the warning track in the left-center gap.  As fast as he is, and as good as he reads the hits, it still took two cutoff men to trek out to the limits of his throw in from the track. Still, the benefits of having JP on the roster (and in the clubhouse) far outweigh the odd double that eludes his still-fleet feet.

Stantonless, our ESPN-slammed lineup kept putting men on and batting them around with efficiency and aplomb.  The Yanks’ second basemen got a good workout (albeit unsuccessful) forehand and backhand, and right fielders got plenty of practice coming in on singles. Matt Downs, Gork, Hech, and Yelich put up RBIs, and there is a laundry list o

August 8, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Miami Marlins pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (24) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning of a game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

f regulars and invitees that notched hits, with Rob Brantly’s ground-rule double as the centerpiece of an offense that I only wish we had last year.  The large acreage of the Marlins Park outfield cries for a lineup of consistent line drive singles and doubles hitters.  What we don’t need (and, thankfully, don’t have anymore) is a roster full of off-year/down stat home run hitters. What I saw today was a display of disciplined opposite-field hitting that showed that our boys are really and truly putting the team first.

Looking forward to the regular season, we have Giancarlo Stanton as our long-ball anchor, but with what the spring has looked like so far, I really think we are going to see LOB and RISP numbers that look nothing like what they did last year.

Unofficial and frankly confidential sources confirm what the press has written off as pure prevarication from the front office.  A couple of beers with a second-hand connection with the pitching staff says that the true focus of the club is building a strong, capable core of young stud players that will be putting butts in seats and pennants on the flagpoles in two to three years’ time.  The buzz I’m hearing is yes, this was a fire sale, but it was a fire sale with purpose, direction, and plan.

Footnote:  As I write this, Stanton just flied out in the WBC game versus Mexico.  I have a feeling his season is going to feature lots of pitches a long ways away from the middle of the strike zone.  Just sayin’.

Footnote 2: I’m done bitching about the offseason moves.  The season is upon us, and for good or for bad, these are our boys.  Let’s put aside our frustration with Loria and focus on cheering for the best 25 we can offer.

Give ‘em hell, boys.  Hit ‘em where they ain’t!

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.

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.

I find the attendance issue ridiculous. There’s a reason why the Marlins built a stadium that will only hold 37,000. South Florida isn’t a mecca for baseball, or for that matter, any pro sport. It is an event-driven town. If the Miami Heat didn’t have Lebron James they’d have crowds similar to those of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. How do I know? I was there before the Heat became an “attraction.” If the Marlins play well they’ll draw crowds. If not, they’ll still draw bigger crowds than they did before. It’s a win-win for ownership. The announced attendance at yesterday’s day game was 23,168; very respectable when most of us were in school and at work. Take a look at the some of the supposed baseball towns in MLB and check out the numbers. The Chicago White Sox had a crowd of 11,836, the then 10-3 Washington Nationals drew 18,045, the loaded Detroit Tigers drew 30,029 for a game against the best team in the league; the Texas Rangers. The Toronto Blue Jays drew 18,976 against the Tampa Rays. The list goes on. Take a look at some of the New York Yankees home games so far this year and see the 10-12k empty seats for their games.

MLB has seen a decline in attendance specifically in those places where new stadiums have driven up the prices to the point where only the corporations can afford them. Here, however, the Marlins experience is very affordable, and now we see a game in the comfort of a retractable roof stadium with a view of downtown Miami.

The Marlins never thought they were going to sell out every game. The goal is 2.5 million coming through the gates in 2012. They’ve sold around 15,000 season tickets. MLB counts tickets sold, not actual turnstile entrants. If they average 25,000 per game that will bring in 2,025,000; a much higher number than in years past. With games against the Yanks, Red Sox, and other baseball powers, they will blow through that number and come close to their goal. Through seven home games the Marlins have drawn 206,096 with an average of almost 30,000. Of course the new park has a lot to do with it, but wasn’t that the point? Mind you, six of these games were played against the horrible Houston Astros, and a bad Chicago Cubs team.

To all of the media who still complain about the lukewarm pro sports market here in Florida, get over it! The Marlins did it right, and as long as they sell merchandise, concessions, and parking, they will be flush with money for years to come. My goal isn’t to make Loria a richer man, but it is to take my son to baseball games here in FL until the day I no longer frequent the planet.

Apr 8, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher

Now we will take a look back at the posts that were made on Marlin Maniac last week:

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