As expected, with several Marlins player headed for arbitration this season (and big salary increases as a result) the team was going to be active as usual in the offseason, altering their roster to meet team finances. We’ve already seen Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, Josh Willingham, and Kevin Gregg depart Miami, so who will be next?

As far as big names are concerned, Dan Uggla remains the lone question mark in the offseason. The Marlins are already blessed with a plethora of infield players in Jorge Cantu, Hanley Ramirez, Dallas McPherson, Gaby Sanchez, and Emilio Bonifacio (acquired via trade this week). With this depth and the acquisition of Bonifacio, Uggla becomes even more expendable. With Jacobs gone, Cantu likely will play 1st, leaving 3rd open to McPherson, Ramirez will be at SS, and 2B will be competed for between Sanchez, Bonifacio, and Uggla (assuming he stays).

The depth of the Marlins infield, combined with financial limitations of the team, makes Uggla expendable. Uggla would make good trade bait for the Marlins as he’s a solid young player who, despite issues in the field this season and a pension for Ks at the plate, has tremendous upside and would be a good addition to any infield in baseball. Don’t be surprised if Uggla is moved soon.

The Marlins search to lighten their wallet in the offseason continued today as one time closer Kevin Gregg was traded to the Chicago Cubs for a minor league prospect, 21 year old relief pitcher Jose Ceda. Gregg’s departure will likely bring more sighs of relief to South Florida than it will concerns.

Gregg was due to make roughly $4 million this season through arbitration, and while this move appears strictly money driven, it is not. Gregg had 61 saves for the Marlins during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, but became more of a liability than a sure thing in ‘08 as he tied for the Major League lead with 9 blown saves. Gregg was going to be gone this offseason whether he was due $1 million or $4 million this coming season, this much became clear at the end of the ‘08 season as he lost his job to Matt Lindstrom.

In return, the Marlins get one of the Cubs top pitching prospects, 21 year old Jose Ceda. Ceda was 2-2 with a 4.80 ERA in Single A last season and 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 22 relief appearances in Double A. Ceda is an imposing figure on the mound, standing 6′4″ and 275lbs. Ceda isn’t going to be asked to carry the Marlins bullpen, but will be a nice addition and should he live up to the hype, will be a solid addition in the future.

Money or no money, Gregg needed to go. If the Marlins could have the 9 games back that Gregg blew, they could have made the playoffs in ‘08 and continued their magical season. The fact of the matter is, Gregg has good heat and a great slider, but he lacks control over said slider which proved to be his downfall as closer. This deal is win win for the Marlins as it frees up even more money for managment to make one GOOD deal in the offseason and spend some cash to bring in a solid performer.

The Florida Marlins have made another offseason deal to trim costs and try to improve on a roster of players that just missed the playoffs in the 2008 season. On Monday the Marlins worked out a trade that sends OF Josh Willingham and SP Scott Olsen to the Washington Nationals in exchange for 2B Emilio Bonifacio and a pair of minor league prospects.

Unlike the trade that sent Mike Jacobs to Kansas City, this deal was much more financially driven. Both Willingham and Olsen are due hefty pay raises through arbitration this year, a blow the Marlins wanted to avoid. That being said, the trade is not a terrible decision for the Marlins, assuming management lives up to its promise to spend more this offseason.

Willingham and Olsen were loyal soldiers for the Marlins in their time in Miami, but in the long run were not going to be the best players to build the franchise around. Olsen has 4 seasons under his belt, his best coming in 2006 when he went 12-10, since then however he is an unimpressive 18-26. Olsen has started strong most seasons but fades quickly and is wildly inconsistent. Willingham is a good power hitter, but cannot hit for average and has had problems recently with back injuries that have shortened his seasons and decreased his effectiveness at the plate.

The Marlins biggest problems last season were defensive errors and relief pitching. The team has already begun the process of rebuilding their bullpen and filling the team with guys that can get on base. Bonifacio is young, 23, and though relatively inexperienced he brings great speed and a solid glove on defense.

Though it may feel sad to see Willingham and Olsen depart the Marlins, the only team they’ve ever played for in MLB, in the long run it will serve both parties best. The Marlins starting rotation is healthy enough, it can survive the loss of Olsen and Willingham’s production can be replaced by young guys like Cameron Maybin. Mangement however is still on the hook, they need to make the most of this trade. By dumping both these guys, the Marlins lose not only their current drag on the payroll, but also avoid a huge hit through arbitration. It is management’s turn to show Marlins’ fans they are going to live up to their word. The team needs to go out now and secure either a big bat or a good starting pitcher through free agency or trade, and spend BIG in the process. It is time to show your committment to a city and region that has shown you theirs.

On Monday the Florida Marlins continued to add to their bullpen in hopes of a steadier performance in 2009. At the GM Winter Meetings, the Marlins claimed LHP Dan Meyer off of waivers from the Oakland Athletics. Though used as a starter at times by the Athletics, the Marlins intend to use him exclusively in the bullpen.

The 27 year old Meyer was 0-4 in 4 starts last season for Oakland, with an ERA of 7.48. Meyer is better than his ERA would suggest however. When used out of the bullpen Meyer was much more effective going 2-3 innings instead of 5+ innings.

Meyer will be thrown into the Marlins’ bullpen in Spring Training and will compete with fellow lefties Renyel Pinto, Taylor Tankersley, and minor league prospect Aaron Thompson to see who will be the top left handed reliever for the team. Regardless of whether he wins the top spot or not, one of the Marlins biggest problems last season was a lack of depth in the bullpen, especially among left handers (a coveted possession in any teams bullpen). Renyel Pinto had the burden of carrying the majority of the work load last season and burned out. Pinto might very well come out on top again next season, but having more than one reliable lefty in the bullpen is crucial, every game is important.

Lets not lie, every offseason the baseball world lies in wait to see what the Florida Marlins are going to do. Are they going to sign a big name for a short term shot at the post season (ala Carlos Delgado in 2005)? Or are they going to sell off every player of value in the interest of slashing payroll as they did in 2006 with Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell or last season with Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis?

Well, the Marlins have made their first move, and though on the surface this move appears to be a payroll slash, it is actually a wise move. The Marlins finalized a deal with the Kansas City Royals that sends 1B Mike Jacobs to the Royals for relief pitcher Leo Nunez. Nunez is 25 and though he is not an imposing pitcher on the mound physically, he has good stuff. His fastball can hit the mid 90s and his slider has some serious bite on it.

On the surface, this move appears to be in the interest of keeping payroll low. Jacobs made $395,000 in 2008 and could have made $3 million in 2009 through arbitration. However, there are 3 reasons why this move works perfectly for the Marlins:

A) The Marlins have a glut of infielders at their disposal. Jacob’s departure means top prospect Gaby Sanchez will be given a chance to win the job at 1B. In the event he cannot prove himself ready for the job, Jorge Cantu can play 1B and Dallas McPherson 3B.

B) Relief pitching was the Marlins greatest weakness last season, Nunez will be a welcome addition to a much maligned bullpen.

C) Mike Jacobs was a terrific power hitter, knocking 32 homeruns last season and was a part of the MLB’s first ever infield crew to all hit at least 25 homeruns. Jacobs however was a big defensive liability and wasn’t capable of hitting for average as he had one of the worst on base percentages on the team.

The Marlins did what they needed to do. They had too many infielders and someone had to go. Their biggest need in the offseason was bullpen, so they did exactly what they needed. They traded a player who while valuable in the power department, was a liability on defense and not capable of getting on base when needed and in return strengthened their bullpen.

Wes Helms has signed a new 2 year, $1.9 million deal to remain with the Florida Marlins. This officially opens the door for what is expected to be an interesting, if not downright exciting, offseason for the Marlins.

Wes Helms is not going to be the highlight signing, at least we hope not, for the Marlins this offseason. Nonetheless, Helms is a wise choice to throw a litte money at to keep around. Helms is a veteran and though he’ll only be a spot starter and pinch hitter, he’s not a bad choice to have for a back up and has some dedication and commitment to the Marlins. Helms asked near the end of the 2008 season to remain with the Marlins and was rewarded with a 2 year deal.

Helms won’t light up the scoreboard but he is a reliable back up to have in the game. Helms batted .243 this season with 5 HR and 31 RBIs. In pinch hitting situations Helms boasted an impressive .317 average and 2 HR, including the tie breaker in the 8th inning of the season finale that booted the Mets from the playoffs.

Helms is a 3rd baseman by nature but is capable of backing up at 1st base as well. The question now becomes how will this effect the jobs of Jorge Cantu and Mike Jacobs. Helms isn’t going to challenge either for their starting job, however with Dallas McPherson expected to be up with the Marlins full time next year, 3rd base is covered. This seasons 3rd baseman, Cantu, is capable of playing 1st and 2nd as well, meaning between Helms, Cantu, and Jacobs, someone will likely be departing South Florida. Jacobs would likely be the odd man out in such a scenario.

Alright, now the Marlins have not even been done for a full week, but it is never too early to guess at what the Marlins can/will do over the winter to improve themselves for the 2009 season. I know what you’re thinking, what do you mean improve? This team just finished within a few games of making the playoffs in the NL and were in it till the last week. They sure were, but what fun is life without striving to always get a little better. The Marlins CAN make the playoffs next year and it won’t take a lot of shifting, so lets just take a walk down “Imaginary Lane” and take a look at what the Marlins offseason should look like to make them a contender in 2009.

First off, lets put a new twist on an old South Florida trick, the player sale. Only this time there will be no sign outside Dolphin Stadium saying “Fire Sale: Get Your Red Hot Ballplayers!”. The Marlins have 17 players eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, and it is estimated that to resign all those players and maintain 2008’s team, the Marlins payroll would have to double from $21 million to over $40 million. Why waste the money to maintain a team that missed the playoffs, albeit barely, when for the same amount of money a playoff contending team can be put on the field. The Marlins hold players with high trade value and should use them wisely.

The main focus of the Marlins offseason should be to refocus from a power hitting, high strikeout team to one that has improved defense, contact hitting, speed, and solid pitching from beginning to end.

Call ups Cameron Maybin and Gaby Sanchez showed in the last 2 weeks of the season they are ready to go full time for the big club. Dallas McPherson is also ready to move up from AAA to take over at 3rd base, and John Baker grew by leaps and bounds as the season came to a close, he too is ready to go behind the plate for the big club. This means Dan Uggla, Josh Willingham, Jeremy Hermida, Kevin Gregg, and Scott Olsen won’t all be returning next season.

This offseason won’t read like past seasons that have seen successful Marlins teams torn apart to save money. Mr. Loria has his stadium, time to fork over some cash and put a true winner on the field. Scott Olsen and Dan Uggla hold the best trade value of the lot, so they’re gone. Baker takes over behind the plate, Mike Jacobs likely could remain at 1st, Jorge Cantu is a fantastic utility infielder who played 2nd in his time with Tampa Bay, Hanley Ramirez at short, and McPherson at 3rd. Should Cantu not return, Gaby Sanchez will step in and not miss a beat in the field. If Jacobs departs, Cantu plays 1st and Sanchez 2nd.

Some jobs will be lost in the outfield as well. Maybin proved in the last two weeks he’s ready all around, which means Willingham and Hermida are not both likely to stay with the team. Pitching is going to shake up as well. Lindstrom seems ready to take over as the full time closer, sending Kevin Gregg packing, much to the relief of Marlins fans across Florida. Scott Olsen isn’t likely to return either, but with Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, and Anibal Sanchez returning, the rotation is in good hands regardless.

Lots of things can happen in the following weeks to alter the above scenario, assuming they don’t, the Marlins should be wise when dealing with Uggla and Olsen. The greatest need of the team is extra help in the bullpen, it is imperative that is addressed. It would also be wise to secure one more proven, reliable bat. A starting pitcher would be acceptable, though the Marlins have several talented prospects waiting in the wings to pitch.

It may seem silly to shed power baseball for the manufacturing of runs, but that is not the only thing being accomplished here. These moves won’t be made for the sake of lowering the number of homeruns the team makes, they are dual purpose moves. Improved defense, speed on the base paths, and FEWER strike outs with better contact are necessary if the Marlins want to be strong consistently in 2008. The long ball is fickle, it is there somedays and gone the next, which means playoff chances are too. Consider this, the Minnesota Twins are perhaps the best team in baseball at manufacturing runs, playing “small ball”. They game much closer to the playoffs than the Marlins and did so scoring the 4th MOST runs in MLB. They also were 29th, or next to LAST, in home runs in the majors.

It is hard to accept, but the Marlins 2008 season is finally over. A season that started with a lot of promise saw the Fish lead the NL East throughout April and May. The team hung in the pennant race throughout June and July. In the end, the Marlins faded down the stretch and though they played themselves back into the fight in early September, they were done realistically after their August collapse. Now it is left to us to determine what went right and what went wrong for the Marlins this season, and it boils down to 8 reasons.

First off, what went right for the Marlins this season? Well, the Marlins made the following positive steps forward in 2008:

1. The most visible improvement was the Marlins record, 84-77, a 13 win improvement over last season. This season was the Marlins 1st winning season since 2005 and their record of 84-77 is the 3rd best finish in team history. The only better records belonged to the 1997 World Series team and 2003 World Series team.

2. Perhaps the biggest positive this season was the fact that the Marlins were never below .500 after the 3rd game of the season when they were 1-2. They didn’t even fall to .500 again until August.

3. The Marlins were tough in the clutch, never making it too easy for their opponents. They finished 24-19 in 1 run games and 9-5 in extra innings games. The Fish also had 42 comeback victories and 11 walk off wins.

4. Florida pitching was vastly improved this year. The team finished 30th (dead last) in ERA last season, but this season finished 14th in MLB.

For all the positives though, the Marlins still had weak spots that will need to be addressed to transform this team into a playoff team next year. Here are 4 things that will need to be improved:

1. The team’s defense was atrocious at times this season. Hanley Ramirez, Jorge Cantu, and Mike Jacobs were among the worst in MLB at fielding their position. The team as a whole was 2nd to last in fielding percentage.

2. This team couldn’t get over hump. On July 20th the Fish were within 1/2 game of the NL East lead, but after falling out of the race for Manny Ramirez, the Marlins bats went cold in August and the Fish played themselves out of the playoff race with a terrible month of August.

3. The Marlins blew too many late leads. Even though Kevin Gregg was removed as closer in favor of Matt Lindstrom, the damage had been done. Gregg tied for the lead in the majors with 9 blown saves on the season, to go with 8 losses he picked up as well. Lindstrom took over at the end of the season and was an improvement, time will tell though if he can be durable throughout an entire season as closer.

4. Marlins batters created as much wind in South Florida as the hurricane season did. The Fish were 1st in MLB as a team with 1,371 Ks, 100 Ks higher than the next closest team. 6 Marlins’ batters finished with more than 100Ks each and a 7th was on his way were it not for 2 months out of the game.

Perhaps an extra weakness the team has is ownership. Jeffrey Loria should be ashamed of his cheapness, his payroll of just over $20 million was far and away the lowest in baseball. Alex Rodriguez makes in one season what the whole Marlins team makes in a year. Loria ,however, now has his coveted new stadium and promised to spend more money when a stadium was secured for the Marlins. Well mission accomplished, now pony up the dough Loria!

No team in baseball is ever perfect and every team has weaknesses that can be exploited. The true measure of a good team however is their ability to minimize their weakness and take advantage of their strengths. In the end many good things happened to the Marlins this season, good record, strong performance, and hey, we’ve got a new stadium coming our way in 2011. The future is bright for this team, stick around to see what happens!

One has to wonder where this Florida Marlins squad has been hiding the past month. The Marlins extended their win streak to 4 games in beating the Washington Nationals 4-2 Saturday evening, and in so doing set another record and got closer to setting another.

Josh Johnson pitched 6 strong innings giving up 6 hits and 2ER while getting 9Ks. Johnson has been on fire since returning July 10th from Tommy John Surgery. Johnson has stifled opposing batters allowing 3ERs or less in 11 of his 12 starts this season and improved his record tonight to 5-1. Matt Lindstrom pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 4th save in 5 opportunities.

As for the record, in the 2nd inning Hanley Ramirez hit his 30th homerun of the season making the Marlins infield trio of Dan Uggla (30), Mike Jacobs (32), and Hanley Ramirez (30) the 2nd infield trio ever to hit 30 HRs each in a season. In 2001 the Oakland Athletics infield trio of Jason Giambi (38), Eric Chavez (32), and Miguel Tejada (31) were the first trio ever to accomplish the feat.

More importantly, the Marlins are on the verge of having 4 infielders hit at least 30 HRs each in a single season. In the 1st inning Jorge Cantu knocked his 26th HR of the season into the seats to give the Marlins the lead early. Cantu has 14 games left this season to get 4 more HRs, here’s hoping he can get there!

Tonight was further proof that the Marlins have a solid infield established and they need to do what they can in the offseason to keep Cantu, Jacobs, and Uggla to continue playing alongside of Hanley Ramirez. Yes, they are each prone to errors, but as evidence by the number of homeruns they are more than capable of making up for defensive lapses by putting up runs. The Marlins need to focus on improving their starting rotation and more importantly the bullpen. The Marlins clearly have a solid 1-2 punch with Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson, the question is can Anibal Sanchez ever regain his form, can Scott Olsen be consistent over a full season, and will Chris Volstad continue to blossom? The bullpen is a bigger mess and needs to be addressed first. Keep the infield nucleus intact and build a team around them.

September 1st marks the point in the MLB season at which teams can expand their rosters for the final month of the season, either to give rookies a chance at the major league level or add depth for a playoff push. Dallas McPherson, Robert Andino, and Eulogio De La Cruz were the 3 players the Marlins have added to their roster for September’s push.

Among the group, McPherson brings the most potential in the present. McPherson, a 3B by trade who is also capable of playing 1B, brings power to the Marlins line up. McPherson leads all professional baseball players with 42 home runs this season. Although all his homeruns have been hit in the minors, mostly at AAA Albuquerque, they are not cheap shots that just drop over the fence. Many of McPherson’s are tape measure 500+ foot shots.

Andino is a reliable infielder, capable of playing SS and 2B and though he might not be as clutch at the plate as Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla can be, he is a much better fielder and less prone to making errors. De La Cruz adds another arm to a bullpen that quite frankly has been pathetic.

I’m not going to suggest that any of these men can make a big enough difference to bring a World Series title to South Florida. However, McPherson in particular should be able to have an impact and perhaps help push the Marlins toward the playoffs. If nothing else, the Marlins will get a look at players (McPherson and Andino in particular) that could have starting spots on the 2009 Marlins. Good performances from them in September 2008 could land them important roles in April 2009.