The Miami Marlins are looking to make a splash in free agency. And by "splash", I mean they're flailing around the Winter Meetings like a methed-out manatee having a seizure, possibly after staring at their own logo, and I mean that in the best way possible. After signing Jose Reyes to a huge six-year contract, the Marlins have been aggressively courting all-time great Albert Pujols, forcing the St. Louis Cardinals to improve the offer that they were adamantly refusing to improve.
Now the scuttlebutt is that the Cardinals are likely to re-sign their franchise icon, leaving the Marlins without another splash to make. At least for the next few minutes. Jon Heyman suggests that the Marlins have already moved on to another big splash, Prince Fielder:
marlins already in pursuit of prince. Signs indicate cards likely to get pujols
The Marlins are looking to commit what was a decade's worth of payroll for them over the last two years, and while they were hoping to do so with Pujols, it's not like Fielder is a bad fallback option. He still has the star power that Miami is craving, he's younger, and he's likely cheaper.
But if the Marlins are already looking into Fielder, it's probably a sign that Pujols is returning to the Cardinals. Or it could be a strategic gambit to let Pujols know that they're moving on, which will force Pujols to panic. It could be anything! I'm sure there won't be conflicting reports on Twitter in the next five minutes to let us know which one it is.