SB Nation - Florida Marlins

Alfredo Amezaga still rehabbing

craig — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:01:56 -0000

It seems that Alfredo Amezaga isn't exactly good to go, yet.

Thursday, President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest said Amezaga has yet to begin a running program, but his rehab is going fine since undergoing microfracture knee surgery. Amezaga, who made $1.3 million last season and is eligible for arbitration again, missed all but 27 games in 2009 because of the knee injury he sustained while representing Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. His rehab schedule will not allow him to play winter ball, but the Marlins anticipate Amezaga will be ready for spring training.

The length of his recovery, which is normal for his type of injury, may mean he won't be with the Fish next season. I doubt he will command much of an increase in salary for next season, but if the front office feels there may not be a chance of him being a 100% by the time of spring training. Then they will non-tender him. We will know soon.

Marlins sign six minor league Free Agents

craig — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:33:16 -0000

The Marlins signed six minor league free agents to see if their is a diamond in the ruff.

The team on Friday announced the signings of six six-year free agents -- right-hander Kasey Olenberger, outfielder Brandon Tripp, right-hander John Fulton, right-hander Jesse Foppert, utility player Vinny Rottino and infielder Hector Luna.

The six are Minor League free agents who will be invited to big league camp in February.

There is next to no cost to signing them, and the team's only obligation is to carry them through Spring Training. Most of the time it doesn't workout, but every now and then it does. We will see how they do in Jupiter.

Down on the Farm: Part 2 of Interview with Adam Foster from Project Prospect

raygu — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:00:16 -0000

Here is the part 2 of the two part interview with Adam Foster from Project Prospect. Foster and the guys over at Project Prospect recently posted their top 15 catching prospects, so head on over to Project Prospect and check out their top 15 rankings.

Fake Teams: Aside from the AFL, what prospects that you have seen this year made the biggest leap forward? Step back?

Adam Foster: James Darnell is a guy who I went well out of my way to see this year. His swing really impressed me at Minor League Spring Training. He's very athletic with a good chance of sticking at third base. And his power potential is outstanding.

Some of my colleagues who are really into college statistics pointed Darnell out as a guy who may have fallen further than he should have in the draft - he wasn't healthy his junior season. Then I bumped into Darnell's Cape Cod League coach in Phoenix one night and he said he wanted Darnell over Justin Smoak on his Cape team.

I'm not saying that Darnell is a lock to become a superstar. But he's one of the best prospects in baseball. And people who aren't giving him that kind of recognition probably haven't done their homework.

As far as guys who took a step back, unfortunately Tim Alderson was a different pitcher this year than last. He lost some movement on his fastball. And his pinpoint accuracy left him. There are guys who chose to give up some velocity to gain movement. Alderson may have gone the opposite direction in 2009, I'm not sure. But even though his curveball is already a plus pitch, he wasn't giving High-A or Double-A hitters much trouble last season. He definitely has elite control. I just don't think he's a big league pitcher without outstanding command.

More after the jump:

Fake Teams: I read in your Rising Stars game chat that you and your colleagues are not as high on the Phillies outfield prospect Domonic Brown. What are your reasons?

Adam Foster: Guys who are outstanding fast-twitch athletes can become overrated in a hurry. People like to assume that they're athletic enough to do things that other players can't. In Brown's case, there's some false information floating around that he's an elite defender. He has a very good arm and he's fast, but he doesn't get good reads or take good routes. Those skills can't really be learned. So it's highly unlikely that he'll be more than an average defensive right fielder.

Additionally, he's really not very coordinated - compared to his peers. My first reaction when I saw him bat was that he looked awkward. He gets in a crouch to try to shrink down his big strike zone (Brown is 6-foot-5). And while he has a lot of bat speed, is patient, and recognizes pitches well, he's not going to be an above-average contact hitter. There's not much he can do about that. He doesn't have very good bat control.

Keep in mind that Brown is an elite prospect. He's in the 99^th percentile for his class. I'm just dissecting the heck out of him here. If you compare him to the other guys who are at the head of the class, I don't think he stands out as one who's going to become a star. He's very good and a likely bet to become an average big leaguer. But there are a dozen or so hitters out there who I see as better prospects than him.

Fake Teams: What players who underwhelmed in 2009 do you expect to jump back into the limelight in 2010?

Adam Foster: Reese Havens is a good one to start with. He moved to second base in the Arizona Fall League and looked solid at the position. He's a polished, well-rounded hitter who can play up-the-middle defense. He was a first rounder. And had a successful junior season in college - I'd be more confident in him if he was better his sophomore year, though. His baseball resume puts him in elite company. I'll be surprised if he doesn't break out in 2010.

Don't sleep on Jon Niese and Kevin Mulvey. They are solid bets to turn into useful big league starters. You could also end up looking like a genius if you snatch up Kellen Kulbacki cheap now that a lot of people have forgotten about him. Nick Noonan was one of the youngest players in High-A and has a lot of potential. Ivan De Jesus may not be a fantasy stud, but if you play in a deep dynasty or sim league, don't forget about him - and I'm sure you haven't ;).

Fake Teams: What prospects do you feel who should be getting more press based on their talent/performance?

Adam Foster: Josh Bell is just starting to get the attention he deserves. I guess you lose some street cred when you get traded for a reliever. But the Dodgers are clearly working under the win-now model, so I wouldn't hold it against him. He can play third base and has a lot of power. If Pedro Alvarez and Brett Wallace can't stick at third - and they probably won't - then Bell starts looking like a pretty good pick for the best "true" third base prospect in the minors. I'll have to compare my video of him and Darnell this offseason, though.

Brandon Snyder is another guy who has the resume to turn into a solid big leaguer. But you don't hear much talk about him. I'm a big Drew Cumberland believer. Matt Sweeney is a breakout guy. Lorenzo Cain has fallen out of the spotlight but I still see a lot of potential in him. Che-Hsuan Lin gets lost in the Red Sox depth of athletic hitters. Jaff Decker gets overlooked largely due to some old scouting biases.

Fake Teams: Who are your top 5 hitting prospects going into 2010? Who are your top 5 pitching prospects going into 2010?

Adam Foster: At the end of the 2009 season, we ranked Jason Heyward, Carlos Santana, Jesus Montero, and Buster Posey as the game's top five hitting prospects with Dustin Ackley, Desmond Jennings, Fernando Martinez and Mike Stanton on the bubble. Those guys will account for the bulk of - if not all - the spots among our top five hitting prospects entering 2010.

We didn't get to see many of baseball's top pitching prospects at the AFL. And I still want to get better reads on some guys. But Stephen Strasburg and Brian Matusz are clearly at the head of this class. Daniel Hudson and Jeremy Hellickson were two of the most impressive pitchers I saw in 2009 - Hudson for his FB and CH movement; Hellickson for his command. Then it's hard not to like Neftali Feliz' stuff. The five guys I've mentioned were our top five pitching prospects when we put together our October top 25 pitching prospect list. Most of them should also be top five on our 2010 list.

I want to thank Adam for taking the time for this interview.

Washington Nationals: Winter Meetings Targets...Starting Pitching.

Ed Chigliak — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:30:21 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Can the Nationals pull off a trade for the Tigers' Edwin Jackson, one of three pitchers mentioned as targets by the Washington Post's Dave Sheinin. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Washington Post writer Dave Sheinin wrote this afternoon, in an article entitled, "Nats aren't expecting hot stove fireworks", about the Washington Nationals' goals for next week's Winter Meetings. Mr. Sheinin restates what the Nationals have been saying all fall and continue to repeat heading into the start of the Meetings on Monday, they want to add, "At least one veteran starting pitcher, at least one reliable veteran reliever, a catcher and perhaps a middle infielder," and are now favoring trades over free agent signings as the avenue through which they'd like to address those needs, but for the first time, Mr. Sheinin identifies some of the pitchers the Nationals are looking at:

"Among the possible targets are pitchers whose contracts their teams are looking to shed, such as Atlanta's Javier Vazquez (one year remaining at $11.5 million), or arbitration-eligible pitchers whose teams need payroll savings, such as Florida's Ricky Nolasco or Detroit's Edwin Jackson."

(cont.)...

The Detroit Tigers, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi's 11/11/09 article entitled, "Sources: Tigers open to trading All-Star Jackson", which quotes "multiple major league sources" as the source of the reports, have, "...made Jackson available on the trade market as part of an effort to alleviate their payroll crunch," though Mr. Morosi updated the situation in Detroit today in an update of FOXSports.com's, "Latest Buzz from the MLB offseason", subtitled, "Sources: Tigers not likely to trade Cabrera any time soon", wherein Mr. Morosi writes that though the Tigers probably can't deal Miguel Cabrera for a variety of reasons:

"'If the team dealt Cabrera, team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski would have less motivation to deal starter Edwin Jackson and popular center fielder Curtis Granderson."

But since the Tigers don't think they can contend without Cabrera's power in their lineup, in Mr. Morosi's opinion, "At this point, the sources believe that the Tigers are more likely to trade Jackson and/or Granderson than Cabrera." Jackson, a 26-year-old right-hander originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, was traded to Tampa Bay in 2006 and then moved to Detroit last December in a Winter Meeting trade that sent outfielder Matt Joyce to the Rays. In his third full season in the majors (7th overall), the right-hander was (13-9) with a 3.62 ERA in 33 starts and 214.0 IP in 2009, over which he posted a 1.26 WHIP, walking 70 (2.9 BB/9) while recording 161 K's (6.8 K/BB) with a (+3.5) WAR value according to Fangraphs.com.

The Atlanta Braves, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman's blog post entitled, "Wren heading to Indy with a shorter shopping list", will be heading into the Winter Meetings with the intention of, "...finding at least one bat and a suitor that is willing to deal for either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez." The Washington Post's Mr. Sheinin points to right-hander Javier Vazquez's 1-year/$11.5 million dollar deal which the Braves would be seeking to shed as the reason the Nationals' might be able to pry the 33-year-old former Montreal Expos' draft pick who's now pitched for the Expos, Yankees, D-Backs and White Sox, away from the Braves, for whom he was (15-10) with a 2.87 ERA in 32 starts and 219.1 IP in 2009, over which he allowed 181 H, 70 ER, 20 HR and 44 walks (1.8 BB/9), while collecting 238 K's (9.8 K/9) and posting a 1.03 WHIP and a (+6.6) WAR rating.

Two days before Mr. Sheinin mentioned the Nationals' interest in the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco, MLB.com's Bill Ladson, in an article entitled, "Pitching the focus for Nats at Meetings", wrote that, "...a baseball source indicated that the Nats have interest in Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who won 13 games this past season," prompting the SB Nation's Florida Marlins blog FishStripes' Craig Strain to email Nolasco's agent Matt Sosnick, who replied, as quoted in an article entitled, "Ricky Nolasco being shopped?":

"I haven't heard anything about that, but I believe that he is going to have a monster year in 2010. He is the most underrated player that I represent."

(ed. note - "Emailing the agent? Brilliant...I wonder when in the process of a trade the agent would know?")

Nolasco, a soon-to-be 27-year-old right-hander drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 4th Round of the 2001 Draft and subsequently traded to Florida in a deal in which the Marlins acquired pitchers Sergio Mitre, Renyel Pinto and Nolasco in return for outfielder Juan Pierre, signed a 1-year/$2.4 million dollar deal, avoiding arbitration, is once again eligible and headed for a raise after his fourth MLB season, in which the Corona, California native was (13-9) with a 5.06 ERA in 31 starts and 185.0 IP in which he allowed 188 hits and 104 ER, walking 44 (2.1 K/9) and striking out 195 (9.5 K/9), while posting a 1.25 WHIP, with a (+4.2) WAR value.

?'s And LINKS For The DC Faithful...

At the trading dealine last July, MLB.com's Bill Ladson wrote, in a blog post entitled, "Willingham, Dunn drawing interest", that the Tigres were interested in both Josh Willingham and Adam Dunn, both of whom they saw as potential designated hitters...Would you expect more than Edwin Jackson from Detroit in return for Willingham? Would the Tigers want more than the Hammer? What's the Nationals' equivalent of Matt Joyce, who was ranked as high as 7th in the Tigers' system in 2007? The Atlanta Braves, according to Boston.com's Nick Carfado's article entitled, "Lowe prefers not to be spun out of Braves' rotation", are one of three teams, along with the Giants and Mariners who are interested in acquiring the Hammer. Can the Marlins and Nationals please stop trading with one another? It's embarrassing...Will the Fish or Braves trade pitchers as good as Nolasco and Vazquez in their own division? Can the Nationals bring Javier Vazquez, an Expos' pick from the 5th round of the '94 draft back into the fold? Do the Nationals have any chance of acquiring any of these pitchers?

Braves Rumors

Eli Greenspan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:53:33 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

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After signing two relievers earlier this week, the Braves are still keeping tabs on the market in hopes of landing an outfielder or first baseman. The Braves are still talking with Adam LaRoche, but reports that they are also talking to Nick Johnson indicate that the LaRoche negotiations might not be going as planned.

Johnson hit .291 with 8 home runs in 133 games with the Nationals and Marlins last season, and is also drawing interest from the Mets, Orioles, and Giants. Sources say the Giants are the favorites to land him.

In the outfield, the Braves are considering Marlon Byrd and Mark DeRosa. DeRosa, a former Brave, would give the Braves a reliable veteran who can play the corner outfield spots, first, second, and third base. He is coming off back-to-back 20 home run seasons, but offseason wrist surgery might bring his power back down to the 10-12 homer range.

Byrd is also coming off a solid season, and would give the Braves a solid center fielder, meaning Nate McLouth can be moved to one of the corners. Byrd hit well for the Rangers, but was not as patient at the plate as he was in 2008.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Marlon Byrd	146	547	66	155	43	2	20	89	32	98	8	4	.283	.329	.479

One AL source contemplated the idea of the Braves and Tigers discussing a deal around Curtis Granderson. The Braves have an influx of pitching, and could send Javier Vazquez or Derek Lowe (with cash) in a package for the outfielder. As of right now, that has not been confirmed.

Next week the Braves will talk with the representatives of Adam LaRoche, who has drawn interest from the Mets, and likely will try to deal a starting pitcher to free up some additional cash.

Marlins game plan going into Winter Meetings

craig — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:09:23 -0000

Joe Frisaro covers the Larry Beinfest press conference.

State of Marlins update

Hayden Penn?! Really?! Look, I don't care who the Marlins look at it, heck, they could invite me to camp. Sure, I would be cut before lunch on the first day of workouts in the spring, but so what. However, do they really think Hayden Penn is going to crack the starting rotation? Maybe I am missing something here.

In other news, as long as the front office believes they can sign Josh Johnson to a long term contract, he will remain with the Marlins.

Click on the link and read the whole thing, which should take you the better part of a minute.

Baseball America's December Rankings for Marlins Farm

craig — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:47:25 -0000

Baseball America publish their December rankings of the major league farm systems and the Marlins slipped a bit. Here is what they had to say.

Marlins: Still thin on arms, but Florida's bats, led by OF Mike Stanton, still impress.

Last season the Marlins were in a virtual tie for first. Now the farm system has slipped down to number 8. There are a few reasons for this, due to circumstances the Marlins brought up some young pitchers and frankly most had haphazard performances, which is very common for the move to the majors. I wouldn't read much into the drop, but it is true the Fish are a little light on arms in the minors. But given the team's history, that won't last long. Or at least I hope not.

Homestead Baseball Showcase

craig — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:32:08 -0000

If you are anywhere near Homestead this weekend and are missing baseball, do we have the event for you.

Venezuelan winter baseball league teams Lara Cardinals and Zulia Eagles will leave familiar environs for an important late-season series.

In an effort to showcase Venezuelan baseball outside its borders, the Cardinals and Eagles will play a two-game regular-season set Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the Homestead Baseball Complex.

---

Oropeza said former Marlins pitcher Vladimir Nunez is the Cardinals' scheduled starter for Sunday's second game of the series.

The teams are managed by former MLB players Luis Sojo (Cardinals) and Eddie Perez (Eagles).

Both games will start at 1 p.m. After each game, there will be concerts featuring Venezuelan musical groups.

Tickets range from $30 to $50. For information, call 1-877-733-3136.

Kinda a bit pricey, but it is high quality baseball. Check it out if you get the chance, of course that is assuming the check that your Grandma sent you for Christmas clears the bank.

MLB Trade Rumors: Phillies Shopping Shane Victorino??

raygu — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - ASSOCIATED PRESS

24 days ago: Philadelphia Phillies' Shane Victorino, right, is congratulated by Jimmy Rollins after scoring on a two run RBI single by Raul Ibanez during the eighth inning of Game 1 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

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I was trading emails with my brother and a few friends yesterday, and one of my friends who listens to alot of Philadelphia talk radio said he heard that the Phillies may be quietly shopping Shane Victorino. I was shocked to hear that one, and none of the big rumors guys have yet to throw that one out there. It will be interesting to see if the Phillies would actually mess with a lineup that went to the World Series two years in a row.

So, why would the Phillies want to deal Victorino? I think there are several reasons. One is they have Michael Taylor and Domonic Brown in AAA and AA respectively, who are probably amongst the top 20-25 prospects in the game right now. Secondly, if the Phillies are serious about signing Cliff Lee long-term, then they need to move some salary to afford Lee. Victorino is up for arbitration again this year, after making $3+ million last year. That number could double in 2010 and beyond.

Factor in that the Phillies have two more years of Raul Ibanez and the $20 million left on his contract, and Jayson Werth is a free agent at the end of the 2010 season, and the Phillies have some decisions to make with their outfielders. The contracts that Ryan Howard ($19 million in 2010), Chase Utley ($15 million in 2010), Jimmy Rollins ($7.5 million in 2010) and recently signed Placido Polanco (~$6 million in 2010), the Phillies infield is making almost $48 million in 2010. Add in what Cole Hamel, Brad Lidge, Cliff Lee, Jamey Moyer and others are making, and the Phillies may want to consider dealing some salary where they have depth in the minors.

Who could have interest in Victorino? Well, the Toronto Blue Jays would certainly be interested in him if the Phillies are serious about dealing for ace starter Roy Halladay. Other teams would include the Braves, Marlins and Mets who all need an outfielder, but I am sure the Phillies wouldn't deal Victorino within their own division. The Cardinals would jump at the chance to trade for Victorino and make him their leadoff hitter. He could play right field with Ryan Ludwick moving over to left field. A package of pitching prospects could entice the Phillies. The Cubs are also looking for a centerfielder. Victorino could also lead off for the Cubs.

Poll

Should the Phillies deal Shane Victorino to make room for Michael Taylor or Domonic Brown?

Marlins keep building goodwill in Little Havana

craig — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:20:14 -0000

The Florida Marlins, et al, keep trying to win over the community which will soon be their new home.

Miami, FL- The Florida Marlins and the Florida Marlins Community Foundation, together with Hunt/Moss, A Joint Venture, will be donating 100 Christmas Trees to families in Little Havana onFriday, December 4, 2009 from 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. at 1600 NW 4 Street in Little Havana.

The families have been chosen based on financial need by the Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET) of Little Havana. Families will have an opportunity to join Billy The Marlin in a day of fun, music, giveaways and much more. Christmas trees are provided by Winn-Dixie.

"We understand how important it is to build relationships with our neighbors," said Angela Smith, Florida Marlins Community Outreach Director. "We care about the families and hope this event will impact their lives this Holiday Season."

One lucky family will receive Holiday cheer Marlins style, with a special visit by Santa Billy and his crew for a one-of-a-kind Christmas tree extravaganza.

Boy, talk about the least they can do after Hunt/Moss forgot to implement the SWPPP plan. And especially since we may all be parking on our new neighbors lawn in order to see a game.

All sarcasm aside, it really nice the Marlins, et al, are doing this. The Marlins are very good at community involvement. That said, the players really need to practice up on their skills at dominos.