NewsInbox: How close to playoff return?
Beat reporter Joe Frisaro answers Marlins fans' questions
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
11/11/09 12:59 PM EST
I know it is hard, but if we want to win next year, we should keep the team as it is presently constituted. That can be a World Series championship team, for sure. If we trade for a pitcher like Javier Vazquez to help our young guys, we can win. And we will have a lot of fans when we move into the new ballpark.-- Reynel S., Miami
Player turnover is inevitable for every team. I know what you're saying, keep the nucleus and build around it. The club will be building around Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson. The big names who may not fit the plans, obviously, are Jorge Cantu, Dan Uggla and Nick Johnson. Will the Marlins keep at least one or two of them? Johnson is a free agent, and will likely get a more attractive deal from another club. Uggla, many believe, will be shopped. Cantu could be a candidate to return, but if he has great trade value and the Marlins feel either Gaby Sanchez or Logan Morrison is ready, then he may be moved.
Before any of us can definitively claim the team will contend or not, we have to see how the roster shapes up for Opening Day. The goal of the franchise is to be in the playoffs, and this organization has shown it can build contending teams.
Are the Marlins searching for a solid closer? And what are the chances of signing Chris Coghlan?
-- Kyle G., Lake Worth, Fla.
Leo Nunez stepped into the closer's role after Matt Lindstrom struggled and then was injured. For the most part, Nunez did a commendable job, considering he had never been in that position. He saved 26 out of 33 chances, but as we saw, he was victimized repeatedly by home runs. He gave up 13 in 68 2/3 innings. Nunez is about to enter arbitration, and he could make $2 million to $2.5 million. The Marlins may allocate that for a closer, but whether they feel Nunez will be the choice is something we will see in the upcoming weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if they explore other closer options.
Coghlan, meanwhile, is under club control for two more years. So there is no rush to sign him long-term. His first year of arbitration will be 2012.
With Uggla and Cantu most likely gone, what are the Marlins' chances of signing Chone Figgins? Figgins seems like a fit for Florida with his speed and high on-base percentage -- .395, which was seventh in the American League. Figgins would be a nice leadoff or No. 2 hitter for the Marlins, and he is an upgrade on defense -- whether it is at second or third base.
-- Ryan S., Buffalo, N.Y.
You don't have to sell me on Figgins' credentials. His style of play, speed and defensive abilities certainly fit what the Marlins like. Figgins earned $5.775 million in 2009, and on the free-agent market, he likely will command more. Uggla made $5.35 million this past season. As those who follow this team know, the Marlins don't hand out too many multiyear contracts. If the option the team looks at for 2010 is retaining Uggla or going after Figgins, it might just opt to sign Uggla for another year in the $7 million range than offer, let's say, a four-year, $25 million contract to Figgins.
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Considering that the Marlins usually don't spend much on free agents, could you see them going after these former aces -- Justin Duchscherer or Noah Lowry, who were great before being injured? These type of pitchers fit the Marlins since they would most likely come relatively cheap, right?
-- Matt S., Plantation, Fla.
Duchscherer made $3.9 million in 2009, and the 32-year-old has an elbow issue. Of course, he would be worth a look in a low-cost situation. There is talk, however, about the A's bringing him back, but if he is still searching for a team in late January, sure, he would made sense. The 29-year-old Lowry hasn't pitched in two seasons due to elbow/forearm issues. He's now a free agent, and perhaps he would fit the mold to be signed to a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training. Because Lowry can test the market, he'd naturally look to see if there are other alternatives. Also, you don't know what you're getting from a pitcher who hasn't thrown in the big leagues for so long. So the Marlins would have to ask themselves if someone like Lowry makes more sense than other alternatives. With these two, you have to not only ask yourself what they will cost, you have to be realistic about what to expect.
Why would the Marlins build a stadium in Miami when they struggle with attendance to begin with? Why would they not buy all that empty land next to the BankAtlantic Center? The Marlins averaged 18,000 fans, and they are a baseball team. The Florida Panthers, a hockey team, averaged 14,000 fans. Do you think putting the stadium in Broward County would have attracted more fans?
-- Ryan K., Parkland, Fla.
This is an old topic, and one I won't address too often since it's already been discussed for years. Also, with construction under way in Miami, this topic is moot. More than 10 percent of the new stadium is already built, and the project remains on schedule and on budget.
As people who have followed this story for more than a decade know, the Marlins explored stadium possibilities in all three counties -- Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Broward officials didn't want to do business with the team. Miami-Dade, on the other hand, did.
A few years ago, the team took the stance to get the stadium built somewhere in South Florida, and then it would address how to get people there. The Orange Bowl area became the site. I live in Broward, and I constantly hear how Broward and Palm Beach offer more support than Miami-Dade. I'm not sure where this myth came from, because the team repeatedly notes a higher number of its fans in attendance are from Miami-Dade County.
I will say this, far more than 50 percent of my fan-related e-mails are from Miami-Dade, compared to Broward and Palm Beach. It's at least double. For attendance to rise dramatically, it will take a bigger season-ticket base. With roughly 5,000 season tickets sold now, you will have poor attendance all year because you can't sustain high walk-up numbers.
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
