| MLB - Down The Line |
| Fire Sale |
| by Julian Spivey |
| The Marlins have been trading players their big name players for prospects - while this may help in the future, is it the right play today? |
In 1997 in just their fifth season in Major League Baseball the Florida Marlins won the World Series. After their championship owner Wayne Huizenga decided to drastically cut payroll, saying that despite the championship he had lost $30 million that season. The Marlins began a fire sale trading big ticket players left and right including such stars as Moises Alou and Bobby Bonilla.
Now it is 2005 and the Marlins are two years removed from winning another World Series title and appear to be in the midst of yet another fire sale. This time the culprit is Jeffrey Loria, who has owned the team for four years. The fire sale kicked off when the Marlins shipped phenom pitcher and 2003 World Series M.V.P. Josh Beckett, All-Star third baseman Mike Lowell, and set-up reliever Guillermo Mota to the Boston Red Sox for prospects. Hours later the New York Mets came calling for All-Star first baseman Carlos Delgado. The Marlins obliged the Mets sending the powerful first bagger to New York for prospects.
About a week after trading three of their biggest names the Marlins shipped All-Star second baseman Luis Castillo, their longest tenured player, to the Minnesota Twins, who were in desperate need for a second baseman. In return the Twins sent the Marlins prospects. A few days after trading Castillo to Minnesota the Marlins sent All-Star catcher Paul LoDuca to the Mets for, I bet you’d never guess….. more prospects. The Marlins shipped speedy center fielder Juan Pierre to the Chicago Cubs for young pitcher Sergio Mitre and two more prospects. A.J. Burnett, one of the Marlins top starting pitchers signed a five year deal to pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays, while closer Todd Jones has inked a deal to be the Detroit Tiger’s fireman. It is certain that the Marlins still have plenty of moves to make before opening day next season.
The Marlins have managed to trade most of their big name players for prospects. This may help the team in the distant future, but for the near future this team will struggle harshly, and end up in the cellar of the National League East Division. The Florida Marlins ownership is wanting out of Florida, because Miami city officials will not finance a new ballpark. Why should they? If the Florida Marlins are going to continue their cycle of dismantling their good ball clubs every five years, then why would the city of Miami want the Marlins.
The fans have gotten sick of the Marlins shenanigans, which is obvious by the lack of attendance. If the ball club is not bringing in money, they are useless, and the Marlins are not brining in money. In October, Joe Girardi was named the new Florida Marlins manager. The only question now is will Girardi have any players to manage in 2006? |
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