Future, believe it or not, is bright for the Marlins

Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett and Carlos Delgado are all gone. And they are only the beginning of the gutting of this team as the Marlins finally do the sensible thing and start spending money within the confines of their budget.

They have the worst lease in all of sports, thanks to the criminal act of Wayne Huizenga and the naivete' of John Henry - who now owns the Boston Red Sox. (Funny how a guy can't afford to build a stadium but can afford to buy one of the most lucrative sports franchises in all of sports.) The Marlins also have a fickle fan base that can't seem to consistently support young stars like Miguel Cabrera or Dontrelle Willis or even the talent the likes of Carlos Delgado. Rain and weather scare Marlin fans away? Possibly. That and an area for the game that offers very little short of traffic jams and a long commute.

And now the OB plan has been scrapped because the Marlins and the officials of Miami couldn't figure out a way to fund the $30M gap. The Marlins were offereing $212M to throw into the pot that was going to cost around $350M (but probably closer to $400M when all is said and done).

But this is all good. This is all progress. The only way the Marlins can be taken seriously is to take serious measures. They don't have the money, so they have to make the moves to free themselves from "financial irresponsibility" that has occurred with them trying to enliven this South Florida fan base. They tried to spend like a big franchise, but lacked the money and the support. Such shrewdness most dont display - especially at this time of year.

There will also be a ripple effect in place. These moves the Marlins are making look eerily similar to those made after the '97 season. But this is almost 10 years later and the Marlins still don't have the financial flexibility in place they need. Perhaps this is more than just posturing, perhaps the Marlins are serious. And maybe now the politicians will start to think about some real and tangible alternatives to get this franchise not only what it needs, but what it deserves.

The future is bright for the Marlins no matter what, even in this bleakest hour. There will be a day of resolution ahead - either the Marlins will get the facility they need here in South Florida or they will find it somewhere else. Because there will be other suitors. For a franchise that has been able to win two championships in less than 10 years, there is always some interest. And with the most recent moves that may even set the Marlins back a few years, they will have the talent in a couple of years to be a very scary and dangerous team. Much like in '98 when the baby Marlins came together with loads of talent - they managed to win it all with that core in '03. This team, however, may have a shorter turnaround with talents like Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis being the established 'vets' on this team while only being in their ealry 20's. Adding to that top prospects Jeremy Hermida - who has the 5 tool talent to be a huge star in this league - along with Mike Jacobs and Hanley Ramirez, this team has the young talent on offense to make a splash as early as next season.

It may look bleak, but there is hope.

Not winning the Cy Young a blessing in disguise

A commentary

Call me crazy, but Dontrelle Willis not winning the Cy Young is a good thing. It is a good thing for a couple of reasons, mostly that have to do with the Marlins' future.

Dontrelle was very much deserving of the award. He proved to be among the elite pitchers in the National League and was probably the Marlins MVP this season in that he always provided a chance for the Marlins to start off a winning streak. Those streaks never materialized, but it wasn't because of Willis - who accounted for nearly 27% of the Marlins wins. He just lost out to another pitcher who is deserving in Chris Carpenter, who over the last two seasons is 36-10 with a 3.10ERA. Carpenter also had to overcome some obstacles like double shoulder surgery back in 2003 that almost jeopardized his career.

Yet, Dontrelle wasn't without obstacles either. There was a serious car wreck that really shook him up while visiting his hometown back in the Bay area in northern California. Something like that gives you some perspective, but for Willis, the good-natured kid from a tough part of town in Oakland, perspective was already well-in-hand. This is also evidenced by his reaction of losing out to the Cy Young where Willis noted that being known as the 2nd best pitcher in not a bad thing at all. He is right.

That is why this is a very good thing for both Dontrelle and the Marlins. Winning this award may have given Willis too much success too early. A world championship, a rookie of the year award, and now a Cy Young may have given Willis an opportunity to start thinking things come too easily. Maybe he starts to slip a little with his focus. It is unlikely, given the spirit of Dontrelle, but it certainly could have been a possibility. But there is something else that is good about him missing out on the Cy Young by a few votes, and it is selfish for us Marlin fans - it may mean another season extra of the D-Train.

Dontrelle is certainly going to see a spike in his pay after this offseason's business is conducted. If he had received the Cy Young award, his arbitration firgures may have gotten out of hand. And for the cash-strapped Marlins, it may have been saying good bye to the D-Train in the immediate future. After all, they lost Pavano last season and have nothing but a supplemental pick to show for it. And they are faced with the same situation with AJ Burnett who is most likely going to leave the team for the highest bidder.

So, Dontrelle stays humble and the Marlins continue to have the D-Train in operation. This may be a very good thing in the long run for both Dontrelle and the Marlins.

Could it be Girardi?

The Marlins manager search continues to churn like a late night rock show. Touring the country looking for the best candidates and interviewing each one along the way. The best candidate was their seemingly first candidate, Joe Girardi. He is the favorite of owner Jeffrey Loria and he is the #1 target for the Marlins' brass.

But will Joe Girardi be wearing teal in the Marlins dugout next season?

Indications seem to point to yes. Speculation over Joe Torre's future seems to be overstated, as he is most likely to return to the Yankees. This ends any possibility for Girardi to take over for the Bronx Bombers. Besides, Lou Pinella is available and has been rumored to be the top replacement should Torre step down.

The other situation was the Cubs manager spot, which is not going to be vacated by Dusty Baker just yet.

That leaves the Devil Rays and the Marlins as the leading candidates for interviewing Girardi and both teams have met with the Yankees bench coach over the last few weeks. The Marlins, as recently reported, are offering the job.

The other indication that may be a positive sign for Girardi is that Mark Wiley, the Marlins pitching coach, has apparently turned down a position with the Seattle Mariners, believed to also be a pitching coach position.

There is, of course, Al Leiter. Al Leiter has been reported to be excited and will give a ringing endorsement to Girardi about Jeffrey Loria, who really impressed Leiter when the Marlins pitched their bid for Leiter's services this past offseason. Carl Pavano also has reportedly given very strong endorsements backing the Marlins organization and Jeffrey Loria in particular.

So the situation seems ripe and all the signs point to the Marlins being the right fit for Joe Girardi to take over as manager. Will he? That question remains unanswered for the time being.

The New Era Begins

A new era begins today, as Jack McKeon has decided to retire.

But let's be honest here, this wasn't entirely Jack's decision. Yes, he may say that his family was involved, but one gets the feeling Jack's ambition to coach again is still in tact. He has mentioned he would like to pass Casey Stengel as the 2nd oldest manager in Major League Baseball history.

But for now, he will only remain with the Marlins as a special consultant. And that is about as good as it should get.

Jeffrey Loria has accomplished a few things here as owner of the Marlins, all noteworthy. He has been able to take over this franchise, and put a good product on the field. The Marlins have amassed three straight winning seasons now, since their championship in '03, and now have four total seasons being over .500. Stability - at least on the field - is what Loria has been able to produce as a result. This takes creating an atmosphere of loyalty - both to the organization and to the members that create it. So, we should not have been surprised at his loyalty and committment to Jack McKeon - who by many reports had worn out his welcome last season.

But this change goes beyond just Jack - his bench also looks to get an overhaul, as every coach except Perry Hill has been given permission to hear offers from other teams. Hill is a must, he is one of the more respected coaches in all of baseball, helping to guide the defensive assignments of the Marlins as well as golden glove opportunities for his adherents.

The main target to be replaced is obviously McKeon, but the incoming manager will also have to have some say over who his staff should be. This is also part of the bargaining that needs to take place with the position and who the Marlins decide the replacement will be. That, and the other major factor, money.

Which brings us to the other main concern: how much money will Loria have in order to committ to this team. Again, bad attendance has left the already cash-strapped Marlins without much to work with.

It is certain, though, that a new era is going to take place this offseason. With Jack's retirement comes the search for a new manager and that will take place on an organizational level, starting with the debate as to what kind of a manager the Marlins need and who the targets are. This has already been taking place. Joe Girardi and Lou Pinella are two of the more prominent names being tossed around at this point, but it is unlikely either will land here in South Florida at this point. A big part of the search will be the cost of the manager coming in and both these candidates should cost pretty good coin.

So, the offseason begins for the Marlins, far too soon than most would have anticipated. But begin it does, as does the next era in Marlins history.

Dead in the Water

This isn't how a season dies. This isn't supposed to be how a team goes from playing meaningful games in September to all of a sudden coming up a bit short. No, this is sabotage. And it comes from within and burns with the betrayal of a close friend. It stinks like a rotting fish - which is what happened now.

The Marlins dismissed AJ Burnett for the rest of the season. McKeon called him into his office, told him the news that Josh Johnson was going to get the ball and to go and spend time with his family. AJ responded, "Right on.". This coming only after a few days after the 'explosion' that rocked the Marlins teal universe - AJ's rant on McKeon and the coaching staff.

Unfortunately, AJ is right. And only part of the problem has been dealt with here.

Ask yourself why Miguel Cabrera, the fun-loving young Marlin phenom, now sits in the locker room quietly as if at a funeral. The fun of baseball and of this team has been sucked dry - as if a ghoul was sent to this team to do so. That ghoul would take the form of a cigar-smoking 70-year old manager. And Rob Dibble was right all along.

Most of us in the stands never saw it coming to this. We were too blinded by our teal-colored lenses to see what was going on. We never thought Jack's curmundginly style and AJ's bitter angst would come to a contest such as this. The concoction was bitter from the start, and we are only now getting the bill - bad fish is the agent.

The Marlins just giving up is not even worth annotating. It has happened, as clear as the most recent box scores indicate. Players have given up not because they are bad players or bad people, but because they dont want to play for this team, for this situation. They are tired of it. The players themselves are good guys, hard working and serious about winning and about their jobs. There are a few bad apples that spoil the bunch and only one of them has been tossed out. AJ is gone.

But McKeon should have taken his own advice he gave to AJ. And he would have been trimming out the biggest spoiled fruit of them all.

The healing process is going to take time for this team. Mr. Loria has a lot to answer for now that his team, for the first time in its history, has underperformed. And that should be a good thing because expectation with this franchise has never been high until Mr. Loria got in here. This is about as bad as it could get, but there is hope. Change is most definetly coming - and it couldn't come at a better time.

Marlins magic is done

The Marlins are mathematically still in the wild card race, but you cannot realistically involve them in the race for anything other than spoiler at this point. Even as a fan.

The Marlins are now 3 games out, losing in extra innings to the Mets who may have already nailed the coffin down even tighter on this 2005 season for the Marlins.

This team has not played consistently enough to assert its position, despite taking over the lead of the wild card race when Dontrelle Willis got his 20th win of the season. It wasn't that long ago either, only 2 series back against the Astros, as the Marlins took the first two games of that series.

Then the Phillies rolled into town, and instead of exacting revenge for the poor showing the Marlins had in Philly, they blew a 2-0 lead with Willis on the mound to lose the game in the top of the 9th inning. If that is even possible, but the Phillies put a 10-spot on the board to rip the game out of the Marlins' collective jaws.

That may have killed the season. But the Marlins bounced back the next day and beat the Phillies to avoid the sweep. That damage, it seems has already been done.

The loss to the Mets last night at Shea may just be piling the dirt. It looks bleak, and although the Marlins are still in the race, it just seems like it would take a miracle - bigger than Bartman - to get it done.

Opportunity Knocks

Knock knock...

No, this is not some bad joke, it is the NL Wild Card race. And boy, is it wild.

The Marlins started out their road trip .5 games in back of the Astros. They go 6-5 against the Nationals, Phillies, and Astros and come back home, .5 games in back of the Astros.

Could it be worse? Oh yeah. They dropped 2 of three against the Phillies, and that let them back into the race. The Phillies went on to beat the Braves 3 out of 4 times. The loss today to Atlanta is what kept this from being 'worse'.

Yet, there is providence in all of this. Because it could be a lot worse - the Astros could have swept the Brewers and could be further ahead right now - and it isn't, the Marlins still have hope. Opportunity is knocking, and it is time for the Marlins to answer the door.

Standing outside and ringing the doorbell is the Phillies. They arrive into Miami tomorrow for a 3 game weekend fling. If it goes well, it is a 2 team race. If it goes bad, well, it is still a two team race. Just without the Marlins, quite possibly.

Opportunity is also knocking on an individual level: Brian Moehler is ushered back into the starting rotation and the Marlins are hoping for a 'vintage' quality start from Moehler, circa the All Star Break. There is hope there as well, Moehler has a pretty solid ERA at home (3.66, away it is 4.39) and if the Marlins can generate some runs, they could set themselves up for a sweep.

And how opportunistic would that be. Time to get the door.

Marlins luck out once again

So, the Marlins lost today 11-1 to the Phillies and end up losing the series as well. They also gave life to a franchise that had lost 5 straight before they opened this series, and seemed to lose out on what once was a one-sided meeting.

To continue the bad news, the Marlins starters, in all three contests, failed to get past the 4th inning and the bullpen not only got overworked, but overexposed. The Marlins offense looked sluggish, at a noted hitter's park, while displaying some offensive power at RFK against the Nationals, a spacious park, in the series before.

As it stands, the Phillies are now alive and well in the Wild Card hunt and sit at only 1.5 games back behind the leading Astros.

But that is also the good news in this loss for the Marlins.

The Astros lost again today, dropping 2 of 3 to the Brewers. Although the Marlins got buried by the Phillies today, it could have been 50-1 and it wouldn't have mattered. The Marlins still sit at .5 games back, no worse than they were when they opened the series against the Phillies.

Being a fan of baseball requires some perspective. Unlike football, the season is not make-or-break with one game. It takes several games to even begin to see some kind of progress, and even then there is still plenty of time before sounding off any panic alarms.

So the Marlins lost today, so what? They lost the series? No big deal. But this is where it starts to turn - for either the better or the worse. The Marlins have a 4 game series against the Astros. That series was shaping up to be a big one before today, and now it just reached monolithic proportions. The Marlins got lucky, playing their worst baseball at what seemed to be the best time to get away with it. This next series, they may not be so lucky.

Dontrelle reels in 20th win

Congratulations to Dontrelle Willis, who got his 20th win of the season in a crucial game against the Washington Nationals. It was the first 20th win by a pitcher in a Marlins uniform - ever. It was also the 13th time an African-American pitcher has won 20 games, the last to accomplish the feat was Dave Stewart (1994) who pitched nearby to Dontrelle's hometown.

In fact, a book is scheduled to be released about the "12 Black Aces", but now it seems there will have to be a revision. There is a 13th one that just arrived and he may prove to be just as great.

It has been an impressive year where Dontrelle has been able to not only excel and grow as a pitcher, but also has been the most consistent starter on the staff and has also become the anchor of the staff. He started off the second half with a bit of a slump, but quickly got it together and now stands atop 20 wins. And still at only the ripe old age of 23.

This is the mark of many days of hard work. Willis showed up early at spring training with Juan Pierre and started working hard on his conditioning, losing some weight and working on his mechanics with pitching coach Mark Wiley. But this has been the process of a couple of years in the making. Dontrelle was pushed by then-pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal in 2004 to work on his delivery and smooth out the mechanics. The high leg kick was tweaked in order to give Willis more balance and better body control. Also, his wind up from the stretch had to be shortened in order to be more effective in holding runners on.

This all lead to some early struggles for Willis in 2004 but he was able to perservere this season and put up a Cy Young worthy season with a 20-8 record and a 2.52 ERA.

Congratulations, once again Dontrelle. Just as impressive as the 20 win season is is how you have handled yourself all along. No one has been more humble and more deserving and such a joy to watch as the "D Train" has been in motion.

MilkGate - enough

Hey Brad Penny, David J. Neal (what does the "j" stand for anyway?), ESPN and others in the media - give it up. Stop trying to pick on the Marlins because, well, you all dont have any sense anyway.

Brad Penny, the fat and lazy Penny that couldn't seem to grasp the fact that it takes more than a good fastball to pitch in this league (keep watching that radar gun, son) wants to take a pot shot at the Marlins organization for suspending a bat boy that took a dare. A $500 dare that Penny initiated. Now, anyone who blames the bat boy for taking that dare is a moron, granted. But anyone not pointing a finger at Penny, apparently a court jester in his spare time, is deficient in grey matter as well.

The Marlins organization didn't blame Nick the bat boy for taking the dare, they just penalized him FOR taking the dare. Why? Imagine Brad Penny in his underwear scratching his head with that ol' Gump look on his face and you will see where I am going with this.

What our stand up comic/Punk'd inspired Penny doesn't seem to realize is that the Marlins are trying to run a business. That means there are legal ramifications to that business. The bat boy is under 18. He is under the legal protection of his parents - and they signed him over, essentially, to the Florida Marlins, LP for work. That means, the Marlins are legally responsible for his safety and well-being during his scheduled work hours.

Oh yeah, legality. Bet Penny couldn't even spell "law".

Who is to say that in the future another baseball player offers more money for something more dangerous? No, I am not saying anyone is going to get KILLED, but badly hurt. Then you got litigation pending against a player, against a ball club not to mention the bad press involved. Not that that would matter, because all the media in South Florida seems to be concerned with is sensationalism and giving the Marlins bad PR anyway.

So, it is lose/lose for the Marlins. No comment means let it go away. Commenting only keeps it open.

Regardless of what their intentions really were, the Marlins dont seem to get a break. Could they have been raving lunatics suspending the bat boy for no reason? Sure. And that is what Brad Penny would have you believe, after all players get 10 days suspension for using steroids but 6 for drinking a gallon of milk. Yeah, we agree, the penalty for steroid abuse is ridiculously harmless. Although, that wasn't what Penny was trying to illustrate with that comment. And the blatant criticism of MLB practices seems to go uncontested not to mention that MLB rules and clubhouse rules of an independent frachise have nothing to do with each other. Apples and oranges, Brad. Try eating some for a change.

But couldnt the Marlins also have had a damn good reason for suspending our beloved bat boy in order to set a precedent? Yes.

But why would Brad Penny or even the South Florida media demonstrate any sense whatsoever. They never have in the past, and never will. They are a complete list of bumbling idiots. And I got $500 bucks to prove it.

Marlins are the most dangerous team in Wild Card race

I am tired of the media droll. There doesn't seem to be anyone in print, on TV, or stuck inside my radio that thinks the Marlins are capable.

And that is fine, because I wasn't entirely sure myself. Not entirely sure that they would actually do it, not that they were incapable.

Because, this team has all the weapons to get into the postseason and is entirely capable.

Who has better starting pitching than the Marlins? The Nationals? No. The Mets? Maybe if you were looking to play in an AARP softball game. The Phillies? Not in that ballpark. The Astros? Roger Clemens, sure, but after him no one on that staff - including Oswalt - can be as dominating as Beckett, Burnett or even Willis (who has proven himself Cy Young worthy). All Jason Vargas has done is notch a 5-1 record 3.16 ERA and showing the poise of a veteran. Moehler and Valdez can give you quality starts whichever you choose and that is more than can be expected from a #5 in any rotation.

How about relief? Antonio Alfonseca, Guillermo Mota, Todd Jones, Ron Villone. That is the makings of a very strong pen. Villone has struggled, yes. He has a 7.45 ERA while in Florida, but carried a 2.45 ERA over from Seattle where he pitched 40.1 innings. If Villone can get back on track, that adds another weapon. Mota has an excellent track record as a set-up man in this league and is now showing signs of getting comfortable in that role again (0.00 ERA with 9K's in 4.2IP over last 7 days). Alfonseca has started to come around (0.00 ERA over past week) and has been solid all year long (1-1 3.79 ERA) despite still recovering from an injury. And then there is Todd Jones.

Offense? It is counfounding. The Marlins have, statistically, some of the more impressive performances in this league. 4 of the top 5 hitters in the NL with fewest K's per plate appearances are Marlins (Lo Duca, Pierre, Castillo, Lowell). They have a .272 team batting average, plus one of the top hitters with RISP in Juan Encarnacion. The only thing they seem to lack is power, after Delgado and Cabrera of course. Mike Lowell was expected to provide more than his 6 home runs. Encarnacion has 15, which is solid. But the Marlins seem to be winning despite not hitting home runs - reverting back to that "small ball" style of play that defined them in their '03 run. Yet, in Houston or in Philadelphia, the offense's troubles go out the window as any team can produce runs in those parks. And they are both fields of, literally, contention. In NY, Washington and back in Florida, the Marlins 'small ball' favors them and complements their pitching.

Which brings us to a final point - of these teams contending for the Wild Card spot, which has the most experience in this position? The Astros or the Marlins? It doesnt matter. Both teams have experience, but it will take more than that to win this. Yet, both these teams can have a slight edge over their competitors because of this experience. And that will be tested as the Marlins will square off against these teams over the coming weeks.

So, why aren't the Marlins being considered strong favorites? To answer that question may take even longer and demand more research than to answer the current question as to why they are contenders.

Marlins continue to "gump" their way

With the win against the Padres, the Marlins closed out the series with the 'daddies' by taking it 2-1. That is 3 series wins in a row (not counting the double-header debacle in Colorado, that would be 4 series in a row and a split against the Cards).

In fact, the Marlins are 10-8 in the month of August, not exactly blistering, but they are now 1 game back in the wild card race and 4.5 games back in the NL East race.

Why? Because every team in the race is falling flat. They all want to play, but none can seem to commit. Guess it is a 'guy thing'.

But helping out is the Phillies and Nationals splitting their series, 2-2. And there is the Astros losing 5 of their last 6 games...

So, here we are, Marlin fans. Perched right near the top of the NL Wild Card race and within striking distance of the NL East title. Not because we are damn good, but because we are damn lucky.

14 shutouts on the season? That feat right now leads all of major league baseball. That isn't the surprising thing about that stat for the Marlins; what seems to be more astonishing is that they actually won all 14 of those games with this finicky offense.

Now, I am not normally a pessimist, so I won't pretend to be one here either. The Marlins could play better, yes, but they are starting to. Sure, the offense isn't clicking, but they have won 6 of their last 9 games. That is a start. And as long as the Marlins keep getting the pitching performances they have been, they have a great shot. Over their last 7 days, the Marlins pitching staff is 4-2 with a 1.17 ERA, 2 complete games, 40 strikeouts and 16 walks in 54 innings pitched while only allowing 35 hits.

That is pretty nasty, ladies and gentlemen.

And this is the time of year where pitching and defense seperate the good from the bad and ugly. The Marlins have both of those features - no, not bad and ugly (I wouldn't go there...). Because of the Marlins pitching and defense, they are still in this and maybe "gumping" their way isn't such a bad thing after all. I have accused the Atlanta Braves of such a feat many times, but they seem to have a formula - considering their 196 division titles in a row now.

Better to be lucky than good? I guess. So, may the best gump win.

March to postseason may be small miracle

It can be done. That is the sentiment around here at Marlinsnation. We all believe in this team, just not necessarily in their ability to make the postseason right now.

The Wild Card race has tightened up with 4 teams within 3 games of the top spot that the Astros currently hold. Even the Brewers have a decent shot at 5 games back. The four teams? All NL East residents: Nationals, Phillies, Marlins and Mets.

Right now, I figure the magic number is 92: the amount of wins it will take to seal up a wild card bid. The Astros has 92 last season and the Marlins had 91 back in '03.

That leaves the Marlins with a task of going 34-16 through these final games. Can it be done? Yes. The Marlins certainly have the talent to make that kind of a run. But it would also be the best baseball they have played all year - and being the most consistent.

They just came off an anti-climatic road trip of 4-5, but got the win last night against the D'Backs and are now 5-5 over their last 10 games. They are 12-8 over their last 20 games which would only get them to 24-16 if they projected that same percentage over the next 20. That wouldn't cut it.

But it is not impossible. The Marlins had a similar run in 2003 in which they went 35-16: from June 18th to August 18th (thanks, MarlinAddict). To have any chance of replicating the feat of that season, the Marlins will have to repeat the feat here.

There are 16 series left for the Marlins. That means they have to take each series and only suffer 1 loss in each one from now on just to have a shot at winning the wild card. 8 of them will be against their NL East foes, including a final series at home against the Atlanta Braves.

Can the Marlins do it? Can they play their most consistent baseball of the year when it matters the most? We'll soon find out.

Beast of the East takes on the Cardinals

Tonight the Marlins open their road series against one of the best teams in all of baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals. For the Marlins, who are starting to get hot, this will be an obvious test and will go a long way to gauging where they are at this point.

As the Braves continue to gump their way ahead in the NL East standings, the Marlins need to approach this series with the Cards as their coming out party just to keep pace. The Marlins also have another hot team to chase in the Wild Card, the Houston Astros.

The pitching is there for the Marlins. Beckett and Burnett have started to pitch up to their billing. Whether or not it was the trade rumors that fueled Burnett will be seen. Willis, the darling of the NL in the first half, had hit a rough patch just after it but had a very nice outing his last time out. Moehler and Valdez round out the Marlins rotation and offer quality starts each time out.

But for this series, there will be a test. The Marlins get to roll out their best on Tuesday (Willis), Wednesday (Beckett) and Thursday (Burnett) but will have to do so against one of the best offenses in baseball in recent memory. And the Marlins will have to do it with a banged up lineup of sorts - Alex Gonzalez is just now coming back from injury and Carlos Delgado's status has yet to be determined.

The playoffs won't be determined by this series, make no mistake. But this series will test the Marlins status right now as to whether or not they are seriously ready to take the next step and assert themselves in the pennant race. The hitting is there. The pitching is there. This team believes it can win and even has the rally socks on. We will know more about this team on Friday.

Marlins acquire veteran Villone

The Marlins made a move to bolster their bullpen Sunday by acquiring bullpen workhorse Ron Villone from the Seattle Mariners. Villone is 2-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 41K's in 40.1IP.

The Marlins sent Yorman Bazardo, a highly regarded relief prospect within the Marlins organization, and Mike Flannery to the Mariners. Bazardo, however, has been disappointing at the big league level. He has a great fastball but strangely doesn't seem to generate a lot of strikeouts.

To make room for Villone, John Riedling was optioned to AAA Alberquerque.

Best approach: stand pat

The options for a deal for AJ Burnett has gotten more narrow - despite his recent success and the fact that the Marlins seem to be leaning towards taking Lowell out as part of the attachment for any deal. It seems the Red Sox and the White Sox are in a bidding war, right now, for Burnett. But the only piece of laundry that AJ should be wearing is a jersey that has "Marlins" written across the front.

I know, I know. You are probably thinking why I had a change of heart. I haven't. I always have liked and respected AJ's talent; it was just his inconsistency that drives me crazy. And his seemingly poisoned tongue that looks to slash at this organization. But winning and hope can change things - or at least put them on hold.

AJ is gone after this season. No doubt. The Marlins know this, AJ knows this, the Yankees know this. The debate is or has always been, should the Marlins trade AJ and at least get something for him in return? To lose Pavano for sandwich picks in the amateur draft is ok; but to do it two years in a row? And for a talent like AJ Burnett? Not exactly capatilizing on his value for this franchise.

Of course, there is another way to define value. If the Marlins can pull it together and get into the playoffs, they have a very good chance of winning the whole gosh-darned thing with AJ and Beckett taking the ball. Just ask the DBacks how Randy and Schilling fared for them in the playoffs a few years back. Or even the Cubs when Wood and Prior are healthy. The fact is, teams that excell in the post season have fireballers in their rotations and in their pens. I see the Braves nodding in the back of the room.

So yes, to keep AJ means you will lose him for basically nothing at the end of the season. But to keep him means you risk winning it all. You are in a better position to do so with AJ here than by trading him - no matter how successful you think Jason Vargas will be or any other call up. And with Dontrelle hitting a rough patch, this may be the most approriate time to hold onto AJ.

For the Marlins, standing pat is the best situation. It only assures a greater possibility of winning for this team and there really isnt a knock down deal for AJ out there. And when the Marlins attach Lowell's contract the focus is less about talent but more about contract flexibility. This means the talent that will be netted in return is less likely to contribute at the current level already in-house. As for Lowell, I dont think dealing him may be in the best interest from a PR perspective let alone he is starting to hit the ball again (over his last 7 games he is 8/25 with 1 HR and 7 RBI).

With the Marlins moving up in the wild card standings while only going 5-5 on this road trip and the recent offensive explosion, it seems both Jack McKeon and Bill Robinson have managed to secure their jobs for the meantime.

Maybe all of this is a sign. Maybe it is just dumb luck. Maybe, it is time for the Marlins to finally rise to the occasion. Either way you look at it, standing pat keeps the possibility for it to continue in place.

Marlins sellers, not buyers

Well, here we are at 45 and 45. 7 games back of the Nationals and not looking to climb up any time soon. The Marlins just lost 3 of 4 against the Phillies, a team, until recently, we have owned. This is a bad bad bad barometer. It smells a lot like underachievement, but that is the state of this team right now: smelling like a rotting fish.

More fun than a barrel of fish? No. This season has been misery. Sure, we are even and just as successful as we have been at losing, or is that successful at failing, not sure. (Then again, batting .500 in baseball is legendary...) The Marlins have dropped more games than a pimp on Lincoln. And that isn't a good thing at this point and surely not as satisfying. For anyone involved.

So, it should come as no surprise that the Marlins are involved in trade rumors; as we see Burnett being shopped around and even Mike Lowell being attached to him like some kind of strange set of conjoined twins.

The Marlins, for all their hype, have not earned the right to think about the postseason. The front office gave them the tools and the weapons necessary, but this team, for whatever reason, has lacked the ability to execute. Despite having one of the better offenses in the National League (#1 with .274 batting average) the Marlins just cannot score runs. Even having one of the better pitching staffs (4.12 team ERA, #8 in NL) hasn't helped close the gap. The wins are coming just as often as the losses, and the Marlins are forced to think about selling as opposed to buying. Closer and closer to the cellar.

Could this team turn it around? Yes. They have the talent - even if a major deal comes down the pike. In fact, it could be argued, or perhaps hoped, that addition may come via subtraction with a trade here. One thing remains, the Marlins have to look to the future once again - one that does not seem to have any hint of a playoff run in it.

Moehler solidifies starting spot

Brian Moehler has come a long way. And yet, this seems familiar. Why? Because Moehler has been pitching for a while now, quietly and successfully.

In his days in Detroit, from '96 through '02, he was able to amass 48 wins in 131 starts. From '97 to '00, he was able to amass double digit wins each season with Detroit. Over his career, he has had a 4.43 ERA, making stops in Cincinnati, Houston and now in Florida along the way.

Earning his third win on the year, Moehler - despite having pretty solid numbers - seems to be more hard luck than lucky at this point. Yet, he keeps pitching and giving the Marlins solid outings every fifth day.

The Marlins are 38-7 when they score 4 runs or more. That is best in the majors. Moehler, by contrast, has a 3.16 ERA this season and only has 3 wins to show for it. The Marlins have scored 6 total runs in Moehler's 6 losses; 2 of those coming by 1 run. But Moehler keeps pitching.

In fact, with Olsen now being placed into the starting lineup and Leiter being moved into the bullpen, will Moehler keep his starting spot when Valdez returns? Who knows. But with Moehler's consistent pitching in place of an injured Ismael Valdez, the Marlins have had a chance to win. It is hard to argue that the Marlins would have been better off with Valdez out there (Moehler's K/BB is better: 1.88 vs. Valdez's '04 1.37 as well as Moehler's 3.16 ERA against Valdez's 4.50 '04 ERA)). And this gives the Marlins an interesting problem - send Valdez into the bullpen or Moehler.

Right now, Moehler has been putting together quality starts and has been arguably the Marlins second most consistent pitcher right behind Willis. He has solidified his starting spot with the Marlins - for how long, will be up to Moehler. And that may be his biggest victory yet.

Fire Bill Robinson

Yes, the Marlins won in 13 innings last night against their rivals the Atlanta Braves. So, what better time to call for the firing of Marlin hitting coach Bill Robinson than now?

Let's not get all emotional about this. Sure, Robinson has been around for awhile now, even since the Torborg era. Remember that?

And yes, the Marlins have a team batting average of .272 and an OBP of .339. Not bad. But only 329 runs in 75 games? That is only 4.3 runs a game. Our opponents are getting 4.2. The Marlins rank #26 in runs scored in the entire MLB but are #6 in AVG. Interstingly, they are #16 in hits.

The Marlins left 17 men on base last night against the Braves. Routinely, it seemed, squandering any chance to win the game. Sure, they broke through and won it, finally. But they needed to take care of this game when they should have. That is the mark of a good team. And right now, the offense is very inconsistent. The hitters are not advancing the runners - trading outs for runs. Instead, it seems guys forget how to do the basics and are only waiting for the three run bomb to deliver them. This is not the mark of a consistent offense and is certainly not the style of baseball the Marlins are known for.

In the 2003 run, the Marlins were aggressive on the field. They bunted and forced the opposing team to adjust to their game. Then, when they got on base, they ran. And were even more aggressive and daring. Lee, Encarnacion, Pierre, Castillo - pick your poison. They were going to steal on you.

This squad may not run as well as that '03 squad, but they have much better hitters in Delgado and Lo Duca than the Marlins did with just Pudge and Lee (the '03 model, of course - in fact, Derek Lee's success could be evidence enough that Robinson wasn't getting the most out of his players).

Can Bill hit for the Marlins? No, obviously not. But are there tell tale signs that the Marlins are not blossoming under his tutelage? Yes. Here is one more snapshot to consider. LoDuca lead off the 12th inning with a double. He then advanced to third on a balk with NO OUTS. All the Marlins needed was a long fly ball. Encarnacion popped out and so did Alex Gonzalez. Neither hit was strong enough to seriously challenge the Braves to score Lo Duca and Encarnacion looked especially unprepared as he swung at a pitch way outside and was down 0-2 on two bad pitches. This is a situation where you got to think, as a hitter, the pitcher is wild and isnt going to give you anything to drive. Make him work some. Don't go up there hacking. And that, my friends, is where coaching comes in.

Why dont the Marlins go retro - again?

Right now, the Yankees are rumored (by the NY media) to be contemplating dealing Gary Sheffield to - gasp! - the Mets for Mike Cameron and Miguel Cairo.

Why not spare themselves the embarassment and get something of real value - a CFer AND a bona fide pitcher? Why not trade Sheff back to his old team, the Marlins, for AJ Burnett and Juan Encarnacion?

Ok, I know what some of you may be thinking - why would the Marlins make this deal? Well, the Marlins cant find a way to score runs. Their pitching isn't that bad and actually, their statistical averages for hitting aren't that bad either they just seem to be living and dying by Juan Pierre right now. Lowell is struggling on the whole this year. Encarnacion has been solid for the most part, but replacing his bat with Sheffield's would be an instant upgrade to a lineup already sporting two potent bats in Delgado and the manchild, Cabrera.

The Yankees would also be getting a stud in AJ Burnett - something they need since their disappointing free agent crop of pitchers this season isn't living up to billing.

Is this a more attractive deal to the Yankees than Cameron and Cairo? You bet. It will cost them about the same amount of money - the Marlins would obviously demand financial relief in return (Sheff is currently in the 2nd year of his 3 year $39M deal with the Yanks). The Marlins are most likely going to lose AJ and Juan - AJ will probably sign with the Yankees this offseason. Why not give him his druthers and send him there ahead of schedule? Heck, he may not like it as much as he thought and oddly, may opt to return to Florida if the deal is right.

But the fact is, a deal like this would give the Yankees what they desperately need - a CF with great range (Encarnacion can play CF very easily and has a gold glove caliber defense already in RF) and a stud pitcher that could bolster their rotation. It would cost less than Cameron and Cairo, too.

For the Marlins they would be getting the return of an old friend (from that '97 champion team) who can flat out hit. Sheffield could man RF and give a huge lift to this anemic Marlins offense and bring us some swagger again. Sure, we lose out on AJ's arm, but we have enough talent to mend for now. Scott Olsen is the real deal and can pitch at this level right now. You also have Al Leiter seeming to right the ship and Ismael Valdez coming back. Along with Moehler - who has pitched very well but is among the league's worst in run support - the Marlins have enough candidates to round out the rotation and juice up the offense to make up the difference.

Why not? Get the Sheff some home cooking.

Marlins dealing?

Recent reports in the media have verified that the Marlins are currently looking to make changes on the field. This is no surprise, but what is surprising is that the Orioles have confirmed that they were in discussions over AJ Burnett. The possible deal was to have AJ Burnett, Juan Encarnacion and Eric Reed shipped to Baltimore for Jorge Julio, Larry Bigbie, and either Ryan Cabrera or Hayden Penn.

Another deal that seems to be brewing is the Yankees interest in Juan Encarnacion. Faced with needing a CFer, the Yanks may look to Encarnacion to fill that void and in exchange would give the Marlins Paul Quantrill. This would save the Marlins some money (about $2.39M) as they would likely get Quantrill for nothing.

Marlins win 3 of last 4 - streak mounting?

Do I feel a streak coming on? The Marlins have now won 3 of their last 4 games and it only took to this point in the season - about two months - for Jack to realize that the opening day lineup was good enough. Now, two wins later, this team is starting to feel like it is going to take off. Why? Let's have a looksy...

Delgado, in the 7th, was sitting at 3-0. Rogers throws a questionable pitch and the ump called it a strike. Delgado was upset at the call. Then, the next pitch is low and away - but also called a strike. The next pitch Delgado hammers over the 1st baseman's head to beat the shift to drive in Juan Pierre and advance Castillo to third.

Which brings up our next point - in previous games, Castillo not scoring would have proven costly. But Mike Lowell is now a different Mike Lowell than we have seen the last two months. This is the RBI machine that we all know and love. He is able to drive in Castillo and Delgado when he blasts a shot off the scoreboard.

Timely hitting, and under duress. It seems the Marlins are starting to turn the corner finally.