THOMAS JOSEPH

Perhaps.

I think the question you posed in the first paragraph is reasonable. While I don't believe the Soto signing directly moved the Marlins, surely the brain trust has a multi-year plan in mind in which Burger's presence was overridden by (hopefully) filling the team's many needs. I hate to lose him, especially when he is so amenable to his circumstances, is so cheap, and the trade further exacerbates fan perceptions that the organization is dysfunctional. Still, we have no choice except to believe that the big picture will come into focus starting in 2025. We'll see many players who fit into the designed plan get ABs and innings. Some will be evaluated, some showcased, and all will audition for their futures. If anything, as we cringe with what might be, baseball is often counterintuitive. This past season, the Royals and the A's overachieved. Circumstances are always different, of course, but those of us who stay with the Marlins are on the Bendix Express. He's flying it and we better hope he is competent. I, for one, am fascinated to see this near-total remake play out.

Interesting. More confidence in Bride than we thought, perhaps, and an indication that DLS is heavily in the mix, I suspect.

These things fall under the "Serenity Prayer" title. The so-called slot money is insane. Doesn't the entire Marlins roster, save Sandy Alcántara, make less than six million dollars a year? What a microcosm of the MLB system.

I saw Ely's associated X post on this subject and the replies were right on point. Even for the crazies who think Sherman and his group are pulling $30 or $40 million a year out the Marlins, which is utterly ludicrous, the term of Soto's deal alone negates any chance that sixty percent of the league could even consider such a risk. We see what happens when a single player (or two) devastates a team's chances of a decade. The Angels' heavyweight triumvirate of Pujols, Rendon, and Trout is a compilation of horrendous decisions. Miguel Cabrera's abominable extension in Detroit cost them $40m PER WAR over the better part of a decade. For low-revenue teams, such top-heavy foolishness is easy to spot - such as Votto in Cincinnati. Anyone who thinks the Reds ownership doesn't wish they could turn back time to 2016 and trade him for a savings of $150m is not dealing in reality. Some future HOF cap for $150m? Uh, no. that's a killer for a team like Cincinnati and it showed. Can the Yankees handle a Stanton deal? Yes, obviously. The top six or seven teams are able to consider these deals and no one else. So, as Ely noted on X, the upcoming CBA is the line in the sand for not only competitiveness, put sustainability of the league on real terms. Unless, of course, the top owners want an incestuous, significantly boring, contracted league. I know the MLBPA doesn't. The post-2026 season CBA fight will be quite epic with high probability of work stoppage or a missed season. There is no more time to kick the proverbial can down the road.

Third coaching staff is the charm?

Number one pick only $759 million less than the great Soto (genuflect). LOL.

Thanks for the updates and summary. Wondering if you saw David Samson's Soto take today? Perhaps I was not perceptive, but I thought he both acknowledged the gross systemic inequity in MLB while defending it as the preferred (pure capitalist) path. He does end with a statement that the low-revenue teams have the votes to effectuate change in the owners' position after the 2026 season as the CBA war starts. Frankly, there's no more time or reason to kick the can down the road. It's time for a reckoning with the runaway owners and the MLBPA. Are there any creative minds out there in both camps? Are the players going to be dominated by the top ten percent of big earners? The answers: are "no" and "yes," respectively. Accordingly, things appear quite bleak at this point. Although we shouldn't totally despair, it's ok for Marlins fans (and fans of the other low-revenue teams) to be deflated today.

Maybe, there will be a movie in the future touting the Marlins' innovations (and successes). We'll need a wider lens.

Thank you for your insights, and you also make solid points. I only played through college, so my experience is limited, and it was 50 years ago. The pitching velocity issue is, for sure, a significant factor. Perhaps the length and amount of baseball in a season is also substantial, but this hasn't changed much since my time. The same number of games and ST, except some additional playoffs, granted. With the DH, pitchers aren't batting, of course. Yet, many of the defensive plays in every game involving pitchers end up with medical staff on the field. Bunts, covering first, you name it. Unfortunately, I simply do not buy the "better" players. In truth, equipment, training, nutrition, specialized coaching, medical care, and even playing field quality/care/safety measures are better than ever. Pitching velocity and home runs have increased, yet we must consider whether these are good things, especially the velocity contribution to injuries you mentioned. The reduced game times may result in fewer injuries, as you noted, but I would wager this will not be the case. A lot of it is a big change in team strategy because of player contract costs. That is true. Yet, even with all these things and the "savior" DH, league averages aren't improving in the face of the pitching fiasco, and, to the theme of this discussion, players are not more durable despite all their advantages. Then there are the player entitlement and attitude problems of modern players, which is, of course, a microcosm of the overall society.

Alcántara's contract looks fantastic.

I love the roster tool. Well done!

At least we are comforted that the horrendous Cabrera extension, one of the worst in baseball history, was avoided. The last seven years of that extension hamstrung the Tigers - most of an entire decade. They are now flourishing with young players and building a solid, long-term core for way less money.

Ready to make moves on the dime - plenty of pickings in our price range as things flush out or injuries manifest. Waiting is the smart play for the Marlins at this stage, especially as we see how the starting pitching staff does or does not come together as anticipated.

Just because we have a $90m budget should not mean there is any hurry. We know the team will evolve under Bendix anyway. Skip the peak value FAs, and let's see who gets cut in ST or needs a late-deal roster spot. In the meantime, keep options open, that includes a payroll slack. The Marlins are quite unlikely to overcome the three teams ahead (a Met Soto signing notwithstanding) this year. There's no reason to spend for a piecemeal 2 WAR player. Will it make a difference for the money? Doesn't it remove a roster spot during the time we should be evaluating or showcasing? C: Nick Fortes ($1.60M) 1B: Jake Burger ($0.80M) 2B: Otto Lopez ($0.80M) 3B: Connor Norby ($0.80M) SS: Xavier Edwards ($0.80M) LF: Jesus Sanchez ($3.20M) CF: Dane Myers ($0.80M) RF: Griffin Conine ($0.80M) DH: Jonah Bride ($0.80M) 4th OF: Kyle Stowers ($0.80M) 5th OF: Derek Hill ($0.80M) Utility: Vidal Brujan ($0.80M) Backup C: Jhonny Pereda ($0.80M) NA: Garcia ($12.00M) SP1: Sandy Alcantara ($17.30M) SP2: Jesus Luzardo ($6.00M) SP3: Ryan Weathers ($0.80M) SP4: Braxton Garrett ($1.80M) SP5: Edward Cabrera ($2.20M) RP: Calvin Faucher ($0.80M) RP: Andrew Nardi ($0.80M) RP: Jesus Tinoco ($0.80M) RP: Anthony Bender ($1.40M) RP: Declan Cronin ($0.80M) RP: Mike Baumann ($0.80M) RP: Lake Bachar ($0.80M) RP: Xzavion Curry ($0.80M) NA: Go ($2.30M) Payroll is 30.00% under budget

"I live in Florida..." Huh. Since the Marlins have two WS titles in their history, the same as the Dodgers and Braves in the same time frame, is this guy saying that if the team "is good" fans will be satisfied? He offers the same old ridiculous blather. No matter what anyone says ("We just want to be competitive"), no one is satisfied without WS titles. No one. The "competitive" howling depletes quickly. He might want to ask how disappointed 1990s Braves fans are or check in with Phillies fans if the team produced no titles in the Harper era. This leaves out the extraordinarily high Yankee fan expectations, a category of its own. This is not a barometer of financial circumstances. I understand that teams may be financially adequate for their ownership, with team valuation increases, but this means nothing to the fans. Of course, his "yada yada" question disrespecting McCullough's expressed thoughts is just a lead-in for his boring, uninspired thoughts on the Marlins performances since 1993. How unique! I wish I was the interviewee. My retort to Mr. Original would be, "I wonder if the Brewers, Rockies, Padres, Mariners, or Rays would trade total records with the Marlins? How many of the remaining teams would trade from 1993 to the present? Pirates, Guardians, Angels, Cubs, Reds?

The systemic inequities are worse now than ever with the rise of deferrals and the recent shake-out in the local television arrangement. Without unexpected self-correction (fat chance) and revenue increases from local broadcast providers in the future (moving in the opposite direction), the next CBA is where the line in the sand must be drawn. The Dodgers have exacerbated things to the point that the showdown is inevitable. Our friend, David Samson, said yesterday that big divisions within the MLB owner ranks are predictably drawn between the low- and high-revenue teams. Undoubtedly, much higher CBT penalties, calculation changes, and heavy restrictions in the deferral system are at the top of the list. Since the players will not be onboard with any changes, expect a work stoppage. The low-revenue teams simply cannot allow the current structure to continue. It is a survivability issue. I expect a lost 2027, or another significantly truncated season, a la 2020, billed as an acceptable substitute. It's best to be firm, take the hits, and dig in heels now, although kicking the proverbial can down the road is what the owners do best.

Great to see Dane in the Dominican League. I loved the setup he made for the throw to the plate in one of your top plays. Hope he gets excellent playing time in 2024.

Enjoyed that! Thanks for the compilation and smiles. PS - I will miss Severino next year. Sigh. Hope everyone had a pleasant and relaxing Thanksgiving Weekend. No politics! LOL.

I have hotel and other arrangements in place for the last week of February in Jupiter. I spend a hunk of the winter in Jacksonville, which leaves a pleasant drive down the coast. I preferred Space Coast Stadium, formerly the Expos ST site, and then it served the Nationals. The Viera, Florida, location was even closer to Jax, and I had my favorite restaurants and the like. Oh, well, nothing can stay the same. As for me, I like the foul territory bullpens, especially in ST. Perhaps it's just nostalgic, but it's still one of the aspects of many MiLB facilities that I like. Again, times change, and I figure most people (as well as the players) prefer the outfield configuration. It's a longer run into the infield when there's a brawl! LOL.

This is a fine overview article - well done - and thanks for all the hard work! Expos fans have deemed the names Loria and Samson as anathema. Jack Todd of the Montréal Gazette still closes every column with a weekly "Heroes" and "Zeros" list. The Zeros always end with "David Samson &&&& last but not least, Jeffrey Loria." Nevertheless, I have read extensively on the situation (including Loria's new book From the Front Row) and feel Loria's demonization is unreasonable. There were behind-the-scenes machinations that allowed Loria to take full control of the Expos, that is, diluting his partners' shares when they failed to make cash calls. The increasingly untenable situation in Montréal (including the rejection of a new stadium by the city and provincial governments) finally led to the Marlins "swap" arrangement involving Henry, the Red Sox, and MLB. But everything is mitigated by the failures and shortcomings of his Québec partners, all of whom were astute businesspeople.

In keeping with the fickle reliever model, I think it's reasonable to expect a nice rebound from our southpaw friend.

I am happy to give him a chance. Many successful coaches fit Moskos' general profile: some big-league experience but not stardom. Of course, the proliferation of middling/mediocre/backup catchers comes to mind. Since coaching combines knowledge, relationship building, and relatability (I will not use emotional intelligence), there's no reason he can't succeed in Miami. Hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving!

This seems unnecessary, to be honest, but we'll carry on.

Reading this article and Alex Carver's this week, I had two diverse thoughts. The first was a kind of exuberance that a new era for the Marlins has begun in earnest - comprehensive and strategic. It's heady, adventurous. After the Reconquista, Spain's monarchs realized the country needed hope and lofty goals. These required risk-taking and some fresh blood. Hyperbolic, yes! And that's what we need to start off the Bendix Era. On the other end of things, I continue to sense a "de-Americanization" of baseball. I know there has long been concern that black Americans were (had already?) moved to football and basketball. Is the future the Caribbean baseball factory with more Japanese and Korean players in the mix? Are there ramifications or should we consider roster restrictions like the CFL has for non-Canadians to protect the erstwhile National Pastime?