MARLINS TALK For details on the Marlins' press conference with Don Mattingly, please see the last post. Some other nuggets to emerge today: Marlins president David Samson said today that pitcher Jose Fernandez rejected a multiyear contract offer in the months before he returned from Tommy John surgery last July and that he does not appear interested in being presented with another offer at this point. Fernandez, who won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2018 season, has been one of baseball’s best pitchers when healthy, with a 22-9 record and 2.40 earned-run average in his career, over parts of three seasons. Fernandez, who is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, was 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA in 11 starts after returning from the major elbow surgery this past July. “He was offered what we thought was a very fair, tremendous amount of money,” Samson said. “I don’t believe he had any interest in having another offer [this winter] but we always will talk. He is ours for three years at a minimum. Building around Jose and [Giancarlo] Stanton is two smart things to do, but it takes two people to sign a contract.” Samson said conversations on a Fernandez contract broke down over money, not years. “He is a bulldog competitor; he goes out and never thinks about money…,” Samson said. “He is someone who you would want starting in the World Series.” Though Samson did not say this, some Marlins people believe agent Scott Boras, who represents Fernandez, does not want his clients signing long-term deals before they get to free agency. Boras disputed that in a conversation earlier this summer. “In Jose’s career, it’s a bit premature [to sign a multiyear deal] because he’s still young and has only been doing it for a couple years,” Boras said four months ago. “I’ve had many players go to free agency and re-sign with their existing teams. I’ve had other players that have pursued other avenues. I don’t make the decisions whether they do or don’t…. Miami is a great place for Jose and his family. It’s really a nice union.” It’s questionable whether the Marlins ultimately can afford both Fernandez and Stanton, who just completed the first year of a 13 year-$325 million contract, as opposed to one or the other. Boras doesn’t see why not: “With TV rights and the general fund contribution and everything --- every club, before they sell a ticket, they’re making $120 million. There’s a lot of revenue in this game to pay a lot of players and keep players at home.” ### Samson said the Marlins need pitching but do not intend to pursue the highest-priced arms in free agency. “We will not be going after David Price. We will not be going after Zack Greinke,” Samson said. “That’s unequivocal. We don’t want to play in that space. In my experience, those free agent contracts don’t work and I would never have [owner] Jeffrey [Loria] spend his money that way and incur more losses for a contract like that that don’t work. Longterm position player contracts work. I just don’t think longterm pitching contracts work.” Michael Hill, the Marlins’ president/baseball operations, said Loria has not indicated what the 2016 payroll will be. ### Samson said pitcher Henderson Alvarez, coming off shoulder surgery, will not be ready for the start of the regular season and said it will be a “very” difficult decision about whether to tender him a contract offer by the early December deadline. “Guaranteed he’s not in the starting rotation to start the season,” Samson said. Alvarez was 12-7 in 2014 but just 0-4 in four starts this past season. ### Samson said the Marlins are a couple of weeks from determining dimensions for MarlinsPark. “There’s a very high likelihood there will be a change of some sort,” he said. “Part of the fences will move [in] is my guess. We may lower the fences [too].” ### In offering perspective on the Marlins’ recent history, Samson cited the Kansas City Royals, who had a winning record only once in 18 years between 1995 and 2012 before making the World Series last year and winning it this year. “Look at Kansas City,” he said. “How many years did they spend in misery? There was a lot of losing there for a lot of years and then it was time for them to win. It’s time for us to win.”
apparently this guys is pretty good, really like the new baseball hires.....but would mean nothing if Loria just overrules all of them PITTSFIELD — Paul Ricciarini is looking for a new challenge in baseball, and the Pittsfield native thinks he's found one. Ricciarini, 65, has left the Houston Astros organization to join the Miami Marlins. "After 17 years w/the organization, Astros have lost highly respected Paul Ricciarini, most recently a pro scout, to Marlins for a senior position," the Houston Chronicle's Evan Dreilich wrote in a tweet Monday afternoon. Ricciarini, reached late Monday afternoon, will be a senior advisor in personnel with the Marlins. It's part of a restructuring of the team's baseball operations, which includes new manager Don Mattingly. Ricciarini will be working alongside Michael Hill, the Marlins president of baseball operations. "Mike Hill, who I scouted at Harvard," Ricciarini said. "I really, really respect him totally. He's a good one." Hill just finished his first season as the president of baseball operations in Miami. He's running baseball operations since the Marlins let go of former general manager Dan Jennings last month. Ricciarini was one of three professional scouts to leave the Houston organization. Jason Lefkowitz is now a pro scout with the Seattle Mariners and scout Charlie Aliano has also left Houston. It is part of the normal ebb and flow of baseball front office personnel. The Pittsfield native spoke with the Marlins last month about the job and was hired last week. His actual title has not yet been determined. Advertisement Ricciarini has spent the last 17 years with Houston. Before that, he was with the New York Mets for eight seasons as a scout, a national cross checker and East Region supervisor. He also worked with Cincinnati, Toronto and Atlanta. Among the players Ricciarini has scouted included Dalton native Turk Wendell, George Bell, Kelly Gruber and Mark Wohlers. "What they wanted to do was have some new voices and voices of reason, so to speak, in baseball operations," said Ricciarini. Ricciarini will be working alongside Miami vice president of player personnel Jeff McAvoy, who he's known for years and director of pro scouting David Keller. The newest Marlin said that it was not a case of him wanting out of Houston. Miami spoke with him about the new position. "Oh no, not openly. Sometimes these things happen. I've turned down jobs in the past," the Pittsfield native said. "I had quite a bit invested [in Houston] timewise and with relationships. "[Miami] said we'd like you to come over here and we'd like you to have a voice, be a voice of experience." Ricciarini said he would be doing "nuts and bolts" scouting, and will be working along with the team's recently boosted analytics department. He said it's a nice balance of both worlds. "It's broad-based. It could be anywhere," said Ricciarini, adding that it's about nuts and bolts scouting. "There's going to be some coverage, but there's going to be a lot of improvisational stuff. "There's some time spent mentoring and sitting in with some of the younger scouts, giving them direction and whatnot. I'm excited, honestly, I really am."
This guy better be worth it, all the sports writers talk him up like he is though @jaysonst: Now posted at https://t.co/gtnhE81RUu - Sources: Lopsided trade between Pirates/Marlins was really compensation deal https://t.co/7hPrpbS3UK
Ethan J. Skolnick @EthanJSkolnick 2m2 minutes ago Ethan J. Skolnick Retweeted Craig Mish #ofcourse Ethan J. Skolnick added, Craig Mish @CraigMish Growing sentiment around Baseball and internally with the @marlins is Jose Fernandez will be traded this offseason.
The second he went with Boras it was a given he was a goner But don't we have him under our control for another 2 years or so?
@JoeFrisaro: Two highly placed sources tell me Jose Fernandez is not being shopped or discussed to be shopped. Will that changes, who knows? #Marlins
@flasportsbuzz: Marlins execs say Boras will not be part of discussions on how many innings Jose will pitch.Jose told El Nuevo Herald,others Boras will be.
JOKE FRANCHISE In a surprising and upsetting development, the Marlins today dropped TV analyst Tommy Hutton, who did exemplary work for 19 seasons. My breaking of the story on Twitter elicited a flood of comments in support of Hutton --- and all justifiable. Hutton was candid, critical when needed, sharp, alert, insightful, personable and achieved terrific chemistry with Rich Waltz. Hutton was the best TV analyst in South Florida, and frankly, one of the best we’ve ever had in this market. Hutton and Waltz could keep broadcasts entertaining even when the score was lopsided --- one of the biggest compliments you can give an announcing team. The Marlins said Waltz will be retained as the team’s TV play-by-play voice. Hutton said the Marlins gave him no explanation. “All I got was we've made a decision to go in another direction,” he said. “They insisted it wasn't about budget. I was surprised and shocked the way it was handled given the fact it was two months into the offseason and a couple days before Thanksgiving.” The Marlins have had only two TV analysts in their 23-year history: Hutton, 69, and deceased former All-Star Gary Carter, who held the job for the team’s first four seasons. “I am thankful to have worked 51 years in this game,” Hutton said. “I am thankful to have spent the last 19 doing Marlins baseball. “I am in no way thinking about retiring. I still love the game, still have passion, still have energy.” The Marlins declined to explain reasons for the decision. PJ Loyello, the team’s senior vice president/communications and broadcasting, said only: “It was a mutual decision between Fox and the ball club and we decided to go in a different direction.” Fox wouldn’t comment beyond this statement: “This was a joint decision with the Marlins to move forward with a new color analyst beginning next season. We thank Tommy for his calls and contributions over the years at FOX Sports Florida.” The team has not targeted a replacement for Hutton. A search will begin shortly. The Marlins said radio announcers Dave Van Horne and Glenn Geffner will be retained.
I honestly didn't like Tommy too much, he was getting grumpy as hell in his old age You may like his rants, but most of them weren't necessary nor informative
@jcrasnick: The #Mariners are working on a trade to acquire #Marlins OF Marcell Ozuna, according to MLB sources. jcrasnick: #Marlins are seeking a young starter in exchange for Ozuna, who has fallen out of favor with Miami owner Jeffrey Loria.
@clarkspencer: And two pitchers the #Marlins could be looking at are LH Roenis Elias and RH Nate Karns, per sources. https://t.co/ivJMvW0qX8
@fishstripes: Marlins players reportedly complained about Tommy Hutton's commentary: https://t.co/n3HyFm7UEF https://t.co/K8iympdAv0
@JoeFrisaro: Also hearing Barry Bonds/Frank Menechino lined up to be #Marlins hitting coaches as @JonHeymanCBS reports. Juan Nieves pitching coach
It is shameful that people are saying bonds shouldn't be a hitting coach because he juiced his way to the top. A good Christian man like Barry Bonds would never take steroids.
He was a great hitter long before the roids. If fucking McGwire wasn't taking all his press he wouldn't of had to resort to such tactics
Potentially great arm out there to be had: Marlins have non-tendered Henderson Alvarez, source tells Yahoo Sports.
NASHVILLE -- The Miami Marlins have consistently denied reports that they would consider trading their ace, Jose Fernandez. But as the winter meetings got underway Sunday, sources say the Marlins were talking to the Los Angeles Dodgers -- and at least two other teams -- about potential blockbuster deals involving Fernandez. Clubs that have spoken with the Marlins say they’ve put such a high price on Fernandez that any trade would be considered a long shot. An official of one club said the Marlins were asking for as many as five players in return for the 23-year-old right-hander. And another club executive said the Marlins were telling teams they would only consider moving Fernandez if the package in return made them better next season than they would be if they kept Fernandez, as well as putting several young players in place who could solidify their future. But even that stance indicates Fernandez isn’t as untouchable as the Marlins have suggested publicly. And that has at least opened the door for the Dodgers to explore dealing for Fernandez in the wake of losing Zack Greinketo the Arizona Diamondbacks. Indications are that the Diamondbacks are another team that has inquired about Fernandez. Other clubs say that after signing Greinke, Arizona has turned its attention to trading for another starter to pair with him. While the Diamondbacks have also been linked to free-agent starter Mike Leake and others, the Greinke contract has left them with limited dollars to spend. So they’ve looked into trading for a number of young, less pricey starters, including Fernandez. Few teams, however, would match up better with the Marlins than the Dodgers, who might be willing to include their top pitching prospect, Jose Urias, if it gave them the opportunity to trade for Fernandez, whom they could control for three more years and whose 160 Adjusted ERA-Plus is the best, through his first three seasons, of any starting pitcher in the live-ball era. “I don’t know if they’ll wind up trading him,” said an executive of one club that spoke with the Marlins. “But if they do, I’m betting that’s where he goes -- to the Dodgers.
Love Jose to death but with that cunt rag Boras there is zero chance he stays with us. I hope we can keep him for 2 more seasons since he is under our control for 3 However the dodgers have the #1 farm system in baseball, if they were to give us their top 5 prospects I wouldn't cry as hard but it would still suck And it'd never happen but if we were to toss in Ozuna for Puig it'd make me feel a lot better
Hearing that the Marlins have back-burnered Marcell Ozuna trade talks. Still listening but more likely they keep him than trade him.
Marlins didn't want to tender Henderson Alvarez at a cost of like 3 million. A's just gave him 4 million + incentives.
Allstar 2 years ago gone for fucking nothing now. That's the Marlins for you. Hech is the only one left from the Reyes/Buerhle/Johnson deal.
Apparently we made an offer for Chapman and wanted to convert him to a starter but the Reds wanted Kolek in the deal and we said no
edwin Jackson has a deal with the marlins, pending medical @JoeFrisaro & @flasportsbuzz on top of this
Really hope they plan to put him as a long-relief, emergency starter type If he makes the rotation...it's last place again
Sources: #Marlins among teams pursuing Cuban free-agent RHP Yaisel Sierra. Expected to beat Raisel Iglesias’ 7-year, $27M deal with #Reds.
So Marlins just signed a Boras client. Apparently relations have improved considerably over the past couple weeks. Hopefully spells good news for Fernandez also, lol at signing Chris Johnson
Sources: Dee Gordon, #Marlins have agreement in principle, five years, $50M with $14M vesting option for sixth year.
Not confirmed, but I sense #Marlins are trying between now and Fri to sign Jose Fernandez long-term.If so, not sure it will get done