The Miami Marlins were the talk of the MLB heading into the 2012 regular season. A new stadium, new manager, and a couple of big pickups made the Marlins, who had the worst attendance in the league in prior years, one of the most anticipated teams in the MLB.
The Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers were also very highlighted teams throughout the 2011 offseason, but the Marlins were right up there with them.
Jose Reyes finally got the money he wanted with a six year, 106 million dollar contract. Reyes did not have his best season, but definitely not his worst. After being a batting champion in 2011, Reyes batted only .287 in 2012 in his first season with the ‘Fins. He definitely did not have the season the Marlins expected, but also wasn’t a complete let-down.
The team also went out and added veteran closer, Heath Bell, to the team. Bell signed a three year, 27 million dollar contract and posted a mediocre season with Miami, converting 19 saves in 27 opportunities. Bell was even taken out of the closer role from time-to-time and had an extremely disappointing season for Marlin fans. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason which ended his Marlins career after a rough season.
Another veteran player the Marlins added was Chicago White Sox, Mark Buehrle. Buehrle, who was overpaid, had a mediocre season. The four year, 58 million dollar deal was said many to be too much. It proved to be, as Buehrle posted a 13-13 record, with an ERA around four. He did win a gold glove, but that was just about the only positive side of his 2012 campaign.
Carlos Zambrano was brought in, the veteran spark plug known for his days as a Chicago Cub. The move was nothing but a mistake, and his year in Miami featured a 7-10 record with a 4.49 ERA.
So why am I telling you all this? Because the Marlins were said to be a powerhouse in the National League East, but completely underachieved, and decided to unload their whole roster after one bad season.
The 2012 opening day lineup for the Miami Marlins went as follows:
Jose Reyes
Emilio Bonifacio
Hanley Ramirez
Giancarlo Stanton
Logan Morrison
Gaby Sanchez
Omar Infante
John Buck
Josh Johnson
Pretty good lineup, eh? Too bad only two of the nine players, Stanton and Morrison, are on the Marlins roster now, after the huge blockbuster trade done earlier today.
The team signed Carlos Lee in early July hoping for a spark, but with a record under .500 at the time, did not get it from the veteran first basemen. Lee was even discussed as a potential trade target later that month, when the Marlins were just about out of contention. Once the trade deadline rolled around, slugger Hanley Ramirez, to go along with reliever Randy Choate, were traded out to the Los Angeles Dodgers for practically nothing, in a salary dump.
All baseball fans know who Hanley Ramirez is, and how much potential he had as a Marlin. He hit nearly 150 home runs in his seven seasons as a Marlin. Unfortunately he had a bad attitude towards the team and had wanted to get out of Miami for a while leading up to the trade, where he thrived in Los Angeles throughout the second half of the season.
The team also dealt pitcher Anibal Sanchez and utility man Omar Infante to the Detroit Tigers midseason. Sanchez has a bright future ahead of him in a Tigers uniform and Infante, who can play second base, shortstop, third base, and left field, should continue a solid career as one of the leagues most versatile players.
Pirate fans also know they traded away their first basemen, Gaby Sanchez, right at the trade deadline for outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.
Not to mention, the team also made Ozzie Guillen their manager for the 2012 season, which makes everything understandable. Possibly the most controversial and talked about manager in the league, Guillen drove himself into trouble a couple times with statements made and actions he took towards the team. Ozzie being Ozzie continued down in Miami and he was immediately fired at the end of the 2012 campaign.
Around six P.M. today, reports started to rain in about a potential blockbuster trade between the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays. The reports were true, and the Marlins traded away just about the rest of their roster. In one of the bigger trades in recent memory, the Blue Jays acquired Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio and John Buck.
All five of these guys are well known players around the baseball world. I already touched up on Buehrle and Reyes’ seasons, but Josh Johnson, who in my opinion is one of the most overlooked pitchers in the league, was dealt away. Rumors have been kicked around for years about Johnson being traded, and the Marlins finally pulled the trigger and sent him packing.
Emilio Bonifacio is another solid and overlooked player in the MLB. A guy who has played every position on the field besides, first base, pitcher, and catcher, is obviously a great piece to have on a team. John Buck, perhaps the most unknown player of the five, is a catcher who was pretty good in his short career with the Marlins.
The Marlins got a couple nice pieces in return, but nothing compared to what they gave up. It was obviously a salary dump, and they saved over 150 million dollars trading away these five players. The team has done things like this in the past, signing some big free agents in the offseason, in hopes of a World Series appearance, and then unloading them the next offseason. The team took that approach in 1997 and 2003 and both of those seasons ended with World Series wins.
You have to feel bad for Giancarlo Stanton, who I can see being the best power hitter in the league in years to come. He was set up with a good team this year, and if he is unable to get out of Miami, will be on one of the worst teams in the league. He might end up playing for a horrible team in years to come, as the Marlins lineup looks brutal after all these transactions. The 23-year old right fielder will put up great numbers in his career, but until he signs a big time deal with another team getting himself out of South Beach, might have a miserable time with his team.
Reactions from a few Marlins:
Alright, I’m pissed off!!! Plain & Simple
— Giancarlo Stanton (@Giancarlo818) November 13, 2012
What just happened? Bad week not to have a tv.
— Justin Ruggiano (@justinruggiano) November 14, 2012
Huh?…….
— ricky nolasco (@RNolasco47) November 14, 2012
And of course Logan Morrison had to crack a joke:
I’m not gonna do whatever body thinks I’m gonna do and freak out! Ugh, I need a bath.
— Logan Morrison (@LoMoMarlins) November 14, 2012
All in all, the team has had possibly the craziest year for a MLB team in history. Going all the way from the Reyes/Buehrle/Bell/Zambrano signings in the offseason, to the midseason trades, to the unloading of the roster this offseason. It’s crazy to think about how much a team can change over the course of twelve months.
The deal, unofficially: Johnson, Buehrle, Reyes, Bonifacio, Buck for Escobar, Hechavarria, Alvarez, Nicolino, Marisnick, Mathis, DeSclafani.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 14, 2012
UPDATE:
Source: Nolasco could be next #Marlins player traded.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 14, 2012
Photo Credits: Associated Press
