How One Fan Coped With A Depressing Trade

One difference between the Marlins and other franchises: When the Seattle Mariners traded Ichiro Suzuki yesterday, Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service - a Seattle native) penned "Ichiro's Theme." Stream it below:



I'd love to think that Jimmy Buffet and Pitbull are collaborating on a slow-jam commemorating Anibal Sanchez' 2006 no-hitter, but something tells me I'll have to keep dreaming...


Via Stereogum

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Marlins Make Trade, People React Wildly

Well, as I made a one hour drive home, I missed two bits of baseball news. One, the Yankees acquired Ichiro in a trade. Good for them. The other more pertinent news to us is that the Marlins traded Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to the Tigers. In return the Fish get three prospects and a compensation draft pick, a pretty nice haul. Predictably, fans went nuts on Twitter instantly, some complaining about the Marlins usual selling of good players, others making uppity comments about how this is a good move. I wont pretend to know anything about the prospects, so instead I'll let Dave Gershman be our guide:

I’m very impressed with what the Marlins were able to acquire here. Rob Brantly and Jacob Turner are both, for me, top 50 prospects. Brantly is one of the best catching prospects in the game and Turner is one of the best pitching prospects. The Marlins get both of the two for a guy who they weren’t going to re-sign and Omar Infante, who doesn’t have as much trade value as he has had in the past.

Sounds good to me. The key to me is who the club jettisoned. Omar Infante's trade value will probably never be higher than it is now. He's a very capable fielder and is putting up better than average numbers at the plate. Still, he's not a cornerstone of any team (especially being over 30). I love Anibal Sanchez, but it seems the contract negotiations between he and the club always end up at an impasse. The upsetting tidbit is that officially signals the Marlins as sellers and this season is shot, but hey, who didn't know that already?

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Pitches per Batter Faced, Or, Why Mark Buehrle is Awesome

Ted and I were IMing during Monday's Marlins win over the Phillies regarding Anibal Sanchez' ruthlessly efficient game. In 6 and 1/3 innings, he faced 26 batters and threw 95 pitches, good for 3.65 pitches per batter faced (P/BF). I wondered whether this stat was any good or not, so I did some digging. In his previous six season of action, Sanchez has averaged 3.82 P/BF, with a range of 3.66 in 2008 to 3.89 in 2011. Needless to say, 3.65 is better than he usually can manage.

Two points of reference:

1. In 2011, the MLB average P/BF was 3.82, so Sanchez was less efficient than average.
2. For his entire career, Mark Buehrle's P/BF is 3.24 (!!)

All that talk about Mark Buehrle being a quick worker is not just anecdotal, it is statistically factual. Heading into 2012, he has thrown 3 times as many pitches as Anibal Sanchez over each of their careers (33,540-11,156), but has faced 3.5 times as many batters (10,344-2,915).

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Anibal Wins Arbitration

Anibal Sanchez got his arbitration hearing Monday, and he won big. The arbiter ruled in favor of Sanchez, awarding him with the $8 million he was demanding (the Marlins had offered $6.9 million). It is the largest award ever given to a pitcher in arbitration. Sanchez will be a free agent after the 2012 season, meaning unless he lays an egg this year, he could demand upwards of $10 million a year for his next contract.

No word on whether Anibal was carried out of court after the arbitration ruling

Sanchez has averaged roughly 4 WAR a season over the past two seasons. He made $5 million total during that time, which is a bargain for 8 WAR. If he can keep up his WAR pace in 2011, then the $8 million will be surely worth it.

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You may not get many more rides on the Leocoaster

Another NBCMiami piece today, this time on potential trade deals:

With a playoff appearance looking more and more remote, the Florida Marlins are reportedly considering trading a few of their pitchers before the July 31 trade deadline.

According to CBSSports.com, the Fish are amenable to dealing starter Javier Vazquez and relievers Leo Nunez and Randy Choate.

Nunez will get $5+ million in arbitration this winter, and that's a lot to pay for a middling closer. Ted and I are of the same opinion on closers: There are usually 2 or 3 in all of baseball worth their weight in gold (think Mariano Rivera or John Smoltz in his brief closer stint), and the rest are interchangeable (SCWS thinks so, too). The Marlins (wisely) won't pay for Leo next year, so they may as well try to get something for him now.

Vazquez is an interesting case due to his no-trade clause. But he's on a one-year deal, so it makes little sense to keep him if the Marlins can't make a run at the playoffs. Finding a taker for Vazquez could be difficult, but the Tigers once traded John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander, so anything is possible.

I think the Marlins should hold on to Choate, though. He is only due $1.5 million in 2012, and he has been quite effective against lefties this year (facing 57 left-handed hitters in 2011, he has allowed only 5 hits and 1 walk, striking out 23). Unless someone blows them away with an offer, it would be wise to keep him.

Only slightly-related, but interesting nonetheless: Choate and Vazquez were traded for each other in 2003 when the Yankees sent Choate, Nick Johnson and Juan Rivera to Montreal for Javy.

One other thing:

Starters Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez are off the table, though, as the Marlins want to "build around" the trio as they move into their new stadium next season.

I would not have been surprised if Sanchez were dealt this year, but apparently the team wants to pay for his services over the next few years. Considering his injury history though, the Marlins might be declining to sell Sanchez when his value is highest. Here's hoping that doesn't turn out to be a mistake.

Speaking of selling high, remember when everyone was mad about the Marlins trading Dan Uggla? As of July 17, he's slashing .189/.264/.366, good for an OPS+ of 72. And the Braves have him for four more years. At least he makes up for it with his -1.2 defensive WAR, amirite?

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Week in Review

Bombs away

Overview: The Fish split a four-game set with St. Louis then dropped two of three to Washington.
Positives: The Emilio Bonifacio small sample size bonanza continues (current BABIP: .387). Gaby Sanchez has quietly put together a stellar start, with a slash line of .306/.393/.455 (which doesn't include his 2 2B, 1 HR performance from Sunday).
Negatives: Josh Johnson had his first subpar outing of the season, but he's earned a mulligan or two. The Marlins' current third base situation is entirely untenable. The team should not have to depend on a platoon of Greg Dobbs and Wes Helms. It appears the bullpen has fallen back to earth, not that we didn't warn you. The Marlins saw their first three-game losing streak of the season, but thankfully it was halted by a stellar outing from Anibal Sanchez.
Line of the Week: Anibal was flat-out dealing this afternoon, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the second time this season and striking out a career high 11 batters. His line:

7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K

Highlight of the Week: Video of this Mike Stanton home run will cure erectile dysfunction.
Looking Ahead: The Marlins host a three-game set against the Phillies starting Monday, followed by a weekend series in DC.

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Lights Out

By now you've read about Anibal Sanchez' near no-hitter last night. His stat-line:

9.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 3 BB, 9 K, .315 WPA

Had Dexter Fowler's 9th inning broken-bat single not made it through the infield, it would have been the 25th no-hitter in MLB history in which the losing team scored a run (out of 270 total). Here's the highlight reel. I don't have too much to add, but Joe Frisaro's recap for MLB.com has some good quotes:

"Everything was working today," said Sanchez, whose fastball had life at 94-95 mph. "In my last start, I saw my velocity was good. I know I am throwing harder than last year. I'm feeling it right now. I'm using my breaking ball for strikeouts."

"I was swinging at bad pitches and had fouled one ball back in four [plate appearances]," Fowler said. "He had some good stuff tonight. I got some good wood on it. I would say that was my best swing but he blew my bat up."

"Anibal has a very strong mental approach for the game," [Edwin] Rodriguez said. "It takes mental toughness to keep the composure, and he did. He was kind of effectively wild today."

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Week In Review

Overview: It was a disappointing week as the Marlins dropped two of three to both the Braves and the Phillies
Positives: The starting pitching has been great, notching five quality starts. Anibal Sanchez has looked terrific and Josh Johnson has of course been the boss. Not only have they usually been keeping the team in the game but they have lessened the load on the bullpen
Negatives: Bad news, bullpen still not very good despite the lower load. Also both lefties in the pen are now gone. Dan Meyer was DFA'd and Renyel Pinto was placed on the DL to to soreness in Marlins fans hearts his hip. Also, besides being perfect game'd by Doc, the offense has remained dormant. Mike Stanton where are you?
Line of the Week: Going a little out of the box, but to illustrate how good Anibal Sanchez has been, below are his stats from the month of May

6 GS, 4-0, 1.93 ERA, 35 K's

Highlight of the Week: Dan Uggla made a weird tough play when he threw out Ryan Howard from in the hole of short right field.
Looking Ahead: The Fish start a four game series here against the Brewers tomorrow afternoon. On the weekend they will play three in New York against the Mets.

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End of Season Awards

The offseason is upon us, so let's hand out some awards and superlatives. On with the memories with some awards I made up...


Dontrelle Willis Out of Nowhere Award, given to the player who was completely off the radar in Spring Training that made a big impact on the team: Chris Coghlan. Who knew Coghlan, who had never played a game in left field until the night before he was promoted to the big club, would flourish in the position? Coghlan wasn't even on my radar before the season, but what he lacked in buzz he made up for with performance, solidifying the leadoff spot and getting some Rookie of the Year consideration along the way.

Jorge Julio Award, given to the new addition to team who completely flopped: Emilio Bonifacio. Things went downhill quickly for Bonifacio after his inside-the-park home run on opening day, as he posted a .309 on base percentage this year, eighth-worst among NL qualifiers.

Darren Daulton Deadline Dandy, given to the best midseason acquisition: Nick Johnson. Johnson was the perfect hitter to place between Coghlan and Hanley Ramirez, when he was healthy. Hey, it's not like Luis Ayala was getting this award.

Next Member of the Marlins Diaspora, self explanatory: Dan Uggla. Congratulations on another great year with the bat. Unfortunately, you have priced yourself out of the Marlins' 2010 payroll. And when Emilio Bonifacio replaces you, hits .215, and costs the Marlins their season, Jeff Loria will blame Fredi Gonzalez and fire his ass. Way to go, Dan.

Bret Barberie Bizarre Boo-Boo: given to the player with the weirdest injury of the season, named after the time former Marlin Bret Barberie missed a game due to a case of habanero juice in the eye: Jorge Cantu. Everyone's favorite sassy senior had to leave the Marlins' June 10 game against St. Louis with a bout of the dizzies. The problem was caused by his cholesterol medication. Cantu is 27 years old, which may make him the youngest person in America to take cholesterol medication...


On with some other, more generic awards...


MVP: Hanley Ramirez. No explanation necessary.

Best Pitcher: Josh Johnson. The only pitcher you could count on to give a quality start.

Biggest Surprise: Chris Coghlan. In a deep farm system, Coghlan was not the first player you would have expected to make an impact for the Marlins, but he did.

Biggest Disappointment: Four-way tie for Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, Anibal Sanchez, and Andrew Miller. Before the season, Ted said "The top three of the rotation [with Johnson] has a chance to be great... they don't need to be all stars now, just decent." I said "None of the Marlins' pitchers will get any Cy Young consideration, but not because they didn't deserve it." Josh Johnson held up his end of the deal. The rest, not so much.

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House Money

Some thoughts about last night. First of all, big props to Anibal Sanchez. He made his first start since returning from the disabled list, and was brilliant. He threw five no hit innings before allowing one run on two hits with seven strikeouts in his six innings of work. Not bad for someone on a pitch count. This is huge. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from Anibal the rest of this season, but if he can give us anything, that would be like playing with house money. With Volstad struggling in the second half, perhaps Sanchez can be that third cog in the rotation coming down the stretch. Hopefully he just stays healthy, because we all know how good he can be.

Mother nature was vying for it's third save in as many chances for the Marlins this year, but ultimately it had to settle for the hold. The weather reports and radar maps I saw didn't give me any reason to believe the last five outs of the game would be completed, but credit the Atlanta grounds crew for making a somewhat playable field for the final nine minutes of baseball.

And lastly, thanks to Cody Ross for making sure it was only nine minutes and not allowing the Braves to bring the potential tying run to the plate after he gunned down Laroche at second on his base hit. That was sweet.

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Was that so hard?

The Marlins beat the Rockies 8-3 last night, but more importantly, Ricky Nolasco secured the first win for the starting rotation in 20 tries. Dude went 6 innings, giving up three runs while striking out five.

Also of note, Hanley is quietly going on a tear. He tater-totted for the fourth time in five games, over which he has gone 11 for 22. The only problem: all home runs have been of the solo variety. I blame B-Face. Bring on Chris Coghlan, and put Hermida towards the front of the lineup (his OBP is a quiet .402 this year).

Tall, Dark & Mormon takes the hill tonight. Will the good times continue?


AP Photo/David Zalubowski via ESPN.com

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Rotation Set

Looks like Ted was right, Andrew Miller will start the season in the bullpen. The team named Anibal Sanchez the fourth starter, and Miller will join the rotation as the fifth starter on April 15. It seems like a sensible move to me, as Miller is still working on his motion so as to not throw across his body. Some extra time in the pen and some long relief duty in garbage time will give him an extra few weeks to iron out the kinks. Miller could become an ace, so there's no rush in getting him two extra starts in 2009.

Meanwhile, the Marlins picked up RHP Hayden Penn from the Orioles in exchange for Robert Andino in a rather unsurprising exchange of players out of options with no spots on their former teams. Hopefully Andino will find room to grow in the Orioles organization. As for Penn, he hasn't shown much promise in scant major league action, but in my mind, relievers are mostly a crapshoot: sometimes they put it together for long stretches, and sometimes they're Jorge Julio. Since the Fish would have been forced to release Andino, at least they got something in return.

The Fish also traded popular Player to be Named to Kansas City for first-baseman Ross Gload. Gload is being penciled in as Jorge Cantu's backup at first, which I am interpreting as disappointment in Gaby Sanchez. He had the first-base job all but locked up in the spring, but will open the season in Triple-A New Orleans. Surely, we will see him again by September (and maybe sooner), but in the meantime, the Marlins needed someone whose primary position was first base (with Wes Helms and Jorge Cantu being natural third-basemen).

So with Opening Day fast approaching, the roster appears all but set, with the injury status of Alfredo Amezega being the major remaining question.

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