Marlins Still On Top
The Florida Marlins have been one of the surprise teams in the NL this
season, staying competitive despite having the lowest payroll in the
majors by a huge margin.
That reputation could get a major makeover
before the club’s next game.
With rumors that they’re on the
verge of acquiring slugger Manny Ramirez swirling, the Marlins hope to
stay focused as they open a four-game series against the Colorado
Rockies on Thursday night at Dolphin Stadium.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global
have made Florida -105 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has
been set at 10 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that
72% of bets for this game have been placed on Florida -105 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Despite trading
last season’s opening day starter Dontrelle Willis and leading run
producer Miguel Cabrera in an offseason move designed to cut costs,
Florida (57-51) has managed to emerge as a contender in the NL East
with a payroll of approximately $22 million – about half of the
next-lowest team in baseball.
Though the Marlins have to be proud
of the success they’ve achieved with a young and inexpensive lineup,
help could be on the way in the form of one of baseball’s best-known –
and highest-paid – players.
Marlins president David Samson and
president for baseball operations Larry Beinfest have been involved in
talks to acquire Ramirez from Boston. Ramirez, batting .299 with 20
home runs and 68 RBIs, makes nearly as much as the Marlins’ entire
roster – he’s in the final guaranteed season of an eight-year, $160
million contract.
The trade would mark a significant shift in
strategy for the Marlins – an organization that has become known for
letting its free agents sign big contracts with other teams or trading
away those players to restock their talent pool with young prospects.
The potential deal may be out of character, but Samson says he’s obligated to explore the team’s options.
"We’re
looking everywhere. We’re making calls. We’re getting calls," he said
Wednesday on his radio show on Miami station WAXY-AM. "But we’re not
going to be stupid."
Asked specifically if a deal for Ramirez was
possible, Samson said, "I’ve always told you everything is possible.
There are all sorts of crazy things. There’s no way to say which trades
are going to happen."
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, however, denied a deal was in place.
"There’s no news, nothing to talk about," Loria said early Thursday.
Somewhat
lost in all the Ramirez talk is the fact that the Marlins just won two
of three games in a series against the high-priced New York Mets.
Florida’s Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida, both mentioned as part of
a possible deal, had two hits apiece and Dan Uggla hit a two-run homer
as Florida won the finale 7-5 on Wednesday night.
The Marlins pulled within one game of the second-place Mets and 1 1/2 games of division-leading Philadelphia.
Meanwhile,
the Rockies (49-60) avoided a three-game sweep Wednesday by topping
Pittsburgh 7-4 for their 10th win in 13 games since the All-Star break.
Shortstop
Troy Tulowitzki went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and is batting
.556 (20-for-36) since coming off the disabled list July 21. The hot
streak has lifted his season batting average from .166 to .241.
"I
believed in myself," said Tulowitzki, the NL Rookie of the Year
runner-up last season. "I think there were a lot of people out there
who didn’t believe in me. I knew my swing was headed in the right
direction. It was just a matter of going out there and getting results."
Tulowitzki
hopes to continue his recent surge against Florida starter Anibal
Sanchez (2-1, 4.80 ERA), who’s making his first start since a loss to
the Mets on May 2. The right-hander, who missed those three months
while recovering from shoulder surgery, has never faced Colorado.
The
Rockies will counter with Jorge De La Rosa (5-5, 6.20), who has held
opponents to two runs over 12 2-3 innings in winning back-to-back
starts for the first time this season. The left-hander gave up one run
and two hits while striking out eight in 6 2-3 innings of a 5-1 win
over Cincinnati on Saturday.
He’s 1-2 with an 8.64 ERA in four career games – three starts – against the Marlins.
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