How do you judge a manager trade? White Sox fans were hoping for a disgruntled Logan Morrison in return for a disgruntled Ozzie Guillen, and while that was never going to happen, it was surprising to see the White Sox get anything in return for a manager who had run his course. The South Siders received a pair of prospects who entered the year as the fourth- and seventh-best prospects in the Marlins' system, but both saw their stock fall during the 2011 season.
Shortstop Osvaldo Martinez entered the year as the Marlins' fourth-best prospect, but after showing a line-drive bat and some on-base skills in 2010, he slid to .245/.296/.322 at Triple-A New Orleans while creating further questions about his ability to play baseball's toughest position on an everyday basis. He's an average runner with limited range who has a best-case scenario as a utility man, but even that is not in the cards until he can rebound from a Triple-A debut that saw his OPS fall by 151 points.
Right-handed reliever Jhan Marinez is far more likely to make some noise on the South Side of Chicago. His 74 strikeouts in 58 Double-A innings are no mirage, as the 23-year-old Dominican has mid- to upper-90s gas to go with a solid-average slider, but after reaching the majors in 2010, he never escaped Jacksonville thanks to control issues that went from bad to worse with 42 walks. More strikes could equal a role in the big-league bullpen down the road, but he's still far from refining what is unquestionably late-innings stuff.
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I know it's not your area, but what are your thoughts on the other side of the deal? If possible, can you write it in Not Ozzie Guillen's voice?
As a result, they always have younger players, and typically you have more volatility from younger players. That means some 70-92 seasons, but also a chance at some 92-70 seasons if you get some outlier performances. Either way, you're not spending a ton on payroll and the owners are probably pocketing plenty of revenue money.
Obviously I'm missing something.
Shiny new stadium, fiery new manager, maybe a new free agent or two, new owner....Oh, wait. Never mind.
Also, how does this compare to the Pinella to rays for Randy Winn trade?
This seems more like a PR move, because of the media noise he generates, and because--dare I say it?--he will appeal to Miami's Cuban population. Not bad reasons in themselves, but if they think this makes them a better ballclub, I say they're crazy.