(no subject)
for all the Marlins fans (yes.. i'm still entitled to love them even if i have the Devil Rays right here):
"The AJ Burnett trade is nearly complete, but has grown like a weed and is now very complex. Try to keep up as I explain.
The Marlins and Orioles were getting very frustrated. Each has a big contract they don't want to move. For the Marlins, it's Mike Lowell. For the Orioles, it's Sidney Ponson. The teams were about ready to walk away from this deal. Then suddenly, someone had a light bulb worthy idea.
What if the Marlins DID take Ponson?
Well, that immediately warmed the Orioles up to taking Lowell. The framework of a deal was happening. The Marlins gave fellow-Sunshine State team Tampa a call, and worked out a trade where Ponson would be flipped to the Devil Rays for Trever Miller. Roadblock! Ponson has a 10-team no trade clause, and Tampa is right up there at the top of the list. That deal may not be squashed...Ponson must be notified and then accept to be traded to one of those teams. But the Fish could flip Ponson to another team. The Marlins and Orioles are telling teams interested that they will eat all but $2 million of the $13.5 million Ponson is due through next season.
Texas could be interested. Ponson had a handshake agreement with the Rangers to sign as a free-agent as long as Texas moved Alex Rodriguez to Boston. When they sent him to New York instead, the dynamics of salary changed and the Ponson move fell apart. The Rangers would likely go Ponson for Richard Hidalgo straight up. That complicates matters, since the Marlins planned to platoon Jeff Conine and Bigbie and move Miguel Cabrera to 3rd base. But the Marlins could trade Bigbie to Pittsburgh for Mark Redman.
The last possibility is that the Marlins may just go ahead and keep Ponson. The deal would still save the Marlins $7.5 million dollars through 2007. Ponson has a history with pitching coach Mark Wiley.
The Basics
So, the sure part of the deal is that we would get Steve Kline, Larry Bigbie, Jorge Julio, Hayden Penn, AND Sidney Ponson from Baltimore for AJ Burnett, Mike Lowell, and Eric Reed.
Then, we could flip Sidney Ponson to to Texas for Richard Hidalgo and Larry Bigbie to Pittsburgh for Mike Redman, OR trade Hidalgo to another team if the Marlins want the righty Conine and lefty Bigbie in a LF platoon.
OR, we could trade Ponson to Tampa for reliever Trever Miller, but that trade must be approved by Ponson.
It would appear, barring the complications that have killed every rumor before this one, we will have FIVE NEW MARLINS (4 for the big-league team, Penn is likely headed for Carolina) by the end of next week. The deal is apparently done as long as the Marlins can find a taker for Ponson or decide to keep him.
We did get ONE Marlin back today. Ismael Valdez has come off the disabled list and up to the big team. To make room, Scott Olsen is heading back to Carolina. Valdez is not instantly in the rotation, he will start in the bullpen. When Valdez will start again is complicated by the AJ trade and keeping Josh Beckett on regular rest (with an off day Monday). Jack McKeon said he had Olsen sent down because he feels Jason Vargas makes the better relief pitcher of the two."
credit goes to Sean of the marlins LJ community for this one.
"The AJ Burnett trade is nearly complete, but has grown like a weed and is now very complex. Try to keep up as I explain.
The Marlins and Orioles were getting very frustrated. Each has a big contract they don't want to move. For the Marlins, it's Mike Lowell. For the Orioles, it's Sidney Ponson. The teams were about ready to walk away from this deal. Then suddenly, someone had a light bulb worthy idea.
What if the Marlins DID take Ponson?
Well, that immediately warmed the Orioles up to taking Lowell. The framework of a deal was happening. The Marlins gave fellow-Sunshine State team Tampa a call, and worked out a trade where Ponson would be flipped to the Devil Rays for Trever Miller. Roadblock! Ponson has a 10-team no trade clause, and Tampa is right up there at the top of the list. That deal may not be squashed...Ponson must be notified and then accept to be traded to one of those teams. But the Fish could flip Ponson to another team. The Marlins and Orioles are telling teams interested that they will eat all but $2 million of the $13.5 million Ponson is due through next season.
Texas could be interested. Ponson had a handshake agreement with the Rangers to sign as a free-agent as long as Texas moved Alex Rodriguez to Boston. When they sent him to New York instead, the dynamics of salary changed and the Ponson move fell apart. The Rangers would likely go Ponson for Richard Hidalgo straight up. That complicates matters, since the Marlins planned to platoon Jeff Conine and Bigbie and move Miguel Cabrera to 3rd base. But the Marlins could trade Bigbie to Pittsburgh for Mark Redman.
The last possibility is that the Marlins may just go ahead and keep Ponson. The deal would still save the Marlins $7.5 million dollars through 2007. Ponson has a history with pitching coach Mark Wiley.
The Basics
So, the sure part of the deal is that we would get Steve Kline, Larry Bigbie, Jorge Julio, Hayden Penn, AND Sidney Ponson from Baltimore for AJ Burnett, Mike Lowell, and Eric Reed.
Then, we could flip Sidney Ponson to to Texas for Richard Hidalgo and Larry Bigbie to Pittsburgh for Mike Redman, OR trade Hidalgo to another team if the Marlins want the righty Conine and lefty Bigbie in a LF platoon.
OR, we could trade Ponson to Tampa for reliever Trever Miller, but that trade must be approved by Ponson.
It would appear, barring the complications that have killed every rumor before this one, we will have FIVE NEW MARLINS (4 for the big-league team, Penn is likely headed for Carolina) by the end of next week. The deal is apparently done as long as the Marlins can find a taker for Ponson or decide to keep him.
We did get ONE Marlin back today. Ismael Valdez has come off the disabled list and up to the big team. To make room, Scott Olsen is heading back to Carolina. Valdez is not instantly in the rotation, he will start in the bullpen. When Valdez will start again is complicated by the AJ trade and keeping Josh Beckett on regular rest (with an off day Monday). Jack McKeon said he had Olsen sent down because he feels Jason Vargas makes the better relief pitcher of the two."
credit goes to Sean of the marlins LJ community for this one.