Marlins = Playoff contenders?

[flsportsfan83]

BERARDINO: Marlins deserve shot at upgrades

Will Loria help young club as it makes run at improbable wild card?

Published June 27, 2006

MIAMI GARDENS -- Now that South Florida is slowly emerging from its White Hot haze, now that the last piece of confetti has been swept up along Biscayne Boulevard, we interrupt your basking for a bulletin.

The Marlins are pretty good. No, really. They are.

What Joe Girardi's boys have done over the past five weeks has been nothing short of remarkable.

They have taken a Green Day season -- Wake Me Up When September Ends -- and turned it into an old-school U2 summer (Wide Awake and Not Sleeping.)

There's no other way to describe this stretch that has seen the Marlins win 22 of 31 games -- including Monday's 8-5 comeback against Tampa Bay -- and claw their way back from an 11-31 start to the fringe of the National League wild-card race.

Now the question becomes what is Marlins management going to do about it?

"They're in the hardest position to be in: limbo," an American League team official said Monday. "They have gone from being a no-chance team to a team that's in dangerous territory if they choose to play it that way."

Should the Marlins continue to ride the kids as long as they can and see just how many games a $15 million collection of scrappers can win?

Or should Jeffrey Loria follow his own playbook and not only hold Dontrelle Willis but add a piece or two to the mix, even if it costs a couple of prospects and boosts the payroll?

An established center fielder would be nice. So would another reliable arm in the bullpen.

Think I'm talking crazy here? Maybe, but consider the facts.

Despite using 20 rookies, these Marlins have pulled within 6½ games of the wild card. By comparison, the 2003 Marlins were 4½ games from the wild card when they made the epic July trade for Ugie Urbina.

I'm not saying they are one deal away from winning their third World Series. But it is intriguing to consider what they might be able to accomplish with a few choice additions to an impressive young core.

Of the eight teams ahead of the Marlins in the wild-card standings, just two have better run differentials. And the Padres (plus-9) and Giants (plus-5) were hardly blowing away the Marlins (plus-3).

America hasn't seen this much mediocrity under one heading since the Backstreet Boys' farewell tour.

This is also the first year of testing for amphetamines, which means youth should be served even more than usual once the dog days arrive.

There's also the Marlins' farm system, which is rolling out top arms the way Honda does hybrids. Yankee-killer Anibal Sanchez is the latest, and more are on the way.

But first, the Marlins should step up their search for an upgrade in center field, where their production ranks 13th in the league and they recently passed on Joey Gathright after an earlier flirtation.

So far the Marlins have used rookies Reggie Abercrombie and Eric Reed out there. They have used utility infielder Alfredo Amezaga, bless his heart.

For some reason they have not used slugging Joe Borchard, who came up through the White Sox system as a center fielder and said Monday he is "very comfortable" at the position.

Lately, they have started throwing Jeremy Hermida, a natural right fielder, into the mix. On Monday's second pitch, Hermida and right fielder Cody Ross let a Julio Lugo fly ball drop between them for a double.

You know who might have caught that ball? Juan Pierre, that's who.

Yeah, I know, he's having a horrible season for the Cubs. And, yes, he is making $5.75 million as he straggles toward free agency.

But once the Cubs decide to pack it in, the Marlins should consider taking Pierre off their hands. They won't have to give back Ricky Nolasco, and they might even get the Cubs to pay the bulk of the remaining money.

The Astros may be souring on Willy Tavares. Luis Matos is buried on the Orioles bench. And if Choo Freeman keeps improving in Colorado, maybe the Rockies would talk about speedy Cory Sullivan.

The price has to be right, of course. No vital pieces should be sacrificed to feed what might be a short-term monster.

But after the way this season started, it sure is fun to consider.

[flsportsfan83]

It's possible, stranger things have happened. The Marlins front office has to be the best in baseball.

[305BULLNPHINS]

Still a long season but they are playing some good baseball right now!!!  GO FISH!!!

[flsportsfan83]

and you know once were in the playoffs were unbeatable  

[Joe]

Randy,

I'll give them credit, that is unbelievable what that team is doing. For those not familiar with the situation the Marlins average age is 24 and their payroll is $15 Million.

While I don't think they'll make the playoffs this year, they do have a chance of adding a few vetrens next year and putting together a solid team that could compete.

[Velcro]

I hope you guys do fairly well just so Willis doesn't end up getting dumped to the stankees.

[flsportsfan83]

They aren't trading Willis, however Willis is not even our best pitcher. That honor goes to Josh Johnson.

[Velcro]

I hope you are right on Willis... and he is your best pitcher.

Maybe not best record, but I would love to have him.

Abe Alvarez impressed me against the yankees this weekend.  Makes the sting of losing Beckett much less.

[flsportsfan83]

Id rather have Beckett than Willis.

[flsportsfan83]

Josh Johnson is really really really good.