Marlins Trade Wishes

If the Marlins are to be buyers at the trade deadline, there are several needs that could be addressed.

As of two weeks ago, most of the focus centered on center field and catcher. Why? I don't know.

Cody Ross has been enormously productive out in CF, and his defense has been adequate enough. The Marlins have been rumored to covet Wily Taveras (the organization has always liked those speedy leadoff types), but that would be an obvious downgrade. Stick with Ross.

As for catchers, why are the Marlins even paying attention to David Ross or Paul Lo Duca? Those guys are NOT GOOD. Why not give John Baker a chance to prove himself, and Matt Treanor has been superb defensively. Whatever it costs, these other catchers aren't worth it.

Where do the Marlins really need help? The bullpen! Once the team's strongest asset, it's now the most undependable assortment of garbage outside of that huge Turnpike landfill. Is there anyone the team can count on? It's gotten so bad, the Marlins have been sending guys like Matt Lindstrom and Logan Kensing down to AAA, replacing them with (gulp) Eulugio de la Cruz. A couple reliable acquisitions could make a world of difference.

Treanor Hurt, John Baker Up

Matt Treanor looks like he'll be going to the DL. He injured an abdominal muscle last night while trying to avoid being hit by a ground ball...the outcome? The ball hit him and he hurt himself. Double whammy.

This puts the Marlins catching situation in an interesting spot. Treanor's hitting may have been mediocre (at best), but his fielding was spectacular. His presence behind the plate will be sorely missed.

I thought Mike Rabelo might be recalled, but it seems the Marlins want him to work things out. That's the right move. Instead, the popular John Baker will get his big shot. I'm not sure what the distribution of starts will be between Hoover and Baker, but I wouldn't be surprised if Baker gets a good number.

Matt Birnbach - a longtime Baker proponent - provides us with some commentary on John Baker:

"John Baker trained hard this off season trying to get in shape for Marlins camp and maybe an outside shot at making the team. He didn’t see too many at bats in Spring games as he lost out to Matt Treanor and Paul Hoover (Mike Rabelo had to rehab in the minors first.) As of his calling up, he was hitting .316/.394/.492 with 21 extra base hits (6hr) in 193 at bats. Against lefties, he was hitting .382/.443/.455 in 55 at bats.

It will be interesting to see what the 27 year old rookie can do. It’s been a long time coming for him, and if he gets off to a hot start, he might have himself a job for awhile."

Treanor or Rabelo...or John Baker?

Matt Treanor has been striking out with the regularity in which he eats his meals (thrice a day, with maybe a midnight snack), and Mike Rabelo hasn't been much better. Behind the plate, Treanor has been solid, Rabelo weak (and unprofessional, as shown when he spiked the ball on Tuesday night). Neither has persuaded any fans that he should be the starter, though Treanor is a competent backup in this league.

Future Fish has been touting the name John Baker since the beginning of this year. Yesterday he again made the case. Here's an excerpt:

"And what’s our friend John Baker hitting in Albuquerque you ask? He is hitting .414/.500/.569 with 7 extra base hits in 58 at bats. Remember last year when he couldn’t hit lefties and I suggested maybe he would be a good platoon partner? He’s 8 of 14 off southpaws with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. Against righties, Baker is hitting .364/.440/.545 in 44 at bats. He’s flat out dominating the league right now."

As Future Fish admits, those numbers are in the inflated PCL, but they can't be ignored. Why not give Baker a try?

Of course, the Marlins have been trying to prove Rabelo's worth since they dealt Cabrera and Willis for him last summer. Sometimes a franchise needs to eat its mistakes and move on. Let's hope John Baker gets an opportunity soon.