Miami Marlins

Ambition.  That sums up the new-look Marlins, with a shiny new stadium and a whole lot of imported firepower.  They were in on Pujols, ready to throw down $200 million for the marquis player in perhaps the best location to capitalize on the wonderfully enthusiastic and passionate Latin American market.  They came away without everyone on their shopping list, but they certainly acquired impressive names who should gel nicely.  Jose Reyes is an ace leadoff hitter, the batting champion, a slick shortstop, and can step into the roll of the new poster boy for the new-name Miami Marlins.  Mark Buerhle is a rock solid acquisition who’ll give you 200 tough-as-nails innings.  Hanley Ramirez, perhaps with a grumble, shifts to 3B, which might actually allow him to raise his batting once more to the very top level.  John Buck was a smart pick-up at catcher—he’s not flashy but he’s a classic baseball player, does all the basics well and is a good, veteran presence.  Carlos Zambrano has a huge upside, and is now in the best possible environment for him to flourish.  Heath Bell should have no problem continuing his closer success in Miami.  And who doesn’t love Ozzie Guillen, who brings sunshine and fun wherever he goes?  Couple all this with a few homegrown players with very high potential, in Logan Morrison, Mike Stanton, and Gaby Sanchez, and the Marlins look good on paper.  They’re an exciting team to watch—so much depends on how Guillen deploys his troops, and how quickly they combine into a real team.

In: Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Ozzie Guillen, Carlos Zambrano, Heath Bell

Out: no major players lost

Strength: a new stadium and a motivated ownership means that the Marlins have spent big over the winter, and have a deckful of stars to complement their existing young talent

Weakness: the rotation and bullpen are question marks, and we’ll have to wait and see how the team comes together.  It certainly looks good on paper.

Manager: Ozzie Guillen

Projected Rotation: Jason Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Ricky Nolasco, Carlos Zambrano, Anibal Sanchez

Projected Closer: Heath Bell

Projected Starting Lineup:

            Jose Reyes SS

            Emilio Bonifacio CF

            Hanley Ramirez 3B

            Mike Stanton RF

            Logan Morrison LF

            Gaby Sanchez 1B

            John Buck C

            Omar Infante 2B