MLB's winter meetings "have a new major player -- the Miami Marlins," according to Joe Capozzi of the PALM BEACH POST. The Marlins yesterday "introduced new closer Heath Bell, spent 45 minutes with the agent for Albert Pujols and scheduled a physical for their new shortstop, Jose Reyes." The addition of Reyes, "who will be introduced Wednesday, gives the Marlins an estimated $75.35 million in contract commitments for eight players next season." The Marlins, "emboldened by revenues that their new stadium will provide, also are trying to add a top-tier starting pitcher" (PALM BEACH POST, 12/6). In Miami, Clark Spencer notes the Marlins "used to be largely invisible at baseball’s annual winter meetings." Marlins Special Assistant to the President Jeff Conine said, "Usually we sit in a room, watching the ticker on the bottom of the TV, watching the big names going here and signing there. Now we look at the ticker and it’s our name we’re seeing." Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest said, "It is a lot different than it has been in past years." Spencer notes the Marlins "rarely caused a ripple at these meetings in the past." Now they are "making the biggest splash of any team in the majors" (MIAMI HERALD, 12/6). Meanwhile, ESPN's Buster Olney cites sources as saying that the Marlins have made a 10-year offer to 1B Albert Pujols, although it is "unclear what the monetary figure of the offer is" (ESPN.com, 12/6).
WELCOME TO THE PARTY: In St. Louis, Derrick Goold notes baseball "has a new big spender." After years of being baseball's "pre-Christmas miser, [Owner Jeff] Loria's Marlins are the talk of the winter meetings with their aggressive and free-spending pursuit of the game's bigger names" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/6). The N.Y. Post’s Joel Sherman said, “It’s kind of the bizarro winter meetings. The Miami Marlins are out there as the most aggressive team, the one most willing to spend. ... They are the beast of the winter meetings.” YES Network's Jack Curry said, “The fact that the Marlins are doing any of this is just zany. It just shocks you to see that the Marlins have come here, they’ve spent this money” (“Yankees Baseball Daily,” YES Network, 12/5). Beinfest said, "This is fun. It kind of energizes us. We're able to look into things and do things that we haven't been able to do in the past." USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale notes the Marlins had an "opening-day payroll of $56.9 million in 2011 and are prepared to nearly double that in 2012" (USA TODAY, 12/6).
WILL THEY SELL TICKETS? The AP's Ronald Blum notes the Marlins hope "to become baseball's Big Fish." Loria said yesterday, "I want our team to be important. It's an energy city, and I think that's one of the things that brings the players there. They see the energy." The Marlins "now have the bait to attract baseball's best." They drew a "major league-low 1.52 million fans to Sun Life Stadium" last season. But Loria "expects his team will draw 2.5 million to 3 million at the new ballpark." Loria said that he "thinks the Marlins can become a consistent winner" (AP, 12/5). Loria said, "We hope to draw 2.8 million. What are the free agents concerned about when we talk to them? Winning" (TORONTO SUN, 12/6). In N.Y., Tyler Kepner notes the "rebranded Marlins hope fans will keep clicking and buy tickets, to sustain their mounting payroll." Loria said, "It’ll all depend on what happens as the fans respond and as the market grows. I can tell you, the energy I’ve seen in Miami, everybody would like to get started with spring training now, before Christmas" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/6).
PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE? ESPN's Olney said the Marlins "are betting big that the rebranding of the team with the uniforms and the new players and new ballpark is going to pay off in a big way” ("Mike & Mike in the Morning," ESPN Radio, 12/5). MLB Network’s Chris Rose said the Marlins' spending spree is a "little bit risky." Rose: "I’m talking about emptying the bucket on Reyes, on Bell, and on whether it’s a Pujols or a C.J. Wilson, only because of the attitude of that community. ... Maybe they buy in for the first year, and in year two the attendance starts to trickle and in year three the executives go, ‘Boy we can’t afford all these guys and now we have to have a fire sale'" (“Intentional Talk,” MLB Network, 12/5). ESPN’s John Kruk said the “only concern you have is like when they won their world championships, they had the fire sales the following years.” The Marlins “have taken the most risk because you don’t know if fans are going to show up to that ballpark” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 12/6). Kruk added, "This is a risky thing if you go get Pujols, because this could backfire on them and maybe the fire sale starts like it has after the last two world championships” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 12/5). SI’s Tom Verducci said, “They’re going to draw next year, there’s no question. ... I think the question is, is that sustainable moving forward? If you have an attractive, winning team, the answer is probably yes.” MLB Network’s Peter Gammons: “We finally get to find out if baseball can work in Florida” (“Hot Stove,” MLB Network, 12/5). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser asked, "Where did they get this money?" Kornheiser: "Please don't say the word ‘new stadium.’ Hundreds of people went to see them play last year, hundreds! Now you're going to tell me 40,000 are going to show up every single game in the new stadium?” Wilbon: “They are going to draw, at least for a while. For a couple of years, they'll, if not pack that place, fill it reasonably” ("PTI," ESPN, 12/5).
OPENING UP THE WALLET: In Ft. Lauderdale, Mike Berardino writes, "Someone needs to find out what the Marlins have done with" team president and "fiscal conscience" David Samson. Berardino: "No way Samson is on board with how these 'New Marlins' have been behaving in recent days. Throwing $9 million a year at a 34-year-old closer like Heath Bell? Making a brittle speedster like Jose Reyes the first $100 million player in franchise history? Insisting to their many friends in the national media they still aren't done spending? ... Whatever happened to 'payroll flexibility,' the phrase Samson popularized after dumping Charles Johnson and Preston Wilson way back in 2002?" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 12/6).
