Kuzul

I sent my buddy Odie a text last night that the Boston Red Sox had traded for LHP Andrew Miller and his response was “Our new Hermida.”

The reference for those of you who are not aware, is to Jeremy Hermida. The Red Sox acquired the once super prospect from the Florida Marlins early last winter in hopes that he could turn his career around.

Yeah, that never happened.

Miller was traded to Boston yesterday

Hermida hit just .203 with a .257 OBP in 52 games with the Red Sox before being released in August. He was later picked up by the Oakland A’s.

If at first you don’t succeed with a super prospect, try and try again.

As I mentioned above, the Red Sox traded for Miller yesterday. In order to acquire the 25-year-old lefty, the Red Sox had to part with 26-year-old lefty Dustin Richardson.

Miller has been nothing short of disappointing since being drafted by the Detroit Tigers with the sixth overall pick in the 2006 Draft. After spending two years in Detroit and posting a 1.75 WHIP in 74.1 Major League innings, he was shipped to the Marlins in the Miguel Cabrera trade.

A trade by the way, that is looking worse and worse for the Marlins by the second. The two centerpieces of that trade for the Marlins—Miller and Cameron Maybin—have been complete busts so far.

In three years with the Marlins, Miller posted a 5.89 ERA, a 1.73 WHIP, 5.1 BB’s/9 innings, and 7.2 K’s/9 innings in 220 innings. The biggest issue for Miller as you can see, is walks.

The guy has about as much control as Charlie Sheen in a Whore House.

In 294.1 career Major League innings, Miller has walked a ridiculous 174 batters. That’s a walk every five batters. He really regressed in 2010 as he walked over seven batters per nine innings.

Miller is a coach’s worst nightmare.

The issue as I see it with Miller is that he has a tough time keeping his 6’7″ frame under control throughout his delivery. This would explain why his release point is all over the place.

Take a look at his release points from two games this season.

9/29/10 vs. Atlanta

9/19/10 vs. Cincinnati

While his release point between the two starts might not look much different, it is. The release point issue is not unusual for tall pitchers. Randy Johnson went through it and so did Chris Young.

New Boston pitching coach Curt Young is going to have to figure out a way for Miller to gain some consistency with his release point. That is his first order of business.

The second order is to figure out a way to get Miller’s velocity back.

In college and in his first year in the pros, Miller was throwing beebe’s to the tune of 94-95 mph. That is what made Miller such a high draft pick. A lefty who throws in the mid-90′s in college is gold.

Now Miller is throwing a pedestrian 90 mph. His average fastball velocity has decreased every year he has been in the majors. Maybe a full-time move to the bullpen, where Miller can just let it go for an inning or two, will help.

Miller is expected to compete for a bullpen spot with the Red Sox in 2011 and if he makes it, he will have a friend. He and Daniel Bard were teammates at the University of North Carolina.

Bard, like Miller, struggled with control early in his career and has now figured it out. Perhaps Bard can now be a mentor to Miller in Boston.

At 25, it would be hard to imagine that Miller is already toast. The Red Sox have a history of taking chances on low-risk, high-reward players.

Bill Mueller, David Ortiz, and Takashi Saito worked. John Smoltz, Brad Penny, and Hermida didn’t. We will have to wait and see if which side Miller falls on.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @theghostofmlg

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The offseason for the Florida Marlins has been quite a whirlwind and it a surprise twist blew the Marlins way when Dan Uggla stunned the front office be rejecting a four year, $48 million extension. This past season, Uggla had career highs in batting average (.287), home runs (33) and RBIs (105) with a steady salary of $7.8 million. 

Why would Dan Uggla reject the Marlins offer? For starters, Dan Uggla has essentially raised the bar on power hitting second basemen by hitting 30 home runs in four consecutive seasons, no second baseman has done that in the history of baseball, not even Chase Utley or Jeff Kent have accomplished that feat. 

The Florida Marlins are also hesitant to offer a long-term deal to a player whose production might begin to decline. Dan Uggla will be 31 by Opening Day and if he gets his way will be 36 by the end of the five year deal, something the Marlins want to avoid considering Uggla isn’t great with the glove at second. Uggla is expected to earn $10 million + in 2011 and gradually rise for the next few seasons of his contract. 

While these contract talks are akin to the Josh Johnson fiasco of the last offseason, Johnson is four years younger than Uggla at 26 and the Marlins are tend to shy away from offering long-term deals to players who are over 30. 

At the end of the day, I expect the Marlins to get a deal done with Dan Uggla just because this is the last thing the front office needs a season prior to the opening of their new stadium, bad publicity and another infamous jettison of a cornerstone player, Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis are prime examples. 

 If a deal gets done, expect for the fifth-year to include somewhere in the neighborhood of a mutual option or a vesting option which would give Uggla his dough if he achieves certain seasonal milestones. 

But what if nothing gets done? Here are five possible trade destinations for Dan Uggla if the Marlins deem Uggla out of their range..

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Edwin Rodriguez is the new icon in Puerto Rico.

It does not matter he was re-signed by the Florida Marlins for only one year.

In his native Puerto Rico, all prayers by most baseball followers are already in his favor he could take the Marlins next season for its first playoff appearance since its 2003 World Championship.

Rodriguez became the first Puerto Rican manager in the major leagues when he took the job on an interim basis on June 23, replacing the fired Fredi Gonzalez.

Later on during its hometown San Juan Series against the New York Mets owner Jeffrey Loria gave him the news that he was his man to finish at the helm for the remainder of the season.

Even though he finished with a personal 46-46 record, nowadays his name is in the company of such local heroes as Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, Jorge Posada and Yadier Molina.

He is as big as such local greats Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez and Bernie Williams

Last week his Florida Marlins shirt used in his first game as skipper was adhered in the baseball aisle of Puerto Rico’s Sports Hall of Fame Museum.

In the ceremony he mentioned he is looking to push his team to win at least 95 games next season.

Rodriguez believes if all pitching and batting goes right, the Marlins truly could be a contender in its East Division and its National League overall.

Rodriguez will really know how good will be his Marlins next April. In the mean time his enjoying his celebrity status specially in his home country.

For those history buffs these are the best of the best of Puerto Rico in history in Major League Baseball.

• Batting Average
  Roberto Clemente              .317
  Edgar Martinez                   .312
  Roberto Alomar                  .300
  Jose Vidro                          .298
  Ivan Rodriguez                   .298
• Hits
  Roberto Clemente              3,000
  Ivan Rodriguez                   2,817
  Roberto Alomar                  2,724
  Orlando Cepeda                 2,351
  Bernie Williams                  2,336
• Doubles
  Ivan Rodriguez                   565
  Edgar Martinez                   514
  Roberto Alomar                  504
  Carlos Delgado                   483
  Bernie Williams                   449
• Triples
  Roberto Clemente              166
  Jose Cruz                           94
  Roberto Alomar                   80
  Dave Martinez                     72
  Carlos Beltran                     67
• Home Runs
  Carlos Delgado                   473
  Juan Gonzalez                    434
  Orlando Cepeda                  379
  Edgar Martinez                    309
  Ruben Sierra                       306
• Runs Batted In
  Carlos Delgado                   1,512
  Juan Gonzalez                    1,404
  Orlando Cepeda                  1,365
  Ruben Sierra                      1,322
  Ivan Rodriguez                   1,313
• Runs Scored
  Roberto Alomar                  1,508
  Roberto Clemente               1,416
  Bernie Williams                   1,366
  Ivan Rodriguez                    1,340
  Carlos Delgado                    1,241
• Total Bases
  Roberto Clemente                 4,492
  Ivan Rodriguez                     4,411
  Roberto Alomar                    4,018
  Carlos Delgado                     3,976
  Orlando Cepeda                    3,959
• Slugging Percentage
  Juan Gonzalez                      .561
  Carlos Delgado                     .546
  Edgar Martinez                     .516
  Orlando Cepeda                    .499
  Danny Tartabull                     .496
• On-Base Percentage
  Edgar Martinez                     .418
  Carlos Delgado                     .383
  Bernie Williams                    .381
  Jorge Posada                       .377
  Roberto Alomar                    .371
• Stolen Bases
  Roberto Alomar                    474
  Julio Cruz                            343
  Jose Cruz                            317
  Carlos Beltran                      289
  Santos Alomar                     227
• Games Played
  Ivan Rodriguez                     2,499
  Roberto Clemente                 2,433
  Roberto Alomar                    2,379
  Jose Cruz, padre                   2,353
  Ruben Sierra                        2,186
• Wins
  John Candelaria                  177
  Javier Vazquez                    152
  Juan Pizarro                        131
  Jaime Navarro                     116
  Joel Piñeiro                          97
• ERA
  John Candelaria                  3.33
  Guillermo Hernandez           3.38
  Juan Pizarro                        3.43
  Roberto Hernandez              3.45
  Eduardo Figueroa                3.51
• Saves
  Roberto Hernandez              326
  Guillermo Hernandez           147
  Edwin Nuñez                        54
  Ramon Hernandez                46
  Luis Arroyo                          44
• Games Pitched
  Roberto Hernandez             1,010
  Guillermo Hernandez             744
  J. C. Romero                        628
  John Candelaria                    600
  Juan Agosto                         543

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After various rumors circulating throughout the postseason as to who will manage the Florida Marlins in 2011, the ballclub wasted no timing in making a decision as they are expected to bring back interim manager Edwin Rodriguez on a full-time basis. 

Edwin Rodriguez went 46-46 with the Marlins, ending up in third place in the NL East but dealt with injuries to ace Josh Johnson, co-ace Ricky Nolasco, and injuries to Hanley Ramirez and Chris Coghlan.

Current Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was dismissed in late June at 34-36 and in fourth place in the NL East.

Whether Edwin Rodriguez remains beyond the 2011 season remains speculative and hinges on the team’s performance on this upcoming season eve to the new ballpark in 2012.

Reports are that owner Jeffrey Loria is craving on a high-profile name in time for the 2012 season after swinging and missing on Bobby Valentine and Ozzie Guillen in recent weeks.

The offseason now focuses on the Marlins filling out the rest of coaching staff and roster, which is expected to get a boost on the defensive side.

According to Juan Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel, an announcement is forthcoming on both Edwin Rodriguez’s hiring and the return of infield guru Perry Hill who was with the Marlins from 2002 to 2006.

Perry Hill might prove to be the biggest offseason addition for the Marlins who were in the bottom of most defensive categories last season. Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and Gaby Sanchez had a combined 45 errors last season with the latter two setting career highs in that category.

Hill was most recently with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009 as the Pirates infield and first base coach but was out of baseball last season after the ballclub refused to release him of his contract he wished to leave behind.

Beyond the coaching end, the Marlins will now set their sights on retaining infielder Dan Uggla and pitcher Ricky Nolasco on long-term deals which figure to be the cornerstones to the new era of the Florida Marlins in 2012.

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The San Francisco Giants are champions of the baseball world.

Celebrating with Cody Ross near the on-deck circle as the ball curved over the wall, Andres Torres said to his fellow San Francisco Giant, “He told me he was going to do it.”

And it should come to no one’s surprise that Edgar Renteria did. The 35-year old Columbian shortstop who won the World Series for the Florida Marlins 13 years ago as a baby-faced 22-year old delivered again in what might have been the final at-bat of his career.

Cliff Lee was one out away from escaping a jam in the seventh inning.

That threat, which formulated due to one-out singles by Cody Ross and Juan Uribe and the first sacrifice bunt of Aubrey Huff’s 10-year career, turned into a crowd-stunning deficit, as Renteria got just enough of a 2-0 fastball to give the Giants a lead that felt much bigger than 3-0.

The 52,000-plus who packed Rangers Ballpark in Arlington were stunned. On the other side, Giants fans in San Francisco, those in the stands, and those throughout the rest of baseball world rooting for this feel-good story cheered as if the game had been won, as if the World Series had been won.

Those fans, the Giants in the dugout, and the Giants in the field would soon join in on a more joyous celebration, as Brian “Fear the Beard” Wilson finished what Tim “The Freak” Lincecum started.

Lincecum yet again won the battle with Lee, throwing eight brilliant innings.

Nelson Cruz hit a homer off him in the bottom of the seventh but other than that Tiny Tim was lights out, striking out 10 while allowing just two other hits for his fourth victory of these ever-so eventful playoffs.

Wilson made quick work of Texas in the ninth, and after striking out Cruz, rookie catcher Buster Posey leaped from his crouch, sprinted towards the mound, and lunged into the closer’s muscular arms.

The infielders huddled together as home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg signaled strike-three. The outfielders did the same. Lincecum and the rest of the Giants players jumped over the high dugout railing and rushed onto the field while the coaching staff exchanged congratulatory hugs.

A dogpile formed in the middle of the diamond, and soon enough Lincecum was hoisted in the air. It was the biggest moment of the careers of every single Giants player and coach. And it was a World Series celebration that couldn’t have been drawn up any better.

With the San Fransisco capturing their first championship since 1954 and their first by the bay, journeymen and cast-offs are now proudly wearing a gaudy ring they had only hoped they would.

Huff, 33, was signed to a one-year deal last offseason after struggling in 2009 with both Baltimore and Detroit.

Ross was put on waivers by the Florida Marlins in August, was claimed by both the Giants and Padres, picked San Francisco, platooned in the outfield upon arriving, and went on to hit 5 homers in the postseason.

Pat Burrell, who hugged Renteria as he entered the dugout, sat at home for 10 days midway through the summer waiting for a team to call upon being released by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Torres, 32, spent most of 10 seasons in the minor leagues, including the entire 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons, and was one of their more important players in this his first full season in the bigs.

Renteria, the best Colombian-born player in major league history, made three trips to the disabled list this season, played in only 72 games, and ended up belting the franchise’s biggest home-run since Bobby Thomson won the Pennant in ’51. The list of incredible stories goes on and on.

Now those stories are pouring champagne all over each other and looking forward to the upcoming parade in a certain city in Northern California. This means the baseball series is over.

Edgar Renteria’s career may be over, too. But if it is, he is going out on top with the team on top as well–the San Francisco Giants, made up of a self-proclaimed group of misfits, the second franchise he has helped raise a World Series banner and hoist the World Series trophy.

(Photo: Daylife)

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At this rate, you’re probably sick and tired of reading stories of speculation about the next possible Marlins manager. But despite all the speculation about who will be the Marlins’ next manager, with potential skippers ranging from Bobby Valentine to Bo Porter, it may come down to Edwin Rodriguez, who managed them down the stretch last year. 

According to various media reports towards the end of the regular season, the Florida Marlins were a likely landing spot for Ozzie Guillen because of the turmoil that he had internally with his front office, notably general manager Ken Williams. 

Apparently, the Florida Marlins asked the White Sox for permission to speak to Ozzie Guillen, who is going into the final year of his contract with the White Sox. When the White Sox asked the Marlins for compensation, reports indicate that Chicago asked for up and coming slugger Mike Stanton, who hit 22 home runs in 100 games this past season. 

Whether or not Stanton was involved in talks or not, the two sides could not come to agreement on compensation for Ozzie Guillen. 

In any world, I wouldn’t trade a potential 40-50 homer hitter for a manager; the difference in the win column would weigh more on the player than a manager who won’t even take the field. 

When that failed, the Marlins turned to Bobby Valentine, who shut them out of his managerial future and left the Marlins scrambling over other issues ahead of them, such as getting a Dan Uggla long term deal done and ongoing stadium construction. Think of the Marlins as a quarterback under pressure; he sees two potential targets go by the wayside (Guillen and Valentine), but in the end he hands it to his running back near by (Edwin Rodriguez). 

Considering that the Florida Marlins’ previous plans have failed in their search for a new manager, don’t be surprised if after a long holding pattern in managerial talks, the organization brings back Edwin Rodriguez for a one year deal. 

It would be dumb on their part to basically give away another season (payroll is only going to rise slightly into the $50 million range), but smart if they can hire the right manager.  

The ultimate plan in the front office minds would be to give Edwin Rodriguez the job for an additional season and hope that the White Sox don’t make the playoffs next season. Ozzie Guillen’s contract has an option which is automatically picked up if his team wins the AL Central (the team holds an option for 2012); if the White Sox miss the playoffs, Guillen’s chances of leaving the South Side increase, especially if he isn’t offered an extension. 

At this point, if the Chicago White Sox wanted Ozzie Guillen and Guillen wanted the White Sox why hasn’t an extension gotten done? 

Edwin Rodriguez handled the Marlins managerial duties pretty well (46-46) considering the series of injuries he dealt with down the stretch, which could have swung his record by five games the other way (51-42).

Giving him a long look would give the Marlins a chance to see if he is worth keeping on a long term basis. If the Marlins make the playoffs this season, then Edwin Rodriguez stays, but if they don’t, he is likely gone and Ozzie Guillen is potentially in. That’s the scenario the Marlins’ front office has swimming in their heads and the one they hope ultimately happens. 

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While the Florida Marlins may have their hands full with finding their next manager and signing Dan Uggla to a contract extension this offseason, they face an uphill battle in fixing what was broken throughout the 2010 season, bullpen aside the catcher position gave the Marlins headaches all season long. 

I’d compare it to the Marlins buying a brand new battery and having to change it every few days, which translates to every couple of weeks for the Marlins who went through an assortment of them this past season. 

The primary starter John Baker who underwent Tommy John Surgery in the summer hopes to be ready by the time spring training rolls around but it won’t be easy process considering he’ll still need to use his throwing arm after every pitch and when base runners are on the loose.

And from the looks of it, the Marlins might not be as intrigued to bring back backup catcher Ronny Paulino after his positive test for performance-enhancing drugs in mid-August.

Down the stretch after losing Paulino, the Marlins went with an array of catchers, ranging from Brad Davis to Brett Hayes to Chris Hatcher and Mike Rivera.

In 2010, the quintet of Baker, David, Hayes, Hatcher, and Rivera went on to hit a combined .197 (56 for 284) with 5 home runs and 28 RBI in 104 games. You can make the argument that may have been a reason why the Marlins lost as many games as they did these season and could have been anywhere in the 85 to 90 win range had they had a solid healthy catcher throughout the season. 

Looking at the free agent market, the only intriguing name out there is Victor Martinez yet he 32 and would demand big money—upward of $50 million, which is Dan Uggla money—if the Marlins intend to rise their offer. 

While familiar names such as Ramon Castro, Miguel Olivo and Matt Treanor can all possibly be free agents, I don’t expect the Marlins to go to either because of age and money combined. I can’t envision the Marlins paying Treanor or Castro more than $2 million, which is what they may command and Olivo is likely to return to Colorado with his mutual option pending. 

As for the trade market, the Marlins can probably pursue Ivan Rodriguez from the Nationals and perhaps get him for virtually a class-A minor leaguer yet he won’t bring with him the impact bat the Marlins need. 

The remaining candidate who is on the block at a reasonable contract price and is under 30 years of age? Mike Napoli.

Napoli carries with him the perfect bat to a possible Marlins lineup that use some added protection considering Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross have departed via midseason trades.

While the Marlins may have Gaby Sanchez, Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez, and Mike Stanton as their power hitters, adding Mike Napoli gives the Marlins a dangerous lineup which could easily rival that of the Phillies and Braves and set themselves up for a good 1 through 8 in the batting order. Imagine starting off on Opening Day with Coghlan, Morrison, Ramirez, Uggla, Sanchez, Stanton, Napoli and Maybin. 

Mike Napoli can be non-tendered by the Angels if they decide to go in a different direction but more than likely, Napoli will be shopped around the league which brings a catcher weak Marlins team into the fold.

Napoli is a local South Florida product hailing from Charles Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines and he was born in Hollywood, Florida. He would welcome a return to the Sunshine State in a heartbeat especially if he was non-tendered.

2010 Batting Statistics: .238 batting average, 26 home runs and 68 RBI

2010 Contract: $3,600,000 

2011 Projected Salary: $ 5-6 million (third year arbitration eligible) 

Defense will certainly be an issue for any team that has Napoli who committed a league high nine errors as a catcher in 2009. I’d suspect that if Mike Napoli ever came to be a Florida Marlin, he’d more than likely split time with John Baker in a platoon role with right and left handed pitching. Napoli hit .219 last season against right handed pitcher.

The ultimate factor is money for the Marlins in acquiring a guy like Napoli. The money has to be used in signing Dan Uggla to an extension and shoring up the depleted bullpen for the Fish yet if can give the Marlins a stable catcher for the next few seasons until Kyle Skipworth is ready then they should pursue the opportunity especially if Napoli gives them the hometown discount. 

Nevertheless, if the Marlins expect to draw any interest of fans to their new stadium they’ll have to do it by getting competitive and spending their money. Their image has been ruined in the public by their own local government, MLB, and by Cody Ross’ performance in the postseason.

If they want to repair their image they’ll have begin making trades to add pieces, not dumping them and I would like to see it happen in the offseason and not the midseason trading deadline when the team is on pins and needles. Mike Napoli would be a solid first step in that direction for a franchise undergoing a major facelift soon.

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Once again, the ever-popular name for the Florida Marlins managerial job has brought out the big fish that Jeffrey Loria desires: Bobby Valentine. The current ESPN analyst has once again emerged as the “leading candidate” to manage the Marlins, reports Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post, citing a person familiar with the process.

According to the report, “Valentine has been in touch with the Marlins over the last two weeks,” and, while it’s no secret that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria wants Valentine, team president David Samson and others in the front office are against it because, according to sources, “They’re reluctant to give Valentine the power he wants in personnel decisions.”

Three months ago, an internal struggle caused Loria to keep interim manager Edwin Rodriguez for the remainder of the season. Rodriguez went 46-46 as manager of the Marlins but has seemingly ended up as the Marlins’ last resort on the managerial front.

The other candidates the Marlins are keeping their eye on are Atlanta Braves scout Jim Fregosi, Dodgers minor league manager Tim Wallach, Yankees bench coach Tony Pena, and former Diamondbacks and Marlins third base coach Bo Porter.

At this rate, if Valentine gets the job it’ll be because of Jeffrey Loria and his desire to hire a big name over the not-so-popular alternatives. Valentine, 60, has a 1,117-1,072 record in 15 seasons managing the Texas Rangers and New York Mets (1996-2002). He managed in Japan from 2004-09, and won the Japan Series with Chiba Lotte Marines.

The Marlins are heading to a new stadium in 2012 and need a set manager in order to establish chemistry. The bottom line is the Marlins are making a gamble with their next manager because of the bright future that lies head with the new stadium and nucleus of young talent.

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As more and more of the offseason days have rolled on by it has become more and more apparent that the Florida Marlins are not leaning towards retaining Edwin Rodriguez as their manager next season. The current interim manager received a strong recommendation from the players and a approval of the front office in the work he has done.

Rodriguez went an even 46-46 after taking over for Fredi Gonzalez and inheriting a series of bullpen woes and freak injuries along the way. 

The consensus among many as been that the front office will look to hire an experienced manager who isn’t a calm presence but a vocal leader who can work well with a young roster. 

While Edwin Rodriguez sure wasn’t helped by the lack of having a healthy Ricky Nolasco, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, and Chris Coghlan in September, he was never suppose to be on Jeffrey Loria’s managerial hot seat to begin with remember? 

The process for hiring the new manager is expected to take anywhere from 2-3 weeks depending on the availability of a couple of candidates.

Nevertheless, the Marlins should be able to get their man if they act boldly. What manager wouldn’t turn down a new era of a ballclub that will have new uniforms, new name, new stadium, and an emergence of young talent (Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison, and Gaby Sanchez) surrounded by Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, and possibly Dan Uggla. 

If a new manager is indeed at the helm on Opening Day 2011, it would mark the sixth different manager for the Marlins since 2002, when Jeffrey Loria took over in ownership of the franchise. But despite all those changes for the Marlins, their NFL and NHL counterpart Dolphins and Panthers have undergone the same number of managerial changes since 2002. 

The Dolphins have had five different head coaches since 2002 (Dave Wannstedt, Jim Bates, Nick Saban, Cam Cameron, and current head coach Tony Sparano). The Florida Panthers have also had five different head coaches in the same timeframe (M.Keenan, R Dudley, J.Torchetti, J.Martin, and P.Deboer).

Whether further ado take a look at the four big fish the Marlins have lined up as their possible four managers of the future. 

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Let me be straight right off the bat.

Edwin Rodriguez should not have left Sun Life Stadium in Miami last Sunday without word as to whether he will remain at the helm of the Florida Marlins next season.

The former major leaguer that played once for the New York Yankees deserves the opportunity to be back. Period.

Rodriguez does not deserve it because he became the first Puerto Rican to manage in the major leagues.

It should be because he has demonstrated that he is capable of doing the job.

Ask any of his Marlins‘ players that played for him in the franchise’s minor league system.

Even the Marlins’ veterans, Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla, want him back on the bench.

His first-year 46-46 record probably doesn’t amaze anyone. However, he did his best with a team mostly of rookies, who gave their hearts and souls to finish third in the National League East Division.

Names such as Gaby Sanchez, Logan Morrison, and Puerto Ricans Ozzie Martinez and Mike Stanton were the core of the Marlins’ lineup the last half of the season.

On the last day of the season, English language TV and radio commentators all said that Rodriguez, if not the Marlins’ manager next season, could possibly end up at the helm of other team.

The Blue Jays, Braves Brewers, Cubs, Mets and Pirates are known to be looking for a new skipper.

The Marlins’ management is well known around baseball for their no-nonsense decisions. However, this time it makes sense to bring Rodriguez back.

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