Kuzul

The trade of Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to the Detroit Tigers should have indicated that there are going to be changes with the Miami Marlins’ roster during the days before the 2012 MLB trade deadline.

Hanley Ramirez is on the block and Scott Miller of CBS Sports has quoted a few executives as saying that the Marlins are very open to moving him.

A number of teams will have an interest in Ramirez because of his impressive offensive abilities. However, he does struggle in the field and may not have a true position anymore. Ramirez has also had some attitude issues in the past. Still, this will not deter teams from pursuing him.

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There was a time when Hanley Ramirez was among the elite players in the game and, if he lasted past the third or fourth selection, it was a shocking development.

But after a 2011 filled with injuries and controversy, he suddenly looks like a potential second round bargain. There’s no arguing that he’s a highly risky selection, but the reward is quite hefty as well.

So now the question facing fantasy owners is what to expect from him in 2012. Is he going to rebound or should we bypass him in the second round, opting for a safer selection? Before we answer that question we need to look at the numbers he actually produced last season:

338 At Bats
.243 Batting Average (82 Hits)
10 Home Runs
45 RBI
55 Runs
20 Stolen Bases
.333 On Base Percentage
.379 Slugging Percentage
.275 BABIP

There were countless issues, but it would be a significant mistake to harp on the details. It was a down season and there isn’t going to be one simple explanation for why the poor performance. You can point to the injury, a lack of effort, or a number of other issues.

Some will want to say that we should simply expect those things to continue. Others will say that Hanley’s move to third base will cause controversy, something that will lead to a repeat of last season’s effort deficit and overall struggles. 

It’s impossible to know how the position switch will influence him for sure, but adding 3B eligibility will obviously add to his fantasy appeal.  We all know that the position is generally the weakest in the game, so adding another potential stud is certainly not going to hurt anything.

You also have to look at the additions of both Ozzie Guillen and Jose Reyes. I know Reyes spurred the position change, but he also helps to significantly upgrade a lineup that now should look like this:

• Jose Reyes
• Emilio Bonifacio
• Hanley Ramirez
• Mike Stanton
• Gaby Sanchez
• Logan Morrison

How can you not like someone hitting in the middle of that lineup? It should provide both opportunities to drive in and score a ton of runs, assuming his bat comes back to him.

The one thing we never have to worry about with Ramirez is the ability to steal a base. There’s always the concern that when someone moves lower in the order that they aren’t going to get as many opportunities to run. Last season Ramirez stole 20 bases, 16 of which came with him hitting either third or fourth. He may not be the 50 SB threat he was earlier in his career, but he’s stolen at least 27 bases every year he’s reached the 500 AB plateau (2011 was the first time he didn’t).

Last season there were two 3B to steal at least 15 bases, Eduardo Nunez and Ryan Roberts. Right away, Ramirez gives any owner who gets him an advantage on that part of the stat sheet.

The power, however, has become a major concern. While we don’t know how the new ballpark will play, we have seen a disturbing shift in his groundball rate in recent years.  From 2006-2009 his high was at 45.8%, but also posted years of 40.1% and 38.6%. That meant more line drives and more fly balls, which obviously helped to lead to more home runs.

Over the past two seasons he’s posted groundball rates of 51.0% and 50.9%. If it was just in 2011 we could probably come up with a few excuses to help explain the problem. However, with Ramirez’ ground ball issues stretching back to 2010, there’s no way to deny that there is an issue here. Unless he can reverse that trend, his power is going to take a serious hit. Seeing him exceed 18-22 HR may be a stretch.

Obviously if he adds 25 SB no one will care. Just keep in mind that we are not talking about a 30/30 threat, but more of a 15/25 type player.

You put it all together and you get the following projection:

.292 (146-500), 18 HR, 95 RBI, 85 R, 30 SB, .325 BABIP, .368 OBP, .478 SLG

I don’t think anyone would complain about a player posting that type of line, especially since you could argue that it’s more of a floor than a ceiling and comes from a player who will quickly gain 3B eligibility.  We’ve seen what Ramirez is capable of when he puts it all together and you could definitely think that he is going to be motivated to show everyone that 2011 was an aberration, not the new rule.

You couple that with the new position eligibility and I would say Ramirez is worth the risk in the second round in all drafts.

Make sure to check out our 2012 projections:

• Bumgarner, Madison
• Goldschmidt, Paul
• Lawrie, Brett
• Strasburg, Stephen
• Stubbs, Drew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s safe to say the new ballpark. In doing so, the Marlins ownership spent close to $200 million dollars on marquee free-agents such as Jose Reyes, Heath Bell.

The team also traded for Carlos Zambrano and are making a hard run at Cuban defector and Youtube sensation, Yoenis Cespedes.

After a whirlwind of an offseason, here are five bold predictions for these new-look Marlins.

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Ozzie Guillen was a terrific manager for the Chicago White Sox the last eight seasons, but the 47-year-old new skipper of the Miami Marlins is going to fall flat on his face in 2012.

A World Series champion and former AL Manager of the Year (both 2005), Guillen has already set himself up for a few struggles next season and in one of the baseball’s most unforgiving divisions, it’ll be an uphill battle.

After the Winter Meetings massive haul, expectations are immense for Guillen and the new-look Marlins next season. I don’t see how he is going to meet them.

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According to a report from The Associated Press, Florida Marlins closer Leo Nunez has been placed on Major League Baseball’s restricted list for undisclosed reasons.

The same report also claims that Nunez has admitted to using a fake name to sign his baseball contract over a year ago. Nunez’ real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo. According to the report, Oviedo is actually 29, not the 28 as listed in the Marlins’ team media guide.

So far in 2011, there appear to be a few major league players who are misrepresenting themselves. Here is a look at five players who, based on their performance, may not be who they say they are.

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The Florida Marlins are well-known for dealing players such as Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, Gary Sheffield and Edgar Renteria.

In fact, tracing back to 2004, the Marlins have been talking about becoming a spender once the new ballpark is constructed.

Unfortunately, despite placing clauses in player contracts such as Mike Lowell, the deal was delayed and the Marlins continued to gut the roster of talent throughout the years.

Surprisingly, there have been five moves during 2011 that indicate that the Marlins may finally be dedicated to build a contender for years. 

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The 2011 MLB season has already shown numerous ups and downs for some of the great players around the league through only the first two months of the year.

High profile commodities who were suppose to be their team’s centerpiece have heavily faltered and seem to be working towards a disappointing 2011 campaign.

The lack of success from these elite players have corrupted not only fantasy teams and their winning ability, but the winning capabilities of previously successful major league squads.

Whether it’s a lack of pitching from a strikeout artist, a speedy outfielder unable to gain his balance on the base paths or an MVP first baseman who’s just starting to come around, the lack of production between the months of April and May is evident.

Wherever you want to start the discussion, hitting or pitching, the conversation of biggest disappointments so far this season will always come to a close with these 20 players.

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Already, the Florida Marlins are in excellent shape to make a run at the postseason for the first time since 2003. The Marlins have gotten a Cy Young worthy performance out of Josh Johnson and solid outings out of Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez, who nearly repeated his gem from 2006. Yet, they’re still waiting on Chris Volstad and Javier Vazquez to follow suit.

The bullpen has been tremendous, leading MLB in ERA (1.63) and BAA (.178), as of Saturday, they are one of two teams that has yet to blow a save this season (Dodgers). 

The starting lineup has gotten surprises from Logan Morrison, leading the team in home runs and RBIs despite now being out for the next two to three weeks with a foot injury, Gaby Sanchez, Emilio Bonifacio and even Brett Hayes.

Nevertheless, they have yet to get production from their best bats in Hanley Ramirez and Mike Stanton who are seemingly closing in on breaking out of their slumps; this makes the Marlins even scarier.

With all that said everything seems well with the Marlins but even the front office knows they are missing a piece. If you remember before the season started, the front office tried to make a splash by going after Rangers infielder Michael Young.

Such trade talks fell through mainly because Texas was asking for a lot in return for the 34-year-old and paying roughly half his salary ($16 million per season until 2013).  

Of course, the Marlins bowed out of the race, but hold on, why stop there? If the Marlins really are interested in going after Michael Young, a two-time Gold Glover, why don’t they go after a much “younger” version in Mets third baseman David Wright? 

Currently, the Marlins third baseman of future, Matt Dominguez is nursing a fractured elbow he suffered on April 1st in a Triple-A game and that has delayed his call-up to the major leagues. Many have blessed Dominguez for his Gold Glover caliber defense at third, it’s something that the Marlins love about him, but can he hit? 

In the minors, Dominguez has a .257 career batting average with 46 home runs and 219 RBI in 375 games. The Marlins want to give him the chances he can to succeed but if there is a chance to get to the World Series this season and even next season, is the team really going to the let that opportunity slip away?

Back in 2003, the Marlins had to deal their first overall draft pick Adrian Gonzalez to the Texas Rangers for Ugueth Urbina, who helped the Marlins on their way on their second World Series title in franchise history. 

In 2008, the Marlins could have pulled the trigger and traded for Manny Ramirez and potentially gone to the postseason at the cost of slugger Mike Stanton who would be a Red Sox. Yet the team knew Stanton can hit and was a physical specimen having played football in addition to baseball in high school. 

So we shouldn’t be surprised if the Marlins decide to do the unthinkable, but this time the front office needs to reward its fans and needs to show them that they are serious about making a run at the postseason and entering the new stadium with a World Series trophy. 

Considering the possibility that the Mets could be dealing Jose Reyes, Francisco Rodriguez, and Carlos Beltran during the season to rebuild means David Wright will follow and the Marlins can’t afford to let it slip by and have a Phillies or Braves team swoop in and snag him.

David Wright is signed through the 2013 season, getting paid $14 million this season, $15 million in 2012, and a $16 million team option ($1 million buyout). 

Yes, the salary numbers are awfully similar to that of Michael Young’s, but Wright is six years younger than Young (Wright is 28 years of age), and perhaps entering the prime of his career. 

The Marlins currently have shortstop Hanley Ramirez signed through 2014 and their ace pitcher Josh Johnson signed through 2013. It only makes sense for the Marlins to go after David Wright, and if they fail to make a deep run, they can always cash in via draft pick compensation or a trade which the Marlins have done with their best players throughout the years. 

If the Marlins want to make it to the postseason, let alone the World Series, they need to make a splash with the fans, and what better way than with a leader in the clubhouse, a five-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glover who would cement the Fish as legitimate contenders. 

It might cost the Marlins a Gold Glove caliber infielder in Matt Dominguez, a promising everyday outfielder in Scott Cousins, and perhaps a solid infielder in Osvaldo Martinez but the Marlins owe to the fans and themselves to go after and acquire a player like David Wright and make it worth their while. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The National League East is a division that was dominated by the Braves for years, but the Phillies are now top dogs. That is not to count the Braves out, however, as they have a wealth of young talent and a solid pitching staff.

The Marlins are another young team that continues to get better each season, and could be a contender sooner rather than later, while the Nationals seem ready to open up their wallets, as they inked Jayson Werth to a huge contract in the off season and made a run at Cliff Lee. The Mets will look to begin rebuilding, as they have a ton of money coming off the books next season, so a number of young players could get a look this season.

So here is a position-by-position preview of the NL East, as we turn our sights to opening day later this week.

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We have been waiting since last October for the fun of the MLB season to start anew. On Mar. 31, 2011 we will get our wish. By that day, all clubs are required to reduce rosters to 25 players and play ball! We have seen changes occurs this offseason as we typically do each year but one thing seems to remain consistent. The same powerhouse teams appear to be set to make a run at the postseason and the World Series.

The Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies highlighted the offseason free-agent frenzy. The Red Sox’s biggest moves were signing both Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to long-term deals. They simultaneously managed to re-sign their tenured slugger David Ortiz to a one-year contract.

Meanwhile, the Phillies signed Cliff Lee to bolster their already stellar starting rotation and make them favorites in the NL to make a trip to the World Series.

Many other teams have made significant moves as well. Rather than go into further detail about which teams have made what moves, let us go over who the best players are from each of the 30 MLB teams’ rosters as they stand today. This analysis will help determine which players to draft for your fantasy squads heading into the 2011 fantasy baseball season.

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