Kuzul

Jeffrey Loria is the worst.

The owner of the Miami Marlins has orchestrated another fire sale of his roster, reportedly jettisoning high-priced starting pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle to the Toronto Blue Jays along with catcher John Buck, outfielder Emilio Bonifacio and high-priced superstar shortstop Jose Reyes for what amounts to a sack of baseballs and a few Fungo bats.

Loria duped Marlins fans into believing his team could be a contender as he opened his new stadium last season. After seeing the roster now, why would any of them trust him again? More importantly, why would anyone ever pay one dollar to line his pockets with money after this latest move?

The fans were used by the Marlins ownership. How can anyone support this unbelievable level of deceit?

Things looked so promising last year. After a very public flirtation with Albert Pujols, Marlins fans settled for only getting the likes of Buerhle and Reyes, a clear sign the newly branded Miami franchise had every intention of creating a contender. In September the Marlins announced the hiring of manager Ozzie Guillen. In December, Buehrle was signed to a four-year deal, Reyes was signed for six years and reliever Heath Bell was inked for three.

Less than 12 months later, they are all gone, and Marlins fans are left with a brand new stadium and very little talent to play in it.

Loria couldn’t even give his fans a single year of hope. Heck, he couldn‘t even give them a single season. The Marlins opened their new stadium last year thanks to millions of dollars in taxpayer money, and as soon as the team fell out of contention, the fire sale started and hasn’t stopped.

Miami traded Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante in late July, jettisoned Hanley Ramirez two days later and completed the in-season roster dump by sending Gaby Sanchez out of town just for the heck of it. The Marlins were out of contention at the time of the trades, sure, but these transactions made little sense in the grand scheme of Miami’s new plan—unless another shoe was going to drop in the offseason.

All the shoes just dropped.

After seeing Loria unload all his remaining high-priced talent to the Blue Jays, it was clear the moves of Sanchez, Infante and Ramirez were nothing more than the pre-sale before the liquidation. Maybe we should consider this a pre-Black Friday sale. Everything must go!

Fans should have seen this coming (no, really), but a new stadium has invigorated so many baseball towns that it seemed plausible Loria would use the new-found interest in the team to reinvest in the product on the field.

The question Marlins fans should now be asking is whether Loria had planned this all along. Was the fire sale planned all along, using the big-name players as a payoff to getting the stadium built last season with no intention of keeping them? Or was he spooked by the dwindling attendance during the second half of the season and realized the new park and big-ticket superstars would never be a big enough draw in South Florida?

Rather than threaten to move the team to Las Vegas or some other faraway town he could use to leverage that new stadium getting built, Loria may have planned this salary dump all along, cutting payroll and going with another group of young players with something to prove.

This trade almost makes sense when you look at it that way. If the new Marlins Park wasn’t going to be filled anyway, the best way for Loria to make a return on his investment would be to lower his payroll by tens of millions of dollars.

What about the return on the taxpayers’ investment? What about the fans’ investment? It’s left to the fans now; they need to stop showing up to send a message that this kind of ownership model is not acceptable.

Marlins fans need to show how fed up they are with being played by an owner to whom they’ve dedicated their time and money. Fans need to quit on the team completely.

Can there be a bigger statement than a completely empty stadium on Opening Day? Would Loria get the hint that fans are not OK with his model of building a team just to break it down every few years when nobody showed up?

The Marlins averaged just over 27,000 fans last season, filling Loria’s new playground to just over 73 percent capacity each game. Wouldn’t it be a better statement if none of them ever came back until Loria stopped pulling this nonsense (or sold the team to someone who actually respects the fans)? 

Maybe they should all become Blue Jays fans. That seems far more rewarding than rooting for the Miami Marlins now.

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It seems as though the Toronto Blue Jays will have plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. In what has developed very rapidly the Miami Marlins are reportedly trading Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and others to the Blue Jays in return for Yunel Escobar and several top level prospects.

The move gives the Blue Jays a speed threat in Reyes at the top of a lineup. Last season, Toronto already had plenty of pop with the always steady Jose Bautista and the arrival of Edwin Encarnacion. The addition of Buehrle and Johnson helps stabilize an underachieving but potentially devastating rotation. 

Theoretically, this move should significantly increase the Blue Jays’ chances in the always competitive AL East. However, Toronto should not begin making plans for a ticker tape parade just yet as each player will be bringing over more than just clothes in their baggage.

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Two of the biggest sluggers in the game, Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton and Toronto’s Jose Bautista, give us a pretty accurate assessment of what the feelings of the players and fans in both cities are feeling after Tuesday night’s blockbuster deal that saw 12 players, including Jose Reyes, change hands.

Alright, I’m pissed off!!! Plain & Simple

— Giancarlo Stanton (@Giancarlo818) November 13, 2012

Its a good day to be a bluejay!

— Jose Bautista(@JoeyBats19) November 13, 2012

On the heels of the blockbuster, what better time to take a look back at the past decade of blockbuster deals and see how those worked out for the teams involved?

I can’t think of one. We’ll grade the deals with the aid of retrospect, but rank them in terms of shock value.

Let’s get to it.

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Jose Reyes returned to CitiField Tuesday night for the first time since he sold his considerable shortstop talents to the Miami Marlins. He heard more boos than cheers, and he continued to struggle at the plate.

His replacement, Rubén Tejada, had a boo-worthy night himself. He struck out three times and failed to execute a sacrifice in the last of the 8th with the score tied at 1. The Mets ended up scoring in the inning and won the game, 2-1.

Going into the 2012 season, the Mets knew that Tejada was not going to be another Reyes. He’s not as speedy and he’s not likely to overtake Reyes as National League batting champ. Tejada is, however, off to a much better start at the plate than Reyes, who went hitless in four at-bats Tuesday night. His batting average dropped to an astonishing .215. His slow start aside, losing a player of Reyes’ caliber leaves a big hole in the Mets infield.

That’s no knock at Tejada. So far in his young career, Tejada has been a serviceable shortstop. He’s good with the glove, he usually gets on base on way or another, and his batting average will continue to hover in the .250 to .270 range.  He’s calm and measured beyond his 22 years, and his teammates praise his demeanor and determination.

So barring injury or a trade, Tejada is the starting shortstop for this season. But is he just a stopgap shortstop, or can the Mets rely on him for the foreseeable future?

It depends on what the Mets expect and are willing to accept from Tejada.

He’s big-league material for sure. But he has yet to live up to the predictions of scouts who touted him as exceptional when he joined the Mets two years ago.

Many baseball observers and fans have urged patience. Tejada might still develop into a quality shortstop.

But the Mets did him wrong by bringing him up to the bigs too soon. The Mets would have been neither hurt nor improved two years ago had they allowed Tejada another season of seasoning in Triple-A. Now Tejada has to do his post-graduate work in the New York spotlight.

At Tejada’s age, Reyes was already firmly established as a premier shortstop, and he was an All-Star at 23. The Mets say there’s no pressure on Tejada to match Reyes’ early career achievements, but it’s hard to shake the sense that the Mets are expecting too much too soon from Tejada.

Whatever happens, Tejada is the Mets 2012 shortstop, if not by talent, then by default. Ronny Cedeño is currently on the 15-day disabled list with a strained chest muscle. He’ll be back to spot Tejada when needed.

Unless the Mets acquire another infielder, it looks like Tejada will continue at short beyond this season, again, by default. Wilmer Flores, who was being groomed as the shortstop of the future when he joined the Mets organization three years ago, hasn’t panned out. He’s still a top prospect, but it appears that his future (if he has one in the majors) is at first base.

Beyond that, the Mets’ farm system is filled with question marks. Jordany Valdespin, who has been called up from Triple-A Buffalo while Cedeño is on the DL, has shown promise, but he’s also been inconsistent, and he’s more of a second baseman than a shortstop. Other prospects in the system are a least a couple of years from being ready for New York.

Look for Tejada to stick around for a while. While it’s unlikely he’ll develop into a Reyes-like All-Star, he’s got the tools to keep the infield from falling apart.

In other words, he’ll do.

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Today is “Jose Reyes Day” at Citi Field because it’s the first time Jose Reyes will be playing at Citi Field as a member of the Miami Marlins, whom he signed a six-year, $100 million contract with in the offseason. So far, Reyes has gotten off to a cold start, but assuming he stays healthy, he will likely get back to being the best leadoff hitter in the game and baseball’s best shortstop whose name is not Troy Tulowitzki.

Twitter has become one of the, if not the biggest website for up-to-the-second media updates, and it’s no surprise that fans, current and former teammates, and of course, media personalities have put in their insights on Twitter about “Jose Reyes Day”.

Here are just 10 of the “Jose Reyes Day” Twitter posts of the day.

1. “Jose Reyes Day when he’s on the Marlins isn’t as awkward as celebrating Shea Stadium six minutes after worst collapse in baseball history.”

Jose Reyes Day when he's on the Marlins isn't as awkward as celebrating Shea Stadium six minutes after worst collapse in baseball history.

— TV Bill™ (@5States) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by Bill (5states). As much as most Mets fans would simply hate to read this statement, it is simply the truth. Yes, seeing Jose Reyes in a Marlins uniform will take some time to adjust to for at least the next six years.

However, the Mets’ September 2008 collapse during the last days of Shea Stadium was even more awkward. When the Mets lost their final game of that year, they followed it up by having all the great former Mets walk onto the field and give one last curtain call to the fans. It was very bittersweet for anyone who watched it and something the Mets were hoping to not go through.  

2. “I was going to attend Jose Reyes day, but I got injured, will miss a bunch of games, and won’t ever reach my potential.”

I was going to attend Jose Reyes day, but I got injured, will miss a bunch of games, and won't ever reach my potential. #nowayjose

— Jason Boland (@thejasonboland) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by Jason Boland (thejasonboland). It perfectly sums up the negative portion of Reyes’ time with the Mets. He of course had some injuries to deal with in 2003, 2004 and 2009. Some fans felt that Reyes never reached his full potential until 2011 because injuries had simply gotten in the way of some of his seasons. Reyes’ injury history could also be a reason why the Mets chose to not bring him back.

3. “It’s so fitting that the day Jose Reyes returns to Citi Field the #Mets send two more players to the DL.”

https://twitter.com/Eddiexty/statuses/194923695804919809

This was tweeted by Eddie Martinez (eddiexty). This, of course, is another Jose Reyes-related tweet that has to do with his injury history. It may sound funny to some, but at the same time, other fans may get annoyed that had Reyes not gotten hurt as much as he did, his time with the Mets could have been even better.

4. “Today is the day that Jose Reyes returns to Queens. It is also the ONE Met game I will be going to this season.”

https://twitter.com/nickmougis/statuses/194788143407443968

This was tweeted by Nick Mougis (nickmougis). Some may find this funny because the Mets are not expected to contend for the postseason this year, which may get some people to think that this season will be a waste. Most Mets fans would probably not feel the exact same way, but it is completely understandable to feel like this, granted that the Mets have not been in the postseason since 2006 and have not had a winning record since 2008.

5. “I really couldn’t care less about Jose Reyes’ return tomorrow. I stopped caring the day he signed with Miami.”

https://twitter.com/KellyL1332/statuses/194542780092129280

This was tweeted by Kelly Lake (kellyl1332). This is a very rational statement that many Mets fans could agree with. While Mets fans will certainly miss Jose Reyes’ contributions to the team for the nine years he spent in New York, fans certainly need to move on and not try to hold onto the past for too much longer. Ruben Tejada has gotten off to a pretty good start this year, so maybe he can create some magic of his own.

All in all, Reyes has moved on, the Mets have moved on and all Mets fans need to move on as well.

6. “For Jose Reyes day tomorrow, the Mets are giving away lineup cards so you can remove yourself after your 1st at bat.”

https://twitter.com/Joetweetslife/statuses/194558384702369793

This was tweeted by Joe Friel (joetweetslife). This was in reference to the final game of the 2011 season in which Jose Reyes removed himself from the game after an infield single in the first inning. Many fans and critics called this move to be cowardly and unsportsmanlike. Although Reyes did end up winning the 2011 NL batting title, he had to take a lot of heat for removing himself from the final game.

7. “Its Jose Reyes day as mgmt has decided to honor a player who never won anything for us and left to go to our division rival.”

@redturn2 its Jose Reyes day as mgmt has decided to honor a player who never won anything for us and left to go to our division rival.

— John P Targia (@Johnp5167) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by John P Targia (Johnp5167). While Jose Reyes has been by far the best shortstop in Mets history, it is true that he never won a championship during his time in New York, and yes, he did sign with a division rival this past offseason. As a result, there are reasons to honor Reyes, but also reasons to not honor Reyes in a particular manner.

8. “Who really cares about Jose Reyes day.”

Who really cares about Jose Reyes day.

— Danny B (@DanfromAstoria) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by Danny B (DanfromAstoria). Jose Reyes was the best shortstop so far in Mets history, and his impact on the Mets from 2003-2011 was very significant. However, it should never become a distraction because the current team still has games to play, and everyone should be focusing on that alone.

9. “I know its jose reyes day at citi but do u think the Mets can slip in a quick highlite pkg & happy 40th birthday msg for Chipper.”

https://twitter.com/DragonGateLenny/statuses/194823434868502528

This was tweeted by Lenny Thomas (DragonGateLenny). This tweet may have been posted as a result of the much-publicized talk of Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones getting a farewell tribute from the Mets, being that he is in his final professional season. Basically, these tributes are a distraction, and people need to focus on the on-field play.

10. “Jose Reyes day at Citi or Revis Holding out? Who you got.”

@KFCBarstool Makes you want to vomit more. Jose Reyes day at Citi or Revis Holding out? Who you got.

— Jim (@jimbo1677) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by Jim Lynch (jimlynch1677). Both “Jose Reyes Day” and New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis potentially holding out once again are distractions for their respective teams. These distractions are so silly that they are laughable to many fans. The question pretty much asks which of the two is more important and should receive more attention. The simple answer is that neither should be considered important because they are irrelevant to what happens on the field.

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On Tuesday, the New York Mets announced that they will tip their cap to former shortstop Jose Reyes when the Miami Marlins visit Citi Field next week.

As reported by the Daily News‘ Andy Martino, the Mets will play a video tribute to Reyes before next Tuesday’s game, a big wet kiss to a nine-year career that culminated in the franchise’s first batting title. 

From one perspective, it seems a bit strange to honor a player who just left the team for a bigger free agent payday elsewhere. It could be argued that Reyes is the embodiment of the Mets’ recent failings as a franchise. 

The team has been crippled financially by massive debt, attributable in part to Fred Wilpon’s involvement with Bernie Madoff. How bad are the team’s finances? Howard Megdal reported for Capital New York that the trustee for Madoff victims suing the Mets ultimately settled because he figured out that Wilpon and Saul Katz wouldn’t have been able to pay the $386 million sought in court. 

Several Mets players might end up following Reyes out the door because the Mets can’t afford to pay them market value. 

Honoring Reyes could be the first of several magnanimous gestures to honor several figures who have played a significant role in recent Mets history. The team also announced plans to pay tribute to Chipper Jones, who was a frequent adversary in several NL East division races.

But, might such events also be an attempt to attract fans and publicity when the team on the field isn’t good enough to warrant attention? Given how the Mets are currently playing, with a 7-3 record that has them a half-game behind the Washington Nationals for first place, that’s probably an unfair assessment.

Yet, this team’s success is precariously balanced. If Mets batters don’t begin to produce more runs, the pitching staff might get crushed under the burden of carrying the team. When the Mets eventually fall behind, as most expect, other events will have to draw fans to Citi Field.

Or this could just be standard operating procedure for the organization. That’s the take from ESPN New York‘s Adam Rubin, who points out that Reyes won’t be the only former Met given the opportunity to take a bow in front of the fans. Mike Piazza and Edgardo Alfonzo received pregame tributes upon their return to the Mets’ home park. 

As one team source told Rubin, “We even did it for Todd Pratt.”

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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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While many MLB players enjoy time away from the spotlight during the offseason, Marlins shortstop Jose Reyes has been far from low-key.

Since last season, Reyes has ditched his old team, cashed some fat checks and posed nude on camera. Now he’s done the unthinkable.

Reyes had his trademark dreadlocks chopped off on the MLB Network Friday night, by a man identified only as Jordan from Jordan’s Barbershop in the Bronx. The trim was an order from Reyes’ new bosses at the Miami Marlins, who won’t allow players to have hair below their helmet line.

It was clearly a painful moment for the star shortstop, as he’s been rocking the Rasta locks for the better part of three years. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the hairstyle has also coincided with some of the best seasons of his career.

In 2011, Reyes won the National League batting crown with a career high .337 average. He also posted career bests in slugging (.493) and on-base percentage (.877).

Although he will have to adjust to the new look, Reyes can take solace in the fact that his hair will help the less fortunate. MLB Network spokeswoman Lorraine Fisher said the haircut will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida.

As of now, it’s unclear how the loss of his dreads will impact Reyes’ play in Miami, but we do have some historical precedent.

Ricky Williams also ditched his famous dreads when he joined the Miami Dolphins in 2002. He had two great years before entering a horrible downward spiral.

Of course, Williams was battling depression and smoking enough weed to kill a large animal, so Reyes will probably be fine.

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As the two marquee players available in this year’s MLB free-agent market, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder figured to cash in mightily once they received a favorable contract offer and signed upon the dotted line.

Both career-long members of their respective clubs, the two sluggers have built impressive resumes for which they were paid handsomely by their new clubs.

Pujols, a modern legend during his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, has produced Hall of Fame caliber numbers through his first 11 seasons as a major leaguer. Even a cursory glance at his career statistics is enough to recognize the staggering nature of his greatness.

Fielder, though not quite on the same tier as Pujols, has proved to be incredibly durable and has become one of the game’s most-feared power threats. His combination of sheer power, plate discipline and durability is rather formidable. 

It was once unthinkable that Pujols would ever leave St. Louis, but when he took a stand in spring training and issued an ultimatum and end-date regarding discussion of a contract extension, many took it to mean that the Cardinals had missed their opportunity to secure the future of their star first baseman. Pujols though, on several occasions, professed his love of St. Louis and his desire to remain with the only organization he’s ever known. During spring, he spoke about the option of staying in St. Louis and said, “It’s a great piece to have on your resume. There’s not too many players that stay with one organization. Hopefully that happens.”

That wasn’t to be, as the lure of $240 million proved too much for the star to resist. Rather than play out the second half of his Hall of Fame career with the Cardinals, he risked scorn from his adoring fans in St. Louis by moving out west to Southern California. A new era in Angels’ baseball was born.

The situation with Prince was different however, as he was quoted during the pennant race as saying, “I’m signed for this year, but being real about it, it is probably the last year.” In that conversation with Brian Anderson, Milwaukee Brewers play-by-play announcer, he confirmed the likelihood that he will take his services to the free-agent market.

While the Fielder situation took far longer to play out than that of Pujols, it ended in a similar fashion. Though some had questioned whether he and his agent had waited too long, it turned out to be a perfect strategy, as the Detroit Tigers were forced into a semi-desperate state following the loss of Victor Martinez to a knee injury.

Surprising many that had expected Prince to sign elsewhere, the talented, young slugger signed a massive, nine-year $214 million deal to assume the Tigers’ first base position, moving incumbent Miguel Cabrera across the diamond to third. The deal suddenly has Detroit dreaming of a return to the World Series over five years after their bitter disappointment of 2006.

Despite the indisputable talent of each player, there is always concern when a club commits the type of money and contract length that the Angels and Tigers did in securing their new stars.

Since 1999, Major League Baseball has seen 32 contracts signed with total values in excess of $100 million. 

Let’s take a look at the richest contracts in MLB history to see how well those have worked out over time.

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The Miami Marlins have experienced plenty of changes this offseason, including new uniforms, a new stadium, a new manager and, most importantly, a new payroll.

Using the suddenly increased payroll, the Marlins didn’t waste any time before signing free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell. They traded for Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, and resigned familiar names such as Greg Dobbs.

The immediate success of the new-look Marlins will most likely depend on the leadership in the clubhouse. Bringing in Ozzie Guillen will not only appeal to the surrounding fan base, but will also lead to discipline.

Guillen is not afraid to speak his mind, which could be a good or bad thing in particular situations. Guillen, like left fielder Logan Morrison, often speaks to his fans on Twitter. If anybody can control Morrison’s tweeting obsession, it would be Ozzie.

Additionally, Guillen will have to focus on the work ethic of Hanley Ramirez. He was not pleased about having to move to third base, and may become frustrated at his new position as the season progresses.

By resigning Greg Dobbs—and bringing in Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle—the Marlins will have the most leadership in the clubhouse since the 2003 World Series team.

The additions the Marlins have made this offseason have made them, a team to respect in the upcoming season.

The first major addition, free agent shortstop Jose Reyes, may have angered fellow All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez, but will most likely prove to be a great move for the team. Reyes has above average speed, and will be able to play gold glove caliber defense.

Ramirez, who will most likely be slotted third in the lineup, will have many more RBI (Runs Batted In) chances with Reyes at the top of the lineup. With Reyes and Ramirez, the Marlins might have one of the best left sides of the infield in all of baseball.

Signing Mark Buehrle and trading for Carlos Zambrano were two moves that improved an already dominant rotation. Featuring Josh Johnson at the front, the Marlins’ rotation may be one to watch in 2012.

Proceeding Johnson are Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez. They are two young pitchers who, when at their best, have “no hit stuff.”

Adding Buehrle and Zambrano supplies depth to the rotation. Buehrle, a soft-tossing lefty who has pitched multiple no hitters, will be the piece the Fish needed in the NL East, a division full of left-handed hitters.

Zambrano can have a bad temper at times, but if he stays confident and consistent—a challenge for manager Ozzie Guillen—he can very easily have a 12 win season.

Although these are not huge signings, the Marlins made some minor moves that may help them at times throughout the season. Wade LeBlanc—acquired from the Padres in exchange for John Baker—will not be in the rotation to start the season.

However, if one of the primary five starters gets injured, he may be the first to receive a phone call.

Clearly, resigning Greg Dobbs was the right move. He had a great 2011 season off the bench, and is successful when called upon to start.

Signing Aaron Rowand to a minor league deal, with an invitation to spring training, may pay off for the Marlins in the future. Previously classified as a “Marlins killer,” Rowand will provide depth off the bench and in center field.

Although they might be considered the underdog in the NL East, once again, they will most certainly be an entertaining team to watch in 2012.

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