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For Marlins manager Jack McKeon, who never met a name he couldn't butcher, this is shaping up to be a pretty good offseason -- linguistically, at least.
Gone from his team's World Series roster are outfielder Juan Encarnacion and
closer Ugueth Urbina, whose names he never did get right, as well as left-hander
Mark Redman, who even last week McKeon was mistaking for catcher Mike Redmond.
And while that might make things a little clearer in clubhouse meetings, McKeon admits those changes, while expected, will make his job tougher on the field.
"When you look at the way the whole game of baseball has evolved the past
eight, 10, 12 years, with the advent of free agency and arbitration, you're
seeing a lot of changes on every club," he said. "I think it's just
become common now that it's going to be tough to repeat. Unless you've got a
huge payroll."
MAKING CUTS
That's a luxury the Marlins do not have. In fact, the Marlins' payroll may grow
by less than $5 million over last season -- or about what George Steinbrenner
spends on lunch.
And that, more than anything else, has driven the Marlins' offseason strategy
-- most recently demonstrated by Tuesday's decision to trade 14-game winner
Redman to Oakland for minimum-wage reliever Mark Neu.
"We are certainly getting close to [our] payroll range," general manager
Larry Beinfest said. "We need to look at the payroll and the allocation
every day."
The trades of Encarnacion, Redman and first baseman Derrek Lee, plus the decision
to let free agents Urbina and Ivan Rodriguez go, has shaved as much as $30 million
off the Marlins' 2004 payroll.
But the roster still isn't set. Beinfest has until Saturday to decide which
of a half-dozen key players he will offer salary arbitration. Beinfest is also
find a closer, either through free agency, a trade or by giving the job back
to Braden Looper.
"There are more decisions to make," he said. "We'll continue
to work through things. As we continue to pick things off, things become clearer."
WAITING FOR AROD
If the Red Sox's complicated deal to acquire Alex Rodriguez falls through today,
the Marlins may be able to swing a trade for Boston closer Scott Williamson.
The Red Sox have been hanging on to the right-hander in case he was needed to
complete one of the many deals expected to spin out of the blockbuster trade
with the Rangers.
In addition, Beinfest continues to talk to a pair of free-agent closers, although
the Marlins and Armando Benitez remain more than $1 million apart on a one-year
deal.
Redman's opening in the rotation will eventually be filled by right-hander A.J.
Burnett, who missed most of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
He could be back as early as May. In the meantime, Beinfest said McKeon will
choose from among Michael Tejera, Justin Wayne, Nate Bump and Tommy Phelps to
fill out the rotation.
As for the every-day lineup, six World Series starters will return, joined by
first baseman Hee Seop Choi and either Ramon Castro or Mike Redmond behind the
plate.
"It appears that the every-day jobs are well-cemented," Beinfest said.
"The remainder of the rotation is strong. There should not be a lot of
questions marks left as we enter the new year."