Formed in 1991, the Florida Marlins are one of the most unlikely successes of the expansion era. Never having finished in first place in their division, the Marlins have won two World Series titles by way of the Wild Card in 1997 and 2003.
The Marlins have yet to win the NL East to this day, and they haven?t been able to form another playoff run since their last title in the '03 season. In 2006 the Marlins filled their roster with young hopefuls. Not only were they the lowest team salary in all of baseball, but Yankees star Alex Rodriguez made more money himself than the Marlins entire team.
In 2007 injuries sidelined the Marlins season as they finished with a 71-91 record. In December of 2007 they traded away veterans Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in return for six players including center fielder Cameron Maybin, catcher Mike Rabelo, and pitchers Andrew Miller, Equlogio De La Cruz, Burke Badenhop, and Dallas Trahem.
The 2008 season showcased the new young talent brought in, showing a promising future for the franchise. They finished 87-77 but failed to make the playoffs. In this season infielder Hanley Ramirez was signed to a six year $70 million dollar deal, making him the richest player in Marlins franchise history.
The Marlins will create a tight race for the NL East division. They have a lot of new talent that is only showing signs of improvement. Look for the Marlins to have another winning season.
The Boston Red Sox haven’t wasted any time preparing for 2010 this offseason. The organization recently traded away left-handed pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez for Florida Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida. Picked 11th overall in the 2002 draft, Hermida has earned a career batting average of .265. In 516 total games played he’s knocked 57 [...]
Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci reports that even before the Yankees signed Mark Teixeira, the Red Sox contacted the Marlins about the availability of shortstop Hanley Ramirez. The former Sox prospect has been an offensive force in the MLB averaging about 125 runs, 50 stolen bases, and 30 home runs a season, with a career batting [...]
On the same day in which Manny told ESPN Deportes that the he loved Boston fans but that “the Red Sox do not deserve a player like me”, the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Florida Marlins worked tirelessly on a blockbuster trade. The move would send Jason Bay to Boston, Manny to Florida, and [...]
