Miami Dolphins Thread

[Vertical Limit]

How good is Jacob Turner?

[Slot Machine]

Can't believe Hanley is gone. That 2009 season seems like just yesterday. Honestly, I can't even root against the guy and I think the change of scenery will bring him back to his old self. Spending money like we did this past offseason rarely works and I expected us to underperform, but we're still doing worse than I thought possible. Trading Stanton would be an enormous mistake right now.

[LoveMyHeat]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... art-moves/

[Tim_Hardawayy]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/dont-crucify-the-marlins-for-making-smart-moves/

This, this, so much this.

[Flashpoint]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/dont-crucify-the-marlins-for-making-smart-moves/

Citing Billy Beane's unwillingness to take on salary is hardly an accurate barometer of the market. If Hanley had hit waivers, he would have been claimed. Not that I don't understand the trade. This entire lineup was built dependent upon his return to form as a triple crown threat. Take away his bounce back and this team is years from being even a fringe contender. His decline has been sad. How many more years do we anchor ourselves to him? He has the same character concerns that supposedly justified the Cabrera trade yet nowhere near the hitting. There are deeper worries about this team. The farm system is barren. All the prospects are up and (aside from Stanton) have arrived like lead balloons. We're getting rid of the wrong players.

That article is a little naive. We all know Loria and Samson well enough to know that this high priced team might only have been a temporary sweetener for the new stadium. Beinfest has near limitless cred from '03, but it's been rough since then. The Cabrera trade is one of history's worst. I sure as hell don't like trading with the Tigers after last time. I wouldn't assume these are the smart moves or devoid of financial considerations. Anibal before injuries had incredible stuff and may still be working his way up. When healthy I'd take him over Nolasco. There's no guarantee we wouldn't resign him and he's not prohibitively expensive. Calling Infante a mediocre 2nd baseman is also unfair since he's been one of the few players to earn their contracts. The bigger issue is whether it's true that Loria has had considerable input and is responsible for the Bell and Buck deals. Those are catastrophically bad signings for a club without a limitless budget. There are too many misses on this roster and these recent deals have only lowered the ceiling. We can't half blow this up. Hang on to a mid-30's Buerhle and aging Reyes while developing young, unproven arms? There's no point to that. This is likely the beginning of a flood of salary shedding. Not a flurry of "smart moves."

That article is "fraudulent" and has no business criticizing reputable sources as not getting it. It's ridiculous to compare Choi to Derek Lee as an equivalent trade off and completely ignoring Delgado leaves an incomplete picture of post '03 Marlins. On top of which providing a link implying it proves Hanley wouldn't have been claimed off waivers when the article linked to does nothing of the sort is just part of a disingenuous fan rant. I hope this isn't a fire sale, but as it is the team is in a dangerous limbo. Balanced between aging vets and disappointing youth. It's always difficult to trust management to get you out of a mess when they're the ones who got you into it.

[420]

If the Marlins were a winning franchise: this would seem as if it was truly Hanley's fault, they did the right thing to get rid of him, and better days are ahead.

Since the Marlins are a losing franchise: we all know that there's a decent possibility that Hanley will snap out of his funk, go back to being a good/great player, and helping the Dodgers out in the post-season if they make it there.

FWIW, Hanley's first game with the Dodgers (vs the Cardinals):

2-4, 1 RBI, 0 SO, 1 Run, 1 BB, 0 Errors.

Player of the game, according to Yahoo's Boxscore.

Dodgers lost in the 12th, 3 to 2.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320725124

[420]

On the bright side, Justin Ruggiano had a good game today, let's hope he can keep this up.

[Pimpwerx]

FIRE SALE!!!

I get bad vibes, but Sampson kinda gave me some confidence on Lebatard yesterday. He admitted they were wrong with their signings this past Winter, and he called a spade a spade. The team just ain't good. I'd rather dump salary and try again next season, but there's a really good chance they just plain dump salary.

Let's be honest...the park isn't filling up. I swore I'd go to a game this season, but I haven't yet...and probably won't unless I get some free tix from someone. Their business model probably isn't working out how they want, and they need to figure out another way to do it. In 2003, we won with a cheap roster, but we made smart roster decisions then. This season, we spent like crazy, but got a bunch of guys who are sucking out there. If we can dump Bell and find a way to get rid of Buck, we can start fresh...high salary roster or not.

Hey...at least we got the Heat...amirite? Dolphins might be rebuilding in the right direction too...we can hope. Trying to look on the bright side. Whatever we do, we better keep Stanton. PEACE.

[Flashpoint]

FIRE SALE!!!

I get bad vibes, but Sampson kinda gave me some confidence on Lebatard yesterday. He admitted they were wrong with their signings this past Winter, and he called a spade a spade. The team just ain't good. I'd rather dump salary and try again next season, but there's a really good chance they just plain dump salary.

Let's be honest...the park isn't filling up. I swore I'd go to a game this season, but I haven't yet...and probably won't unless I get some free tix from someone. Their business model probably isn't working out how they want, and they need to figure out another way to do it. In 2003, we won with a cheap roster, but we made smart roster decisions then. This season, we spent like crazy, but got a bunch of guys who are sucking out there. If we can dump Bell and find a way to get rid of Buck, we can start fresh...high salary roster or not.

Hey...at least we got the Heat...amirite? Dolphins might be rebuilding in the right direction too...we can hope. Trying to look on the bright side. Whatever we do, we better keep Stanton. PEACE.

Holy crap. You can make it through that Samson on Lebatard bit? I swear there's a circle in hell waiting for me with nothing but Samson giving inane movie reviews.

Definitely FIRE SALE. I don't think this past offseason's signings are what's wrong with this team. If Samson is trying to spin that then he's trying to make us believe that spending money is bad. Bell is obviously a disaster and was a weirdly extravagant signing to begin with. Buerhle has been great. Reyes has been what any realistic person would expect him to be with the added bonus that he's stayed healthy. I think there were unrealistic expectations for him and he has no chance of being worth that contract with no one to knock him in. We'd have been much better off going after Gio and Cespedes more aggressively.

What has really killed this team is failed prospects. Gaby, Coghlan, LoMo, Volstad, Skipworth, Maybin, Miller. The farm system is dire. If they trade Josh, the only player left to build around is Giancarlo (and maybe Boni). Turner and Eovaldi hopefully are something special, but young arms are incredibly unpredictable. We blow this up there is no trying again next year. It's years until we can compete in the NL East.

I wouldn't sip any Dolphins kool-aid yet. But the Panthers with Tallon get to stand in the holy glow that emanates from St Pat and the Heat. I also can't help but be excited to see what Golden does with Canes now that most of Shannon's incompetent fingerprints have been dusted off. We Miami fans will be alllright. It's not like we're **** Cleveland.

[LoveMyHeat]

If the Marlins trade away JJ and THEN don't spend a cent this offseason, then I'll start crying fire sale. Otherwise, the Hanley trade is just a salary dump like any other team would do with an underperforming player + big contract. Hanley blows. Anibal is going to be a free agent. Omar is nothing special.

[RoadWarriorZ]

Anyone else watching the Marlins game? Thoughts on Eovaldi?

[DrVanNostrand]

Anyone else watching the Marlins game? Thoughts on Eovaldi?

Was at the park last night. Probably too early to tell, because it was one game against the padres, but I like his stuff. He probably isn't a guy who can go 7+ innings, but he had pretty good control and had a pretty low pitch count through 5. Clearly fatigued in that 6 despite about only 80 something pitches.

Not a bad pitcher.

[GameTime_3]

Went to Dolphins camp on Monday. Pretty fun..Saw Ryan's first practice; looks legit. I'm going to open training camp at the stadium this weekend.

[This IsMy House]

Met the whole team at my work the other day, and the crew of Hard Knocks. Lamar Miller is cool as hell, just mad I didnt get to see Tannehill's wife this time. They all seem like good players, hopefully this coaching staff wont blow it.

[LEIF]

I am often a pessimist when it comes to the Dolphins because I believe everything starts at the top and those guys have been questionable in years past but i must say i am thoroughly impressed and excited for Dolphin football this year. this new offense is going to pay off.

and Lamar Miller is going to be a star. write it down.

[420]

I'm glad the Dolphins started drafting Hurricane players after all these years. It sucks watching U players going to other teams and seeing them and their team perform well. How could the Dolphins FO be so blind to the talent that plays in the same city as them? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's been quite a few star UM players playing for Conference titles and Super Bowls the past decade or two.

[Tim_Hardawayy]

I'm glad the Dolphins started drafting Hurricane players after all these years. It sucks watching U players going to other teams and seeing them and their team perform well. How could the Dolphins FO be so blind to the talent that plays in the same city as them? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's been quite a few star UM players playing for Conference titles and Super Bowls the past decade or two.

That always kinda bugged me, although a lot of the time we weren't in position to get those players because they went earlier and we tended to trade down in the draft (moreso speaking of late 90's/early 00's).

We did draft Vernon Carey finally in 04, but before that, the only UM guy I can remember was Yatil Green, and that was a huge disappointment (in part due to injury, in part because of his play on the field).

[Vertical Limit]

Well Cam Cameron was drafting Mormons and Muslims only, Nick Saban wanted SEC guys only, and Rick Spielman/Wannstedt were giving away draft picks for players like Lamar Gordon, AJ Feeley and many other garbage players.

That explains why we never drafted any U players other than Vernon. I'm sure if Jimmy Johnson stuck around, that would have changed a bit.

[FlashTheKilla]

Hard Knocks would probably blow if not for Chad Johnson. The show is just another reality TV series about him.

And this means nothing about his ability to coach, but Joe Philbin makes for awful, boring television. The dude is white rice.

[LoveMyHeat]

#TannMarino