Florida: With the Marlin’s latest trade of Cameron Maybe to the Padres, they’ve shown their fans and the rest of the baseball world they really don’t know what they’re doing. Following the 2007 season, Miguel Cabrera was 24 and coming off his third straight season with an OPS+ of at least 150. Florida then shipped Cabrera, who they wouldn’t have been able to afford, to Detroit along with Dontrelle Willis, who was coming off a rough season but was still a useful major league pitcher with a good chance of bouncing back. In return, the Tigers sent two of their best prospects; outfielder Cameron Maybin and lefthander Andrew Miller along with a bunch of castoffs like a Rock of Love Reunion Show. It looked like the Marlins were doing what they do best. Trading for a top prospect and looking to make them a superstar before flipping them for more diamonds in the rough. After all, they’d brought up Derek Lee, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett, and A.J. Burnett in recent memory.
Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis= Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller (Eulogio de la Cruz, Burke Badenhop, Mike Rabelo, and Dallas Trahern) You can ignore the players in parenthesis. Ever heard of them? My point exactly.
Cameron Maybin played less than an entire season (144 games) for the Florida Marlins over three seasons and compiled a .257/.323/.391 line with 12 homeruns and 14 stolen bases. Not bad at all for a 23 year old not seeing regular time. But his minor league numbers seem to project this was just the beginning for the youngster ranked in the top 8 prospects in baseball three consecutive years from 2007 to 2009. In 490 career Triple-A plate appearances, Maybin hit .325/.401/.477. However, the Marlins must know something no one else does because they shipped the prize piece of their Miguel Cabrera deal to the San Diego Padres for two right-handed relievers.
Cameron Maybin= Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb
Cameron Maybin was the prize of the Cabrera trade but Andrew Miller wasn’t too far behind. However, he never quite looked like the pitcher the Marlins traded for…not even close. The 6th overall pick in 2006, Miller posted a 5.89 ERA in 220 innings over 3 seasons with Florida. But having just finished his 25-yr old season, Miller still has a chance to be a late bloomer and find a niche in the majors. Florida didn’t think so though, and that’s what matters. Miller was shipped to Boston in a lefty-reliever swap.
Andrew Miller= Dustin Richardson
Meanwhile, Detroit has released Dontrelle Willis but has one of the best hitters in baseball, Boston has a no risk redemption project, and Florida has…well….a decent bullpen, I guess.
Miguel Cabrera= Edward Mujica, Ryan Webb, and Dustin Richardson
So in just three years, the Marlins took this season’s runner up in AL MVP voting and turned him into three relievers. Ask anyone in baseball what the easiest spot on a roster is to fill and you’ll get the same answer every time. A right-handed reliever. Well that’s now especially true if you’re the Florida Marlins.
Rhino
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