Round and Round we go

It has been said that the front door of the offices of the Florida Marlins has a revolving door. If that is the case then the door is spinning fast as it did both in 1997 and 2003. During those off-seasons, the Marlins blew up what had been that season World Champion teams in order to bring in lower priced prospects which they could then groom. So the door spins again this season as Scott Olsen, Josh Willingham, and Kevin Gregg leave the clubhouse they called home.

The Washington Nationals are the beneficiary of both Olsen and Willingham, as the Chicago Cubs welcome their new closer Kevin Gregg.

In return the Marlins welcome, Cubs pitching prospect Jose Ceda, along with two prospects from the Nationals whom also threw in what many consider to be the marquee name in the deal, second baseman Emilio Bonifacio.

Larry Beinfest has been at the helm of such deals before and usually comes out of it smelling like roses. This time however the fans are crying foul, as three of the most recognizable names on an otherwise anonymous team are sent packing. Another question these moves raise is with a second baseman coming in, where does All-Star Dan Uggla fit in this lineup.

In response to the financial questions raised by the deal, Beinfest had this to say, “We have a working payroll from Jeffrey [Loria]. It is an increased payroll, so that we’re as competitive as possible. So money does matter certainly in these transactions.”

Money has long been an issue with the two time World Series Champions, as afore mentioned both championship teams were dismantled before the engraving on said trophy was even carved.

Both Olsen and Willingham are first time Arbitration eligible, and both could command a salary in the neighborhood of $5 million. Bonifacio is a 23 year old speedy player who could possibly even fit into the leadoff spot nicely if the position is wrestled away from Uggla. It has also been rumored that Uggla could be moved to left field both to make room for the rookie and to take over for the now departed Willingham.

General Manager Larry Beinfest has usually been on the right side of these salary dumps; however at what point does the magic run out? A bigger question still is at what point an already feeble fan base turns on the franchise that in such bittersweet fashion has given them both heartbreak and triumph, usually in the same season.

At this point it seems as though the Marlins fans better plan on the same revolving doors being installed in the teams’ new stadium. As long as this plan of keeping the team young, and yet in the hunt proves to work for teams like themselves, and the nearly world champion Tampa Bay Rays, it seems as thought much of the same is in the future.