NL East: Harper wins ROY; Marlins Usual Firesale

By Hannah McCaffrey

Harper wins National League Rookie of the Year

(AP Photo/Haraz Ghanbari)

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was recently named the National League Rookie of the Year.  He is the first member of the Nationals organization to win the award, and at 20 years old he is the second youngest Rookie of the Year recipient, after Dwight Gordon in 1987.

The Washington Post reported Harper as saying ‘”This is a great award, and I’m so excited and proud of it,’ Harper said.  ‘But my biggest thing is I want to win a World Series.  I want to put that ring on my finger and give that to the town and city of D.C.  They deserve that.’”

Davey Johnson wins National League Manager of the Year Award

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson was named National League Manager of the Year.  Johnson joined the Nationals in the 2011 season.  By 2012 Johnson helped lead the Nationals to a 98-64 record, the best record in baseball for the entire season.  Johnson was able to harness a talented team and bring them to achieving a very successful season.

Possible Marlins Moves

It is speculated that the Miami Marlins are putting together a blockbuster deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.  Sources say that Miami might be trading shortstop Jose Reyes, pitcher Josh Johnson, and pitcher Mark Buehrle to the Toronto.  In addition to these star players there are also talks of catcher John Buck and outfielder Emilio Bonifacio.

Previously, the Marlins went on a spending spree in hopes to build a strong team with a chance at winning the World Series, as well as buying some big names to attract fans.  The Marlins now seem to be trying to get rid of this Hollywood-like budget as quickly as possible.

The Marlins already traded pitcher Heath Bell, if the current trade on the table goes through Miami will have virtually no roster.  USA Today reported that the Bell trade combined with the Blue Jays trade means that “the Marlins will have shed $186 million in future salaries.”

If the trade goes through, sources say the Marlins will receive shortstop Yunel Escobar and pitcher Henderson Alvarez along with several other prospects.

In the 2012 season, Miami finished in last place in the NL East with a mediocre 69-93 record.  The Marlins already fired manager Ozzie Guillen.  The team doesn’t have much to loose other than big salaries, a clean house could mean a fresh start for the team.

Offseason Report: Washington Nationals

By Hannah McCaffrey

The Washington Nationals finished in first place in the NL East, but lost to the Cardinals in the NLDS.  The Nationals did well this season, but many people expected the team to go much further in the playoffs after their surprising regular season.  The Nats now has a chance to build its team to be even stronger, especially in the free agency market.

Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche received his first ever Golden Glove award this year.  LaRoche also just became a free agent, and this award certainly gives him some leverage in negotiations with the Nationals.  The Nationals offered LaRoche $13.3 million; he will have until Friday to accept the offer.

(AP Photo)

With 33 home runs and 100 RBIs in the 2012 season, LaRoche proved that he could be a leader and a force to be reckoned with on the Nationals.  While LaRoche may be able to get a better paycheck on a different team, the Nationals made him a decent offer with a chance to win. 

LaRoche is an integral part of the Nationals organization, and much of the rest of the team will be sticking around, including Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper.  If LaRoche sticks with the Nationals, he will be getting a decent paycheck and be coming back to a very strong team, both offensively and defensively.

It does not seem as important for the Nationals to resign right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson.  Jackson had 2.24 ERA in the 2012 season.  However, this may not be enough to convince the Nationals to extend the offer he thinks he deserves.  Jackson has a good arm and if he stays it will only help the Nationals.  However, if Jackson leaves the Nats are still left with Jordan Zimmermann, Ross Detwiler, and Gio Gonzalez.

The Nationals also have yet to work out a contract with manager Davey Johnson.  Johnson is under contract with the Nationals through 2014, it is likely that he has committed to the Nats for the next season and his contract details are being worked out.

The Nationals were one of the strongest teams in the MLB in the 2012 season.  Their pitching staff has a solid base and so does their lineup.  Luckily they do not need to make any huge rearrangements.  The most crucial component for the Nationals is getting LaRoche back.  The 2012 season allowed for growth and experience for young talent including Harper and Zimmermann.  Their growth combined with LaRoche’s return could bring a lot of success for the Nationals in the coming 2013 season.

Miami Marlins Fire Ozzie Guillen

After just one season, Ozzie Guillen is out in Miami as manager

By Hannah McCaffrey

(AP Photo)

The Miami Marlins released a statement Tuesday afternoon stating that that manager Ozzie Guillen is no longer part of the Marlins organization.  USA Today reported a statement by the Marlins president Larry Beinfast regarding Guillen’s termination:

“After careful consideration following the disappointment of the 2012 season, we decided to dismiss Ozzie.  Our hope is that a new manager, along with roster improvements, will restore a winning culture.”

Despite three years and $7.5 million remaining on Guillen’s contract, the Marlins determined that he needed to go.   The Marlins finished the season as the frustrating last placed team in the National League East with a 69-93 record.  However, the losing season was just one of the many factors that lead to firing Guillen.

Despite a losing record, Ozzie Guillen’s one year management stint with the Marlins was far from uneventful.  Guillen’s display of outbursts and antics did not come from out of the blue; he already had a reputation for this type of behavior when he managed the Chicago White Sox.  Guillen created an especially notable media frenzy when he decided to voice his admiration for Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro.  Things quickly unraveled from there as Guillen continued to have problems with fans, players, and the front office.

The Marlins seem eager to clean house and put this unfortunate season behind them as quickly as possible.  In addition to firing Ozzie Guillen, The Marlins also traded pitcher Heath Bell to the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Marlins got rid of most of Bell’s $21 million contract and received two prospects, Yordy Cabrera and Chris Young.

Losing a manager and a starting pitcher all within a week, and not really gaining anything in return.  There are rumors of Alex Rodriguez possibly coming to Miami, but how realistic that is, no one can really say for sure yet.  It seems that this may be just the start for the Marlins housekeeping, they are in for an extremely eventful off-season.