Apr 3, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey (43) and pitcher J.A. Happ (48) and pitcher Mark Buehrle (56) and pitcher Josh Johnson (55) look on from the top step of the dugout against the Cleveland Indians at Rogers Centre. The Indians beat the Blue Jays 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

This time around we hope to build off of perhaps our most complete game of the season: Timely hits, great pitching (though each pitcher seems to still have “the inning”) and the defense seems to have started to pick itself up off the trash heap. Can we keep it going? Well I hope so, though we are facing our dreaded nemesis, the Rays.

Mind you our dreaded nemesis seems to be going through the same rough patch of pitching and timely hitting and thus are also the only other team in the East with a losing record. James Loney has been leading the charge lately at the plate (Over his last 17 games played he has hit .528 (28-for-53)) This has raised his average to .398…yes I know…THAT James Loney. The pitching always seems to give Toronto fits, especially at Tropicana Field. The game matches up Tampa Bay’s No. 9 ranked American League offense (4.4 runs per game) against a Blue Jays defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 13 in the American League at 5.1 runs allowed per game.

Probable Starters:

Game 1: Mark Buehrle (1-2, 6.43 ERA) vs Jeremy Hellickson (1-2, 4.71 ERA)
Game 2: J.A. Happ (2-2, 3.98 ERA) vs Roberto Hernandez (1-4, 5.28 ERA)
Game 3: Ricky Romero (0-1, 6.75 ERA vs Matt Moore (5-0, 1.95 ERA)
Game 4: R.A. Dickey (2-5, 5.36 ERA) vs David Price (1-3, 6.25 ERA)

Game 1 should provide a boatload of offence considering the struggles of both Buehrle and Hellickson (who is 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA in six career starts against Toronto). After allowing four runs on nine hits in his last start he is looking to start their 10 game homestand with a win. Buehrle…well he has to stop lofting up tater bombs every game. 3 homers given up in each of the last two games is kind of a lot, even by Buehrle standards. Even if we don’t score first, Tampa has given up the lead in 11 of their 16 losses. This is definitely a Rays team still searching for who they are this season.

Game 2 features our most consistent starter against a man trying to find his own identity (after having to give up his false one…right Fausto?). If Happ can keep the walks to a minimum (SEVEN last game), he has as good a shot at this average offensive team. Since Fausto became Roberto it has not been smooth sailing for the 33 year old (we think 33). He has one quality start out of his last five and seems to have become just a mediocre rotation filler. He does have strikeout capability (30 Ks in 30.2 innings) but will it be enough?

Game 3 should be intriguing for two reasons. First off, Romero did ok in his first outing since changing his pitching mechanics. He had a sweet 1st time through Seattle’s lineup setting them all down through 3 innings but he ran into hit troubles in the 4th. If he can build off the first three innings then we may have a chance. If he can’t, this could be the game where you hide your hands over your eyes. Matt Moore has followed in the footstep of many Rays pitchers and is dominating the league in the early going. In 2012 he displayed flashes of his greatness and this season has put it all together. All-Star games and votes for the Cy Young await him if he continues to baffle hitters (41K in 37 innings and a 1.05 WHIP)

Finally Game 4 is a test of both staff aces. Dickey and Price are struggling. Dickey claims his injury is minor and perhaps it is. Unfortunately it seems to be affecting the way he pitches. He gave up a trio of home runs in the Seattle series. He also has a paltry 2-1 K:BB Ratio and I am starting to wonder if a DL stint would help. Let’s see how his knuckler dances under the Trop Dome. Aside from a public feud with umpire Tom Hallion, Price has not been his usual dominant self. His last start against the Rockies he gave up 9 runs for the first time in 4 years. His velocity is down as well so I wonder…arm trouble? This could be a great chance to lay a beating on the man.

Line-Ups:

The following are the probable line-ups for both squads:

Toronto Blue Jays:

1. 3B: Brett Lawrie
2. DH: Adam Lind
3. RF: Jose Bautista
4. 1B: Edwin Encarnacion
5. LF: Melky Cabrera
6. C: J.P. Arencibia
7. CF: Colby Rasmus
8. 2B: Maicer Izturis
9. SS: Munenori Kawasaki

Tampa Bay Rays:

1. CF: Desmond Jennings
2. RF: Matt Joyce
3. 2B: Ben Zobrist
4. 3B: Evan Longoria
5. 1B: James Loney
6. SS: Yunel Escobar
7. DH: Luke Scott
8. LF: Kelly Johnson
9. C: Jose Molina

We all know that both teams are struggling. This may be the best chance the Blue Jays have to salvage their season. If they can take 3 of 4 we are still in it. If we lose 3 of 4 we will be buried in the basement and all the percentages and hope wouldn’t seem to matter. If we want to get the proverbial monkey off our backs then we need to beat this Rays team. They are staggered in ways they never have before. Their offense was always suspect but the pitching held them and guided them over the years. This year it is a different story. Let’s hope we write a better ending.

The Final Word

The Blue Jays look lost from one game to the next, occasionally throwing a bone to the fans like Sunday’s slugging of the Mariners. Flashes of our potential is there. Don’t take Brandon Morrow going 8 innings yesterday as something to take lightly. It gave us a chance to rest some arms in the pen. If we can get through a couple turns through the rotation with quality starts, going deeper into games, then we might have a shot at redemption. The sun is out, the sky is blue, it’s beautiful and so are you…dear Blue Jays. Won’t you (finally) come out to play?

Aug. 22, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Miami Marlins infielder Jose Reyes against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero were the only locks in the starting rotation so R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle aren’t replacing anyone. The Blue Jays didn’t have a left fielder or second basemen so Melky Cabrera, Maicer Izturis or Emilio Bonafacio aren’t replacing anyone.

At the end of the 2012 season the Blue Jays had a more than capable yet inconsistent shortstop in Yunel Escobar.

Yunel’s on base percentage in 2012 was .300 but before that he never had an on base percentage below .333 in all his big league seasons and was still good defensively in 2012. Escobar was also a part of the Blue Jays core, under contract, making a tiny $5 million in 2013 with tiny $5 million options in 2014 and 2015.

With the Blue Jays focus this offseason being the starting rotation it didn’t make sense for them to shop for a shortstop when they already had a good affordable one. Even if some fans felt they had to because of Yunel’s eye black incident.

In the Blue Jays efforts to fill the holes in their rotation with the Marlins trade the Blue Jays were also able to upgrade their shortstop from Yunel Escobar to Jose Reyes.

And boy is he an upgrade.

You can’t even compare the two players when it comes to speed. Reyes has 111 career triples and 410 career stolen bases. In the National League he’s been a 3-time stolen base champion and 4 time triples leader. Escobar has 8 career triples and 26 career stolen bases.

According to fangraphs Escobar’s single season career high in WAR is 4.4 in 2009. Reyes has had a higher WAR five times in his career. Reyes is also a year younger coming off a 4.5 WAR season while Escobar is coming off a 1.8 WAR season.

For what it’s worth Reyes is a 4-time All-Star, the 2011 NL batting champion, and won the silver slugger for NL shortstops in 2006. All things that Escobar has never done.

Reyes has also been playing in very pitcher friendly home ballparks his entire career so playing half his games at Rogers Centre should only inflate his numbers.

As mentioned earlier, Escobar had 1 guaranteed year left on his contract with 2 team options on 2014 and 2015. If you count Reyes’s team option on the end of his contract, the Blue Jays could have Reyes through the 2018 season. If Escobar had a repeat of his 2012 season in 2013, chances are the Jays wouldn’t have picked up the option on his contract anyway. Now they’ll have the shortstop position covered for a long time with a star player.

September 18, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Yunel Escobar (5) speaks during a press conference addressing offensive comments written on his eye black before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE

Unfortunately, it is a situation that will also follow the club and Escobar for the rest of what has already been a difficult season for Toronto.

Now comes word that this may not have been the only incident that the Blue Jays have had to address with Escobar this season. During an interview prior to Thursday’s loss to the Yankees, manager John Farrell mentioned that he has had other conversations with the shortstop.

When pressed for details, Farrell would only elaborate to the point of saying that they were “baseball issues”, quelling any concern that there had been similar incidents in the past. General manager Alex Anthopoulos tried to play it down as a common meeting held between management and the players throughout the season, but at that stage, the media had latched on.

No matter how you color it, combined with the eye black incident it does paint a picture of a player who is a malcontent in the locker room and on the field.
Escobar has become known as a divisive presence in the locker room and with our without Farrell’s comment, it has not been a secret to fans either. Coupled with a decided drop in performance at the plate, and Escobar suddenly finds himself in an tight position with the Blue Jays holding $5 million team options for both 2014 and 2015.

Backed into a corner with no friends and a fan base that is obviously not happy with you is no way to get those options picked up. Escobar is going to have to make a significant strides, both in performance and attitude between now and the end of next season, if he wants to stay in a Blue Jays uniform.

Otherwise, he’ll be writing a new word on his eye black; “Adios”.

Yunel Escobar’s eyeblack has a disappointing message. Mandatory Credit – Flicker Account james_in_to.

However, that is exactly the case for Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar, as the commissioners office is looking into a situation stemming from Saturday’s game against Boston. Photographs taken by a fan at the game, and later confirmed on photos taken by Getty Images, confirm that Escobar was wearing stick-on eye black patches with the discriminatory message “Tu Ere Maricon” written across the two patches. Loosely translated to English, the phrase means, “you are a fa–ot.”

MLB Spokeman Pat Courtney has confirmed that the commissioner’s office is taking the matter seriously and that they will look into to thoroughly. Obviously, the commissioners office will investigate whether Escobar knowing took the field with such a defamatory statement in full view of fans.

For their part, the Blue Jays have been vocal about the incident, saying that Escobar, manager John Farrell, and general manager Alex Anthopoulos will be available for the media prior to Tuesday game with the Yankees. The club also offered the following statement:

“The club takes this situation seriously and is investigating the matter,” the Blue Jays said in a statement Monday night, adding they “do not support discrimination of any kind nor condone the message displayed by Yunel Escobar during Saturday’s game.”

Major League Baseball has shown in the past that such conduct will not be tolerated. Last season, it suspended Braves pitching coach for two weeks following lewd hand gestures perceived to be homophobic toward San Francisco Giants fans. The league also suspended Braves reliever John Rocker in 2000 following comments made in a Sports Illustrated interview that were homophobic, xenophobic (dislike or fear of people from other countries), and racist.

Whether MLB deems that Escobar’s actions deserve a suspension is another matter. Regardless of whether or not he knew of the message or not, it is likely that MLB is going to come down on somebody for the remark.

UPDATE: Escobar has received a three-game suspension from Major League Baseball for the slur on his eye black. Escbar maintained that the remark was not defamatory in nature, but simply a joke gone awry between Hispanic ballplayers. Regardless, he accepted his role and accepted his punishment for the incident. The suspension will be effective immediately, meaning that Escobar will miss the upcoming Yankee series.

March 8, 2011; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop

There are certain decisions that teams and managers make that make you shake your head some times. It seems to me that for the second time since he’s been a Blue Jays player, Adeiny Hechavarria has been set up for failure by this organization. With little regard for how his mental state of mind, they’ve thrown him to the wolves, likely to send him down with a burst confidence level that may take a while to rebuild.

What am I talking about? First, it was the language. The Jays let Hechavarria down was when they failed to have a translator with him when he began his minors career with the Jays in HiA Dunedin. At the time, he was 21 years old and in a new country for the first time. He couldn’t speak the language of the land, and had to feel isolated. In baseball terms, the result was little interaction between a non-Spanish speaking coaching staff in Dunedin and Hechavarria. In plain English, he was left out to dry. After a .193/.217/.292 start over 167 PA, someone in the organization finally took note of it, spread the news, and got him promoted to AA, where the coaching staff did speak Spanish. The result? A much improved .273/.305/.360 line despite playing against better competition

The second instance of letting Hechavarria down just happened over the weekend. Having NEVER played 3B as a professional player, he was called up from AAA to play the position. While he didn’t make any errors on the day, he had to feel out of place playing in a new location he’d never seen, a new position he’d never played, and in a spot in the lineup (9th) that he rarely if ever hit from. Talk about setting a player up for failure. He struck out twice and walked once in his ABs on the day and didn’t look entirely lost over his last few ABs. But, in my estimation, leaving him at SS would have allowed him to concentrate a lot more on hitting and getting through the day at the plate instead of taking on the pressure of fielding the hot corner.  (more…)

Jul 13, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop

It’s a little ironic that Yunel Escobar was acquired, along with Jo-Jo Reyes, in return for SS Alex Gonzalez, RP Tim Collins (now with KC) and Tyler Pastornicky, a fellow SS who is beloved in the locker room and is noted for having players pull for him to do well. It’s ironic because the exact same thing that drove the Atlanta Braves to deal Escobar to Toronto at the time, is reportedly the same reason the Jays have made him available in trade. Well, that and the fact that Adeiny Hechavarria seems ready to assume the SS position in Toronto.

Until Pastornicky proves that he is able to become an everyday SS in the majors, it’s easy to call this trade a win for the Jays, particularly when you know the past struggles the Jays have had in filling the SS position. Escobar’s .276/.341/.378 over his 3 years in Toronto is much better than anything the Jays had prior to Escobar’s arrival. The problem is that the production doesn’t really match his talent, and that he has reportedly worn out his welcome in Toronto as well through a lack of focus.

You do have to question why the Jays ever signed Escobar to an extension if he really was a clubhouse issue. The Jays, or an acquiring team, still owe Escobar $5 million in 2013, and still have 2 team option years for 2014-2015 at $5 million a piece as well. What that contract tells me is that the Jays were more than happy with his clubhouse presence at the time of the signing. He signed that contract in mid-June 2011, so if the reports are true, he has worn out his welcome in Toronto over the last full year, and immediately after signing that contract. (more…)

Rather than sitting on my couch angry, frustrated, and begging for answers, I tuned in to TSN 1050 on my computer. Keith Law of ESPN had just tweeted he’d be coming on the show to talk Blue Jays, and that seemed like a much more enjoyable experience than the anguish the pitching staff was once again putting me through. The host asked Keith a number of questions about the team, including what the hell is wrong with Ricky Romero and whether the Blue Jays should be buyers or sellers at the deadline. What really caught my attention was when he started talking about Yunel Escobar, and who he saw as a viable trade partner. San Francisco Giants. Brandon Belt.

I was floored by the suggestion. I have never really been on the “trade Yunel” bandwagon, despite his dreadful offensive performance this year and the irritatingly constant reminders by Jon Morosi of Fox Sports that the team was looking to move him. He plays the most challenging defensive position in baseball, and in his sixth professional season, he’s already accumulated 18.6 WAR. Should he conclude the season the way ZIPS projects, that number will approach 20. He’s been remarkably consistent with his production as well, with totals of 2.6, 3.7, 4.4, 2.1, 4.3, and 2.6 WAR (projected). With 2 WAR being roughly the average regular, Yunel Escobar has been an above average player every season. Considering some of the awful shortstops the Blue Jays have fielded over the past decade – Royce Clayton, anyone – why would Toronto ever want to move him?

Brandon Belt meets Brandon the baby giraffe at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA on Thursday, September 1, 2011. Photo credit: San Francisco Giants

Brandon Belt instantly changes my opinion. The 6-foot-5 Texan was drafted in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, and quickly made short work of the minor leagues. He appeared on Baseball America’s top 100 only once, in 2011, placing 23rd overall after a .352/.455/.620 season. He split the year across three levels (High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A), and in his 136 games he hit 43 doubles, 10 triples, and 23 home runs. Showing surprising wheels for his size, he stole 22 bases. With an extremely disciplined plate approach, he walked 93 times against 99 strikeouts. Those are some crazy good numbers.

Belt bounced between Triple-A and the majors last year before finally settling into San Francisco this season. Settling might be too generous of a term, as he seems to be in and out of manager Bruce Bochy’s doghouse on a regular basis. The Giants have literally received a negative contribution from Brett Pill and Aubrey Huff, yet those two have stolen 156 plate appearances away from Belt at first base. It’s not unlike the Blue Jays decision to play Rajai Davis and Eric Thames over Travis Snider – frustrating for fans of the organization, and puzzling for outsiders looking in. In a Wednesday article by Andrew Baggarly of CSN, Bochy is quoted as saying:

“I think it’s fair to say Brandon is a little lost right now,” Bochy said. “It’s timing and confidence again. I say this so many times: They’ll have their ups and downs, young players, and they have to learn to deal with it.”

Apparently, in Bruce’s world, the easiest way for a young player to deal with confidence issues is to sit on the bench in favor of replacement level players. Sounds a lot like a certain ex-Blue Jays skipper, no?

The Escobar to Giants connection makes plenty of sense when you look at the numbers. At shortstop, San Francisco has sent out Brandon Crawford and Joaquin Arias for a combined 487 plate appearances, with the two totaling only 1.0 WAR. That number isn’t leaps and bounds behind Yunel Escobar to this point, but Escobar has produced 4+ WAR seasons twice in his career – including just last year – something neither Crawford nor Arias ever has the potential for. For a team like San Francisco, who currently rank first in their division and have a dynamite pitching staff, Escobar would be a huge boost both this season and in seasons ahead, thanks to his accommodating club options.

The Belt to the Blue Jays connection makes equal amount of sense if you neglect the Travis Snider fiasco. Alex Anthopolous has made a name for himself by targeting underutilized or underachieving players with big potential, and like Brandon Morrow, Escobar, and Colby Rasmus in years past, Brandon Belt fits the bill perfectly. He’s primarily a first baseman, but has also played a fair amount of left field in the past, so he has some defensive versatility. Adam Lind would be the primary road block for Belt in Toronto, and his current hot streak aside, that shouldn’t be too much of an obstacle. The team also has a built-in replacement for Escobar with Adeiny Hechavarria, and while that exchange would likely result in a decline in production, the potential of an unleashed Brandon Belt should make up for it, and then some.

Keith Law wasn’t specific when mentioning the dynamics of the hypothetical deal, but a 1-for-1 makes a lot of sense to me. Neither team would be inheriting a significant financial burden, and both players have risks attached. Would you trade Yunel Escobar for Brandon Belt? Would you trade Yunel Escobar at all?

March 2, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop

All Jays fans would love to dream, as Jose Bautista has, of the Jays contending for a playoff spot in 2012. It’s definitely still viable, as no single team has pulled away from the pack enough to make it unlikely for any other team to catch that last playoff position in the American League. The Jays currently sit 3 GB of the last Wild Card spot. However, every team has to be honest with itself and wonder, out loud, if we are going to chase a playoff spot this season, what’s the best way to go about it?

For the Toronto Blue Jays of 2012, the answer is not definite, but is now leaning towards the “Go Young” way. The injuries the team has faced of late, along with the fact that it is faced with so many holes to fill in its lineup, really leaves little other choice.

Obviously, the main issues that have caused the Jays to slide back in the chase for a playoff spot are the multitude of injuries the team has been forced to deal with. The latest two injuries, Jose Bautista and Brett Lawrie, really hurt the team most because they’re the first injuries to regular every day players, and they are so vital to the Jays scoring runs. (more…)

Given his inconsistent history with Atlanta, it’s surprising that we haven’t seemed to hear more about Escobar’s struggles so far. From here, it’s a good thing, though; the Braves ran him out at the first sign of trouble, rather than looking at his history and writing off the struggles as a blip on the radar. The Blue Jays went out of their way to welcome Escobar to the organization when he was traded here in 2010 (perhaps that’s part of why we haven’t heard anything) and the club is continuing to take a thoughtful approach. But let’s take a look at the numbers and see what’s gone wrong so far.

We mentioned a .628 OPS for Escobar so far, compared to his more respectable .782 last year. His isolated power is currently .082, down from a career mark of .110, and his 3.79 groundball-to-flyball ratio is much lower than his career 2.14 mark. Watching him hit, we can see more ground balls and not as many balls driven into the gaps, which is what he needs to do to be successful. I was among those who were scratching their heads when John Farrell flipped him and Johnson in the order, because while getting KJ more at bats was a definite plus, I thought that, given what we had seen from him so far this season, Escobar would be a near lock for grounding into a double play with a man on first. Lyle Overbay‘s frustrating ground balls to second? Same idea, other side of the diamond.

Apr 29, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar (5) hits a double in the 7th inning against the Seattle Mariners at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

Not only is Escobar not hitting for as much power, he’s not as patient as he has been in the past. His walk rate is at a paltry 5.3%, which is just over half of his career mark of 9.4%. As someone who hits early in the order, the Jays need him to be drawing walks and seeing more pitches, which is something he has done well previously. Yunel has typically been a very patient hitter, so it’s troubling to see that he’s not getting on-base as often. It could possibly mean that he’s pressing and feeling the frustration of not hitting as well. Additionally, his .274 BABIP is .274 compared to his career mark of .312 is not terribly low, but it’s still a slight variation from the norm, so we can’t write off any slow start to him being unlucky.

Thankfully, Escobar hasn’t brought any struggles at the plate into his play in the field. He has been dependable with his glove as usual, and his 13.4 UZR/150 backs that up. While that’s probably unsustainable, it’s still an excellent sign, and a big part of why the Jays have been continuing to play him every day. Defense is obviously still an organizational priority at that position, and continuing to play Escobar when he struggles to hit shows the value they place on it and allows him to relax and figure out his issues without looking over his shoulder — an issue that we’ve seen with other managers at other positions on the diamond.

Looking at the statistics, we can see that there are some unusual indicators from Escobar’s hitting so far. Fewer walks and less power suggest a player who might be pressing some at the plate, though perhaps it’s a normal monthly variation that we’d see over the course of a season (like, say, Escobar’s September last year). Personally, I’d say it’s still early yet to be very concerned about it. He’s 9-for-20 (.450) in his last five games with a 1.126 OPS, and he has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, so he should return to his norm before long. The Blue Jays’ patient, measured approach with their players helps if one is inconsistent, and in a month or so, we’ll all forget this happened. If Escobar continues to struggle deeper into the season, then perhaps we can start to wonder if and when the much-hyped Adeiny Hechavarria will be ready to go.

What do you think? Should we worry about Yunel Escobar, or is it too early to be hitting the panic button?

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March 6, 2011; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar (5) looks on before an at bat during the bottom of the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

This week, FanGraphs started posting their “Positional Power Rankings.” So far, the Jays have ranked 21st at catcher, 20th at first, 16th at second and 3rd at short.

Here’s what Bradley Woodrum wrote about the Jays’ shortstop options:

“Escobar has really developed into one of the league’s best hitting-shortstops. In fact, I find it surprising ZiPS has predicted a line beneath his career average… It’s mysterious… The Blue Jays will presumably attempt to maximize Omar Vizquel’s playing time while minimizing his plate appearances, so they might be able to get some 60+ games out of just 50 or so PAs. Meanwhile, Luis Valbuena is out of minor league options, so I suspect Toronto will find a way to keep him on the roster and give him a super utility / backup SS role — what with his crushing of Triple-A pitching and ability to play the whole infield plus left field.”

The post also lists the ZIPS projections for Escobar:

.272/.351/.393 WAR 4.5

I will concur with Woodrum’s assertion that ZIPS is too low on Escobar’s offensive production for 2012, particularly his slugging percentage (career: .401, 2011: .413), which often increases as a player enters his late 20s/early 30s. Either way, though, it sure is nice to have stability at short, and stability that could produce 4+ WAR each season through 2015.

In case you’re wondering, first place went to the Rockies’ Troy Tulowitzski, with the runner up finisher being Jose Reyes of the Marlins.

How is Alex Gonzalez doing these days by the way?

-SB

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