MIAMI (AP) -Florida Marlins reliever Joe Nelson glanced around the clubhouse, counting how many of his teammates might not return next season.
He quickly ran out of fingers.
“I’d love to see all these guys back,” Nelson said. “But I know realistically that’s not going to happen. And myself is including in that group.”
The Marlins are facing a potentially crippling number of arbitration cases as a surprisingly successful season nears its end, beginning what will likely be another roster-flipping winter for the major’s most frugal franchise.
Florida, which had by far the lowest opening-day payroll at $22 million, managed to stay in contention for the NL East title much of the summer until the high-spending New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies pulled away late. Despite winning five straight games, the Marlins began Tuesday six games out of the NL East lead and 5 1/2 games back of the wild card.
eason. The Marlins could face as many as 18 arbitration cases, including a dozen players going for the first time, and they would more than double their payroll if they re-signed everybody.
“I’ve followed the game for a while, and I can’t remember a team that’s had this many arbitration-eligible players,” Nelson said. “It might be another record that we break this year.”
Among the arbitration-eligible players are All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla, pitchers Ricky Nolasco and Scott Olsen and two-year closer Kevin Gregg. Florida’s entire starting outfield – Jeremy Hermida, Josh Willingham and Cody Ross – is arbitration-eligible for the first time.
Hanley Ramirez, who signed a $70 million, six-year contract extension midseason, is the only Florida starter with a long-term deal.
“The toughest part is going to be that some of your friends, some of your teammates are not going to be here,” Willingham said. “It’s going to be an adjustment. If I am here next year, I’m going to have to form a lot of new relationships. So it’s going to be sad.”
The Marlins have been revolving players since their inception in 1993, winning two World Series titles only to dismantle each team before their rings were even sized.
ll-designed for baseball and that hot, rainy Florida summers require a roof to attract more fans.
City and county officials are still finalizing plans to build the team a $515 million, retractable-roof stadium where the Orange Bowl once stood in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. The team has insisted a stadium will increase attendance and allow for more spending.
In the meantime, the constant roster shuffling has come with a hidden cost.
The Marlins rank last in attendance again this season, averaging a little more than 16,000 fans per game, including an afternoon game two weeks ago when fewer than 600 fans were in the seats at first pitch.
Even with few fans, the shuffling strategy has made the Marlins one of the best at stretching the dollar.
“I haven’t taken economics in, like, 13 years since college,” Nelson said. “But last time I checked, they’ve got two World Series titles for an organization that hasn’t been here very long.”
The team will likely keep Uggla, Hermida, Willingham and Ross, given the bargain it will be to retain the first-time arbitration-eligible players.
Third baseman Jorge Cantu is a candidate to replace first baseman Mike Jacobs, who is coming off a disappointing season and likely will be released. That move could give way to Triple-A third baseman Dallas McPherson, who led the minors with 42 home runs this season.
for the Marlins this offseason: their young, rising starting pitching staff should stay intact. After that, the roster is a mystery.
“I don’t think anyone really knows what’s going to happen,” Jacobs said.
With fewer than two weeks to play, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez won’t discuss next season’s roster until the team is officially eliminated from playoff contention. But he said the team has formed a chemistry that he hopes isn’t disrupted.
“We’ve spent 7 1/2 months with guys and we feel like there is a connection there,” Gonzalez said. “You feel good about the relationship, so it’s good. But I’m not looking at it like he’s going to be here, he’s not going to be here. I have no idea.”
Neither do his players.
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