Back from vacation, so a belated happy holidays to all.
After missing out on Gio Gonzalez, the Marlins still would like to add a starting pitcher via a trade but their immediate focus seems to be on signing bench man Greg Dobbs.
The Marlins offered Dobbs a two-year deal in late September. They’d like his veteran leadership, his versatility and the left-handed bat he provides off the bench — he was 10-for-27 (.370) as a pinch-hitter and batted .275 overall with eight home runs and 49 RBIs…
In case you missed them, there were a couple of interesting Marlins-related items that surfaced while I was away in the last week.
First, former manager Edwin Rodriguez went on MLB Network radio Dec. 21 and questioned the wisdom of the Marlins signing Jose Reyes earlier this month.
You can hear the interview by clicking here. An edited transcript of the interview by hosts Jim Memolo and Todd Hollandsworth follows here:
Memolo: “Your experience with Hanley, how do you think he’s going to handle that?”
Edwin Rodriguez: “I think it’s going to be [a] very interesting situation, to say the least. Knowing Hanley, he’s a very proud player. It’s going to be very hard for him to move out of shortstop. He’s a big league shortstop. He’s an All-Star shortstop. In my opinion I think they are going to have a tough time trying to convince him to move to third base.
“Even if he does that, move to third base, beginning of the season, I think it’s going to be very interesting to watch how everything develops, how Reyes takes the front pages and how the people start talking about the All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes. It will be very interesting to see how Hanley will handle all that. In my opinion I don’t think that was the right move to sign Jose Reyes. You already have an All-Star shortstop. Why spend money on another All-Star shortstop? Why not put the money in another player like Albert Pujols or somebody else, one frontline pitcher?”
Hollandsworth: “Could [Hanley] make that transition? Can he be a successful third baseman?”
Rodriguez: “I would say yes. I would say he will be a very successful third baseman. I think it will make him a better offensive player. If he wants to make that adjustment and commit to that new position I think that he will be a very solid third baseman. If he’s willing to do that – and I think the Marlins in that case are taking the right approach – if they move him to third base that left side of the field is going to be one of the best, if not the best, offensive production in the big leagues.”…
And finally, outfielder Scott Cousins gave his first television interview about his collision with Buster Posey from last May. Cousins went on MLB Network’s “Hot Stove” show Dec 21 for an interview that was taped earlier this month at his alma mater, the University of San Francisco, Cousins.
You can watch the video by clicking here.
Here are some highlights:
On trying to speak with Posey after the game:
“I immediately tried to call over to their trainer. [I] couldn’t get a hold of him but I just knew something wasn’t good here and I wanted to make sure, you know, I wanted to reach out and let him know that I was thinking about him.”
On Posey telling Bob Costas this July that he didn’t have the chance to talk with Cousins since the collision:
“Maybe he didn’t. I don’t know what he was up to. He was very busy, I know that. He was trying to get his leg fixed and he was on the verge of having twins, I know that, so maybe he didn’t have the chance. Maybe he still doesn’t have the chance. I don’t know. That’s up to him.”
On Giants GM Brian Sabean saying after the game that Cousins tried to be a hero:
“It hurt, I’m not gonna lie. It’s my hometown. The Giants were the team I grew up watching and wanted to play for but … people sometimes in the heat of the moment say things that they regret.
“We talked a little bit and he expressed to me that he regretted the things he had said on-air and that we were all gonna move forward. And that, that meant a lot to me, that he reached out to me to explain himself.”
On what it will be like during his next game at AT&T Park:
“Who knows? I anticipate a lot of boos but hopefully Buster Posey’s catching and I can give him a pat on the back and let him know “You know, I’m happy for you that you made your comeback and that you’re doing so well.” That’s what I hope and that’s what I anticipate.”
The interview included his college coach, Nino Giarratano, who was asked whether Scott will ever get past the collision:
“I think deep down in his core I don’t think Scott’s every gonna be past it … but I think he’s learned how to deal with it so that he could be successful as a human being.”
