Somehow we made it to Tuesday, and that is a success story in itself.  But since we did, we have to keep trudging on.  Anyone want to guess how my week is going so far?

But forget about that crap, we have other things to do.  Let's see, in college basketball there are games galore.  In fact, OH-IO is playing Miami and I think it is our Miami.  If that doesn't do it for you there are many others to choose from.  Also, I think the pros have some games slated for today.

Of course, you could choose something besides sports to talk about.  I know, I will get it started, does anyone know how many different types of trees are growing on the University of Oregon campus?  

Have a Great Day!

Or at least what was the Florida Marlins free agents.  Unsurprisingly the Marlins didn't offer arbitration to any of their free agents.

Should any of the Marlins' Type B free agents sign with another club, the Marlins will not receive any compensation in return.

As expected, on Monday, the Marlins declined to offer arbitration to any of their free agents. The team has three Type B free agents: outfielder Luis Gonzalez, reliever Arthur Rhodes and catcher Paul Lo Duca.

 

I guess the Fish didn't want to roll the dice and risk arbitration with any of the three.  That, or, they couldn't afford anymore signing bonuses for the what would have been the new draftees.  Whatever the case, the Marlins won't be receiving compensation picks for letting the free agents walk.

Now that doesn't mean that Arthur or Luis won't be on the team next season, they won't, it just means the Marlins will be bidding against the rest of the league for their services.

For the players it is a double edge sword, in that, they probably could've made more in arbitration than they will be offered on the free market.  But it also means, their future suitors won't have to give up anything besides money to sign them.  Thus making them more attractive on the open market.

Aren't offseasons fun.

The Hardball Times examines the most interesting Rule 5 drafts from 1981-2007 and one of the Marlins picks finished first in the most interesting category.  No, it wasn't Dan Uggla.  In fact, Danny wasn't even mentioned.

THT found the Johan Santana selection to be the most interesting.

1. Johan Santana

Dec. 13, 1999: Drafted by the Florida Marlins from the Houston Astros. He hasn't had the best career of any Rule 5 draftee—that status still belongs to Roberto Clemente—but Santana has been tremendous, and it isn't beyond the realm of possibility that he'll outdo Clemente before all is said and done.

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The curious aspect to Santana's draft was the arrangement worked out between Marlins GM Dave Dombrowski and Twins GM Terry Ryan. Minnesota held the first draft position, and Florida the second. The story is that the Marlins' preference was for Jared Camp, a pitcher in the Cleveland organization, and the Twins wanted Santana. Setting aside the question of whether preferring Camp made sense (he was 24 and in five minor league seasons had worked just 11 innings as high as Triple-A), here's where it gets weird: The teams agreed that the Twins would draft Camp, and then the Marlins would take Santana, and they'd immediately swap them, with the Marlins tossing in $50,000 as a sweetener, covering Minnesota's draft fee.

Does this make any sense to you?

Let's face it, had the Marlins possessed the foresight to keep Santana, he wouldn't be with the club right now.  Johan made his first start in the majors in 2000 and he probably would've been helpful when the Marlins won the World Series in 2003.  But there are two things are for certain: the Marlins won the World Series without him and if he had been on the team at time, he wouldn't be now.  Had the great Santana been a Marlin in 2003 he would've been traded the same way that Penny and Beckett were.  It is just a fact.

While the Santana thing looks like one of dumbest moves the Marlins have ever made, when it is all said and done, it just didn't matter.

Of course, one could bring up the possible players that the Marlins would have received in trading for him, but that is kinda iffy since all trades don't work out.  Example: the Luis Castillo trade.  And you know, that Penny trade didn't exactly pay dividends either.

All in all, it is a fun thing to look at, but it really didn't affect the Marlins in any serious way.

In case you were wondering what Jacque Jones was doing nowadays, and I'm guessing you weren't, he is trying to regain at least a portion of his old form in the Mexican Leagues.

After enduring a miserable season in 2008, Jacque Jones felt he had to get back to the basics. Not just work on his swing to become less pull-conscious, but start enjoying the game again.

Mexico was just the place for Jones. He had played there in 1998 before coming up with the Minnesota Twins the next year, and he remembered the games' festive atmosphere. Playing for the Yaquis of Ciudad Obregon in northwest Mexico also allowed Jones to remain relatively close to his San Diego home.

The experience has been everything Jones was seeking and more. In 29 games, before returning stateside in mid-November, the veteran outfielder hit .314 with three homers, 15 RBI and a .349 on-base percentage. Just as important, Jones felt good about his game again.

"I was having a blast down there," says Jones, 33, who is pondering returning to Obregon after a family vacation. "That's what the game's all about, having fun."

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The Florida Marlins picked him up, but Jones lasted only 18 games with them, batting .108 with two RBI. He didn't play at all after June 10 and heard whispers he was done, so heading to Mexico had as much to do with regaining his stroke as it did regaining his confidence.

Asked whether major league scouts had seen him play for the Yaquis, Jones says that wasn't his concern.

"I did this more for my frame of mind than anything," says Jones, a free agent with a career .277 average and 165 home runs. "A lot of guys didn't think I could play anymore. I know I can still play. I know I can still be productive."

 

Hey, the Mexican Leagues worked for Jake Taylor and he ended up being instrumental in helping his team in winning the pennant.  Oh, that's right, it was just a movie.

But no matter, I wish Jacque the best and hopefully he will catch on with a major league club somewhere, just as long as he isn't wearing teal again.

Well, we are back.  I hope all of you had a good holiday weekend, and if you are an international reader, I hope you had a good normal weekend.

There isn't much going on in the way of sports tonight.  Oh sure, there is Monday night football and I think a college basketball game for your television viewing pleasure, but other than that, I'm not seeing much.

If those aren't your thing, and they aren't mine, we are going to have to entertain ourselves. So pick a topic, any topic, and maybe someone else will jump in.  You never know it has happened in the past.  Not saying it is going to today, but it could.  Anyways, we have to do something while we are waiting on the winter meetings to start.

I realize it is a Monday after a long holiday weekend, but try to Have a Great Day! 

R.J. Anderson, at DRays Bay, was going over some historical base stealing stats for the Rays and came to the conclusion that Jorge Cantu was a "Human Lawn Statue".

Trivial Rays Notes About Steals

R.J. should be happy to hear that Cantu found his wheels with the Marlins.

Last season Jorge stole 6 bases while being caught in two other attempts.

So going by R.J.'s methodology of Stolen base attempts/(H+BB+HBP), Cantu ballooned to a .036 stolen base percentage.

If last season is any indication, Cantu has taken himself out of the "Human Lawn Statue" category and has place himself in the Human Garden Gnome category.  A Human Garden Gnome normally just sits where he is placed, but on rare occasions a picture will show up on the web with him being in a strange place, say like second after hitting a single.

Like I said, it doesn't happen very often, but that is one of the mysteries of garden gnomes, they inexplicably travel.

According the official website, the Florida Marlins aren't expected to offer arbitration to any on of the four free agents.

On Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET, all teams must decide if they are going to offer arbitration to their Type A and Type B free agents. By doing so, they would be eligible to receive either a compensatory Draft pick or picks should the player sign elsewhere.

The Marlins have three Type B free agents -- outfielder Luis Gonzalez, catcher Paul Lo Duca and lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes.

Indications are the Marlins will not offer arbitration to any of these three, but that is certainly subject to change.

First off, how in the world did Lo Duca garner Type B status?  I guess there aren't too many free agent catchers this season.

Leaving that alone for now, if the Marlins were to offer arbitration to either or all three, and they didn't accept, it would mean the Marlins would receive a sandwich pick as a consolation in the upcoming draft.  A sandwich pick takes place in between the first and the second rounds.

There is a little of gamesmanship going on, let's say the Marlins don't want to pay the salaries any of them would command for the next season, but would like the extra draft pick, they have to determine the likelihood of the players being signed by another team.

Say the Marlins offered arbitration to Gonzo and Arthur with hopes of them turning it down, and they didn't.  The Marlins would be on the hook for their salary next season and that doesn't fit into the salary scheme.

The only player I could see the Marlins offering arbitration to is Rhodes.  Rhodes is looking for a two to three year deal, arbitration is only good for one year, and if he does indeed take the arbitration route, Rhodes has value and could be traded if he breaks the bank.

The other aspect of this is that Marlins only set so much money aside for signing bonuses for players taken in the draft, and it may be we have gotten to the point where the extra draft pick would over extend the team's budget for signing draftees.

Who knows, but I wouldn't be surprised for the Marlins to just let the free agents walk without getting anything in return.  They have done it many times before.

But whatever happens, we will know by midnight.

In case you didn't know it, the Florida Marlins are joining in the offseason hot stove hoopla by airing a radio show on 790 The Ticket.

The Marlins are launching a weekly Hot Stove Show on the team's official flagship station, 790 The Ticket (WAXY 790/AM). Each Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. ET, the show will be hosted by Josh Friedman and Marlins radio play-by-play announcer Glenn Geffner.

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The feed of the Hot Stove Show also will be made available streaming online at www.marlins.com. Listeners can call in at 1-888-790-3776, or send a text message to 74965 every Saturday afternoon.

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Friedman and Geffner will address a variety of tops ranging from free agent movement to trades. The show will feature guests from the Marlins' front office, along with Major League Baseball representatives and baseball personalities.

The first show will air Saturday, with Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest as the main guest. On Dec. 6, a Winter Meetings Special will air from 10 a.m. to noon. The Hot Stove Show will air until Feb. 28.

 

 

The first installment has come and gone.  I checked 790 The Tickets' website along with the Marlins Official Site and if either one of them archived the program, I couldn't find it.

But never fear, Photi caught some of the program and he gives his review.

Personally, if they think I'm going to wake up by noon on Saturday to listen to the program they have another think coming.  You, however, may be a morning person (Yes, noon on Saturday is morning to me) and will want to tune in.

In case you do, it is being presented.

Seeing how there isn't much going on with the Fish and considering I really need to write an article I promised someone I would deliver about a month ago, we get the long version of Chum Bucket.  Which ain't necessarliy bad.

So this is the usual Weekend Chum Bucket with an extra day included.  You know how this goes, Chum Buckets are a completely open thread where you can discuss anything that is to your mind.  Whether that be Marlins baseball, pottery, the proper way to attach christmas lights to the roof of a house, which LCD TV is the best one on the market or whatever else comes to mind.  Basically, anything goes.

Speaking of LCD TVs, I reason to believe that my TV isn't long for this world and I'm looking to replace it with a new HD LCD and would be more than happy to hear any suggestions that you may have in this area.

If you are getting a long weekend, and I hope you are, the important thing is to kick-back and enjoy the time off.  After all, that is what it is for.

In other words, Have a Great extended Weekend!