El Guapo's Ghost Rambles on about the Red Sox

THE STATE OF SUNSHINE STATE BASEBALL

The Sox recently finished a series in Miami where the Marlins stripped down their contending team from 2005 once again. Of course, Jeffery Loria and company got a $hit load of $hit for a $14 million payroll, but it was the right move given their position in the success cycle. With the Marlins limited financial resources, they were unable to keep the club together so it was and is better to break it up, not contend for a few years and comeback strong at the end of the decade, then to be mediocre forever like in Baltimore. Fortunately for the Marlins five fans (I sat next to a Marlins fan at Fenway in 2004 during a MFY game. The year after they won the World Series. He asked if the Sox had any promotions like the Marlins and Krispy Creme. If the Marlins score 12 runs, every ticket is a coupon for a free dozen. I explained to him that the Sox do not need to do give-aways to get people into the Park. He kept going on and on about the freaking doughnuts. I bet he's loving the Heat now.), they have performed much better than pre-season expectations. It is a credit to the entire organization including Loria.

I'm not a fan of Loria after he killed baseball in Montreal, but he has to have some good size brass balls to break down his team while asking for public money or is it a plan to not repay his loan for $38.5 million from the other owners, and then sell the Marlins for an estimated $226 million or Forbes value of the Marlins. Loria could make an estimated $214 million plus/minus operating income. Loria‘s initial investment in the Expos and only capital outlay was $12 million. He borrowed the difference between the amount MLB paid for the Expos - $120 million - and the price John Henry sold him the Marlins - $158.5 million. MLB financed Loria’s deal, and if a new ballpark is not built, he does not have to repay the loan.

In July, if the D-Train is traded, Loria could get into the Brass Ball HOF. Moving the D-Train would be the best move for the franchise because the booty received for the All-Star pitcher will be around the next time Marlins run out of the dugout in October, while Dontrelle will certainly be somewhere north of South Beach as could be Loria.

On the west coast of Florida, we have the D-Rays. They seem to have it together in the Show (the last deal with the Dodgers was a steal for the Rays), although the farm has been a complete failure. It would not be as big of an issue in most organizations, but Durham has just as many if not more valuable assets than the big club. The consensus top prospect in baseball, Delmon Young, the Bulls Manager, and underrated five-tool outfield prospect, Elijah Dukes, have all been suspended. Too bad I was right about this one, B.J. Upton's bat has deteriorated in this third go around in AAA. He has been trying to stick at shortstop. It has not worked. Upton's upside with the bat was a Rickey Henderson type leadoff hitter.

With all the turmoil down on the farm, the Rays have the components of a winning club in the future. They have the most difficult commodity to acquire, a #1 starter in Scott Kazmir, a middle of the order slugger named Johnny Gomes, and a top leadoff hitter in Carl Crawford. The Rays also have some promising players up the middle in newly acquired Dioner Navarro, Jorge Cantu and Rocco Baldelli. And the second best part about all of these players is that they are making below market wages. If the high upside players in AAA get it together in the Show, the trio up the middle develop, and ownership spends a little money to fill in the holes, the Rays could be contenders as soon as 2008.