Shortly after the World Series starts tonight, Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols will step into the batter’s box in the bottom of the first inning to face Rangers ace C.J. Wilson.
Rangers fans will be hoping for an out while Cardinals fans will be looking for a big hit. But what will Marlins fans be looking at? Possibly future teammates.
The Marlins are expected to be major players in free agency this off-season and Pujols and Wilson figure to be two of their main targets.
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| Could Pujols be a Miami Marlin? |
Baseball sources have told me the Marlins are very interested in the 31-year-old Pujols and will be heavily involved in the bidding for his services.
The Marlins currently have Gaby Sanchez at first base. Sanchez is coming off an All-Star season and played hurt for most of the year. He will likely continue to improve as he heads into his third full season in the big leagues.
Even with a solid player like Sanchez on the roster, it’s hard to blame the Marlins for being interested in a player like Pujols. The all-everything slugger is the best player in baseball today and instantly vaults their team into relevancy.
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria wants to make a big splash as his team moves into their new ballpark next season and no splash would be bigger than the one created by luring a gargantuan free agent like Pujols.
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| Wilson could strengthen rotation |
Wilson is not as big a name as Pujols but he will be the best free agent pitcher not named C.C. Sabathia this winter. The fact that he is left-handed makes him even more appealing to the right-hander heavy Marlins.
While Wilson is not a true ace, he has earned consecutive All-Star selections and would be an excellent number two starter behind Josh Johnson.
Signing Wilson will not be easy or cheap. The pitching market is barren and Wilson is expected to garner a lot of attention when he hits free agency in a few weeks. The Marlins figure to be one of the teams showing interest.
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