The Marlins are Alive and So Am I

After a short hiatus due to an extremely busy stretch, I'm back posting about the Marlins. I'll start here with a look at some post-All-Star thoughts and what we can expect in the weeks ahead.

The return of Josh Johnson and the rising of Chris Volstad has already been a major boost for the team in a number of ways. First, the concept of having a capable rotation from top to bottom does spades for the team's confidence. It gives more flexibility and depth in the bullpen, which is definitely needed by this team. Most importantly, JJ and Vol-stud have both been nails so far, and could really anchor the team for the rest of the year.

Unfortunately, about the same time the pitching came back, the bats went away. Hanley and Uggla are both locked in slumps right now, and Willingham hasn't been hitting since he came back from the DL. Can-do Cantu and Toy Cannon Cody Ross have been picking up the slack, but this team will need a balanced lineup if they want to get into the playoffs this year. I look for Hanley and Uggla to get back on track in Wrigley this weekend and send a few balls over the ivy.

The last thing I'll touch on is the trade deadline. About a month ago, the Marlins were looking for a centerfielder, catcher and bullpen help. At this point, the team is happy with Cody Ross in center, as he's become much more consistent at the dish, and the team will stand pat with Matt Treanor and John Baker behind the plate, as there simply aren't any catching upgrades in the trade market.

That leaves us with the bullpen. The front office has been aggressively pursuing Brian Fuentes as a setup man, but about 5 other teams are as well. The asking price is quite steep, usually 2-3 high-level prospects. We may see some of the same that happened with the Johan Santana sweepstakes, with several teams dropping out due to the price, which will lower the cost for another team. There's a good chance the Marlins may end up with Fuentes, as the team has a trade history with Colorado and they usually get their man. There's a lot of pitching depth in the minors, which might get the deal done.

I'm not a huge fan of getting Fuentes if it costs an arm and a leg, and I wouldn't be upset if somebody else made the deal. The Rockies have been asking for guys like Clay Buchholz, Ian Kennedy, and Wade Davis, so the Marlins would be mortgaging the future for 60 games of a lefty setup man. I think we're better off standing pat, especially with Anibal Sanchez only about a week away from being up in the Majors.

One last note: How exciting has the past week been? It's like every night the division lead is on the line! This kind of competition is what you expect to see in September, not July. Good stuff.