DALLAS — Catching the biggest bass does not always guarantee victory for an angler in a fishing tournament.
The Miami Marlins hope that strategy pays off for them as well.
By Wednesday evening, the Marlins had learned they were out of the running for Albert Pujols, the biggest star in the free-agent market.
Who are these Marlins to worry? The suddenly flush-with-cash Miami front office simply turned its attention to the most important spot on a roster — the starting rotation — and came away with left-hander Mark Buehrle, the most consistent starter on the market.
That acquisition joins the Marlins' power grabs of Heath Bell and Jose Reyes, both of whom the club trotted out in front of the national media at the Hilton Anatole.
How serious were the Marlins about reeling in one of the free-agent pool's biggest fish? They bumped right up against the starting line to do so.
"They came from Miami to see me at 12:01 (the day the free-agency period opened), so that was huge for me," Reyes said Wednesday, some five or so hours before Buehrle was in the South Florida fold. "They told me from that time they want me there."
Apparently, the Marlins want everyone to join them when they open their new stadium April 4 against St. Louis.
The re-branding of the team, which included a new geographic name, new color scheme and new stadium, also came with a new attitude — spend freely, but wisely.
Miami reportedly offered Pujols a 10-year contract worth more than $200 million despite pledges from general manager Larry Beinfest saying the club was intent on improving its starting rotation.
Then came Wednesday when the Marlins officially were ruled out of the running for Pujols. Suddenly, freed of any worry about where to plop down $20 million or more per season, Miami put its money where Beinfest's mouth was.
There still may be more splashy moves to come. According to reports Wednesday evening, the C.J. Wilson sweepstakes was down to the Marlins and the Los Angeles Angels.
The move to land Buehrle helped solidify the pitching staff, something Miami had to do in order to compete in the National League East.
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Unlike its American League counterpart, where powerhouse offenses are the norm, the NL East traditionally has been home to potent pitching staffs since baseball went to the six-division format in 1994.
Atlanta won the first 11 titles in the reconfigured East with its remarkable rotations that featured Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. The last five division crowns belong to Philadelphia, which lost Roy Oswalt to free agency but still has Cy Young winners Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee as well as former World Series MVP Cole Hamels.
New Miami manager Ozzie Guillen knows that well. He rode the arms of Buehrle, Jon Garland, Jose Contreras and Freddy Garcia to the 2005 World Series crown while with the Chicago White Sox.
"Everybody has to pitch better than Philadelphia, not just us," Guillen said. "They have a great rotation. They've got a good ballclub. Right now, I'm learning the process in the National League. To be the best, you have to be the best team and that's what we'll try to do."
The last three days in Dallas say the Marlins are well on their way.
≈~≈Daily Catch Team≈~≈
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