Fish Bytes

Guillen said trades have been right moves, Marlins brass "thinking with their brains, not with their heart"

ATLANTA -- With less than 24 hours before the trade deadline it's appearing more and more likely the Marlins won't get what they're looking for -- a substantial sum -- in return for three-time All-Star Josh Johnson.

Although Ozzie Guillen said he expects Johnson to pitch in one of the Marlins' two games Friday in Washington, the skipper also said if the team receives a good offer for Johnson at the last minute he can see the team pouncing on it.

"I guarantee you if somebody puts a nice package for him and they like it, it is what it is," Guillen said. "I don’t think they will [give up] JJ for a pair of broken bats and [batting practice] balls. It will have to be a deal to help us. When you’re at this situation, everybody is out there."

While the Marlins have undergone a massive makeover in the past week -- shipping Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate to the Dodgers and Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to the Tigers for younger players, Guillen said the moves the club has made are right.

"I think they start thinking with their brains, not with their heart," Guillen said. "That’s the way we got to move on. We made a few trades and people went 'Wow, Wow, Wow.' Maybe those trades we made in the next cople of years [pan out]. Like I said yesterday, we’re not trading for kids in Single A, rookie league. We’re trading for kids who can help us very soon. That’s a good start.

"I think what they’re doing right now is the right thing. They’re doing a pretty good job of trying to put the best team together for a few years to come."

WEBB SAID THERE IS NO TWITTER BEEF WITH HANLEY RAMIREZ

Marlins reliever Ryan Webb caused a little bit of a stir Monday afternoon when he went on Twitter and complained about former teammate Hanley Ramirez retweeting too many pictures of Dodgers fans doing the 'I see you.'

"Just un-followed him, didn't notice any tweets while he was in miami..then all of a sudden I couldn't get through my feed," Webb tweeted.

Webb said he didn't mean any harm, but caught flak on Twitter for it from fans who thought he was ripping Ramirez. Webb, who has his own telescope and is fascinated by astronomy, said he usually goes on Twitter "to find out is going on with the curiosity rover on Mars and the latest in particle physics."

"I wasn't trying to imply anything at all," Webb said. "I was just trying to get my NASA updates on my twitter feed and all I asked was how to get all these pictures off my feed. I wasn't trying to be a [jerk]. I didn't mean to unfriend him as person. I don't think he's a bad guy. Hopefully, nobody takes it bad."

> As for Hanley's new "I See You" movement with the Dodgers, former Marlins teammate Emilio Bonifacio, founder of the 'Lo Viste', said he has no problem with it -- even if it is sort of a 'Lo Viste' rip off.

"I found it strange," Bonifacio said of the 'I See You.' "The first game with the Dodgers I saw him do the 'Lo Viste.' Then he changed it. It doesn't matter. It's all for fun in the end."

Zambrano moved to bullpen; LeBlanc to start Wednesday

ATLANTA -- The Marlins on Monday moved struggling starter Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen and inserted Wade LeBlanc -- the team's best pitcher this spring -- into the rotation.

How long that lasts, manager Ozzie Guillen said, depends on how both perform. But LeBlanc will start Wednesday against the Braves.

"I think we need to take a look at LeBlanc for a couple starts," Guillen said before Monday's game against the Braves. "It wasn't an easy move.

"I think Carlos -- I don't want to say deserved more than that, but the first two months of the season was outstanding. The last game was weird. This guy was dealing, a very nice game. Then from one inning to another he lost it. I want to try to give him a lot of chances [in the bullpen]. We're going to see how it works."

Zambrano started the season 4-3 with a 2.81 ERA over his first 11 starts with 56 strikeouts and 29 walks. But over his last nine starts he's been miserable, going 1-6 with a 7.62 ERA. He's walked 38 and struckout just 27 over the span.

Guillen said his plan is to use Zambrano for as many as two innings -- or as a long reliever if need be. The Marlins play a double-header Friday in Washington and while Josh Johnson will start one of those games the other starter has yet to be announced. Guillen said depending on how Zambrano is used, he could start the other game Friday. But the more likely scenario is the Marlins will call up someone from the minors -- possibly recently acquired Jacob Turner, who is scheduled to pitch for Triple A New Orleans on Thursday.

"He was disappointed. He was embarrassed," Guillen said of Zambrano went told he was going to the pen. "[He] feels bad because we brought him here and he’s not doing the way he thinks he can do it. When we make moves is not because was want to, it's because we have to. Carlos took it the right way and I expected that. We’re not going to take you out the rotation because you are pitching well. He was fine. And I told him I will give him the opportunity to pitch."

Zambrano waved off reporters while sitting on a sofa in the Marlins clubhouse.

As for LeBlanc, he's excited about getting an opportunity. The 27-year old left-hander went 2-1 with a 1.31 ERA in six Grapefruit League games (two starts) for the Marlins this spring. But he didn't make the big league roster. He's gone 1-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 11 relief appearances (15 2/3 innings) since being called up on July 1. He was 17-21 with a 4.47 ERA as a starter over four seasons in San Diego.

"As long as I'm up here helping this team do something I'm happy -- whether I'm better suited for the rotation or the bullpen it remains to be seen," LeBlanc said. "I'm aware they got Turner from Detroit and they probably want to see what he can do. So, I'm just going to go out there and try to get as many outs as I can and give this team a chance."