Source: Marlins not dangling Bell, Ramirez or anybody in trade discussions right now

With the trade deadline on the horizon and the Marlins still unsure if they'll be buyers on sellers (they're 5.5 games back in the Wild Card Race), speculation has begun to ripple across the internet about what the team might do.

And today, USA Today unleashed a pretty big one.

Citing sources, Bob Nightengale reported the Marlins have had conversations with the Boston Red Sox about sending third baseman Hanley Ramirez and former closer Heath Bell to the northeast for left fielder Carl Crawford and an unnamed prospect.

Is it true?

Not according to the Marlins. A source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Miami Herald the USA Today report was as laughable as Tuesday's by ESPN's Buster Olney, who floated the idea the Marlins might even be willing to trade All-Star right fielder Giancarlo Stanton if the deal was right.

Olney said Wednesday while the Marlins-Red Sox trade was discussed as a concept, it was immediately dismissed and there are no ongoing discussions.

Crawford, a four-time All-Star, is in the second year of an seven-year, $142 million deal, which is a record for an outfielder. Ramirez, a three-time All-Star and former batting champion, is in the fourth year of a six-year, $70 million contract. And Bell, a three-time All-Star, is in the first year of a three-year, $27 million pact.

USA Today says Marlins vice president Dan Jennings is in Boston scouting Crawford. The Red Sox told USA Today they aren't shopping him.

Of course, where there is smoke there always could be fire and it's no secret the Marlins have issues to address. But they could also wait until the off-season to do it.

Getting speed in the outfield is ideal, especially in left field with the thought that Logan Morrison will likely be moved to first base after this season. Pitching is also a priority because Anibal Sanchez is a free agent after the season. Left-hander Wade LeBlanc could be moved to the starting rotation if a starter is moved.

Comments

[BraMan]

This isnt happening...

[SunnyDee]

Trading Stanton would alienate nearly all Marlins fans. He should be the face of the franchise. Beinfest is dumb, but not that dumb.

[dave]

These rumors are beyond ridiculous. The Marlins FO is a joke, but they can't be this dumb.

[Alex]

If the Marlins were smart they wouldn't talk to any team that wanted Stanton, he is the face of our franchise. While I wouldn't like to see JJ or Anibal go they can be replaced with the young pitching we have in the minors. We have LeBlanc who is on the major league team now.

[bob]

Please, please move Bell.

[The Real Alex]

Hilarious that there is another Alex here suddenly. Oh well, LMFAO!

Ruggiano is back on the bench tonight, and Dobbs is back in RF. No more proof needed that Ozzie is a complete idiot and also a liar. "I'm not platooning Ruggiano" said Gillen. Of course I PREDICTED this would happen last night when Ruggiano had an 0-fer. He is not allowed to have an 0 for 4 night, but some of these absolute BUMS can go 0 for 25 and they STILL are in the line up every night.

I honestly don't know if I can continue supporting this team with another 3 and a half years left of Ozzie Guillen. This team is not going to win with him as the manager, but that moron Loria gave him 4 years!

[The Real Alex]

As far as the trade talk, here are my thoughts:

1) Any talk of trading Stanton is ABSOLUTE IDIOCY. This is a guy on his way to GREATNESS, the ONLY PLAYER ON THIS TEAM that we can say that about. If they trade Stanton, that would be it for me as a Marlins fan. I don't care WHO they get for him, either.

2) Hanley is overdue to be GONE. But I don't know if we want Carl Crawford who is always injured and is ANOTHER Slap Hitter with no power. How many of those type of players do we need?

3) Anibal Sanchez should be traded IF the Fish have made up their minds to be SELLERS, which I do believe is their intention, despite all the LIES they are telling us about "contending this year". If they are SERIOUS about trying to make the playoffs this year, then we should keep him.

4) Trading JJ would be STUPID. First of all, we don't have LOADS of great young arms in the minor leagues. Second of all, he is still learning how to be a PITCHER rather than a THROWER. If we dump him now, some other team will reap the benefits when he figures it out, which he will.

5) Trading Bell? IF ONLY GOD WOULD BE SO MERCIFUL!

[john]

ramierz leaving would change the culture of the team for the better.

[Stan M]

Some guy named Cody Ross has 2 HRs and 6 RBIs so far in a Red Sox game. Ever heard of him?

[flagstafffishfan]

Is there any doubt that Hanley Ramirez needs to go? Ater watching his approach at the plate again tonight there shouldn't be. He has no idea what he's doing. I can't stand watching him play the game. LoMo is regressing again as well. Think the Greg Dobbs experiment has run its course?

[The Real Alex]

And Ozzie The Moron is out doing himself again tonight! Hanley STRIKES OUT with runners on 2nd & 3rd and one out, and Dobbs isn't hitting, but Ruggiano sits with his .372 average while OZZIE THE LIAR tells the press he "isn't platooning Ruggiano".

Hanley is in the line up EVERY NIGHT but just let Ruggiano go 0-4, and see ya!

[The Real Alex]

flagstaff, Dobbs is a GREAT pinch hitter, and that's the ONLY thing he should be doing. Each of these games is another little microcosm of the whole TORTUROUS season. It's not fun watching this team play. It's TORTURE. How much fun is it watching Hanley's lousy swing failing to make contact? How much FUN is it watching our starters pitch a good game and get NOTHING out of it? How much fun is it watching Ozzie the Moron write in all these SCRUBS in the OF positions on the line up card?

[Juan_Chela]

Facking Hanley wants no business with the Marlins any longer...Send this punk away!!! Back to Santo Domingo!!

[flagstafffishfan]

Agreed Alex he's a PH and that's about it, some spot starts but not in RF! I agree too that Ozzie is platooning Ruggiano. He had some good swings last night with nothing to show but he was tattooing the ball. JJ has pitched great tonight but if he loses it would be hard to blame him. Too much pressure on any pitching staff when you can't drive in runners on 3rd with no outs.

[The Real Alex]

Ozzie's Press Conference:

Reporter: Ozzie, it looks like you're platooning Ruggiano when you said you wouldn't do that. Can you tell us your reasons for that?

Ozzie: Hey you f*ckin' stupid guy, I'm not platoonin' the f*ckin' guy, ok? I'm just giving him nights off and letting a left hander hit, Gregg Dobbs. Look, he's not hitting .400 no more, ok, you f*ckin' stupid reporter? See that's why I don't like you f*ckin' stupid reporters.

Reporter: But Ozzie, he's still batting .372. I mean that's pretty good and he has way more HRs than Dobbs despite only playing in a few games.

Ozzie: See, that's why you're a f*ckin' stupid guy and I'm the manager and you're not. .372 isn't .400, you f*ckin' stupid guy. Anybody could hit .372. That's nothing special. Dobbs can hit .372 if I give him the chance. So could Kearns. So shut the f*ck up about this Ruggiano guy. He's lucky I even put him to play at all. He's not a star like Hanley is, remember that.

[The Real Alex]

JJ is on the hook for another disgusting loss by a starter who pitched a fine game. This team has been shut out NINE TIMES and I can't even count all the 1 and two run games. Lately they have had a few decent offensive games and it's like nobody is talking about the pathetic job that Eduardo Perez has done.

And like Lou L.O.B said, this team has NO SPARK to it, no enthusiasm. It's like they know they suck.

[The Real Alex]

I really hate to say this, Marlins fans, but this was probably the last nail in the coffin of the 2012 season. They needed to SWEEP this bad Cubs team to get back to .500 and at least LOOK like a serious contender, but thanks to Hanley, Ozzie and Dunn, they are gonna lose. This pretty much guarantees that it's gonna be LETS MAKE A DEAL TIME as the Fish will get rid of players at the Trading deadline, knowing they ain't goin' NOWHERE. this year.

[Stan M]

Hanley killed us hitting 3rd. He killed us hitting 2nd. Now he's hilling us hitting 5th. Why does this team kowtow to this selfish ballplayer? In my heart I honestly believe that this team will never be a top flight contender until he's gone. Red Sox, you want him;you got him. Personally I don't give a damn what we get for him. Another player in his place is already an improvement. The FO isn't really stupid, regardless os what we say. They also have to know that his time is up.

One thing Glags. The Sox wouldn't have to pay all of Crawford's salary if they traded him. Only the difference between his salary and Hanley's. Actually, if the Sox took both Hanley and Bell, the Marlins could pay Crawford and be about even salary wise.

[DC Marlin]

This team is a sad bunch. Watching this team is like a colonoscopy every night.

[Leo Orestes Barberie]

I can't go completely Cold Turkey. On e post a night.

The Real Alex--A GREAT Ozzie impersonation.

Stan and Flags--Good stuff as usual.

Stan, What "list" did Laurel and it make?

The Tigers positively COVET Infante!!! I'm telling you I do it for one of those very good young catchers and Casey Crosby or Oliver. Names don't mean much now but that is a potential good started and a STARTING catcher who has demonstrated an ability to hit no matter where he plays. Can you imagine a catcher that can hit????

I think the main reason they hang on to Hanley is they are afraid he will go somewhere and someone will beat the crap out of him in the clubhouse for playing like a dog and Ramirez then turns it around. Have any of you guys ever seen 2 very current NL Batting Champs get this bad almost over night. It's very strange.

See you tomorrow. By the way, I really bet Johnson wants to wring Hanley's neck.

[Leo Orestes Barberie]

Test

[Marlin Fan]

As far as trades , other than Hanley( dont think there will be any takers on Bell) , the Marlins shouldn't make moves , just to make moves . I don't see anyone that they could get this year that will be a cornerstone for the future . I also don't think one or two players will magically turn it around for them this year and propel them into the post season( the ultimate goal). What happens in the case of acquiring players for one year and seeing them walk next year, while giving up good young players ?? I really think the Marlins have a good young nucleus to be successful, just maybe not this year. Save for Ozzie and Bell , we could be in the wildcard hunt right now.

[Flav C]

This rumor is pretty strong to be just a "simple rumor". There is something behind this and I really hope Hanley is on his way out. I used to be a big fan of Hanley, but his lack of professionalism over the last 3 years showed how weak-minded he is. Always looking behind his shoulder, always thinking people were against him. Always thinking he is bigger than the franchise.
When you have so many other professional and ex-players like Freddi, Uggla, Conine, Sheffield, Dawson, Logan, to name a few, who have an insider perspective and a negative opinion of this guy, so many guys can't be wrong.
Beinfest, if you want to make the best move of your career, this is it: Get rid of him.

[albert colbert]

if the marlins trade hanley ramirez i will never eatch a marlins game again

[Stan M]

Flav,
They're only the ones tat we know about.

[Mike]

Alex here are the facts Ruggiano, has had ca few cups of coffee with Tampa Bay, In 103 games with TB he batted .214, .197, and .248. His body of work with TB is much larger that with the Marlins. Has he been hot with the Marlins yes, will he revert back to his former way probably. He has never had a slugging percentage higher than .400 with TB. He is not our savior. He should be platooned. In last 11 games he has gone 9 for 27 with 1 homer and no other extra base hits, with 11 strike outs. Is he reverting back to the player he really is, maybe. The 11 K's in 29 ab's is very distressing.

[Flav C]

It does look like the Marlins officially inquired about Crawford. And this makes my head spin because our #1 prospect (Yelich) plays the same position as Crawford. Not saying this would happen, but in case Crawford comes to Miami, he would bring 5 years more of contract. Yelich will probably be major-league ready in 1-2 years. What would happen then? Another clever position change, and move Yelich to 3B?

[rbleigh]

Flav, very interesting post and at this point for how ridiculous the organization has been in playing guys out of their natural position I can't see them doing it again with Yelich. Admittedly I know very little about our prospects and all I've really heard about Yelich is he has a great stick. Does he have the other tools in the OF as well? At the worse I'd see him moving to a corner OF position and Morrison moving over to 1B. At the same time I can't see Crawford and his 20M/yr contract coming here anyway. Why would the Sox want Bell and his bloated salary? I can't see Boston using him as a closer, if he can't hack in Miami there's no way he'll make it up north. Would they pitch a guy middle relief making 9M/yr?

Christ, Bell was a terrible signing. This org has had terrible luck/results with toolsy OFs: Ambres, Dunwoody, Jones, Hermida and I'm sure there's others.

[Dolfdan13]

Move Bell, Use money to keep Anibel... Simple.

[Flav C]

Dolfdan - which sane team will pick up Bell's contract?

[laurelbowie]

It's always intrigued me to watch Cubs fans. They go out to Wrigley in droves, rain or shine, no matter how hopeless their team is, and they make an experience of it. They root like crazy for their Cubs, but they don't expect too much — and the Cubs usually don't let them down in that regard. The thing is, they laugh and have fun through it all and just enjoy being at a baseball game, even when the Cubs are getting their butts kicked. And they file out with smiles on their faces, even when the Cubs lose 10-zip.
Sadly, it looks like Marlins fans are going to have to adopt that attitude or start watching reruns of Bridezilla and Buffy the Vampire F*cker during the summer.

[flagstafffishfan]

@laurel...you're right about the Cubs fans. My grandmother is 94 years old and she still watches the Cubbies religiously. When the Bartman game happened I didn't even bother calling my family in Chicago because I knew that their hearts had just been broken. I don't know if Cubs fans have just become so accustomed to losing or if it's the PBR but I give em credit for sticking it out for over 100 years. The funny thing is the Northside folks wouldn't adopt the White Sox if their life depended on it and vice versa. They have the "loveable losers" and we have just "losers" not too many "loveable" characters on this Marlins team are there? Still think it's one of the strangest years following this team since their inception.

[richiej]

Don't think the Marlins have much value to trade. They should try to get a mediocre Catcher who can hit a little for Hanley. Let Solano play third to see how he develops. At least he is likeabled he trys hard. Keep Ruggiano in everyday to see how he develops. This team is not a very good team and obviously there is no good leadership from the coaching staff. I said it before and I will say it again, Loria should have bought a circus. He already has the big tent and it is already decorated for a circus atmosphere.

[john]

trade hanley ramierez for a bag of peanuts if you can find any takers. in the last 2 years he has to lead the league in men LOB.