Higginson Trade Rumors

We've tried to avoid the subject in hopes that it would keep the
rumors from coming true, but that doesn't seem to be working. It
seems that talk of the Marlins acquiring Tigers' outfielder Bobby
Higginson might actually be well founded.

For those of you who don't follow the Tigers very closely (and I
suspect that the only reason some of you might is to keep up with
Pudge Rodriguez and Ugueth Urbina), here's an overview of Higgy: He's
a 34-year old left handed hitting outfielder. Back in the day, or as
recently as 2000, he brought a combination of power and average to the
plate, but those days seem to be far behind him. In addition, he - at
least currently - carries the baggage of a large salary (he's due
$8.85 million this season).

Rumors from as recent as Monday had the Marlins in discussion with the
Tigers about a Juan Encarnacion swap. Encarnacion is due to make
about half as much as Higginson this year, but Juan doesn't bring a
left-handed bat or the power that Higginson could. On the other hand,
he does provide more defense and offers more versatility, plus he's
paid a lot less.

Some folks even have speculated that Encarnacion was playing
centerfield in the spring for the benefit of the Tigers, so they could
get a feel for how well he could still play the position (early in his
career Juan played center for the Tigers). I disagree with that
though, as it appears Encarnacion has played in center this spring as
he's the Marlins best option with Juan Pierre out.

Fortunately for the Marlins, it looks like they have some time in this
situation. The Tigers, though, are a little bit stuck. They'd like
to move him soon, but every other team knows that they'll have to.
Higginson has no role on the Tigers this year, and he'll likely have
to be designated for assignment before opening day, meaning that the
Tigers will have to trade or release him within ten days.

That could be a good thing for the Marlins on two levels. One, it
gives them more time to see if Jeff Conine heals. If he's not going
to be ready for the early part of the season, acquiring Higginson
might be more of a necessity than a luxury. Second, if the Tigers do
designate Higginson for assignment and they're unable to find a
trading partner, they'll end up releasing him. At that point
Higginson would receive the windfall of his 2005 salary ($8.85
million) from the Tigers and he would be free to sign with the club of
his choice. That's when the Marlins could swoop in and sign him for
the minimum salary or something similar (as Higginson would be more
apt to take it at that point because he would be receiving his
"normal" 2005 salary already).

Conclusion: It seems that Bobby Higginson is on the market. Depth is
a major concern for the Marlins, so in that sense, acquiring Higginson
makes sense. But to acquire him at the expense of another established
player already on the roster doesn't seem to make sense, unless the
move provides some payroll flexibility or other benefit (which at this
point doesn't seem possible or even likely).

Hopefully the Marlins will be able to find away to pick up Higginson
on the cheap. Giving up Encarnacion to get him though, isn't cheap in
any way. As much as you might not like Juan's bat, he might fill a
crucial role for the Marlins this year - at least at the start of the
season - if Pierre has to miss any amount of time. Plus, his
offensive value could be just as much as Higginson's this season.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/baseball/11254698.htm