Fredi Gets the Dreaded "Vote of Confidence"

Marlins beat writer Joe Capozzi blogs that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is in Washington for the weekend series with the Nationals and had a message regarding his manager's job security:

"Oh, please. Stop with that," Loria said when asked about speculation that Gonzalez could be in trouble because of the Marlins' 13-15 start. "Fredi and I are just fine. Fredi and the Marlins are just fine. Enough already."

If you're Fredi Gonzalez; this is not good news. If the speculation about his firing, be it imminent or not, has gotten so loud that the owner must publicly comment on it, you're in trouble.

The last time Jeffrey Loria had to declare, in season, that he is "fine" with a manager was 2006 with Joe Girardi. Girardi, you'll remember was dismissed at the end of the season.

For the Marlins - whether dismissing Fredi is warranted is another story - the move needs to come soon. The uncertainty cannot continue to hang over this team. The last time the Marlins made an in-season move, 2003, the season ended with a world championship.

A firing sometimes has the effect of energizing a stagnant team. Make no mistake, the Marlins are stagnant. Yes, the front office's expectations may be a little over zealous, but this team has talent, but you wouldn't know it from watching them this past week. Sometimes making a change at manager is all that is needed to wake up a complacent team.

That seems to run hand-in-hand with Jeffrey Loria's closing comments from Friday:

"I just want the intensity level to be a little higher and I want to have goals. The thing I'm trying to say to you is, there's nothing wrong with having goals and high standards. If that's a bad thing, then so be it."

Sorry, Fredi, looks like your time in Florida is coming to a close.

Too Early For Panic Button

After wrapping up their series victory on Wednesday, the Padres sent the suddenly struggling Marlins to their third straight series loss, following unsuccessful stops in Houston and Colorado.

This rough stretch has dropped the Marlins to .500 on the year and has left some in Marlin-land reaching for the panic button. The problem, though, is that there really is no right answer for the team right now. The offense hits early and disappears late, the starting pitching and the bullpen never seem to get in sync, and Fredi seems to have an inexplicably long leash for pitchers, demonstrated again today as he stuck with Nate Robertson for 5 excruciating runs in a tough 5th inning.

The Marlins have some prospects who are pretty close to household names in Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton, but right now, the offense isn't the problem, and even then, there isn't a clear spot for either player. The team has already overhauled their bullpen once with the demotion of Jose Veras and they've only recently gotten Brian Sanches back from the disabled list, so it appears this pitching staff is the one the Marlins want, at least for the short term. Even looking long term, there is no hot shot pitching prospect in the minors, and except for Taylor Tankersley, there doesn't appear to be anyone in the system that has ace reliever potential either. Andrew Miller and Sean West are starters with control issues and Ryan Tucker, at least now, is still viewed by the organization as a starter.

That leaves only one remaining option for a potential shakeup: Fredi Gonzalez, he of the continually hot seat. It's no secret the Marlins tried to replace Fredi this offseason; and owner Jeffrey Loria has never been overly enamored with Fredi as he personally directed Larry Beinfest to hire Joe Girardi, not Fredi Gonzalez, prior to the 2006 season and it was only after their well publicized run-in that Loria canned Girardi. Quite simply, Gonzalez has never had the owner's support.

Making a change now, though, would send all the wrong messages. It would reek of desperation and show a complete obliviousness as to the putrid state of the bullpen.

Firing Fredi is certainly possible, and come May, if the Marlins are still towing the .500 line, it's probable the Marlins make a move, fairly or unfairly. However, for now, the fans shouldn't make too much of the slide to .500.