The MLB trade deadline is tomorrow, and Marlins fans fearful that the team would nuke its lineup can prepare to breath a sigh of relief. ESPN reports that star pitcher Josh Johnson probably will not be traded before tomorrow's MLB trade deadline.
But those of us who would like to be fans one day when this team starts acting like it actually deserves fans shouldn't be too excited -- this looks like a decision made strictly because Johnson wasn't pitching well enough to get much in return.
Here's the tidbit from ESPN's Jayson Stark:
After all that Josh Johnson talk, the Marlins were telling teams Monday they're just going to keep their ace unless something unforeseen happens. With 15 scouts watching closely Sunday, Johnson turned in a six-walk, four-whiff, five-inning start that one scout summed up with one word: "Uninspiring." So the Marlins are informing clubs they see more value in keeping Johnson, heading into his free-agent year, than trading him just to say they did.Of course, this is a dollar and cents decision made by the Marlins. They wanted to get more money for him than anyone else would pay right now. It's not necessarily one that shows the team is hoping to work out Johnson's recent kinks and build a pitching lineup around him next year. He's under contract for two more years.
And as a word of caution: we might be a bit early to claim that the fire sale is over. While there aren't any reports or rumors floating around the team is looking to offload anyone else (at least anyone major) the team still has a whole day to figure out some other way to send shockwaves through the fan base.
Then again, what's left of the Marlins fanbase probably isn't shocked by much anymore.
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