NewsGonzalez unsure about his status for '10
Marlins may have interest in hiring Valentine to manage
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
10/04/09 6:42 PM EST
PHILADELPHIA -- Minutes after the Marlins suffered a 7-6 loss in 10 innings to the Phillies, Dan Uggla walked into Fredi Gonzalez's office and gave his manager a hug goodbye.In line for a big payday in his second year of arbitration, there have been questions for a while as to whether Uggla will be a Marlin in 2010.
As of Sunday, there now are questions as to whether Gonzalez and/or members of his staff will be with the club next year.
Before taking the field for their final game of the season, the Marlins had to deal with some offseason speculation. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Marlins have had conversations with Bobby Valentine about a possible position within the organization.
"We all have bosses. Nobody is owed anything," Gonzalez said after completing his third season managing the club. "You just keep going forward."
The 59-year-old Valentine has managed the Rangers and Mets in the big leagues. For the past six years, he was managing the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. Recently, he returned to ESPN as an analyst. Valentine also is drawing interest from Cleveland and Washington, ESPN reports.
It is unclear what position the Marlins would have interest in offering Valentine, but it could be to manage.
Gonzalez received a two-year extension at the beginning of Spring Training and he's under contract through 2011.
When asked if he's been given any indications of his future, Gonzalez responded: "I don't even know how to answer that question. We'll know more in a week."
Standard procedure for the Marlins is to not confirm or deny rumors.
Speaking with reporters in the press box at Citizens Bank Park, team president David Samson said the organization after every season does a complete evaluation of all its employees, ranging from marketing to the playing field.
Samson said this year is no different, and that people shouldn't read into speculation.
The Marlins finished 87-75, in second place behind the Phillies in the National League East.
"We don't talk about rumors; we never have," Samson said. "The answer is after every season we always evaluate everyone, so that is normal. We're all disappointed. Certainly, winning 87 or 88 games is a positive for the organization, but our goal every year is to make the playoffs. That's that. Rumors come out all the time this time of year about all sorts of things. From our perspective, there is nothing different about this year than the 10 others I've had in baseball."
Florida has yet to make a decision on the status of its coaching staff. Addressing the media Saturday, president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said that would be made after the season.
In terms of a time frame, the coaches' contracts all run through Oct. 31. No firm decisions regarding the staff or Gonzalez is expected in the next few days.
The organization was hopeful of reaching the playoffs, but was eliminated Tuesday night.
"We were just purely too inconsistent, in my opinion, this year to make it," Beinfest said on Saturday. "I don't want to sound like we're terribly disappointed or unhappy, because that's not the case."
Florida's 87 wins are the third-most in club history. The only Marlins teams to win more games are the 1997 (92) and 2003 (91) squads. Both those squads won the World Series.
Asked if Gonzalez's job is safe, Samson said: "There is no difference between this year and every other year that I've been in baseball. We meet and talk about [things] following the year as it pertains to payroll, as it does on the field, as it does for marketing, as it does for sales. Everything."
With a win Saturday, Gonzalez collected his 242nd victory as Marlins manager, establishing a franchise record. In three seasons with Florida, Gonzalez is 242-243.
Jack McKeon was 241-207 from 2003-05, including the 2003 World Series title.
Gonzalez has managed one of the youngest teams in the league. This year's squad had a league-low $36 million payroll.
"I think it says a lot with all the youth he's had here," Marlins veteran Wes Helms said of Gonzalez. "He's not really had a veteran team, so he's had to do a lot more to keep everything in line, and keep everything organized. He's done an exceptional job with the low payroll, and everything. You've got to give him so much credit with what he's done here.
"I know the players respect him. I know with the payroll and the young kids here, he's got it organized and he's doing it the right way. To be that successful in three years is pretty good."
Jon Heyman of SI.com reported Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria felt the team underachieved.
Reached in New York, Loria said of the managerial situation, "I don't really have any comment. I don't talk about rumors, and you know that. Talk to Beinfest."
In a somber Marlins clubhouse after Sunday's loss, several players expressed hope that Gonzalez would return. But they noted there is the business side of the industry.
"I don't know nothing about that. I cannot control that," said All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who won the NL batting title with a .342 average. "I'm not a GM. Hopefully he can come back. I think we did pretty good. I think we can do better. I hope Fredi can come back next year.
"We were over .500, and we have a lot of young guys, and a couple of guys got hurt. I think we came really close. But it's the game. You can only control what you can control."
Outfielder Cody Ross said he's taking the speculation in stride.
"I just heard some rumblings going on in the clubhouse earlier today," Ross said. "Rumors are rumors. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard somebody is going to be traded or fired, I'd be really rich.
"At this point, nothing really surprises me any more. I think he's done a great job. Basically when you manage you have to manage guys' personalities -- how to push them, not just on the field. It takes a lot in the clubhouse. If he weren't to come back, it would be a surprise, yeah. He's done a great job the last few years."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
