NewsDonnelly not ruling out returning to Marlins
Veteran reliever expected to explore free agency this offseason
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
10/26/09 11:06 AM ET
MIAMI -- In July, it was a perfect fit.Now, the Marlins are asking themselves if the matchup makes sense for 2010.
In early July, the Marlins were seeking relief help at a time veteran Brendan Donnelly was looking for a team. Out of necessity and good timing, both sides hooked up. The move paid off.
On July 6, two days after turning 38, Donnelly was on the mound for the Marlins, tossing a scoreless inning against the Giants.
It was a sign of what was to come, as the right-hander ended up being a productive performer and influential leader for Florida, appearing in 30 games while positing a 1.78 ERA.
"I think it worked out well for both sides," Donnelly said. "I knew what I could do. They gave me an opportunity, and I needed a place to do it."
After the World Series is completed, eligible players can beginning declaring themselves for free agency. Donnelly will go through the process, exploring the market.
"I have an indication right now that there is interest," Donnelly said of a possible return to Florida. "It's a matter of how high that interest is."
With 349 MLB games under his belt, Donnelly is an established setup reliever.
To a young Marlins bullpen, he added insight, intensity and playoff experience. In three separate years he was in the postseason with the Angels, including their 2002 World Series season.
Donnelly also was with the Red Sox in 2007, but he was recovering from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow when Boston won the title.
Donnelly opened 2009 pitching for Houston's Triple-A Round Rock squad before he was released, and eventually signed by the Marlins.
The Marlins finished in second place with 87 wins, but fell short of their goal of reaching the playoffs.
"It was another experience that I obviously did enjoy," Donnelly said. "It's a solid group of guys. I wouldn't mind giving it another run next year."
From a team standpoint, Donnelly was hopeful the Marlins would have played deeper into October.
"Winning is pretty much everything for me," Donnelly said. "That's what makes it fun. Losing is not OK."
When the season opened, there were a lot of questions about the Marlins' bullpen lacking experience. For the most part, the unit held up under trying circumstances. Even though they had youth, the bullpen showed promise. And Donnelly added some veteran savvy.
"I think every team needs the mix of young and experience -- I won't say old," Donnelly said. "Young guys have to learn how to do it at this level. You can have all the talent the world, but if you don't know how to do it, it's wasted.
"And keeping the team together. I think that's why you need the mix. If you just have a bunch of young guys who don't know any better, you're going to spread out and do your own thing. That's not a team. That's just a lot of players in the same place. I've never seen a lot of players in the same place win, or go to the playoffs and win the whole thing. It's the best team at the time."
Physically, Donnelly had one minor setback with the Marlins, and it had nothing to do with his throwing arm.
While fielding a bunt in Atlanta on Aug. 22, he strained his right calf muscle. Because it was late in the season, and the Marlins bullpen was shorthanded at the time, the team immediately placed him on the disabled list, rather than give the leg a few days to recover.
Donnelly was back on the mound on Sept. 9, and he appeared in nine games in the month, giving up one earned run in 7 2/3 innings.
The way he finished makes him feel confidence he can pitch in the big leagues a few more years.
"I'm not going to be the guy on the mound where I've got people in the stands or people in uniform asking themselves, 'Why is he still out there? What's he doing?'" Donnelly said. "I'm not going to go out and embarrass myself. When I can't get people out, that's when I walk away. When I can't do it, I can't do it. That's when I walk away.
"But I can do it. I put the work in to be able to do it. I think I proved, even after having Tommy John at a later age, that I'm back to where I was before I had Tommy John. Going through that process, I'm probably a better pitcher now than before the surgery."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
