The Marlins have acquired 32-year old lefty starter Nate Robertson and $9.6 million bucks (he makes $10 million this year) from the Tigers for 22-year old lefty reliever Jay Voss. Robertson pitched in 28 games (6 starts) for the Tigers last season and he was 2-3 with a 5.44 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP. He has now pitched in 202 games (169 starts) in his major league career and he is 51-69 with 1 save, a 4.92 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Robertson will be slotted #5 in the Marlins’ rotation when the season opens next week. Jay Voss was the Marlins’ #23 prospect heading into this season according to Baseball America. Voss pitched in 40 games (0 starts) in A+AA-ball last season in which he is 3-1 with 1 save, a 2.72 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Voss pitched three years in the minors for the Marlins working in 81 games (22 starts) in which he was 6-14 with 1 save, a 5.66 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP. The price is right for the Marlins to take a chance on Robertson but they should have brought back Dontrelle Willis instead.

The Marlins have released righty reliever Seth McClung. McClung definitely deserved getting cut loose based on his pitching in spring training. McClung pitched in 6 games this spring for the Marlins and he was 2-0 with a 11.05 ERA and a 1.91 WHIP. He gave up 9 hits, walked 5 batters and he hit a batter in only 7 1/3 innings for the Marlins this spring. The Marlins will be better off without McClung in 2010.

Sure, owner Jeff Loria thought of firing Gonzalez because the Marlins didn’t make the playoffs despite him providing the manager with the smallest payroll in major league baseball. That would have been the dumbest move Loria has ever made as the owner of the Marlins. Gonzalez led the Marlins to a 85-77 record (53.7%) in 2009. In three years with the Marlins, Gonzalez has a 242-243 record (49.9%) which is pretty solid seeing what he has been given to work with.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE MANAGER IN 2010: A

The Marlins have lost 25-year old righty starter/reliever Hayden Penn on waivers to the Pirates. Penn pitched in 16 games (1 start) for the Marlins last season and he was 1-0 with a 7.77 ERA and a 2.27 WHIP. The Marlins did their best trying to get Penn’s career back on track but it didn’t work out. I’m sure they won’t lose any sleep over losing Penn.

The Florida Marlins have their fingers crossed about the bullpen in 2010. 26-year old righty Leo Nunez will go into the season as the closer. He pitched in 75 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 4-6 with 26 saves, a 4.06 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. He whiffed 60 hitters in 68 2/3 innings last season so he has the stuff to succeed. He only gave up 59 hits last season but a stunning 13 of them went over the fence. If Nunez can’t keep the ball in the park in 2010 he won’t keep the closers job.

28-year old lefty Dan Meyer came out of nowhere last season for the Marlins. He pitched in 71 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 3-2 with 2 saves, a 3.09 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He only gave up 47 hits in 58 1/3 innings while whiffing 56 batters as he was put into situations that gave him a good chance to succeed in 2009. In his three years before 2009 in the majors he pitched in 19 games (7 starts) in which he was 0-6 with a 7.63 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP.

27-year old Renyel Pinto will be the 2nd lefty in the pen for the Marlins in 2010. Pinto pitched in 73 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. He walked 45 batters while only allowing 53 hits in 61 1/3 innings last season. If he can just cut down on his walks a bit he would be even more effective than he is right now. Pinto has pitched in 224 games (0 starts) in his 4 years with the Marlins and he is 8-10 with 2 saves, a 3.70 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.

31-year old righty Brian Sanches, like Meyer, came out of nowhere for the Marlins in 2009. He pitched in 47 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last year and he was 4-2 with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Sanches pitched in 42 games (0 starts) in his three years in the majors before 2009 and he was 3-1 with a 6.13 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP.

27-year old righty Burke Badenhop has been the best player the Marlins got in the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade so far. He pitched in 35 games (2 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 7-4 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. In his two years with the Marlins, Badenhop has pitched in 48 games (10 starts) in which he is 9-7 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP.

33-year old righty Scott Strickland might be this years find for the Marlins in the pen. He pitched in 50 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last season and he was 2-1 with 32 saves, a 2.98 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Strickland has not pitched in the majors since 2006 with the Astros. Strickland has pitched in 236 games (0 starts) in his major league career and he is 12-21 with 20 saves, a 3.34 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He has without a doubt the best career major league numbers of any reliever in Marlins’ camp this spring.

29-year old righty Jose Veras will also likely have a solid shot of making the Marlins’ pen in 2010. He pitched in 47 games (0 starts) for the Yankees & Indians last season in which he was 4-3 with a 5.19 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Veras only gave up 42 hits in 50 1/3 innings last season showing that he has decent stuff. But, he gave up 8 homers and walked 28 batters which helps explain his ERA and WHIP in 2009.

29-year old righty Seth McClung certainly looks the part when he’s warming up as he has electric stuff. But when he’s on the mound in live games he just doesn’t seem to have it. McClung pitched in 41 games (2 starts) for the Brewers last season and he was 3-3 with a 4.94 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. He walked 39 hitters in only 62 innings pitched as he just has never been able to find the plate.

31-year old Chris Schroder will also get a chance with the Marlins at some point in 2010. He pitched in 45 games (1 start) in AAA-ball last year and he was 3-1 with 3 saves, a 2.22 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. In his three years in the majors he has pitched in 62 games (0 starts) in which he is 2-5 with a 4.46 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2010: C-