The Marlins have signed 27-year old righty starting pitcher Robert Ray to a minor league deal. Ray pitched in 12 games (all starts) in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 2-5 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He last pitched in the majors back in 2010 with the Blue Jays. He has pitched in 7 games (4 starts) in his first two years in the majors and he is 1-2 with a 4.18 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. This is a nice low risk/high reward type of signing for the Marlins as Ray was once a very highly thought of prospect.

22-year old righty swinging RF Mike Stanton of the Marlins finished tied for 23rd in the voting for the N.L. MVP Award with Starlin Castro (SS, Cubs), Craig Kimbrel (reliever, Braves) and Carlos Ruiz (C, Phillies). Stanton played in 150 games for the Marlins last year and he was 135 of 516 (.262 avg, .893 OPS) with 79 runs scored, 34 homers, 87 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. He has now played in 250 games in his first two years with the Marlins and he is 228 of 875 (.261 avg, .869 OPS) with 124 runs scored, 56 homers, 146 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Stanton is a player on the rise and I could easily see him winning an MVP or two in the near future for the Marlins.

The Miami Marlins need to attack the free agency market big time this winter. Here is who I would sign if I were in charge of the Fish:

1. Albert Pujols - Pujols would be the king of the city in Miami. The Marlins could then use Gaby Sanchez as a trade chip for whatever they think they need.

2. Jose Reyes - The Marlins are after shortstop Jose Reyes. Reyes is the kind of speedster Ozzie Guillen would love at the top of his lineup. Hanley Ramirez will move to 3B if Reyes signs with the Marlins.

3. Francisco Cordero - In keeping with the hispanic tone of the off-season, Francisco Cordero would be a huge improvement over Leo Nunez or whatever his name is.

The Marlins have acquired 27-year old lefty starting pitcher Wade LeBlanc from the Padres for 30-year old lefty swinging catcher John Baker. LeBlanc pitched in 14 games (all starts) for the Padres last year and he was 5-6 with a 4.63 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. He has now pitched in 54 games (52 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 17-22 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. LeBlanc will battle for a spot at the bottom of the Marlins’ rotation next spring. John Baker played in 16 games for the Marlins last year and he was 2 for 13 (.154 avg, .421 OPS) with 1 RBI. He has played in 212 games in his four years with the Marlins and he was 179 of 661 (.271 avg, .757 OPS) with 98 runs scored, 14 homers and 89 RBIs.

The Marlins have signed 25-year old lefty reliever Beau Jones. Jones pitched in 43 games in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 0-1 with 1 save, a 3.29 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He has now pitched in 216 games (42 starts) in his first seven years in the minors and he is 27-17 with 11 saves, a 3.98 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. The Marlins have been looking for another lefty for the bullpen, so Jones will get a shot to make the team next spring.