After the Miami Marlins signed Jose Reyes late Sunday night, the next juicy rumor floating around was that the Marlins were still hot in pursuit of Albert Pujols. Even though the Marlins have already increased their payroll by a significant amount — and signing Pujols would likely push their 2012 payroll over the $100 million mark — they simply don’t know how to stop. They’re like a car stuck in drive, if the driver also had their foot glued to the accelerator.
And things just keep moving faster and faster. Originally the Marlins were supposed to meet with Pujols’ agent on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, but that meeting has gotten pushed ahead:
Marlins are meeting with Albert Pujols’s agent, Dan Lozano, later today… Momentum continues to build. (Buster Olney, ESPN)
Make no mistake: it would be insane for the Marlins to sign Pujols. That’s not to say he’s not a worthy investment — he’s still arguably the best player in baseball — but if the Marlins signed Jose Reyes and Albert Pujols in the same offseason, it’d literally be the exact opposite of how they have run their franchise over the past 18 years. It would represent a seismic shift in the direction and focus of the organization, and it’d instantly turn the Marlins into a mid-to-large market team.
I’m still in shock from the Reyes signing, so I’m not willing to count the Marlins out on anyone right now. We simply don’t know how high they intend to raise their payroll, and they appear to be working in a feverish frenzy to sign as many big name free agents as quickly as possible. It’s impossible to tell what they’ll do next, as we have no history to compare this to. We’re off the edge of the map, folks.
Will the Marlins sign Pujols? Only time will tell, but I’m not going to bet against them.
To join in the conversation about the Marlins’ offseason, head on over to SB Nation’s blog on the Marlins, Fish Stripes.