UPDATE: Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports that the Marlins “are not confident” they will sign Dan Uggla and are now fielding trade offers for the second baseman.
According to Frisaro, in addition to the Tigers, the Marlins have received calls from at least two unidentified National League teams. The Marlins have been asking for relief pitching in return for Uggla, but also remain in the market for a catcher.
If Uggla is traded, the Marlins plan to move Chris Coghlan to second base and give top prospect Matt Dominguez a chance at the starting third base job during spring training. Stay tuned.
Friday, 10:01 PM: So much for optimism. Dan Uggla tells the Associated Press that the Marlins have broken off negotiations for a contract extension.
On Monday, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reported that Uggla turned down a four-year, $48 million extension. The slugging second baseman is reportedly holding out for five years, which, frankly, is a lot to give to someone who turns 31 next March and is already known as one of the worst defensive second basemen in the game.
Talks could still re-open at any time, but assuming they don’t, either Uggla will either head back into arbitration for a final time or the Marlins will once again explore a trade.
Should they choose to go the trade route, Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi mention tonight that the Tigers have contacted the Marlins to express their interest. According to the report, the Tigers “are looking everywhere for a power bat.” While they prefer someone who bats from the left side of the plate, Uggla is right-handed.
With Carlos Guillen a major question mark after undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee in September, the Tigers’ current in-house options at second base consist of Will Rhymes and Scott Sizemore, who have a combined 373 plate appearances in the major leagues.
