A CITIZEN'S BLOG

I resisted commenting on the news that Carlos Delgado had signed with the Florida Marlins until my head had cleared and I could evaluate his signing more objectively. After thinking about the deal objectively, all I can say is ... CRAP! ... I give the Marlins credit for outfoxing the Mets and getting a great player. I'm shocked that Delgado wasn't more aggressively pursed or that his signing hasn't generated the attention Adrian Beltre or Carlos Beltran got. This is a tremendous player that the Marlins have signed. A player who could dramatically improve the Marlins so-so offense and possibily push them over the top in the NL East race. Truely this season will see a competitive, aggressive and bitterly fought four-way race for the NL East crown. Maybe the Marlins are now the favorites to win it?

Let's start with what Delgado did in 2oo4:

.372 OBP / .535 SLG / 32 HR / 99 RBI / 88 Runs Created

All this during a year in which he lost over thirty games to an injury. Prior to this season Delgado had 117 Runs Created or more for six consecutive seasons. To give you an idea about how consistently good Delgado has been, take a look at his Win Shares for the last decade...

Win Shares:
2004: 17
2003: 32
2002: 26
2001: 23
2000: 36
1999: 21
1998: 24
1997: 18
1996: 12

Delgado has a lifetime .390 OBP, .274 ISO and .314 GPA. Why he hasn't gotten more attention likely has to do with playing his career in Toronto rather than New York or Chicago. If Carlos Delgado had done this wearing a Cubs uniform, his face would be plastered all over every billboard in America.

So what will he do with the Marlins? Here are Bill James' 2005 Predictions for him:

.390 OBP / .565 SLG / 35 HR / 35 2B / 109 RBI / 110 RC / .284 ISO / .317 GPA

Even if James numbers are wildly off-target, the Marlins are still getting a tremendous player. Delgado's ability to draw walks and hit with consistency is astounding. Even though Delgado will be 37 when this contract expires, this is a tremendous deal for the Florida Marlins, one that I genuinely believe will eclipse the Pedro, Beltran and Hudson deals in importance when the season is complete. I think they are the favorites to break the Braves stranglehold on the NL East. Fourth place, here we come...