Rumor mill update: On XM this morning, they discussed a rumor that the Marlins have decided to deal Dontrelle this offseason, since he has one year left of arbitration before free agency, they could get something in return.
There is widespread speculation that he's gone and that last night was his last home game in a Marlins uniform. Of course, that's been the case after each of the last three previous seasons as well.
XM blew one thing, Willis has two years of arbitration left. He was a Super-Two after the 2005 season, which provided a year on the front end of his arbitration eligibility, but doesn't change the back end. Willis still won't have his 6+ years of service, as required in the CBA, until after the 2009 season.
If the Marlins were smart (
), they might consider that his splits with Treanor catching are far superior than with Olivo, who they say they will not be offering a contract, have a new pitching coach (sounds like Wiley, who got Willis into Cy Young shape in 2005), and Willis is the only pitcher with over 200 IP (and Olsen is the only other who will finish with more than 150 IP) on a team that has had the highest or second-highest numbers of bullpen innings in the NL all season. Further, Johnson and Sanchez are already gone for all of 2008 (Sanchez's career may be over). With Loria and Samson running the show, that clinches it - Willis is gone.