This week my sister is taking my son to Florida and Disney World. I am happy for both of them that this is happening but I would be lying if I said I was not a little weird about the whole thing. So, I have Florida on my mind.

The Florida Marlins came on the scene in 1993 and already have two World Series titles on their resume. It is a very impressive feat for an expansion franchise and a lot of good players have put time in for the team.

So, here is the Top 10 Florida Marlins Fantasy Squad, with the best player at each position. All dollar values are taken from the RotoTimes Player Rater. 

Catcher – 2003 Ivan Rodriguez - .297-16-85-90-10 - $14.02 

After finishing 79-83 in 2002, the Marlins made a big splash by signing the 1999 AL MVP Award winner to a one-year contract. Rodriguez was coming off an injured season and the Rangers were looking to cut salary. The Marlins seemed like an odd fit, but they gave Rodriguez a $10 million contract and the promise not to offer arbitration the following season.  It worked out for both parties, as Rodriguez helped lead the Marlins to their second World Series title and in the off-season got the multi-year deal he was seeking as he inked a four-year, $40 million pact with the Tigers. 

First Base – 2005 Carlos Delgado - .301-33-115-81-0 - $21.58 

Another player who played only one season for the Marlins, Delgado chose Florida as a free agent and signed a back-loaded four-year deal with the club. The Marlins opted to trade him rather than pay the higher amount of his salary after the first season. But Delgado had a nice bounce-back season after his disappointing last year in Toronto. He finished third in the National League in OPS with a .981 mark and finished sixth in the MVP race. 

Second Base – 2000 Luis Castillo - .334-2-17-101-62 - $19.79 

It is hard to comprehend how a player could amass 626 plate appearances and only drive in 17 runs in a season. There have been only five players since 1901 to exceed 600 PA and drive in fewer than 20 runs in a season. Three of these players actually drove in fewer runs than Castillo. The fewest RBIs for a player with 600 or more PA is our old pal from the Ugly Uniform column Enzo Hernandez, who had 12 RBIs in 618 trips to the plate.

Shortstop – 2007 Hanley Ramirez - .332-29-81-125-51 - $43.66 

I can think of no better praise for Ramirez than the fact that he was traded for Josh Beckett in real life and the Marlins feel like they came away with a steal. 

Third Base – 2006 Miguel Cabrera - .339-26-114-112-9 - $28.33 

Not a bad season for a 23-year old. Of course, Cabrera already had over two and a half years in MLB under his belt before this season. Still it was a notable campaign as Cabrera set a career-high with 86 walks, which led to personal bests with a .430 OBP and a .998 OPS.

Outfield – 2005 Miguel Cabrera - .323-33-116-106-1 - $29.55 

That is not a typo or a mistake having Cabrera back-to-back here. He played 134 games in left field in 2005 and this was the biggest season by a Marlins outfielder. It was either go with this or have two seasons by Juan Pierre and I wanted to avoid that if at all possible. Besides, it was two different positions. 

Outfield – 2001 Cliff Floyd - .317-31-103-123-18 - $26.95 

Injuries kept Floyd from enjoying a Hall of Fame type career but we caught a glimpse of what might have been in 2001, when Floyd had the second most playing time in his career with 629 plate appearances. Floyd transitioned into valuable veteran in the latter part of his career and seemingly ended his time in the majors by playing in the World Series last year with the Rays. 

Outfield – 2003 Juan Pierre - .305-1-41-100-65 - $26.68 

Acquired from the Rockies following the 2002 season in the deal that sent Preston Wilson west, Pierre gave the Marlins a feared one-two speed punch atop the lineup along with Luis Castillo. After three seasons, Florida flipped Pierre to the Cubs and picked up Ricky Nolasco and two other pitchers in the process. 

Pitcher – 2005 Dontrelle Willis – 22 W, 2.63 ERA, 170 SO, 1.134 WHIP - $23.85 

It is sad to type this line and remember what a great pitcher Dontrelle Willis was. Because all indications are the guy in the line above is never coming back. The funky windup and the million dollar smile were great for the game. Now we have reports of a social anxiety disorder, allegedly discovered via blood test. Now that doesn’t quite top the Immaculate Conception, but it’s got to be up there somewhere in terms of unlikely occurrences.

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