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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Rays should be interested in Marlins 1B Sanchez if Pujols heads to South Beach

Posted Dec 7, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Dec 7, 2011 at 11:48 AM

ROGER MOONEY
DALLAS The Marlins are not the only team waiting to see if Albert Pujols will accept their 10-year, $200 million contract offer. Teams looking for first basemen are eager for the decision, as well.

Gaby Sanchez, the Marlins current first baseman, becomes available if Pujols takes his game to Miami.

The 28-year-old right-hander has hit 19 home runs in each of his first two full seasons with the Marlins, driving in 85 runs in 2010 and 78 in 2011. (His career stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchga01.shtml.)

The Rays would be interested because Sanchez is a good fielder (his .996 fielding percentage last season was tied for second in the NL) and is a year away from arbitration. They have what the Marlins would want in exchange – pitching.

The Marlins expressed interest in James Shields at last year’s trade deadline.

The Cubs, who lose Carlos Peña to free agency after Peña announced this morning he will not accept arbitration, would also be interested in Sanchez.

But the Rays could have the advantage here, because they won’t have to outbid another team’s contract offer. They just need to offer the Marlins a more attractive package and with their depth at pitching, that seems very possible.

All it takes is one word from Pujols to get this train moving.