Turnin 2 SS 2b
07-09-2002, 12:58 AM
MIAMI -- When the final out was recorded Sunday, Cliff Floyd found himself awkwardly standing on-deck staring into a small gathering of fans hovering the Marlins dugout.
Unsure if he played his final game wearing a Florida uniform, the 29-year-old right fielder tossed his bat to a screaming fan as perhaps a lasting souvenir.
"You don't know what to feel," Floyd said.
So he just reacted, giving something back to the diehard people that have supported him since he joined the Marlins in 1997.
On a rain-soaked afternoon, the Mets splashed their way to a 9-3 victory in a game that lasted 3:25 and was halted by rain four times for a total of 3:03.
The cloud hanging over Floyd's shaved head all day were trade talks linking the 2001 All-Star outfielder to the Montreal Expos.
League sources say the Marlins and Expos are in the process of finalizing a blockbuster deal that would send Floyd and pitcher Ryan Dempster to Montreal for a package of Major and minor leaguers.
According to league sources Sunday, the Expos would part with left-handed pitcher Graeme Lloyd, either pitcher Masato Yoshii or infielder Mike Mordecai, and prize pitching prospects Josh Karp, Justin Wayne and Donald Levinski. Karp and Wayne are in Triple-A, and Levinski is in Single-A.
Some other prospects could be part of the deal.
The deal could be finalized in a day or two, pending league approval. Since Major League Baseball has assumed ownership of the Expos, the league must finalize all trades.
"I don't know," Floyd said of the trade talks. "It kind of affected my team here and it kind of affected me. ... I'm going to keep saying 'if' until I hear something."
Floyd is batting .287 with 18 homers and 57 RBIs.
Eligible for free agency after the season, Floyd said Sunday that if he goes to the Expos, he would give them a chance to re-sign him after the season.
Floyd says just about any big time batter would welcome the opportunity to hit between All-Stars Jose Vidro and Vladimir Guerrero.
"I'd give them every opportunity," Floyd said of signing a longer-term deal. "I'll give them every shot.
"I look at it like this, I'm wanted. If I were getting released, we'd be having a different conversation. They are doing what they have to do to win. Unfortunately, they aren't doing it here."
The Marlins head into the All-Star break with a 45-43 record, 11 games behind the Braves in the NL East.
Marlins manager Jeff Torborg expressed frustration afterwards because during every rain delay, news of a pending Floyd-Dempster trade flashed on the TV sets in the clubhouse.
"It's frustrating," Torborg said. "You're trying to win a game and you keep seeing it on TV. It's not very comfortable. I see rumors on TV all day. I don't need to see all that stuff."
Since his name was attached to trade talks, Dempster (5-8) has not commented much to the media.
Floyd, on the other hand, has addressed the speculation for the last two weeks. He heads into the break unsure if he will be with the team when they start the second half Friday at Chicago.
"This team doesn't need any more distractions," said Floyd, who, along with catcher Charles Johnson, is the remaining holdover from Florida's 1997 World Series championship team.
Unsure if he played his final game wearing a Florida uniform, the 29-year-old right fielder tossed his bat to a screaming fan as perhaps a lasting souvenir.
"You don't know what to feel," Floyd said.
So he just reacted, giving something back to the diehard people that have supported him since he joined the Marlins in 1997.
On a rain-soaked afternoon, the Mets splashed their way to a 9-3 victory in a game that lasted 3:25 and was halted by rain four times for a total of 3:03.
The cloud hanging over Floyd's shaved head all day were trade talks linking the 2001 All-Star outfielder to the Montreal Expos.
League sources say the Marlins and Expos are in the process of finalizing a blockbuster deal that would send Floyd and pitcher Ryan Dempster to Montreal for a package of Major and minor leaguers.
According to league sources Sunday, the Expos would part with left-handed pitcher Graeme Lloyd, either pitcher Masato Yoshii or infielder Mike Mordecai, and prize pitching prospects Josh Karp, Justin Wayne and Donald Levinski. Karp and Wayne are in Triple-A, and Levinski is in Single-A.
Some other prospects could be part of the deal.
The deal could be finalized in a day or two, pending league approval. Since Major League Baseball has assumed ownership of the Expos, the league must finalize all trades.
"I don't know," Floyd said of the trade talks. "It kind of affected my team here and it kind of affected me. ... I'm going to keep saying 'if' until I hear something."
Floyd is batting .287 with 18 homers and 57 RBIs.
Eligible for free agency after the season, Floyd said Sunday that if he goes to the Expos, he would give them a chance to re-sign him after the season.
Floyd says just about any big time batter would welcome the opportunity to hit between All-Stars Jose Vidro and Vladimir Guerrero.
"I'd give them every opportunity," Floyd said of signing a longer-term deal. "I'll give them every shot.
"I look at it like this, I'm wanted. If I were getting released, we'd be having a different conversation. They are doing what they have to do to win. Unfortunately, they aren't doing it here."
The Marlins head into the All-Star break with a 45-43 record, 11 games behind the Braves in the NL East.
Marlins manager Jeff Torborg expressed frustration afterwards because during every rain delay, news of a pending Floyd-Dempster trade flashed on the TV sets in the clubhouse.
"It's frustrating," Torborg said. "You're trying to win a game and you keep seeing it on TV. It's not very comfortable. I see rumors on TV all day. I don't need to see all that stuff."
Since his name was attached to trade talks, Dempster (5-8) has not commented much to the media.
Floyd, on the other hand, has addressed the speculation for the last two weeks. He heads into the break unsure if he will be with the team when they start the second half Friday at Chicago.
"This team doesn't need any more distractions," said Floyd, who, along with catcher Charles Johnson, is the remaining holdover from Florida's 1997 World Series championship team.