It looks like the Miami sports community has learned from its mistakes; after assuming that signing all the best players would win them a championship in basketball, Miami has taken a different route with the Marlins and will be signing all the best players to win them a championship in baseball. The play-by-play, from birther John Heyman:

hearing #Marlins boosted offer to pujols to 10 years, matching arod’s in length. they are obvs pushing hard.

everybody should have been convinced after reyes for $106M, but this is no publicity stunt by #marlins. #pujols, #perfect10

#marlins strong pursuit of pujols realistically has winnowed the field for pujols to them and incumbent #cardinals.

Cardinals have been resistant to upgrade pujols bid. With marlins strong push, they have tough decision to make.

Yes, they do, almost as tough a decision as whether or not to write the phrase “winnowed the field” anywhere on your Twitter.

As Heyman notes, this 10-year offer to the secretly-31-and-a-half-year old Pujols comes on the heels of the 6-year, 106 million deal for Jose Reyes, so we need to go ahead and get comfortable with the Miami Marlins being a thing … at least a bloated, gangly thing that smells like a National Leagues Red Sox and looks hilarious finishing behind Aramis Ramirez (or whoever) and the Phillies next season.

"Sit down," yelled the no one behind them.

Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria must be having a pretty good laugh right now, because we had mostly assumed that the rumors of his courtship of this offseason’s biggest free agents were a load of fish poop. The Marlins had been publicly enamored with Jose Reyes, Albert Pujols, Mark Buerhle and C.J. Wilson, but, by all accounts, their offers were riding a fine line between low-balling and insulting.

But low balls are better than no balls, because Loria flopped his big, ol’ pouch on the table as the winter meetings are kicking off in Dallas. The Marlins and Reyes have agreed on a 6-year deal worth $106 million, which ends the former Rookie of the Year’s 9-year stint with the New York Mets. The Mets wanted to keep Reyes, but they would need money for that and they don’t have any. Whoops?

By increasing their offer to Reyes, they knocked the Mets out of the running to hang on to their shortstop. The Mets were reportedly willing to give Reyes no more than five-year deal worth $75 to $80 million.

(Via the Miami Herald)

And that’s actually smart thinking by the Mets, seeing as Reyes will turn 29 next season, and he has missed 191 games over the last 3 seasons. That’s a pretty bold investment for the Marlins. I know what you’re thinking, though – don’t the Marlins already have a stud shortstop? Sure they do, but screw that guy!

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Since it appears unclear that pitching ace Cliff Lee will pick his new team anytime soon, it’s worth noting on the last day of baseball’s winter meetings that Kansas City Royals pitcher Zach Greinke is being shopped by his team. Greinke’s stock has fallen slightly, but might find itself in the mix if the Yankees’ seven-year offer for Lee gets rejected.

Greinke, 27, slumped last season to 10-14 with a 4.17 ERA following his Cy Young-winning season in 2009. He is under contract for two more seasons at $13.5 million a year.

Royals officials readily acknowledge Greinke is only available at a steep price; they want two high-impact prospects – preferable a starting pitcher and a middle infielder or center fielder – and two prospects capable of playing a supporting role.

–KC Star.

Greinke’s qualified WHIP fell from first to 13th among AL starters (min. 200 IP), so he’s still a veritable bargain if he can be poached from a trade. Ah, those Royals. They’re like a farm team that plays against major league teams. I would know; I’m a Reds fan.

The best part of Major League Baseball’s winter meetings – or only good part if your team doesn’t make any big moves and settles for Ryan Theriot – is the rumor mill, mainly because for every deal that doesn’t happen, we get a filler story. And the filler story du jour involves Gary Sheffield’s crazy ass and the crazier reporters who are deciphering his quotes to the context that best fits their stories.

Sheffield, who last played for the New York Mets in 2009, told MLB.com’s Harold Reynolds that he’s in beautiful and exotic Orlando because his newest gig is as a consultant for some players, but then he gave us all plenty of fodder when he responded to the question of whether or not he could still play. And of course that means everyone is reporting that he still wants to play. But here’s what he actually said…

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