Orioles pull plug on pursuit of Burnett

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Florida Marlins came to the following realization Saturday: If they insist on attaching Mike Lowell to coveted right-hander A.J. Burnett, neither one is going anywhere.

After their last best attempt to move Burnett and Lowell to the Orioles in a three-way deal with the Rangers fell through, the Marlins are resigned to keeping their struggling third baseman. What they must determine now is whether moving Burnett alone remains worthwhile.

A free agent at season's end, Burnett fully expects to sign elsewhere, leaving the Marlins with nothing but a compensatory draft pick. Does that mean the Marlins should take the best deal they can for Burnett? Or do they forgo the long-term benefits of trading him for the potential short-term rewards of keeping him?

The team's hitting is coming around. An infusion of pitching has begun with the return of Josh Beckett and Ismael Valdez, and reliever Antonio Alfonseca to follow on Tuesday. Are those compelling enough reasons for the Marlins to try to orchestrate the roughly 43-25 run it will take for a postseason berth with Burnett?

"This team could win it just as easily as any of those other teams," said Burnett, who will start Sunday and is prepared to finish the season as a Marlin.

Added General Manager Larry Beinfest: "I've always said we think we have the right guys here. I don't think we've changed our feeling. It's a good team. It's got some depth to it. It's got a lot of positives. The offense, there's speed, there's power, there's a lot of things we can do. It's just putting it together at the same time. ... We're waiting for that to happen consistently."

The Marlins actively tried to make that happen with personnel changes. The were set to acquire pitchers Jorge Julio, Steve Kline, Hayden Penn and Sidney Ponson from the Orioles for Burnett and Lowell. The Marlins were then going to ship Ponson to the Rangers for a player speculated to be Richard Hidalgo.

However, a source with knowledge of the deal said the Marlins were getting a player back from Texas, but it wasn't Hidalgo. Another possibility was second baseman Alfonso Soriano, who the Marlins would have asked to play left.

The Orioles torpedoed the arrangement as they had second thoughts about taking on Lowell and the $21 million he is owed through 2007. Instead, the Orioles sent Ponson to the Padres for first baseman Phil Nevin in what amounted to a swap of bad contracts. Nevin can evoke his no-trade clause and stay in San Diego, but that isn't likely to revive discussions between the Marlins and Orioles.

The Marlins even considered keeping Ponson and letting him start a few games.

Asked to characterize where things stood with the two clubs, one executive who has spoken to both said: "The plug has been pulled."

The Marlins remain willing to deal Burnett for the right package. Among the teams expected to make a play: the Red Sox, White Sox and Tigers.

"Boston really, really is attempting to do something," one baseball source said. "It's hard getting Florida engaged for whatever reason."

One way to pique the Marlins' interest may be to discuss shortstop Hanley Ramirez, the Red Sox's top prospect.

The Red Sox don't have a problem parting with pitcher Bronson Arroyo for Burnett, but Ramirez is considered all but untouchable.

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