Marlins are legit and they know it

Heath Bell? Jose Reyes? Maybe even Albert Pujols? Raise your hand if you were expecting the Marlins to be this active?

Sure, the move to Miami opens the team to a larger market. However, when (and if) attendance and TV ratings rise depends solely on the quality of the team. The Marlins finally recognize that. The Marlins have had nice teams before especially considering they have won the World Series twice (1997 and 2003). Besides a few standout guys like Gary Sheffield in 1997 or Pudge Rodriguez in 2003, the Marlins were never a flashy team. They were never the Yankees, Mets, or Red Sox.

And despite the fact that the Marlins were actually better than the Mets over the the last decade overall, the Mets continually had higher attendance rates. Granted, much of the Mets' success resulted from their big market, but much of it also resulted from "flashy" players like David Wright, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez, and Pedro Martinez.

Now that the Marlins are in a large market, they finally are spending. After inking superb closer Heath Bell and franchise-player Jose Reyes, the Marlins are proving to their fans that they can be "flashy."

Maybe they will sign Pujols next?

The Marlins are ready to join the big spenders. Let's hope the fans attend their games.