Move over, Yankees and Red Sox. Baseball's winter meetings have a new major player - the Miami Marlins.
The historically frugal Marlins dominated the first day of the meetings Monday like a free-spending, big-market team. Led by owner Jeffrey Loria, they introduced new closer Heath Bell, spent 45 minutes with the agent for Albert Pujols and scheduled a physical for their new shortstop, Jose Reyes.
The Marlins still think they can afford Pujols - the top free agent on the market - even though they are giving Reyes a six-year, $106 million deal.
And just like baseball's highest-profile teams, the Marlins might be creating some soap opera, too, given that shortstop Hanley Ramirez is upset about moving to third base to accommodate Reyes.
The addition of Reyes, who will be introduced Wednesday, gives the Marlins an estimated $75.35 million in contract commitments for eight players next season.
"We have been waiting a long time,' said baseball operations president Larry Beinfest, whose total payroll in 2011 was $57 million.
The Marlins, emboldened by revenues that their new stadium will provide, also are trying to add a top-tier starting pitcher.
"There's no question payroll is going up or else we would not be here today," Beinfest said. "Where that lands is ultimately up to Jeffrey, but we're interested in securing great players to help us win our division and hopefully get to October.'
Team officials already are trying to deal with the fallout of signing a second, high-profile shortstop. Ramirez is said to be "distraught" over the prospect of changing positions.
Loria said things would work out.
"Hanley is a super-professional," Loria told reporters. "We will work with him, make everything comfortable for him."
But team officials dodged questions about whether they think Ramirez will balk at moving to third base.
"Hanley wants to win and we'd like to provide the pieces around him to help him win,' Beinfest said. "I think Hanley can play anywhere on a baseball field. That's the kind of talent he is.'
Although Ramirez is a three-time All-Star who won a batting title in 2009, he has clashed with teammates and managers who have questioned his desire to play hard every day. Given that history, people around the team wonder if his unhappiness over changing positions could affect his performance.
"I hope Hanley accepts it and does what's best for the team, because in the end, what's more valuable - wins or if I'm playing shortstop?" left fielder Logan Morrison said last week. "I feel like we'd be a better team with both of those guys in the lineup."
The Marlins don't sound like they're planning to trade Ramirez, but retired second baseman Harold Reynolds thinks the team might have no choice but to deal him before the season starts.
"If the player is not ready, you're not going to be productive,' said Reynolds, an analyst with MLB Network. "Two years ago he was the best player in baseball and now you're saying, 'Go play third.' I don't think his stock has dropped that much and I don't think he thinks it has, either.'
Ramirez's newest teammate said he's looking forward to seeing him at third base and Reyes at short.
"I think it's going to be pretty fun to play with Jose again,' said Bell, who most recently played for San Diego but played with Reyes on the New York Mets from 2004 to '06.
"He's a tremendous shortstop. If Hanley moves over to third base and Reyes is at shortstop, basically I know every ball hit to that side will be fielded cleanly and thrown to first.'
The Marlins have a room reservation for Reyes in Dallas and might give him a second public welcome Friday in Miami.
Reyes liked what he saw when he visited the Marlins recently.
"He looked at the roster, he looked at the new ballpark, he looked at the city. He looked at the opportunity and that's one of the great things we have - opportunity,' Loria said.
Meanwhile, the Marlins are moving so quickly to improve their roster that Morrison found humor in the situation after having minor surgery Monday on his right knee.
"Out of surgery,' he tweeted. "Everything went well. Have we signed Pujols yet?'