The Florida Marlins officially introduced Ozzie Guillen as the club’s next manager Wednesday. Guillen accepted a four-year $10 million deal to join the Marlins.
The position became available earlier in the week when interim coach Jack McKeon announced his intent to retire following the 2011 season.
Guillen also became available this week, as the Chicago White Sox agree to release him from his current contract. Guillen was hoping for a multi-year extension, but the White Sox had picked up the skipper’s 2012 option and would go no further than that.
Before his release, speculation arose that the White Sox would in fact trade Guillen to the Marlins. While Chicago received compensation for Guillen, the move isn’t technically a trade. Guillen was free to sign with any club, and the White Sox would have gotten return from whoever hired Guillen to manage their team in 2012.
Because he decided to head to Miami, the White Sox received reliever Jhan Marinez and infielder Ozzie Martinez for Guillen.
2012 will be a season of several beginnings for the Marlins. Most noticeably, the team will not be known as the Florida Marlins any longer but instead as the Miami Marlins.
Wednesday also marked the last game to be played in Sun Life Stadium. The Marlins will have their new and improved home next year in the Little Havana section of Miami.
Finally, the club will be introducing a new and fiery manager next season in Guillen. The 47-year-old made it clear that his main goal is to get people in the seats in Miami. Guillen said that he’s hoping to give fans an entertaining product to watch so that they want to return for more.
It will be homecoming, of sorts, for Guillen. Back during the 2002-03 seasons, Guillen was a bench coach for the Marlins.
Guillen will look to pick up right where the club left off. In Guillen’s final year before joining the White Sox, the Marlins went on to win the 2003 World Series.
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