MLB Rumors: Why Miami Marlins Must Be Careful in Pursuit of Jose Reyes

The Miami Marlins are going to be very active during the offseason, but it would be wise for them to be cautious in making deals without consulting some members of the team. 

Rumors are flying that the Marlins are interested in a number of players, and one in particular is talented shortstop Jose Reyes. 

As you know, the Marlins already have one heck of a shortstop in Hanley Ramirez, but all this Reyes talk could make him uneasy. We've seen him throw fits before, which is why the Marlins need to keep Ramirez informed about their plans to potentially acquire Reyes. 

Assuming that Ramirez will move to third base is not a smart decision. Miami would certainly become a contender in the division if it adds Reyes—plus, it would have the best shortstop-third base tandem in the majors.

However, Miami has to keep Ramirez happy during this offseason, or it could hurt the Marlins in the end. New head coach Ozzie Guillen isn't going to take heat from any of his players, but Ramirez can be a diva at times. 

Joe Capozzi, who covers the Marlins for the Palm Beach Post, tweeted that he heard Reyes would be visiting the Marlins on Thursday. It may have been just a rumor, as shortly after, he tweeted that one Marlins employee didn't know anything about that. 

It's tough to believe these people sometimes because they don't want the story to get out. Notice how Capozzi says to "stay tuned" because anything is still possible. 

There's no telling where Reyes will land, but right now, the Marlins are very high on him, and they should be.

He's one of the best shortstops in the league, but since they already have a top-notch player at that position, they have to be careful in how they approach this ordeal. 

You have to hand it to the Marlins for making it known they're after some prominent free agents this winter.

They're going through a lot of changes with the new name, coach, ballpark and uniforms, so adding new players is no surprise. 

The Marlins know they need to get better, and going after major stars this offseason is very wise. Todd Kaufmann, a freelance baseball writer, tweeted who the Marlins have been after this offseason.

ESPN reported that the Marlins have an interest in those guys as well as Mark Buehrle and Ryan Madson. It's good to see the Marlins take charge, but actually landing these guys is a completely different story. 

Reyes is their main target, but if they upset Ramirez along the way, it will not bode well for the upcoming season.

Miami will have to fork over a pretty penny to land any of these free agents, but they may have an easier time than one would think.

ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted today that many teams are focusing on trades this offseason. 

This could make things much more simple for the Marlins. However, it all comes back to keeping their current star happy. 

I have a hard time believing that Ramirez wouldn't welcome Reyes to the team if the Marlins signed him, but at the same time, he may not want to move positions. Stubborn players don't like making sacrifices for the team, but Ramirez may be forced to. 

There is still plenty of time before anything happens. But if, in fact, Reyes is spotted in Miami today, then the Marlins better hope Ramirez doesn't get frustrated that they're after another high-profile player of the same position. 

That has drama written all over it, which is something the Marlins don't need during this time of transition.