Besides the young starting pitching, here's another reason the Marlins should be encouraged, even with changes looming. Jim Fleming, Florida's vice president/scouting, said last week the Marlins have the highest number of promising position player prospects ``in the seven years I've been here. Our system is as full as I can remember.''

Fleming said the Marlins project three Double A Carolina prospects to be big-league starters -- center fielder Cameron Maybin, second baseman Chris Coghlan and first baseman/ex-UM star Gaby Sanchez -- and believe all are ready to compete for jobs next spring. He said two other Double A position players might, too: outfielders John Raynor and Scott Cousins.

Maybin hit .277 with 13 homers and 49 RBI in 108 games but led the Southern League with 124 strikeouts. ''He hit .300 the last month and progressed in all phases. We're very pleased,'' Fleming said.

Right-handed hitting Sanchez (.314, 17, 92) and lefty-hitting Coghlan (.297, 7, 74, 34 steals) could compete for starting jobs if veterans are traded. ''They've hit everywhere they've been, and the track record is guys that do'' also hit well in the big leagues, Fleming said. Sanchez can play third base, but the Marlins see him as a first baseman.

On Raynor (.312, 48 steals), Fleming said, ``Some would say maybe not enough power to be a corner outfielder, but our big-league club could use some speed, and he's the best base-stealer we've had for three years. You have to consider him as an everyday player. And Cousins is a five-tool player.''

The Marlins have two first basemen who were MVP of their leagues -- Sanchez and Class A Jupiter's Logan Morrison (.332, 13 HR, 74 RBI). ''Really, really good talent who can also play left field,'' Fleming said of the lefty-hitting Morrison. ``He could reach the major leagues sometime next year.''

And 2007 first-round pick/third baseman Matt Dominguez (.296, 18, 70) ''had a great year despite missing six weeks with mononucleosis.'' There's also 2007 fourth-rounder Bryan Petersen, ``an exceptional outfielder with 23 homers at three levels.''

But the most intriguing might be right fielder Michael Stanton, a 2007 second-rounder who led his Class A Greensboro league with 39 homers (.293, 97 RBI). ''There's no timetable at that age [18], but he's a fabulous talent and has the most power in the system'' after Dallas McPherson (42 homers in Triple A).

CHATTER

• Agent Drew Rosenhaus said by phone that though ''the Dolphins would be a dream, one of the favorite scenarios'' for Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin, who faces Miami Sunday and has requested a trade, Rosenhaus doesn't have permission to shop Boldin and ''I don't know if the Dolphins have interest.'' The Cardinals insist they will not trade Boldin, who's signed through 2010 and wants more money.

• One Dolphins official bemoaned the fact that speedy Ted Ginn Jr. doesn't show more elusiveness. Though Ginn says he wants to handle all returns, Tony Sparano indicated he wants to see more of Davone Bess on punts because he can ''make a guy miss.'' . . . Linebacker Reggie Torbor, who thrived as a fill-in starter in the Giants' Super Bowl run, surprisingly played fewer than five defensive snaps vs. the Jets, but he said coaches told him he'll get a chance.

• Credit the NFL's best tight end, Jason Witten, for mentoring Anthony Fasano, who applied Witten's lessons (especially picking up defensive tendencies) in his career-best game vs. the Jets, and then got congratulatory text messages from Witten and Tony Romo afterward. . . . Ronnie Brown (only nine touches vs. the Jets) said he and Ricky Williams ''would be cool with 15 or so touches apiece'' per game.

• Though none will say it for attribution, some UM players expressed frustration with the conservative play-calling against UF and said offensive coordinator Patrick Nix must trust them to take chances downfield. The young receivers need work on separating from defensive backs, but one UM receiver strongly disputed Randy Shannon's claim that ''nobody got open'' against Florida. . . . Several UM players are perplexed about why receiver Jermaine McKenzie, who's great in practice, isn't getting playing time. McKenzie, whose ankle had healed before the UF game, didn't play and drove himself there.

• The Heat -- which likes free agent Shaun Livingston but has concerns about his knee -- brought ex-Gators 6-6 forward Matt Walsh to Miami last week and might sign him. Walsh appeared in two games for the Heat in 2005 and played in Europe the past two years.

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