MIAMI – Mindful of speculation his job might be in jeopardy, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen says he's glad he rented a house in Miami rather than buying when he took the job.
Guillen says he expects to be back for a second season with the Marlins next year, but he understands why others might think otherwise.
"At this moment everybody in the organization ought to be up in the air," Guillen said before Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves. "It's not up to me. If it's up to me, I'd love to be here."
Following a free-agent spending binge, the Marlins expected to field a playoff contender this season, the first in their new ballpark. Instead, the Marlins have been a flop, and management began dismantling the roster before the All-Star break.
"Everybody at this moment should be upset, mad and disappointed," Guillen said.
Assured of their third consecutive losing season, the Marlins went into Tuesday's game last in the NL East at 65-83, and owner Jeffrey Loria is expected to consider significant changes this offseason. That could include Guillen or president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest, although both are under contract through 2015.
Loria has declined to talk publicly about possible changes.
The season went sour from the start. Guillen's comments lauding Fidel Castro in a magazine interview sparked anger within South Florida's Cuban community, and he served a five-game suspension in April.
By June, the Marlins had fallen below .500 to stay. Guillen, who is Loria's fourth manager since early 2010, repeatedly accepted responsibility for the team's performance.
"I take the blame 100 percent," he said.
Going into Tuesday's game, the Marlins had hit 30 more homers on the road than at home. But Guillen scoffed at the notion the spacious ballpark had contributed to their problems.
"We're not in last place because this ballpark's big," he said. "We're bad because we're bad, from the top to the bottom. I put myself included."
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.