Despite trading last season's opening day starter Dontrelle Willis and leading run producer Miguel Cabrera in an offseason move designed to cut costs, Florida (57-51) has managed to emerge as a contender in the NL East with a payroll of approximately $22 million - about half of the next-lowest team in baseball.

Though the Marlins have to be proud of the success they've achieved with a young and inexpensive lineup, help could be on the way in the form of one of baseball's best-known - and highest-paid - players.

Marlins president David Samson and president for baseball operations Larry Beinfest have been involved in talks to acquire Ramirez from Boston. Ramirez, batting .299 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs, makes nearly as much as the Marlins' entire roster - he's in the final guaranteed season of an eight-year, $160 million contract.

The trade would mark a significant shift in strategy for the Marlins - an organization that has become known for letting its free agents sign big contracts with other teams or trading away those players to restock their talent pool with young prospects.

The potential deal may be out of character, but Samson says he's obligated to explore the team's options.

"We're looking everywhere. We're making calls. We're getting calls," he said Wednesday on his radio show on Miami station WAXY-AM. "But we're not going to be stupid."

Asked specifically if a deal for Ramirez was possible, Samson said, "I've always told you everything is possible. There are all sorts of crazy things. There's no way to say which trades are going to happen."

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, however, denied a deal was in place.

"There's no news, nothing to talk about," Loria said early Thursday.

Somewhat lost in all the Ramirez talk is the fact that the Marlins just won two of three games in a series against the high-priced New York Mets. Florida's Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida, both mentioned as part of a possible deal, had two hits apiece and Dan Uggla hit a two-run homer as Florida won the finale 7-5 on Wednesday night.

The Marlins pulled within one game of the second-place Mets and 1 1/2 games of division-leading Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, the Rockies (49-60) avoided a three-game sweep Wednesday by topping Pittsburgh 7-4 for their 10th win in 13 games since the All-Star break.

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and is batting .556 (20-for-36) since coming off the disabled list July 21. The hot streak has lifted his season batting average from .166 to .241.

"I believed in myself," said Tulowitzki, the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up last season. "I think there were a lot of people out there who didn't believe in me. I knew my swing was headed in the right direction. It was just a matter of going out there and getting results."

Tulowitzki hopes to continue his recent surge against Florida starter Anibal Sanchez (2-1, 4.80 ERA), who's making his first start since a loss to the Mets on May 2. The right-hander, who missed those three months while recovering from shoulder surgery, has never faced Colorado.

The Rockies will counter with Jorge De La Rosa (5-5, 6.20), who has held opponents to two runs over 12 2-3 innings in winning back-to-back starts for the first time this season. The left-hander gave up one run and two hits while striking out eight in 6 2-3 innings of a 5-1 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.

He's 1-2 with an 8.64 ERA in four career games - three starts - against the Marlins.