We knew the Miami Marlins were ready to deal with Cuban import Yoennis Cespedes, so it is not surprising to hear that they fired the first salvo, according to a source that spoke with Eric Reynoso of Cafe Fuerte. The deal was initially reported to be worth $40 million over six years, but Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reported that the deal was worth a bit less than that.
At its highest, the deal is worth a little less than $7 million annually, which is right around what we expected to offer. One suspects that the deal will have to get bigger in order to lure Cespedes to Miami in the face of other bidders like the Chicago Cubs and possibly the Detroit Tigers, but with the Marlins considered the front-runner, having a deal already offered and potentially being negotiated is a good start. Even if the Fish go up to $48 million ($8 million annually), they would still be expecting a two-win player during his prime years. This sort of expectation is mild enough that one would not balk much at it. For now, I would say this is a good offer for the Fish, but negotiations remain, and FIsh Stripes will keep you posted.