Fish Stripes - Marlins sign Giancarlo Stanton to 13-year, $325 million contractCovering the Marlins every day in our own wayhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52814/Screen_Shot_2018-12-07_at_12.32.35_PM..png2015-01-29T16:48:18-05:00http://www.fishstripes.com/rss/stream/70020402015-01-29T16:48:18-05:002015-01-29T16:48:18-05:00Stanton, difference between the 2008 and 2015 Fish
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<figcaption>What was the difference between the Marlins in Miguel Cabrera's day and the Marlins with Stanton now? | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Marlins signed Giancarlo Stanton seven years after trading a similar young superstar in Miguel Cabrera. What is the difference between that old team and this new one?</p> <p>Late last week, <a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/miami-marlins-spending-contending-giancarlo-stanton-mat-latos-martin-prado-jose-dee-gordon/">Jonah Keri of Grantland</a> wrote an excellent piece about trying to understand the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> in their latest wave of attempt at being competitive. The Fish are trying to contend around <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span>, whom they signed to the richest contract in American sports history.</p>
<p>Keri specifically asks what the difference is between now and a similar situation seven years ago, when the Marlins failed to sign <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> and traded him away with the same amount of service clock left until free agency.</p>
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; font-family: 'Harriet Text', Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27.2000007629395px;">What changed? How did the Marlins go from a frequently penny-pinching club that couldn’t find the money to sign future first-ballot Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera to a team that just paid Giancarlo Stanton $325 million<a class="footnote-link" data-footnote-id="1" href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/miami-marlins-spending-contending-giancarlo-stanton-mat-latos-martin-prado-jose-dee-gordon/#fn-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #cd251f; padding: 0px 6px; border-radius: 3px; vertical-align: sub; display: inline-block; height: 15px; margin: 0px 2px; font-family: 'Balto Web', 'Knockout 52 A', 'Knockout 52 B', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: #cd251f;"><sup id="ss-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6; display: inline-block; color: #f8f7f3; font-size: 10px; margin: -2px 0px 0px;">1</sup></a> before making a slew of other offseason moves intended to turn Miami into a consistent contender? After 22 tumultuous years for the franchise, why do the Marlins now believe they are financially secure enough to pay their best player a third of a billion dollars and talented enough to compete for a playoff spot — not only in 2015, but also for years to come?</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; font-family: 'Harriet Text', Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27.2000007629395px;">"That’s a long story," said David Samson, the Marlins president since 2002 and likely the only man in baseball who can talk for 20 minutes without taking a single breath.</p>
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<p>The story may be long, but a lot of the story is in fact the same. Seven years later, the situations remain the same and there is very little difference between the two teams, as we have mentioned <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2012/12/13/3761394/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-trade-rumors-miguel-cabrera">multiple</a> <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/4/24/4260270/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-miguel-cabrera-trade-superstars">times</a> here.</p>
<h5>The 2007-2008 Team</h5>
<p>Take yourself back to 2007 and 2008 as a Marlins fan, but forget the Cabrera trade. Imagine a roster with Cabrera on board. Imagine if the Marlins had just dealt Willis to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a> and signed Cabrera to a long-term extension akin to the eventual eight-year, $160 million contract he took. The roster the Fish would have boasted was a frightening one. Recall that the Marlins in 2008 had all four of their infielders knock 20-plus home runs, and just missed the boat on a four-infielder 30-homer campaign by one. Replace Jorge Cantu at third base with Miguel Cabrera and you have yourself a winning combination.</p>
<p>The comparison obviously goes beyond home runs. At the time, the Marlins had one bonafide star standing next to Cabrera in Hanley Ramirez. That matches the 2014-2015 version of the roster, which clearly has <span>Jose Fernandez</span> as approaching Stanton's star power. Ramirez had just finished a monster six-win season, and he would go on to post two more MVP-caliber years and another All-Star campaign before succumbing to injuries and the growing tide of resentment towards him in 2011. The duo of Ramirez and Cabrera under team control through the mid-2010's would have been terrifying for opposing pitchers.</p>
<p>The roster was not bereft of talent beyond that. <span>Jeremy Hermida</span> just came off a strong second half and was showing promise off of his prospect pedigree. You could reasonably have said, at that point, that Hermida figured prominently in the team's future, even though he eventually failed. <span>Dan Uggla</span> was not young at age 27 at the time, but he had multiple team-controlled years left and just put up a 30-homer campaign at second base.</p>
<p>The problem with the roster at the time was that the young, vaunted pitching staff had not yet declared itself. Coming off of the 2006 season, you would have had an easier argument for the Marlins' starting staff being part of a strong supporting cast around Cabrera. Josh Johnson had just put up a fourth-place Rookie of the Year showing, <span>Anibal Sanchez</span> just threw a no-hitter, and the rest of the staff looked reasonable. But the 2007 season featured two major injuries to those guys and poor performances from <span>Scott Olsen</span> and <span>Ricky Nolasco</span>, so it was tough to see where this staff would have gone from there.</p>
<p>The benefit of hindsight tells us a better tale. Johnson became an ace from 2008 through 2010 until he suffered a shoulder injury. Anibal Sanchez developed into a three- to four-win starter and helped anchor the roster. Even Ricky Nolasco had his moments between 2008 and his departure in 2012, and he would have served as an excellent back-of-the-rotation starter for a competitive franchise from that time period.</p>
<p>Overall, that supporting cast from 2006-2007 should have been young and talented enough to convince Miami to stick with Miguel Cabrera at the time. So why did the Fish bail?</p>
<h5>The Stadium</h5>
<p>The primary difference between then and now is simply a matter of financial concerns. The Marlins did not believe they had the financial stability, to Jeffrey Loria's standards, at the time to warrant a major contract extension for Cabrera the likes of which he eventually received. The reason seems obvious now: at the time, the Fish had not received the promise of the new stadium. The Marlins traded the core of the 2003 squad pre-2006 particularly because they had failed to reach the playoffs for two years and the team had not secured a stadium bid. Miami had the same issue in 2007; coming off of an injury-riddled 71-win campaign, the Fish saw no need to invest heavily on a star if the promise of better cash flow in the coming years was not happening.</p>
<p>Ironically enough, a mere two months later, the Marlins got the promise they were looking for, with Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami agreeing to fund a new ballpark in early 2008. Of course, two years of meddling from outside parties due to the controversial financing of the deal came about, and the Marlins would not eventually begin construction until 2010, but the team got the ball rolling on a ballpark deal a mere two months after they dealt Cabrera.</p>
<p>Now, the situation has changed. The Marlins have a semblance of cash revenue from the new stadium, owing to the fact that the franchise pockets nearly 100 percent of the money from the park. The Fish may have "corrected" to a league-low payroll again in 2013, but a lot of that seemingly had to do with Loria's lack of faith in that particular group. The franchise has bumped its payroll up to $65 million this season and plans to increase it slightly as the years progress.</p>
<p>A large part of those increases have to do with Stanton's contract, which pays him just $6.5 million this year but goes up to $14 million next season. Miami has his contract planned out well, with the team expecting a boost in revenue with competitive play and a newly negotiated TV contract in 2018. The difference between now and 2007 has nothing to do with the core of talent around the two superstars, as the core was very similar from before and now. Miami still had holes back then like it has holes in its current roster. The reason why Loria and company feel they can invest in Stanton and fill those holes around him is because of the stadium's promise. Let's hope they deliver on that.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2015/1/29/7926211/giancarlo-stanton-2008-2015-marlins-miguel-cabrera-tradeMichael Jong2014-12-16T09:08:21-05:002014-12-16T09:08:21-05:00On Coonelly's comments about Stanton's contract
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The comments made by Pirates president Frank Coonelly regarding Giancarlo Stanton's record 13-year, $325 million deal were unnecessary, as everyone understood the opt-out concept as it is.</p> <p>Over the weekend, the story came out that Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson were happy to have signed Giancarlo Stanton's 13-year, $325 million contract in part because of the opt-out clause that allowed them to get him on the cheap for the first six years. Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank Coonelly inexplicably chimed in on the situation to <a href="http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/7370405-74/liz-pirates-morton#axzz3Lpi5I4SY">Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review</a> and presumably shed light on the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/12/15/7392113/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-opt-out-extension">Marlins' desire to have Stanton opt out</a>.</p>
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<p><span>“They thought it was a great deal,” Coonelly said. “I just couldn't get my head around the $325 million. They said to me, ‘You don't understand. (Stanton) has an out clause after six years. Those first six years are only going to cost $107 million. After that, he'll leave and play for somebody else. So, it's not really $325 million.' “</span><span><br></span></p>
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<p>The initial reaction to that quote was as expected. Loria and company were bashed for being dishonest, cheap, and alltogether devious for tricking Stanton into such a contract.</p>
<p>Except that this type of contract happens all the time.</p>
<p>It was well-known to everyone once the deal came out that Stanton essentially had two contracts that were his options. He could take the six-year deal worth $107 million, after which he could opt out of his remaining seven years and take a bigger 10-plus year contract in the future, or he could opt-in and take the full $325 million contract. It was also well-known that Miami was taking a calculated but intelligent risk in including the opt-out, as Stanton was free to renegotiate a contract or skip town if his performance was on par with his salary. Given his trajectory and young age, this was reasonably assured.</p>
<p>The intelligence comes from the fact that the Fish signed essentially a six-year deal for cheap and have the chance to be bailed out of Stanton's final seven years, which will be the expensive and downside half of the contract. Coonelly had no need to say that the Marlins felt this might happen, because it was almost assuredly part of the appeal of the opt-out clause. The opt-out is traditionally a player's tool, something from which players fully benefit but teams cannot get value. By backloading the deal and keeping the first three years cheap, Miami extracted a little value out of an otherwise valueless clause to them.</p>
<p>Everyone was aware of that dynamic. It did not need to be said aloud in a derogatory fashion.</p>
<p>Everyone was also made aware well ahead of time that the Marlins actually did not want the opt-out clause to begin with. David Samson re-expressed that in a recent article by <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-marlins/fl-miami-marlins-1216-20141215-story.html">Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel</a>.</p>
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<p><span>"We made it very clear to Joel Wolfe [Stanton's representative] that we did not want an opt out," Samson said. "It was something Giancarlo wanted because he wanted to make sure he and the team continued to move in the right direction. For us, we're getting ready for spring training. We don't get distracted by stuff like this. We're getting ready for the season. This is season one of 13 with Giancarlo."</span></p>
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<p>From the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/20/7253255/giancarlo-stanton-miami-marlins-lifetime-contract-opt-out-clause">press conference discussion</a>, we knew it was Stanton who wanted the opt-out clause, but primarily as insurance against the Marlins' traditional ways rather than a pure money grab.</p>
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<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 1em; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;" class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph16">While the <a style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0e82c5; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7232077/giancarlo-stanton-contract-miami-marlins-opt-out-clause-benefits">opt-out was beneficial to both parties</a>, it sounds as though the Marlins <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">want</b></i>to pay Stanton for 13 years. Their desire is to have him retire as a Marlin rather than cash in on his prime years. While Stanton opting out may not ultimately be a net negative for the Marlins, it appears as though the Fish would have only included this aspect of the deal if they knew Stanton had the right intentions with it.</p>
<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 1em; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;" class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph17">And Stanton himself sounds like he wants to stay in one place for the rest of his life. He initially pushed for the lifetime deal. The opt-out for him was a security measure, as one would have expected such clauses to initially be. Stanton rightfully was still hesitant to lock up with Miami for so long after such a turbulent history of fire sales and inconsistency. The opt-out is his defense against that. And if the Marlins are as interested in keeping him as they sounded in their negotiations, they have to play their part in building a winning team around him.</p>
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<p>The negotiations sounded earnest enough, and the Fish and Stanton eventually agreed on a time frame for when the clause would come out. Remember, the Marlins initially offered just a six-year contract that was reasonably close to market value, but Stanton rejected that deal and wanted a lifetime contract with no-trade provisions.</p>
<p>Coonelly's comments were not only unnecessary in that they were media-projected and negative towards a fellow ownership group, but they were both obvious and depicted in an inaccurate negative light. The Marlins never intended to make an opt-out clause, though they had initially not intended to sign Stanton to 13 years either. Yes, the opt-out can be beneficial to both sides, but there is no reason to bash that aspect of the contract, no more than there is reason to bash any pre-free agent deal that benefits a team.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2014/12/16/7401201/giancarlo-stanton-contract-frank-coonelly-comments-opt-out-clause-marlins-piratesMichael Jong2014-11-20T14:00:03-05:002014-11-20T14:00:03-05:00Stanton wanted a lifetime contract with Marlins
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The press conference for yesterday's announcement of Giancarlo Stanton's 13-year, $325 million contract was a revealing one, and it showed that Stanton may be ready to commit to this team - and this deal - for his career.</p> <p>Yesterday, the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Marlins</a> officially announced <span>Giancarlo Stanton's</span> mammoth 13-year, $325 million contract with the team in a press conference filled with smiles. Both sides were very happy with the results, as well they should be. The Marlins began the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7239107/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-contract-jeffrey-loria-credibility">steps towards credibility</a> by retaining their star talent through the prime of his career, and potentially for life. Stanton secured himself a lot of money over the course of his career, and he has all sorts of backup in the contract in case things go wrong. Miami agreed not only to a no-trade clause that would allow Stanton to dictate a deal if he wanted to, but they also gave him an opt-out of the contract after six years.</p>
<p>The whole contract is brand new territory for the Marlins, but the opt-out was particularly interesting. Traditionally, these clauses have been used to secure more money going forward, with almost every player who received this type of offer utilizing the ability. Only one player with an opt-out, <span>Vernon Wells</span>, declined to exercise his right to re-enter free agency. The timing of Stanton's opt-out was also pertinent. After six years, Stanton will be entering his age-31 season, around the same age that superstars like <span>Robinson Cano</span>, <span>Albert Pujols</span>, and <span>Alex Rodriguez</span> secured their monster 10-year deals in free agency. Ideally, this would be a perfect time for Stanton to opt out of a contract and set himself up for life, either with Miami on an even larger deal or with another team.</p>
<p>The majority of players would do such a thing, but at least in the early discussions about the contract negotiations, it does not sound like Stanton is one of those players. <a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2014/11/update-on-marlins-free-agent-moves-behind-the-scenes-nuggets-on-stanton-.html">Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald</a> had some press conference backstage tidbits that were very interesting to unpack. It sounds initially like it was <i style="font-weight: bold;">Stanton who wanted the lifetime contract</i>, and that the Marlins initially came out with a deal that approached market value.</p>
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<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 20px; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;">The Marlins’ first offer to Stanton was vastly different than the one he accepted. According to sources, the Marlins made a six-year, $130 million offer shortly after the season ended.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 20px; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;">Agent <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Joel Wolfe</strong> said Stanton declined the offer and "had me tell them if it’s not a lifetime contract, there’s no point in talking. The offer wasn’t insulting but he didn’t want a traditional [<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Mike] Trout</strong>-type contract."</p>
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<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2014/11/update-on-marlins-free-agent-moves-behind-the-scenes-nuggets-on-stanton-.html#storylink=cpy</div>
<p>That six-year, $130 million contract would have paid Stanton slightly less money than <span>Mike Trout</span>, which is probably all that most fans will recognize. However, Stanton is only two years from free agency, so the earnings scale should have been different. In this initial offer, the Marlins are paying $25 million per year for four free agent seasons in addition to the approximately $30 million he might have earned in arbitration.</p>
<p>Such a contract is probably below market value, but not by a terrible amount. It would not have been an unreasonable deal, but Stanton and his agent Joel Wolfe declined because they wanted to the lifetime contract to start! Stanton requested the deal that would keep him in Miami for the long haul!</p>
<p>So the Marlins bought in, and they went to work discussing the potential contract.</p>
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<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 20px; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;">[Team president David Samson] said Stanton asked a lot of "direct" questions. Such as: "Do you view the core of the team the way I view the core?... Are you looking to add more bats?"</p>
<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 20px; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;">The Marlins brass said yes to that "add more bats" question and then "we all said, to really do this, we need the next three years to be lower than market," Samson said. "It’s what the Heat did --- they took less to have more."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 20px; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;">Stanton was on board with the idea and ultimately took $30 million over the next three.</p>
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<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2014/11/update-on-marlins-free-agent-moves-behind-the-scenes-nuggets-on-stanton-.html#storylink=cpy</div>
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<p>Stanton <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7243945/giancarlo-stanton-extension-backloaded-to-give-marlins-flexibility">agreed to take less money</a> to <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/19/7245513/giancarlo-stantons-extension-opens-up-significant-budget-room-for">provide the Marlins more payroll flexibility</a>. For a player in the prime of his career, heading into free agency and sure-fire cash in just two years, this seems like an unprecedented move. The Marlins convinced Stanton to take less money so that the team could build around him earlier, making the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7238547/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-contract-six-years-window-of-competition">six-year window of contention</a> even more important. Stanton signed up to earn just around half of his expected salary each of the next three years, saving Miami about $27 million over those seasons.</p>
<p>This has an interesting added effect that makes you think he will stay for the long haul. Stanton's first six years of his contract are worth just $107 million, with $77 million of that tied to the last three years. The remaining seven years of his contract are worth $216 million, which is a huge sum of money to give up. Who knows what the baseball market will be like in six years, but suffice to say that as of right now, no player at age 31 has earned $30 million a year. That could change, but as of right now, the tail end of that contract holds a lot of the monetary value of this monster contract.</p>
<p>The deal is a stroke of genius for the Fish, who signed up for Stanton's prime years at well under the market rate and gave themselves an easy out in the opt-out to escape from paying a huge sum for a star player's decline years. But the way you hear both Stanton and the Marlins' brass describe the opt-out negotiation, you would think that it was a tenuous process to put the clause in.</p>
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<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 20px; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;">"We said opt-out clauses historically have only been to get money," Samson said. "He said that’s not why we’re doing it. He said, ‘I don’t want an opt-out clause because of instead making $218 million over the last seven years, I want to make $219 million or $319 million…</p>
<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 20px; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial, helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;">"[He said], ‘I want to make sure I’m in a place where there’s sustained winning and a winning culture.’ Once we believed the opt-out clause would be used as a shield and not a sword, we were OK with it. That required some very direct questions to him, which we asked. They answered it correctly. As he pointed out, either way he makes the money."</p>
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<p>While the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7232077/giancarlo-stanton-contract-miami-marlins-opt-out-clause-benefits">opt-out was beneficial to both parties</a>, it sounds as though the Marlins <i><b>want</b> </i>to pay Stanton for 13 years. Their desire is to have him retire as a Marlin rather than cash in on his prime years. While Stanton opting out may not ultimately be a net negative for the Marlins, it appears as though the Fish would have only included this aspect of the deal if they knew Stanton had the right intentions with it.</p>
<p>And Stanton himself sounds like he wants to stay in one place for the rest of his life. He initially pushed for the lifetime deal. The opt-out for him was a security measure, as one would have expected such clauses to initially be. Stanton rightfully was still hesitant to lock up with Miami for so long after such a turbulent history of fire sales and inconsistency. The opt-out is his defense against that. And if the Marlins are as interested in keeping him as they sounded in their negotiations, they have to play their part in building a winning team around him.</p>
<p>The commitment has yet to be seen on either side. Six years is a long time, and opinions can change. We already know Jeffrey Loria can switch opinions in a heartbeat. But barring a carefully concocted group lie about the way negotiations were handled, it sounds as though both the Marlins and Stanton want to be together for the long haul. It is now up to the Marlins to ensure they get their wish.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/20/7253255/giancarlo-stanton-miami-marlins-lifetime-contract-opt-out-clauseMichael Jong2014-11-19T09:00:09-05:002014-11-19T09:00:09-05:00Stanton's extension opens budget room for Marlins
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<p>Even if the Marlins do not bump their payroll, the structure of Giancarlo Stanton's contract at least opens room for an additional move in free agency.</p> <p>The last time we discussed <span>Giancarlo Stanton's</span> new contract, we did not have the details of the salary breakdown for his deal. But now that those salary details have been revealed, we find that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> had backloaded the contract in an unexpected fashion. As is customary for the Marlins, the team backloaded the deal, but this time it was at Stanton's request, as it would allow Miami more payroll room to try and fit pieces around Stanton earlier in his run with the team.</p>
<p>Just how much payroll room did Miami open up? The last time we <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/7/7174629/2015-marlins-offseason-plan-arbitration-payroll-60-million">discussed the team's payroll and budget</a>, we said that Miami would have <i style="font-weight: bold;">just under $3 million</i> available to them if they did not budge from that $60 million target payroll for next season. The breakdown was as such:</p>
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Type</th> <th>Salary ($mil)</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Guaranteed contracts</td>
<td>15.6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Arbitration</td>
<td>33.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pre-arbitration</td>
<td>8.9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Total</b></td>
<td><b>57.8</b></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Now the deals have switched around a bit.</p>
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Type</th>
<th>Salary ($mil)</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Guaranteed contracts</td>
<td>22.1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Arbitration</td>
<td>20.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pre-arbitration</td>
<td>8.9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Total</b></td>
<td><b>51.3</b></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Stanton is slated to make the same $6.5 million that he made last season with Miami. This opens up $6.5 million in payroll space for the Fish, giving them closer to <i style="font-weight: bold;">$8.7 million</i> to work with in terms of space to add contracts. That is significant enough that, if you stretch it by a few million or backload a free agent contract, you could look at a middle-tier addition like <span>Jed Lowrie</span>, <span>Chase Headley</span>, or <span>Brandon McCarthy</span> as a possibility.</p>
<p>But it seems as though the Marlins are clamoring for bigger names. The <span>James Shields</span> <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/8/13/5998877/miami-marlins-rumors-james-shields-free-agent-rumors-2015">rumors</a> have <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/11/18/7244371/james-shields-rumors-marlins-diamondbacks">resurfaced</a>, as the Marlins are again looking at starting pitchers despite <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/10/6/6917409/2014-marlins-season-review-starting-pitcher-success">having known depth at the position</a>. The Fish want a front-line starter, but Shields would cost them closer to $18 million a season (MLB Trade Rumors projected a five-year, $96 million contract), and Shields's numbers have slowly been on the decline. Even if you backload the first year, you would suspect Shields would make $13 million in that firrst year, which at least stretches the Marlins payroll a bit more.</p>
<p>But the suspicion right now, based on the rumors regarding Shields and <span>Adam LaRoche</span>, is that the Marlins <i style="font-weight: bold;">are not </i>staying in line with a $60 million or so payroll. Right now, it would not surprise anyone to see Miami open up with one or two new names on the roster and a payroll of closer to $80 million, though no official numbers have been released by any sources. With the team pursuing talent in a <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7238547/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-contract-six-years-window-of-competition">seemingly win-now fashion</a>, payroll may become less of a concern.</p>
<p>Stanton's contract helps that to a degree. He is slated to make just $30 million in his first three seasons, which includes one free agent year. This is far less than what he would have made in the free agent market and arbitration. Compared to our expected contract structure, Stanton's actual deal opens up about <i style="font-weight: bold;">$27 million</i> in payroll stretched over three years. Those savings are bigger in the second and third years of the contract, meaning they open up significant potential space for long-term deals now.</p>
<p>This is also especially true if the Marlins follow up on their plan to <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/11/7190829/marlins-open-extension-talks-with-yelich-fernandez-hechavarria">try and extend young talent</a> already on the roster. The concept of extending <span>Adeiny Hechavarria</span> is nonsensical, but the thought of offering <span>Christian Yelich</span> a deal this offseason would be an excellent move. Yelich figures to make the next-most amount of money among position players on this team once arbitration rolls around, so locking him up earlier is a wise payroll move that could help save dollars to open up for longer-term deals like a potential Shields contract.</p>
<p>Miami has seemingly made a sudden U-turn with expectations to win coming soon. The Stanton has been a game-changer in more than a few ways, so expect Miami to remain active in the Hot Stove going forward.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/19/7245513/giancarlo-stantons-extension-opens-up-significant-budget-room-forMichael Jong2014-11-18T19:51:30-05:002014-11-18T19:51:30-05:00Stanton contract backloaded to ensure flexibility
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/R3ZTVhpaXi2zz9BATaTyzcYs5Gw=/0x10:4099x2743/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44183570/usa-today-8040968.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Miami's star right fielder chose to decrease his salary over the first few seasons of his extension in order to allow the organization to put key pieces around him. </p> <p>Miami <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7237553/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-13-year-325-million-contract">accomplished its first offseason goal </a>by extending <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span>. And according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Stanton requested he be paid less over the first six years of his contract in order to give the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> more payroll flexibility.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>As <a href="https://twitter.com/jaysonst">@jaysonst</a> reported, Stanton gets $107M over first 6 years, $218M in next 7 if he does not opt out. His idea to give <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Marlins?src=hash">#Marlins</a> flexibility.</p>
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/534805380132773888">November 18, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>While the contract Stanton received is notably large, the fact that he opted to be paid less over the first six years proves he is interested in winning now. Before negotiations started, Stanton made it clear that he wanted to play for a contender, and by accepting the deal made it known that he is content with the direction the organization is headed. Considering his 13 year, $325 million contract would have paid him at least $25 million annually, it is only fair that Stanton takes less so that the Marlins can improve the club.</p>
<p>Although he wants the organization to make all of the moves necessary to improve the roster, Stanton may not directly benefit from the early salary reduction. As Rosenthal noted, the deal is only worth $107 million over the first six years, and Stanton could opt-out beyond that. At that point in time, he might not leave $218 million on the table, but the first few figures likely benefit the Marlins considering the extension could have limited what they were able to spend on other players.</p>
<p>CBS' Jon Heyman was among the first to report the contract breakdown on Tuesday night.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Giancarlo breakdown: 6.5M, 9M, 14,5M, 25M, 26M, 26M, 29M, 32M, 32M, 32M, 29M, 25M, 25M team option/10M buyout <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/marlins?src=hash">#marlins</a></p>
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/534834055964282880">November 18, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Miami is looking to upgrade several positions, notably first and second base, and add an arm to the rotation this offseason. Stanton is likely earning less than he would have if he went through the arbitration process, but his decision may benefit the Marlins over the next few seasons.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7238547/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-contract-six-years-window-of-competition">Both the Marlins and Stanton want to win now</a>, and the extension reflects that. The Marlins now have some room to work with after signing Stanton long term, and it will be up to them to take advantage of that.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7243945/giancarlo-stanton-extension-backloaded-to-give-marlins-flexibilityScott Gelman2014-11-18T14:00:04-05:002014-11-18T14:00:04-05:00Signing Stanton first step to credibility for Fish
<figure>
<img alt="Jeffrey Loria would like to rebuild credibility from the days of 2003. Signing Giancarlo Stanton is a start." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qlxv1zsl374sEVE4GHhyXFJ1BZk=/0x72:3221x2219/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44177380/usa-today-7364051.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeffrey Loria would like to rebuild credibility from the days of 2003. Signing Giancarlo Stanton is a start. | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Signing Giancarlo Stanton was the first step to rebuilding credibility in the Miami Marlins' organization and the work of owner Jeffrey Loria, but it is certainly not the last.</p> <p><span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> and the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Marlins</a> have agreed to the record-breaking 13-year, $325 million contract that sent shockwaves across the media. All over, media outlets had reactions to the deal. Not only did the reactions talk about Stanton and whether he could live up to the value of his new deal, but also about how that deal reflects on the team's front office and ownership. The impact of Stanton's new long-term deal has spread into a discussion about the Marlins organization as a whole and owner Jeffrey Loria in particular.</p>
<p>On the positive side, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2F2014%2F11%2F17%2Fgiancarlo-stanton-contract-worth-it%2F19196359%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fishstripes.com%2F2014%2F11%2F18%2F7239107%2Fmiami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-contract-jeffrey-loria-credibility" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bob Nightengale of USA Today</a> believes this is a turning point.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;">Suddenly, with the stroke of an autograph on a contract, all is forgiven.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;">The cheapness.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;">The fire sales.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;">Even the broken promises.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;">Sure, the Marlins have yet to contend since the blockbuster in November 2012 that sent shortstop <span>Jose Reyes</span> and starters <span>Mark Buehrle</span> to Toronto just 11 months after signing them.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;"><i style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">snip</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;"><span>Well, that image will be immediately restored this week with the first installment of their $325 million expenditure.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>On the opposite end of the spectrum, the ever-present <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/giancarlo-stanton-is-playing-a-dangerous-game--believing-in-the-marlins-035528275.html">Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span>What that combination can do is make you want to believe the best in people, even people like Loria and Samson, whose last endeavor into big money ended in a spectacular fire sale that drew Stanton’s ire. He was the last person they wanted angry: a monster power hitter in a sport with a dearth, a marketer's fantasy with his handsome looks and multiple ethnicities that appeal to a wide swath, a good person and a grand presence and a dream anchor around which to build, if only the Marlins could build something Loria and Samson would keep together longer than a sneeze.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Joining him, <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11893450/giancarlo-stanton-record-deal-miami-marlins-just-right">Jerry Crasnick of ESPN</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span>But it doesn't change the inherent premise: If the rampant mistrust over Loria's pocketing of revenue-sharing money and his other transgressions deprived him of the benefit of the doubt in the past, what precisely has changed now that he's moved on to his next big thing?</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The question, as it always is in Miami, is whether Jeffrey Loria can get out of his own way in order to get the Marlins to be a competitive franchise.</p>
<p>The answer, even after this $325 million contract to the best player the Marlins have had since <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> and <span>Hanley Ramirez</span>, is "too early to tell."</p>
<p>Loria came out and told <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article3984093.html">Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald</a> that he would build around Stanton. He would surround Stanton with talent, and that the process was already starting now. Indeed, Miami has the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/6/24/5836542/miami-marlins-best-outfield-baseball-2014-giancarlo-stanton-marcell-ozuna-christian-yelich">best outfield in baseball</a> secured, with Stanton, <span>Marcell Ozuna</span>, and <span>Christian Yelich</span> all under team control together through 2019. That group and <span>Jose Fernandez</span> represent the current Marlins core for the next competitive team, but it may need help in the form of contract extensions or plugged holes in the rest of the lineup. When the time comes to make additions to the roster, will Loria allow Michael Hill and <span>Dan Jennings</span> to be aggressive and go for it, or will he pinch pennies as he has many times before?</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7238089/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-325-million-contract-greatest-young-hitters">
<h2>Marlins signed generational talent in Stanton</h2>
<img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E2qA9FimuqOAbi0y8IehhQQE86A=/0x103:1803x1117/305x172/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44176748/usa-today-8075004.0.jpg"> </a> <span>The Marlins signed a record deal for Giancarlo Stanton, who may be generational talent at the plate.</span>
</div>
<p>We have seen examples of both sides of this coin. The Marlins traded <span>Derrek Lee</span> away after the 2003 World Series, but after a disappointing 2004 season, they signed <span>Carlos Delgado</span> to a record contract for them at the time. Of course, Delgado survived just one year in Miami before being traded after a repeat disappointing campaign in 2005.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the Fish had come so close to the playoffs in a surprise 2009 run that Loria actually considered firing manager Fredi Gonzalez because he fell short. Yet in the offseason, Miami did nothing to plug the obvious holes at first and third base among other things and regressed in 2010.</p>
<p>The fickle and rash decision-making of Loria is also still in question, no matter how long the team reports a commitment to Stanton. Miami took just three months and change to decide the 2012 core was not a contender, and they wiped away a healthy amount of goodwill in a fire sale trade that made baseball sense but took another shot at their credibility. Who's to say that, even with a no-trade clause, that such an immediate teardown around Stanton would not happen again if the Marlins struggle through another first half?</p>
<p>Signing Stanton is a start. It signals to free agents that at least one of these building blocks is around, and that a competitive window is open for these next six years if the team establishes a solid foundation around Stanton. It does help to mitigate some of the trepidation left over from the nasty way the fire sale trade of 2011 was supposedly handled. But that help may not be this year, with a weak free agent market and a team with question marks remaining after a positive season. It may take another year or two for Miami to build credibility to acquire free agent talent.</p>
<div class="pullquote">The Marlins should be choosy on whom they spend. But Loria will have to spend to make this team better</div>
<p>And that's OK. The Marlins should be choosy on whom they spend. But Loria will have to spend to make this team better; this has been necessitated with the six-year window of Stanton's stay. But if he does spend, and the front office makes wise use of the allotted money, the Marlins may get what ultimately wins their credibility back entirely: <i style="font-weight: bold;">wins</i>. Ultimately, signing Stanton is not only a signal to the outside world and to fans, but it is securing a certain number of wins. If Miami accumulates enough of them, the fans will start to filter back into the beautiful Marlins Park, public-paid or otherwise. And that's because, despite all that Marlins fans have gone through, the city of Miami appreciates just like any other market, and they will pay to see a winning baseball product.</p>
<p>That is how Loria and company can really build credibility. Stanton is the first step. The next step is building around Stanton to get to that winning product. With wins comes the respect of fans and eventually of the outside baseball world.</p>
<div class="likebox-fullwidth"><iframe src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https://www.facebook.com/FishStripes&width=560&height=185&colorscheme=light&show_faces=true&show_border=false&stream=false&header=false" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden;" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7239107/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-contract-jeffrey-loria-credibilityMichael Jong2014-11-18T12:00:05-05:002014-11-18T12:00:05-05:00Marlins wise to extend Giancarlo Stanton
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3hVKoGWr_q01O9tyamxCcyKTun0=/0x56:2532x1744/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44177378/usa-today-8075003.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Marlins did end up paying him well, but by doing so ensured they will be respectable and likely competitive for at least another six seasons. </p> <p>It didn't take very long for the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Marlins</a> to extend <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> this offseason. Just days after several sources revealed the club offered Stanton a 13 year, $325 million contract, Marlins owner <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7237553/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-13-year-325-million-contract">Jeffrey Loria confirmed it.</a> And that might be the most surprising part of it all.</p>
<p>For months following the post-2012 fire sale that saw names like <span>Jose Reyes</span>, <span>Mark Buehrle</span>, and <span>Josh Johnson</span>, all <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/national-league-all-stars" class="sbn-auto-link">All-Stars</a> at some point in their careers, it was Loria who took all of the heat, and rightfully so. He gained a reputation for being cheap, fielding comparatively competitive teams with a payroll that for the most part was among the ten lowest in the National League. There were some indications that if such behavior continued Major League Baseball would force him to sell the team, struggling to justify the reasons he chose baseball in the first place.</p>
<p>There is a place and time to discuss that fire sale trade. Yes, <span>Adeiny Hechavarria</span> has been deemed average defensively, and his bat has not fully developed. And yes, <span>Jake Marisnick</span> was not directly valuable but useful in a trade last July. Justin Nicolino continues to progress, and <span>Henderson Alvarez</span> has become one of Miami's best pitchers. But this Stanton extension is not about the past but is rather indicative of the future.</p>
<p>When they drafted him, the then-Florida Marlins had a feeling they had a star in the making. The club passed on <span>Jason Heyward</span>, ironically traded to St. Louis on Monday afternoon, and for just a few seconds looked lost. But his recent power, his leadership potential, and his ability to carry an offense have all made it clear that the Marlins took a great player.</p>
<p>Rarely have the Marlins spent any form of cash on players that have proven to be great. They were quick to get rid of <span>Miguel Cabrera</span>, who has had a great run with the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tigers</a> and before this deal becomes official on Wednesday afternoon was the recipient of one of the biggest contracts in baseball history. Miami has never operated with a large payroll, and even after moving into a new ballpark and initially struggling the payroll returned to what South Florida was all too used to it being.</p>
<p>Few thought it was significant when Larry Beinfest was fired. But with the Marlins' new front office getting this deal done, it is evident that Beinfest had a bit too much to do with Miami's inconsistencies. Stanton reportedly has a great relationship with General Manager Dan Jennings, and that could have been the difference in this deal. Loria promoted Jennings and promised he would stop getting involved, and appeared to have done so last season. Stanton needed to be promised change was coming. He needed to see that this club is going to get better, and that baseball in Miami will become popular because after Lebron James' departure he will be among the faces of professional sports in South Florida.</p>
<p>As soon as extension talks began, the loyalty factor was brought into question. But this deal will likely continue to be more about trust than anything. Stanton has been publicly annoyed that the Marlins have not been competitive within the National League East since he made his Major League debut. He used Twitter to express his frustration after the trade with Toronto, and earlier in the year told Yahoo! Sports that "five winning months didn't make up for five losing years." Maybe Stanton was playing hard to get. But after being so outraged with the franchise, questioning their decisions and talent on the field, and having other opportunities available to him, Stanton would have no logical reason to stay unless he knew good things were coming.</p>
<p>Miami has one of the best outfields in baseball, an incredible amount of starting pitching depth, and a young roster that will continue to grow. The Marlins have holes to fill and positions that lack depth, but if Jennings and Hill didn't ensure great things were ahead, why stay? Stanton even told the media he wanted proof that the squad was improving before he signed an extension. And sure enough, it did.</p>
<p>For Stanton, who was the National League leader in home runs in 2014 and posted .288/.395/.555 batting line to complement a 6.1 WAR and 105 RBIs, of course it was about the money. He will easily be among the highest paid players in the game, but he deserves it. And what would have happened if the Marlins waited too long? Virtually every team has likely asked about Stanton at some point, and in a another season or two, he may not have passed up the opportunity to play for the nationally appreciated <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Sox</a> or his hometown <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a>.</p>
<p>Stanton has now become the face of the Marlins, but he cannot stand alone. Even with the payroll increase, the organization needs to be prepared to spend in order to get better. That does not mean signing huge free agents as the Marlins did before 2012. It means acknowledging areas of weakness and signing players that can help, which the club was, for the most part, able to do last winter.</p>
<p>Among the most surprising parts of the deal are the no-trade and opt-out clauses. Miami doesn't give no-trade clauses, but it made an exception for a great player, and that should be respected. And the opt-out portion gives the Marlins and Stanton a chance to part ways if things don't go as planned.</p>
<p>Signing Stanton without seeing if he is completely healthy has been seen as a risk by some, but what other options did the Marlins have? If they waited it out, he likely would be gone. You don't want $25 million dollars sitting on your bench, but it appears that Stanton should be good to go moving forward.</p>
<p>This signing was necessary now, and is just as much about progress as it is about Stanton. Two seasons ago, Stanton's status was unclear. Now, it will no longer be frequently discussed. Good players are expensive and get better with talent around them. By extending Stanton, the Marlins are not ensuring a World Series appearance in 2015. But they can feel comfortable knowing their best player will be around for a while.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7238721/marlins-wise-to-extend-giancarlo-stantonScott Gelman2014-11-18T09:00:06-05:002014-11-18T09:00:06-05:00Marlins have six years to win around Stanton
<figure>
<img alt="Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna may be just as important as Giancarlo Stanton in light of this contract." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9gwUPrvNhxeA9tsrivelqBFQj10=/0x438:1843x1667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44176810/usa-today-7846065.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna may be just as important as Giancarlo Stanton in light of this contract. | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Marlins have bought themselves an affordable window of time to win around Giancarlo Stanton. They need to capitalize on that window by making the right decisions before time is up.</p> <p>There is much rejoicing among <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Marlins</a> after yesterday brought official news that the Fish signed <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> to the rumored <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7237999/miami-marlins-sign-giancarlo-stanton-13-year-325-million-contract">13-year, $325 million contract</a>. The biggest contract in baseball history is going to a <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7238089/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-325-million-contract-greatest-young-hitters">young player who could be one of the best players</a> of his generation based on his production at such a young age, making the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/14/7223833/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-extension-325-million-deserved-analysis">contract a likely deserved one</a>. Despite the enormous sum of money that the Fish just potentially threw down, this is a huge moral victory for the Marlins.</p>
<p>But now comes the difficult part: the franchise has set a new competitive clock with this deal.</p>
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<strong>More Stanton contract</strong>: <a target="new" href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/12/7200823/marlins-contract-extension-christian-yelich-jose-fernandez-adeiny-hechavarria-odds">Deal official</a> <a target="new" href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7238089/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-325-million-contract-greatest-young-hitters">Generational talent</a> <a target="new" href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7232077/giancarlo-stanton-contract-miami-marlins-opt-out-clause-benefits">Opt-out benefit?</a>
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<p>Stanton is almost certainly going to opt out of after the 2020 season barring some unforeseen consequence that would be devastating to the Marlins. The only way Stanton stays in the 13-year deal after 2020 is if he is underperforming his salary, which is unlikely to happen given his trajectory among the league's best hitters. If and when Stanton does opt out, you can expect him to be looking for a <span>Robinson Cano</span>- or Albert Pujols-type contract coming out of his prime years. That means he would be interested in 10 years and a large sum of money that would take him to retirement in his early 40's to replace the remaining seven-year, $187.6 million pact.</p>
<p>This is <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/17/7232077/giancarlo-stanton-contract-miami-marlins-opt-out-clause-benefits">not necessarily a bad thing for Miami</a>. The opt-out could help the Marlins avoid overpaying the tail end of Stanton's career while still getting a discount on his prime years. But the end result is that Stanton may very well leave the Marlins in six years even if their relationship remains in great shape. And that means Miami's window for contention has suddenly been accelerated.</p>
<p>Before, the Marlins had no strong compulsion to push for contention soon. The Fish were facing an impending Stanton departure, which likely would have led to a rebuild and a franchise led by <span>Christian Yelich</span> and <span>Jose Fernandez</span>, one that may be ready to compete in 2016 or 2017 after a trade for prospect talent. Even with Stanton, there was definitely still a question as to whether Miami would be ready to compete in the next two years with its meager position player crew.</p>
<div class="pullquote">Once Stanton turns 31, he will certainly beg out of the contract and it may not be beneficial for Miami to stick with him. By that time, the Marlins have to have competed and made the playoffs for this contract to feel like a success.</div>
<p>Now the Fish no longer have the luxury of uncertainty to wait around on a Stanton decision. The Marlins have a set timeline to become and remain competitive, as the team's newest $137 million investment only lasts for six prime years. Once Stanton turns 31, he will certainly beg out of the contract and it may not be beneficial for Miami to stick with him. By that time, the Marlins <b><i>have</i></b> to have competed and made the playoffs for this contract to feel like a success.</p>
<p>A lot is riding on Stanton to continue his trajectory as one of the best players in baseball. But an equally large amount is riding on the Marlins to assist Stanton, as owner Jeffrey Loria claimed he would.</p>
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<p id="paragraph1" class="pgh-paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 1em; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">"A landmark day. It means everything for the franchise," Loria told the <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Miami Herald </i>over the phone. "We have a face of the franchise for the next 13 years."</p>
<p id="paragraph2" class="pgh-paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 1em; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">"I expect him to be a Marlin for the next 13 years. We are going to be surrounding him, we already started to surround him, with All-Star caliber players, and there will be more."</p>
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<p>The process starts with <i style="font-weight: bold;">more contract extensions</i>. But Miami cannot do what it did to Stanton and allow time for value to build up. Not every player will agree to an early long-term extension that buys out free agent years, but Miami now faces a chance to lock up young talent like Christian Yelich and <span>Marcell Ozuna</span> early. The <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/11/7190829/marlins-open-extension-talks-with-yelich-fernandez-hechavarria">team has expressed interest in early extensions</a> for Yelich, Jose Fernandez, and Adeiny Hechavarria. While the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/12/7200823/marlins-contract-extension-christian-yelich-jose-fernandez-adeiny-hechavarria-odds">signings have different odds of happening</a>, the idea points Miami in the right direction. If they truly believe some of these players are part of the next great Marlins core, they should sign as many of them as they can early before these players build up star value like Stanton did. These types of early deals are of minimal risk to the Fish but of maximal gain if they can earn cheap free agent years.</p>
<p>The timing of these moves is also important. Yelich is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2019 season. The same goes for Ozuna. Fernandez hits the market a year earlier. This trio of talent behind Stanton is the group that will primarily help Miami contend, but they are all scheduled to become free agents before Stanton's post-2020 opt-out. At this point, Miami is likely to hold onto all three through to the end just to retain the competitive window they help provide, but extending any of these guys into their first two or three free agent years provides help throughout Stanton's likely stay in Miami, and perhaps at below-market prices.</p>
<p>The next thing for Miami to do is to find the right added pieces of the puzzle. The Fish have a lot of depth in pitching, and they need to recognize who, if any among them, are worthy of time beyond arbitration. They also need to see if any of their own players are ready to take over in the infield, where the Marlins are at their worst. Filling in these gaps and determining which players have futures (Yelich, Fernandez) and which are more expendable (the majority of the rotation) will be key to spending resources wisely. The notoriously tight-pursed Marlins have to spend intelligently, but now with the Stanton extension, they <i style="font-weight: bold;">have to spend</i> at the right times to add to this team.</p>
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<p>The challenge is in front of Miami to build a contender around Stanton. The first pieces are here, and securing the right ones in a cost-effective fashion is the next step. When Miami finds an opportunity in the trade or free agent market, they need to take advantage as well. But for the first time since the late 2000's, it seems like Miami has a certain clock on their future. Stanton's extension has opened the contention window. The Marlins have six years to try and keep it as open as possible.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2014/11/18/7238547/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton-contract-six-years-window-of-competitionMichael Jong