The Miami Marlins have just agreed to a 13 year $325 million deal with outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. The 25 year old Stanton hit .288 with 37 homeruns and 105 runs batted in. Astonishing numbers for a 25 year old. Many 25 year olds have not even made it out of the minor leagues yet alone put up all star numbers. Did the Marlins make the right move though?
Keith Olbermann thinks the deal is a scam. Stanton stands to make $107 million over the first six years before Stanton enters his option years. Marlins owner essentially has Stanton signed at a bargains rate of $30 million over the first three years. This heavily backloaded contract allows Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria to do one of two things.
First he can attempt to dump Stanton once he gets to those big money years. Don’t think he will? When the Florida Marlins became the Miami Marlins, Loria made a huge splash spending on guys like Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell. He spent A LOT of money on these free agents only to ship them off the following year in a salary dump trade. Don’t rule out Giancarlo Stanton being dumped in four years.
Loria can also sell the team. If Loria can’t put a contending team together in the first three years that he was Stanton at essentially a discount with the money he’s saving, look for him to sell the team. The Marlins have been rebranded since moving to Miami. New location, new ballpark, and an OK roster, Loria can definitely cash in on the sale of the Marlins.
For now, Giancarlo Stanton is a $325 million man playing for the Miami Marlins, but I’m not so sure he will be there by the conclusion of this contract in 2027. Either Stanton or Loria will be on the move in 2017.