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One may not be entirely sure what the general manager of the Florida Marlins, Larry Beinfest, had in mind when he began giving away his team in the off-season, but essentially what he did was destroy the team’s, and fans’ spirits. The 2003-2005 Florida Marlins, who were once feared, are no more. They went from perennial playoff contenders to division bottom feeders.
The free-for-all negotiations that occurred in the off season consisted of trading away seven players: Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Guillermo Mota, Luis Castillo, Carlos Delgado, Paul Lo Duca and Juan Pierre. Of those seven players, six were either starters in the field or in the starting pitching rotation. On top of that, the Marlins lost five players to free agency: A.J. Burnett, Juan Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez, Antonio Alfonseca and Todd Jones. Similarly, of those five players, three were either starters in the field or in the starting pitching rotation. According to the www.baseball-almanac.com’s listing of the 2005 Florida Marlins opening day roster, after all the moves, they have officially lost eight of their nine opening day starters.
In an interview, Gary Gillette, columnist for www.espn.com and editor of the 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, said, “It’s disgraceful, but every club had the opportunity to feed from the Marlins trough.” He wasn’t surprised as he immediately made reference to their past actions. “They did the same thing in 1998. It’s less common in the modern era, but this kind of thing was routine before free agency.” Fellow analyst Jayson Stark, who also works as a columnist for www.espn.com and appears on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” and ESPN Radio, expressed similar disgust in an e-mail interview. “I understand what the Marlins are doing and why they’re doing it. But it’s embarrassing to the sport to have a team that’s so non-competitive in a division as high-profile as the NL East.”
One thing that may be of interest is that of the 12 players they lost, eight of them ended up in the AL. Gillette doesn’t feel that this has stacked the AL because, as mentioned before, everyone did have the chance to get the players. Of the teams who obtained Marlins players, he believes that, “the Red Sox probably benefited the most, albeit their tactics were absolutely ruthless.” Gillette was referring to the habit of a large market team like the Red Sox using its money to lean on smaller teams. The Boston Red Sox received three players, one of which was traded away in a later deal. Among those players is the 2003 World Series MVP, Josh Beckett. Making the deal so appealing for the Marlins was the absorption, by the Red Sox, of third baseman Mike Lowell’s behemoth contract; he is due to receive $9 million this season.
Disagreeing on the topic, Stark said, “The team that benefited most from their moves was the Mets, because they got 25 percent of their starting lineup out of them in Carlos Delgado and Paul Lo Duca. The Red Sox, though, are right behind, with Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. I’d rate the sum contribution of Delgado and Lo Duca higher over the long haul.”
Another notable recipient was the Minnesota Twins, which traded for Gold Glove second baseman Luis Castillo. When asked about the potential positives of the Toronto Blue Jays signing of pitcher A.J. Burnett, Gillette said, “They paid such a huge price that even with a good season from him, they might not have benefited that greatly from the signing.” He also noted that past and present elbow issues could be a concern for the club.
While few agree with what the Marlins did, some still have faith in the organization. Hall of Fame baseball reporter Peter Gammons recently published an article declaring that the organization is building a pennant contender. With a roster that, according to www.espn.com, only has four players who are 30 or older; it may be hard to see things from Gammon’s point of view. Gillette said of the new Marlins, “I do think there is more talent with the Marlins than most people think.” But he was quick to add that it is still “premature to say the Marlins are building a contender.” It is easy to see why dreams of pennants are still several years down the road since the Marlins’ two star players, Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera are a combined 47 years old, which is the age of New York Mets first baseman Julio Franco.
In an interesting twist, the Marlins’ off-season moves have spurred conversation of something that many people consider has long been missing from baseball: a minimum payroll. As of right now, the Florida Marlins’ payroll is just below $15 million. Stark said of their miniscule payroll, “The Yankees employ six players who make more money by themselves than the Marlins’ whole team will make. And this team will take in more than $50 million before it sells a ticket this year, in revenue sharing, national TV money, national and satellite radio revenue, and Central Fund payouts. So I can’t see how the sport can justify allowing this to happen in an age of revenue sharing.”
Stark also added that, “You can’t ask the Yankees to pay $100 million a year in revenue sharing and luxury tax without requiring that teams on the receiving end use the money to keep their major-league team competitive. That’s the whole point!”
While nothing is expected to happen if things stay as they are, Gillette said he believed that, “If the Marlins trade Willis or Cabrera, there will be a movement.” The prospect of such a trade is not only feasible, it is considered by some to be probable due to the money that each player will likely demand after this season.
The Florida Marlins currently sit at 5-11, in last place in their division. Their trades and free agent let-downs have left most scratching their heads. It can be said that this type of activity is bad for baseball, but the true deciding factor will be where the organization goes from here. Are they destined to stand atop of the NL as pennant champions or shall they be banished to the depths of the NL East? Only time will tell.
