Thats a good deal for the marlins, i think he could have gotten more on the open market. Now they just have to keeep all there other prospects to.
As the story notes, the last time they signed players to multi-year deals (Delgado and Lo Duca) they traded them away anyway. This contract doesn't make Ramirez untradeable in any way, so if I was a Marlin fan I wouldn't get too excited about it. If they get to build their stadium that might help for a while, but the Marlins will always have the problem that Miami is a terrible sports town.
Well, Delgado was an aging vet who they signed because they thought they were going to compete for a WS, and Lo Duca was average at best. Ramirez is a guy they can build around for the next 10+ years.
When the Marlins won the WS in 1997 Renteria was 21, Sheffield was 28, Counsell was 26, Hernandez was 22, and Nen was 27; all were gone by 1999. When they won the WS in 2003 Lee was 27, Castillo was 27, Pierre was 25, Penny was 25, and Beckett was 23; all were gone by 2006. Cabrera was 20 and Willis was 21, and of course they are gone now too. Their payroll is so absurdly low that they can add $10M a year for Ramirez and still have a ridiculous payroll. They have never shown the slightest inclination to build around anybody. I will be surprised if he is still on the team in 2012.
They never made a commitment to sign any of them to a big deal. There's obviously something different now if they're willing to give Ramirez 6 yr. $70M when he still had 3 arbitration years left after 2008. It's probably because they plan to open a stadium by 2011 and want a star to build around. By that time, they may very well be able to maintain a competitive payroll.
Well, we'll just have to see, won't we. Given the lack of the kinds of salary cap implications that come from trading guys in the middle of longterm contracts in the NFL, I think you are vastly overstating the significance of this deal. If anything, it makes it easier to trade him in a couple of years, since if he is anywhere near as good as people think he will be, he will be underpaid at that point, and will be signed for four more years. The only way that this deal makes it more likely to keep him is if he ends up stinking.
I don't think they'll trade him just because, like the article said, they want to build a stadium in the near future and need a star to build around. There were rumors they would go hard after A-Rod this off-season if he went through with the opt out. They'd pay the rest of their team about $5M, but they need someone who can sell tickets and get them a new stadium they desperately need.
Ramirez could of easily gotten 17-19 million in 3 years... But who knows if his production would be the same and or get hurt.
This has to be a disturbing trend to the players association. We've seen it again and again with teams locking up young guys over what would have been their arbitration years, and it appears that every year there are less marque free agents. Good for young players in the short term, but could this is just another example of what seems like a serious change in the landscape of baseball economics. I wonder at what point the players association intervenes if the young stars in baseball continue to be signed to deals like this one. Edit: this isn't actually the best example because he'll still be making top money, but he may have made more in arbitration and certainly would have made more if he became an f.o in 4 years. Unless the Marlins can get a new stadium, they will never truly be able to keep Ramirez. He still seems destined to end up on either with the Yankees or back with the Sox eventually ( or maybe the Mets as a CF).
I'm more inclined to believe this is a tactic to try to drum up intrest in the team, hey look we've made a commitment by signing a stud SS to a long term contract. We've got young kids with alot of potential like Josh Willingham, and Cameron Maybin. We've got kids like Dan Uggla and Mike Jacobs who can hit the ball into the parking lot. We've even got some young pitchers with alot of potential like Andrew Miller and Scott Olsen. Now come out and support us by helping us build a new stadium or else we'll have to trade them because we can't afford to pay them. It's the Marlins and it's Miami nobody in their right mind should think that thsi makes Hanley any less tradeable than he was before and any team trading for him would be getting a bargain at the price because look at what a good SS around the league makes getting him at about 12 mill a year isn't bad especially considering he'll probably be trade bait in 2 years. Just a comparison; who would you rather have? Julio Lugo @ 9.25 mill or Ramirez? Rafael Furcal @ over 15 mill or Ramirez Tejada @ 15 mill or Ramirez? Orlando Cabrera @ 10 million or Ramirez? Not to start any controversy but Jeter @ 22 million or Ramirez? Edgar Renteria @ 10 million or Ramirez Now some of those guys are great SS but based on potential and how much they make Ramirez is a bargain. Now some Yankee fans will likely disagree but I'm not looking to start any trouble but imagine if the Yankees had Ramirez as opposed to Jeter right now? Obviously he doesn't have Jeter's credentials but based on age, what they bring to the plate and salary I know who I'd rather have. Christ imagine if the Sox had been able to hold onto him as opposed to Lugo and his 1000 errors and mendoza line BA. Talk about a sick lineup.
makes sense for Ramirez because he wouldn't have gotten close to that in arbitration the next few years, and now the pressure is off.
Ramirez was the most valuable offensive player in the NL last year. He's been even better this year. Who's to say what he would've gotten in arbitration.
I don't know why the players' association would intervene. Don't they want their players to get the most money they can? Ramirez is cashing in on his great start to his career now, while Florida locks up their best player for an extra few years and gets to tell their fans that they are trying. It's a win-win, IMO.
Ramirez isn't a SS, he is a walking error machine. I'd guess that in the future he will become a DH or go into the outfield like Soriano
Are you kidding? The Player's Association LOVES this. Young guys are making more money, and the Barry Zitos and Gil Meches of the world are signing huge deals BECAUSE there are fewer decent free agent options.
Where's the controversy, Jeter is the 2nd most overpaid position player in baseball, he's a poor fielder and doesn't hit anywhere near well enough to be the 3rd highest paid player in baseball. (note the most overpaid is giambi, the 2nd highest paid player overall)
