The Marlins Put Miami in a Vice

Just a season after opening a brand new ballpark, costing the city of Miami $634 million the team decided to make another change. On the heels of a last-place 69-93 record and the firing of manager Ozzie Guillen, the Marlins made a trade for the ages. Throughout the year the Marlins made a few small moves, the biggest of which was to ship Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers. But nobody expected the Marlins to break up their team so heavily.

The Marlins went for broke last week — trading shortstop Jose Reyes, starting pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, catcher John Buck and utility player Emilio Bonifacio to the Toronto Blue Jays for shortstops Yunel Escobar and Adeiny Hechavarria, pitcher Henderson Alvarez, catcher Jeff Mathis and prospects. The players the Marlins sent over to the Blue Jays have a combined guaranteed salaries of $163.75 million through 2018, including $96 million owed to Jose Reyes alone. It’s safe to say that one year after making a commitment for the future of the team on the field, the Marlins made what was perhaps the biggest salary-dump this side of the Red Sox-Dodgers trade.

After they got their new stadium, last offseason saw the Marlins spend the most money they ever have (112 million dollar payroll) and it resulted in a bad season. Bad doesn’t really describe it, actually. All of the “star” players and big contracts that the Marlin signed last offseason are gone now, leaving the Miami community in a state of flux and anger.

Commissioner Bug Selig said, “Baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities, and I fully understand that the Miami community has done its part to put the Marlins into a position to succeed with beautiful new Marlins Park… Going forward, I will continue to monitor this situation with the expectation that the Marlins will take into account the sentiments of their fans, who deserve the best efforts and considered judgment of their club”.

But wasn’t it Selig who approved the Marlins sale to Jeffrey Loria? The same Jeffrey Loria who ran the Expos into the ground in accordance with what baseball’s master plan must have been to get a team back in Washington, D.C. Whoever approved the new stadium in Miami must not have done their Loria homework. They must not have understood what Loria was capable of.

One of the main players involved in the trade, Jose Reyes’ agent, Chris Leible, said his client was “shocked” by the trade and had been told “numerous times he wasn’t going anywhere.” Also pitcher Mark Buehrle released a joint statement with his agent, Jeff Barry saying, “Just like the fans in South Florida,” “I was lied to on multiple occasions.”

The blockbuster trade made by the Marlins and Blue Jays has both shocked and angered many people in Miami and with people around the country, but it should surprise no one. The Marlins started this fire sale during the season last year and just continued what they started.

Marlin fans should be concerned, though, because after these recent events, players and agents might be reluctant to sign with the Marlins and an already-fickle fan-base might not be willing to go out and support their home team. However the Marlins situation plays out, it has become a black eye for Bud Selig and a black eye for baseball.