As of November 17th, the deal has become official: Miami Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton has signed a new contract worth $325 million for 13 years. This deal surpasses Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million dollar contract which he signed in 2008, making Giancarlo Stanton the highest-paid baseball player in MLB history.
This signing is headline news for multiple reasons. Not just because of the money, but because the Marlins now have one of the best power hitters in baseball locked down for 13 years. Stanton’s power is evidenced by his home run numbers, as he has hit 154 career home runs so far in five seasons. Since the expansion era started in 1961, only three players have hit more home runs than Stanton at age 24 (Alex Rodriguez with 189, Ken Griffey Jr. with 172, and Albert Pujols with 160). For Stanton, being compared to guys like Griffey, Rodriguez (despite steroid use), and Pujols this early in his career just goes to show the excellent power he has already shown so far.
However, while the Marlins now have their franchise player secured, the question still remains: what will they do to build around him?
When looking at the limitations that the Marlins will now have due to Stanton’s paychecks, Miami does not have much to work with as far as acquiring other pieces goes.
Now it is true that Miami has a solid core of players already on the roster. Along with superstar Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins have guys like Casey Mcgehee (.287 BA, 177 hits in 2014), and Gold Glove-winner Christian Yelich (.284 BA, 94 runs in 2014). On top of those two, we cannot forget Jose Fernandez; the sensational young pitcher coming off of Tommy John surgery. Fernandez has a career 2.25 ERA, and an astounding 0.97 WHIP. Even though his career has been short-lived thus far, those numbers are nothing to scoff at. His incredible rookie season in 2013, which won him the rookie of the year award, showed how good he can be, and when he returns next season Miami hopes he will be a top-flight pitcher once again.
Now it is great for the Marlins to have talent such as the players listed above alongside of Stanton. However, if these guys continue to develop and turn into standout players themselves, it will not be possible for the Marlins to meet their demands when they are up for new contracts. Jose Fernandez, for instance, is currently on a one-year contract worth just $500k. Now Fernandez’s next contract will probably be small, because Miami will not be willing to give him much money when he is coming off a serious injury. If he returns to the form he was in his rookie season, then he will eventually want a big-time deal down the line. With $325 million going to Stanton, how is Miami supposed to invest in any other big-time players such as Fernandez? Not only will it be difficult for them to keep their solid developing core, but there chances of landing a big free agent in the near future are also near impossible.
Giancarlo is going to be smashing home runs for years to come, and it is great that Miami has this perennial power threat on their team for years to come. The only problem for the Marlins is that money talks louder than anything else in today’s sports world, and the lack of cash can make game-changing players walk out on teams. Unless the Marlins can promise World Series rings in exchange for pay cuts, they may have a rough time during their Giancarlo Stanton era.
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