Barring another Jeffrey Loria fire-sale, Dee Gordon will be calling South Beach home for a long time. The Florida native agreed to a five-year extension with the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. It is reportedly worth $50 million and includes a vesting option for sixth year worth $14 million. This comes only a day after the Marlins announced the signing of Wei-Yin Chen to an $80 million dollar deal. Ken Rosenthal was first to report the deal; it was confirmed by Jon Heyman.
Sources: Dee Gordon, #Marlins have agreement in principle, five years, $50M with $14M vesting option for sixth year.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 14, 2016
The son of former Major League pitcher Tom Gordon, Dee (short for Devaris) Gordon joined the Marlins after the 2014 season, when he was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers, along with Dan Haren and Miguel Rojas, in exchange for Andrew Heaney, Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes, and Enrique Hernandez. A former fourth round pick, Gordon experienced a breakout season in 2015, batting .333 with over 200 hits and fifty-eight stolen bases. Gordon was voted to his second all-star appearance as well as garnering Gold Glove and Silver Slugger honors.
The guaranteed portion of the deal will allow the Marlins to avoid going to arbitration with Gordon for the next three seasons adn locks up two of his free agency-eligible years. Gordon’s sixth year option vests with 600 plate apperances in the fifth year or 1,200 in the fourth and fifth years combined. The vesting option includes a $1 million buyout, making the value of the sixth year $13 million if the option is utilized. According to Jon Heyman, Gordon will also receive his own hotel suite on the road but reportedly did not receive a no trade clause.
dee gets suite on road but no no-trade clause marlins generally don’t give no-trades. #fish
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 14, 2016
The Marlins have been reluctant to open their piggy bank in recent years, but seem to have had a change of heart of late. The contracts given to Giancarlo Stanton, Wei-Yin Chen, and now Dee Gordon may be an indication that the Marlins are more committed to winning this year than they have been in years past.
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