Wednesday afternoon the Miami Marlins continued their ‘sign at all cost’ approach to this offseason by agreeing to a 4-years/$58 million contract with left-hander Mark Buehrle. The deal came just days after the team inked Heath Bell to a 3-year/$27 million contract and held a presser to announce the signing of former New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes to a 6-year/$106 million pact. The Marlins have flexed their wallets and to be honest, it flat out sucks.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t a little jealous and somewhat beat down right now because Miami has acted in a ‘big market’ manner while the New York Mets……well let’s just say they haven’t. I think the cartoon below from Gary Finkler of 7thInningSketch.com summarizes the difference in approaches these two clubs have taken this offseason pretty accurately.
Cartoon by Gary Finkler fo 7thInningSketch.com
The fact that the Marlins have, in part, made such a leap at the expense of the Mets, a team that watched it’s player grow from prospect into star, it’s a tough pill to swallow…….especially if you look at the situation from Jose’s perspective.
Sure, the team may regret the back ends of these contracts but Miami has infused their new fan base with a belief that they can do anything. I take little solace in knowing that the Marlins will be overpaying players stars like Reyes come 2017 because the effects of what this team can do over the next 4 years may linger well beyond that.
A big payroll doesn’t guarantee a championship, I mean you don’t even have to leave Miami to learn that lesson, but it goes a long way as far as showing your fans that you stand for something. It sends a message to the city that there is a reason to come out and pay to watch this team, a team that it’s owners worked so hard to put together and spared no expense in doing so. The team may have missed out on C.J. Wilson and Albert Pujols, who both decided to today with the Angels, but it’s not like the Marlins didn’t make a strong push for both.
There’s something to be said for that kind of dedication to winning and as a Mets fan I can only hope that the organization finds a way to make a similar commitment…….one day.
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