There were several rumors this past week regarding the Miami Marlins and Giancarlo Stanton’s new deal. The two sides were in talks for a mega-deal, and the contract was even bigger than initially reported. Stanton signed a 13-year $325 million extension Wednesday afternoon after the deal was agreed upon Monday. At only 25-years-old, Stanton signed the biggest contract in MLB history.
So, lets take a look back at Stanton’s young career before looking at the deal itself.
Stanton has played four years in the bigs for a career average of .271 with 154 homeruns and 399 RBI. Stanton had the best season of his young career this past year, while making the National League All Star Team, as well as participating in the Homerun Derby. In 2014, the Marlins slugger hit .288 with 37 homers, and 105 RBI while posting a .395 OBP.
Stanton is a power hitter, but can also hit for average. He hit 37 bombs this season, but also posted an impressive batting average and did his part by getting on base. He also finished second in MVP voting this year; despite being a part of a non-playoff team, Stanton was able to get voters’ attention with his impressive play.
When it comes to this record-breaking contract extension, a case can be made both in favor and against it. The price itself is steep and Stanton is only 25, but there is an opt-out option in six years, which can potentially benefit both sides. A full no trade clause was also included in the monster deal.
There’s no doubt Stanton is a superstar in this league, but the Miami Marlins are a team that has struggled for a while. They finished the 2014 season in fourth place of the NL East with a 77-85 record. The Marlins organization may have a star hitter on their roster until 2027, but the focus will soon turn to winning games once the hype of this deal dies down, and Miami has a young roster that hasn’t quite put it together.
While Stanton may be worth 13 years $325 million, the Marlins early willingness to provide him with such a contract is questionable. The franchise has two World Series titles since 1997, but they have also been through some tough times with more losing records since then as well. This contract takes up a lot of the payroll, and is somewhat surprising considering this organization has had a relatively low payroll. That being said, the structure of the deal is in the Marlins favor. Stanton will make $6.5 million next season, and his salary won’t peak until 2023 when he will make $32 million. This extension will undoubtedly sell tickets as Marlins fans can go to the ballpark to see Stanton crush baseballs for several years now.
This is a great deal for Stanton as he will bring in a lot of money for 13 years, but could potentially come back to bite the Marlins. They didn’t want to eventually lose Stanton to free agency, so they were pressured to make a deal, but one of this magnitude will always bring criticism. The Marlins are tied to Stanton for at least six years, and a lot can happen in six years.
The last time the Marlins went out and spent the big bucks, it didn’t work in their favor. Let’s not forget they spent $191 million when they signed then-free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell. They ended up trading Buehrle and Reyes in a blockbuster trade following a 93 loss season. This time around, they’re hoping for better results.
While he hasn’t shown any signs of regression over his young career, and has never hit below .250, this organization as a whole has several needs to compete in the tough NL East. With Stanton, they are obviously better and always have a threat at the plate when he steps in the batter’s box, but he can’t do it alone.
Stanton is the face of the Marlins franchise and one of the best hitters in the game right now. He may not get as much attention as say Mike Trout or a Miguel Cabrera, but he is one of the best in the league, and the fact that he was voted second in MVP voting goes to show just how talented he is.
The slugger will be in a Marlins uniform for quite some time. He’s earning the big bucks, but the Marlins also have to put a winning product on the field to make it all worthwhile.