The Florida Marlins have never had a real easy relationship with good players. They gather a bunch of them together every six years or so, win a World Series and then sell them off to the highest bidder. The clock on Miguel Cabrera's departure may be ticking even before they get back to the Series.
Cabrera blew off the team's FanFest preseason promotion this weekend because, according to sources in the Palm Beach Post, he was upset that the Marlins were going to go to arbitration with him over a difference in 700K. Cabrera is asking for $7.4 million and the team countered with an offer of $6.7, the kind of difference that usually results in an agreement somewhere in the middle and no hard feelings on either side. But Marlins president David Samson is determined to generate some negativity.
"(Owner) Jeffrey (Loria) and the rest of us are extremely disappointed that he's not here with every one of his teammates. All the players are here except Miguel,'' Samson said Saturday at FanFest at Dolphin Stadium.
Samson made similar remarks from the podium Friday night at a $200-a-plate awards dinner.
Loria, it should be noted, also failed to show up for either event. Also an important note, Cabrera didn't take part in any of these activities two years ago and raised no ire from Samson or other team executives. Samson took the I. Lewis Libby approach to that issue, "I have no recollection of that, senator," and hammered his team's best hitter.
Somewhere on the list of things not to do when you're the President of a major league club is the note telling you not to make a mountain out of a molehill with a star player who you'll probably want to sign to a long-term contract in the not too distant future. It's right below firing a manager who overachieves in his first season with a team overloaded with rookies because the owner is a dipshit who likes to micromanage at every level of the organization.
Cabrera might be a douche, but it seems they could've handled this with him behind closed doors.
Posted by: chris | February 12, 2007 at 01:59 PM
I don't think Cabrera's a douche at all. The Marlins are being excessively tight with a nickel, should have already signed Cabrera to a long term deal and are totally wrong to go public with their feelings.
Posted by: The Feed | February 12, 2007 at 02:18 PM
The Marlins are ridiculous for holding the line on this particular player for that particular amount. Willis can only pitch once ever five games. That's twice and maybe three times on a long home stand. What did Cabrera not do last year that would make 700K on a ONE YEAR contract that much of a big deal?
Are they stupid enough to think that 700K drops his trade value significantly? He's on a one year deal, and at his age he's trade bait extrodinaire. But if they want to keep him, then why the hell wouldn't they lock him into a 3 year deal?
The Marlins make no sense to me year to year.
Posted by: deadissue | February 12, 2007 at 04:35 PM
I don't think I could come up with two hands worth of players with more value than Miggy Cabrera right now and 700K wouldn't stop any team from trading for him because they'd turn right around and sign him for three, four or five years in a heartbeat. Why the Marlins don't do that, I'm no economist but cost certainty is nothing to sneeze at when you claim the financial stress that the Marlins do, is well beyond my feeble brain.
Posted by: The Feed | February 12, 2007 at 05:23 PM
What the hell kind of a cable deal do they have? You'd think that with all the blue hairs down there, they'd be able to sell home games on a pay channel and make a tidy sum each year. Mind boggling how this team pulls this shit year in year out. And you're right about Cabrera...absolute insanity.
Posted by: deadissue | February 12, 2007 at 05:48 PM