By Josh
Over the past week the rumors that Giancarlo Stanton would be signing a $300 million contract have been swirling and became official recently. A grand total of $325 million dollars over 13 years has been granted to one of the most talented young players in the game.
Let me say what I always say about players who sign big contracts like this. If someone wanted to offer me $325 million to play baseball, there is not a chance in this world I would say no. I don’t care if it’s for the Yankees, Mariners, Dodgers, Astros, or Marlins. You can talk to me all day long about winning championships and playing for winning teams, but in the end this is just a game and I would sign for the worst team in all of baseball if I could get $300 million.
Before we all freak out about the big number it is important to look at the contract a little bit. Do you realize that next season Stanton is probably going to make around $6.5 million. That is not huge money in terms of top player money. In fact in 2016 he will make around $9 million and then $14.5 million in 2017.
In the current world of big time contracts those numbers aren’t that big. In fact the first 6 years of the contract total about a $107 million. It is at this time that the contract starts to really grow, and is also the time where Stanton must decide if he actually wants to stay with the Marlins.
He can opt out and end the contract and choose to go to a winning team, because let’s be honest the Marlins are probably not going to be that team. Yes, they have some good young talent but in 4 years when the big numbers start getting closer in Stanton’s contract the Marlins will do a fire sale like normal.
So what does all of this mean for baseball? First it means that every player is going to point at Stanton’s deal and say they want to be a $300 million player. Even though truth of the matter is we all know Stanton’s contract is probably not going to last the full 13 years and is really just an imaginary number for total value.
Other than this that the only thing I really see happening is that ESPN and the MLB channel will stop talking about Stanton trade talks for a few years.
Free agents aren’t going to flock to Miami to play for the Marlins. The Marlins aren’t going to suddenly become the Yankees/Dodgers of the southeast.
This contract is more about trying to save what little of a fan base the Marlins have left than it is about building for another World Series run. Which in case you forgot has is always followed by a fire sale of anyone and everyone that has talent on the team.
To Stanton I say ‘congratulations you signed a very pretty contract.’ To the Marlins I say ‘one young superstar isn’t going to save your franchise alone.’ Then to the rest of baseball I say ‘time to get back to business as usual.’