Derek Jeter’s first major objective as Chief Executive Officer of the Miami Marlins is to move Giancarlo Stanton’s massive contract from the club’s payroll. As unpopular as the goal may be, and despite roadblocks in the way that include a no-trade clause within the slugger’s deal, it remains something that new ownership desperately needs to quickly handle or risk going under water in what could eventually become baseball’s biggest black eye.
Earlier in the week, in the wake of discovering that Stanton may be sent to the San Francisco Giants or St. Louis Cardinals even though neither team may have been on his “wish list,” many people in South Florida started to wonder whether immediate prior owner of the Marlins, Jeffrey Loria, once described as the worst owner in sports, was better for the City of Miami then than Jeter’s group that currently controls the team. However, it was the prior ownership, constantly ridiculed in Miami and largely despised by the fan base, that put together the irresponsible Stanton contract in the first place.
Marlins fans should understand that no matter the make-up of group that ended up purchasing the Marlins from Loria, Jeter’s or otherwise, it would likely be looking to get the large liability off the books. It is a deal that guarantees Stanton a total of $295 million on the final ten years of the contract, that is hard for any businessperson to stomach.
It would be unfair to chastise Jeter if he executes on a plan that may have not initially been backed by Stanton, but ultimately can be blocked by the superstar if he chooses. If Stanton does decide to get out of the way, which is undoubtedly his prerogative, the shift of Stanton to another Major League Baseball team should not be blamed on Jeter or the rest of the current Marlins organization.
To be clear, nothing has yet been concluded. Miami Marlins site reporter for MLB.com Joe Frisaro says it is a two-team race for Stanton and that the Giants and Cardinals are the front-runners, while the Los Angeles Dodgers "monitor the situation." The particulars on a trade package are not finalized, and any trade requires Stanton's consent.
If Stanton is traded away from Miami, then Jeter's mission has been accomplished, and that is all that business brass both at the Marlins and the league will care about for the foreseeable future.
The questions have and will continue to surface as to whether Jeter is fit for his new office space in Miami. He will also continue to be questioned on how he handles his business and the means he employs to achieve his ends. Firing a scout who needs a kidney transplant while the individual is in a hospital recovering from colon cancer surgery is not a good look, but it is also completely unrelated to the Stanton saga.
If you are going to be upset about Stanton’s delivery to San Fransisco, St. Louis or another franchise, then your anger should really be directed at MLB, which approved the Jeter group’s purchase of the Marlins with knowledge that its plans included a restructuring of the club’s roster to make it a more financially appealing holding. This was not the group with the largest capital reserve supporting its bid. It was the sexiest bid, for sure, but it was also one that seemed destined to deliver on a goal that Stanton would be out of Miami in due course. This was MLB’s doing more than any other individual or entity.
Furthermore, a deal to move Stanton away from Miami does not cripple the Marlins organization in any respect, and perhaps it even is what the franchise needs to start rebuilding a depressed farm system, ranked second-to-last in MLB by ESPN's Keith Law.
Darren Heitner is the Founder of South Florida-based HEITNER LEGAL, P.L.L.C. and Sports Agent Blog. He authored the book, How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know.
