None of those guys were young, though. They were all over 30 when they got those contracts, right? If they do trade Hanley, I don't think it will be before 2012. Maybe before the 2013 season.
They were all 30+. But most players don't receive their first long-term contract until their upper 20's. Nevertheless, it was not age/ability that caused them to be traded, but rather salary. Delgado had a 4-year, $52 million contract, but was so back-loaded that the Fish only paid him $4 million for the year he actually played for the Fish. The Marlins somehow manage to spend more on the
Manatees, their tub-of-lard male dance team, each year than any player has ever received in a single year made under Loria - $10 million (Pudge earned $10 million for the 2003 season, but only $2 million was paid that year and the remaining $8 million deferred over the next 3 years).
Thanks to Beinfest being the the master of the blunder, Hanley this year still will not be the player to receive the highest payroll in any year under Loria. That would be Mike Hampton, when with the Braves and having never even worn a Marlins jersey, received $9 million to $11 million annually for 4 years. Hanley is scheduled to tie that next year.
Oh, for the Hampton trade, the Marlins netted Tim Spooneybarger, who pitched a total 42 innings before retiring - he cost the Fish nearly a million bucks and inning, or, in Loria terms, about two seasons of annual payroll over the past 8 years. Since Beinfest has been Marlins GM, he has annoyed away about 25% of the total payroll on guys not on the team. Then he compounds it like last year, pissing away another 25% on morons such as Uggla and Hermida, another 10% for two previous years on a waste like Kevin Gregg. Even if the Fish have to keep Uggla this year (thanks to Beinfest making ludicrous demands and not dumping him), they will piss away 20% of the MLBPA-expanded payroll on a single piece of crap and pay him $20,000 per LOB. Andrew
"Incoming!" Miller has eaten up about 10% of the payroll over the past two years being paid to make all the fans seated between the dugouts duck every time he winds up. Whenever he's on the mound, the Marlins promotion should be Andrew Miller Body Armor Night.
