JJ Contract Extension Watch

[Beef]

Well then you shouldn't have started with a single word post of "Pathetic"

[Swifty]

Like I need another reason to hate this organization.

[wanks1212]

There will be no long-term contract for Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson. Not this year. And probably not ever.

So said the All-Star pitcher's agent Friday.

``The Marlins sort of knew it was now or never,'' said Matt Sosnick after talks broke down over the length of the contract. Johnson wanted a four-year deal. Sosnick said the Marlins were only willing to offer three.

Without a multiyear contract in place, the Marlins might be forced to trade Johnson after the 2010 season -- if not before -- in order to recoup value for him.

``I don't know if things are totally done, hopefully not. But it is one of those business things in baseball that you kinda don't want to have to go through,'' he said.

Johnson has two salary arbitration years remaining before he becomes eligible for free agency, and Sosnick said he was expecting the Marlins to offer a contract similar to one the Kansas City Royals give Zack Greinke -- their staff ace -- before the '09 season: $38 million over four years.

But Sosnick said that Larry Beinfest, the Marlins' president of baseball operations, made it clear they were not prepared to offer Johnson more than three years on any deal.

Asked if there was any chance that negotiations could be revived, Sosnick replied: ``I think Larry is an honest guy. He made it clear to me that it [a 3-year deal] is not happening. Given that, I believe him.''

When asked to comment, Marlins spokesman P.J. Loyello replied: ``We refuse to negotiate through the press.''

The Marlins have never offered a multiyear deal to a pitcher. But, with Johnson, they said they were prepared to make an exception. Johnson has emerged as one of the top starters in the majors. He has gone 34-16 as a Marlin and, since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2007, has a record of 22-6 with an ERA of 3.34.

``If they're not willing to give four years to Josh Johnson, I don't know what pitchers they're going to sign,'' Sosnick said.

Sosnick said Johnson was prepared to pitch for the Marlins at what he termed a discount, but only if the contract was for four years or longer. Johnson is expected to make about $4 million next season through the arbitration process.

Furthermore, Sosnick said, ``the best deal they were going to get was going to be this week.'' Sosnick said the two sides began negotiating Tuesday.

Sosnick said Johnson was ``shocked that they wouldn't offer the same amount of years that Greinke got. Josh wanted to make a deal and stay with the Marlins. He made that very clear.''

Now, it's possible 2010 could be Johnson's last with the club.

``We feel like Josh is going to get $18 million to $20 million a year in free agency, and we were willing to give a big discount,'' Sosnick said. ``In order to give up his free agent years, all we wanted to do was commit to four years. Kansas City gave Greinke four years in a smaller market, and coming off a worse year than Johnson.

``It their business. I'm not judging their decision-making, because the Marlins seem to make a lot of very good decisions when it comes to personnel.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/br...y/1344737.html

[lou]

I am with Sosnick 100% here. Maybe he is going a bit hard on the media, but he needs to at least match the Greinke deal for Johnson. JJ has earned it. If not, you just go with FA and hope the arm blowout doesn't happen.

3/$22 is insane if that is true. Absolutely, insane. Embarrassing. I mean 3/$32, with a vesting option for $11-13 million with innings pitched. That's acceptable and if they don't want it, they don't want it.

But 3/$22. Fuck the What? Fuck the Heck? Fuck!

[Jay]

Well Sosnick is being a jackass using the media to his advantage. I'm having faith that 3/22 was the starting figure. A 4th guaranteed year on a pitcher is risky and given a known future I would say it must be necessary but you have to consider a couple things like the current state of the economy and not having any figures of earnings in the new stadium. A 3 year 28-34 mil contract should be reached with an option for a 4th year.

[Party]

I'm glad David Samson is still in 2003 economically.

I have no faith in anything these people do. I'd love to sit in on their meetings. Discussion must be somewhere along the lines of MB.trash.

[emkayseven]

Discussion must be somewhere along the lines of MB.trash.

Samson: why we sign josh jonson to 4year deal whar if arm blow out????????
Beinfest: I saw that John Halama wants to come back to the MLB. He could be a nice option for us in our rotation, lefty, I don't see why we shouldn't extend a two-year deal to him. The Brewers are talking to him!
Hill: Here's a trade idea. Do you think the Jays would listen to Buente/Helms/Sinkbeil for Halladay? I think they'd have to consider it. They need a position player and Sinkbeil was a first rounder!
Loria: OMG I'm gonna nominate this post for the hall of fame
Conine: hey guys I'm new here but I've looooooved the Marlins ever since I could remember but what's this I hear about uniforms changing? I like the Florida Marlins, not the Miami Marlins!
Samson: MARLINNNNNNNN

[Namaste]

LOL

[MiamiHomer]

I wonder if JJ would take monopoly money.

[Ramp]

This is embarrassing and yet, not at all shocking.

[nny]

For all the talk that 3 years/22m is embarrassing yadda yadda

Greinke's first 3 year contract is 3 years/24.5m

If they're using that as a baseline, is it really that big of a deal?

I think people are overreacting and forgetting just how little is made the first year of the contract (arb years)/just how much is made the last year of the contract (fa years).

Not going a 4th year means the contract is gonna be in the 20's. Our first offer was a low ball but you then build off that. I'm sure it's true that it happened, but the agent is trying to build a public perception. He talks about what they offered 22 for 3 years and what he wanted 40 for 4. There's certainly a big difference between 40m and 22m. The thing to remember is that that one year is some 14ish mil. Meaning that on a per year basis they're not far off from one another. All it is, is that year.

[nny]

God this pisses me off

With all the talk of how we should trade JJ now while his value is high (very much agree, a team can still get him on a cheap 4y contract, if they wait next year he's getting a contract close to what he'd get as a FA)

Uggla is also very likely gone, who has been our second most valuable hitter since 2006 not named Miguel Cabrera or Hanley Ramirez.

We'd be losing our best SP and our second most valuable position player. How the fuck would we compete next year like that? Not just next year, but how are we going to compete until our AA prospects are ready?

At that point you basically have to say "We don't need no water let the mother fucker burn" and ditch everyone. Trade Cantu, let Emilio have 3b and see if he can become Bourn, see what Gaby can do at what 1b, let the glut of OFer compete for LF in ST than trade Cody during the season once a second one looks ready. Trade Nolasco and all our arb BP arms the second we can get any value for them.

At that point, we'd basically what as many players as we can get that will be busting out at the same time as our AA guys. The guys we'd be trading now wouldn't be around by then anyway.

So fucking stupid. 60 mil payroll and we're one of the best teams in the NL, and third lowest payroll in the majors. But we can't even do something as simple as sign JJ long term.

[Party]

Because there is no long term vision in this organization. Every move is done for the now. We are just lucky guys like Beinfest and Hill are good enough to work through and put up with this shit.

Loria and Samson need to go.
--------------------
Speaking of long term, how is this going to look going into a new building? How are they going to fill a building pulling this shit?

[wanks1212]

Loria and Samson need to go.
--------------------
Speaking of long term, how is this going to look going into a new building? How are they going to fill a building pulling this shit?

Pretty sure the braintrust will just count on the "excitement" of the new building to carry them for 3-5 years. After that, they'll just do the same thing they're doing now - go cheap, rake in $, and hope that every 5 or so years the team can contend and generate some additional excitement for the following years.

It's pretty fucking awful. And yeah, if they aren't going to sign JJ, and they're looking to trade Uggla, just tear everything down ala 2006. Go with Hanley and a bunch of guys at or near the minimum and hope they're all near their peak in 2012-2013. Most people will see through the "we're still trying to be competitive!" facade if they deal JJ, Uggla, and a few more arby guys but keep, like, Cody and Lindstrom around to be the "household names" with Hanley.

[Ramp]

We are just lucky guys like Beinfest and Hill are good enough to work through and put up with this shit.

I think you're giving them too much credit. They're the ones that refuse to buy-out arbitration years early enough. They haven't made many positive moves over the last few years. They go with "their guys" more often than not. They get themselves into binds with the way they run this franchise. But that;s ok, a nice 2 year deal to Ross Gload will make things better.