Speculation: Does Locking Up Giancarlo Become a Priority Now?

[Party]

You gotta figure with Hanley's contract (and persona) off the books, Giancarlo is going to be extended sometime soon, yes?

[HUGG]

I would think so.

In fact, I would be upset if not.

[Party]

I said a few weeks ago that Hanley was making the 'Stanton or Hanley' argument down the road much much easier. I will go out and say I will not support this team under this current ownership if Stanton is not extended at some point. Trading Hanley makes sense from all angles. Not extending Stanton would not.

[HUGG]

I fully expected you to be part of an angry mob regarding last night's trade. I have misjudged you, sir.

I can't go so far as saying I won't support them, because I like baseball too much and don't like any of the other 29 teams, but man it'd be disappointing.

[Party]

Hanley has been in my dog house since April. He's the AJ Burnett of Marlins position players. He could have taken us to new heights, severely underperformed when it counted, and now we're left to wonder what went wrong and will he return to form with another team. But as in the AJ Burnett situation, I was not sad to see him go.

And you're probably right. I buy into that civic pride crap and the Marlins are Miami's baseball team and I love Miami.

[Namaste]

If they don't want to risk losing 45% of their fan base, the Marlins will lock Stanton up very soon.

[Branch]

I was under the impression it already was a priority.

Maybe recent events have slotted it as priority #1 now, though.

[Swifty]

Why on Earth would Stanton want to sign a long term extension? He just saw Hanley get traded in FA year 1. Buy out arbitration, sure, but that's it.

[MiamiHomer]

Because he likes money.

[Swifty]

Right, so he lets them buy his arbitration schedule out. 2017, forget any kind of discount.

[MiamiHomer]

I'm not sure what's happening here.

[emkayseven]

Who said discount? Signing a contract now, he guarantees himself that money. Waiting until 2017, he could break something, or start hitting .190, and lose the money. Agents aren't dumb and most players aren't either. The guaranteed money is the best bet.

[MiamiHomer]

I mean, I love Hanley, but how exactly is him being traded some sort of sign to Stanton avoid signing long term here? Hanley's been vastly under performing for 2 years now. I think a lot of other MLB teams would have looked to move him if they were in the same situation.

[HUGG]

I wonder what kind of deal Hanley would have gotten in free agency after his disaster of a season last year.

[Swifty]

Who said discount? Signing a contract now, he guarantees himself that money. Waiting until 2017, he could break something, or start hitting .190, and lose the money. Agents aren't dumb and most players aren't either. The guaranteed money is the best bet.

The Marlins control him through 2016. He has no say in that. If he just plays it out and hits arbitration after next offseason, he's probably going to make $40ish mil through arbitration (and that's conservative). So he lets them buy out his arbitration schedule, no problem.

I would absolutely not let this team get a free agent year, let alone years, if I'm Stanton or his agent.