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What did the Marlins say and when did they say it?
Better yet, who did the talking and how did Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle come away thinking they had been given verbal assurances they would not be traded for at least several seasons, if not the entirety of their six- and four-year contracts, respectively?
While one of Reyes’ representatives expressed disappointment this week with the Marlins for going back on their word, Buehrle and agent Jeff Barry issued a joint statement Wednesday expressing their view on the matter.
“I’m upset with how things turned out in Miami,” Buehrle said. “Just like the fans in South Florida, I was lied to on multiple occasions. But I’m putting it behind me and looking forward to moving on with my career.”
Marlins baseball czar Larry Beinfest, asked directly on a Monday conference call about reports of “verbal assurances” given to Reyes and Buehrle, said those didn’t come from him and were nothing he was privvy to.
If any such assurances had been made by him, Beinfest said, he would have put them in writing.
“In an off-season of change and uncertainty, the overriding factor in Mark’s signing with Miami was Ozzie Guillen and the level of comfort his presence provided Mark and his family,” Barry said in his statement. “While the Marlins were the highest bidder, baseball had already made Mark a wealthy man, so money was far from the most important factor in his decision.
“Throughout the recruiting process, the Marlins made repeated assurances about their long-term commitment to Mark and his family and their long-term commitment to building a winning tradition of Marlins baseball in the new stadium. This was demonstrated by their already completed signings of Ozzie, Heath Bell and Jose Reyes.
“At the same time, given the Marlins’ history, we were all certainly aware of and voiced concern about the lack of no-trade protection. This is unquestionably a business, and signing with the Marlins was a calculated risk. Mark held up his end of the bargain; unfortunately, the same can't be said of the Marlins.”
This Marlins ownership, since its arrival in 2002, has never given a full no-trade clause.
Agent Chris Leible told The Miami Herald this week that Reyes was “shocked” by the trade and had been “told many times he wasn’t going anywhere.”
Though Buehrle signed for $58 million over four years, the Marlins wound up paying him $14.5 million for one year of work.
The 33-year-old lefty proved a worthwhile investment, going 13-13 with a 3.74 ERA and his 12th straight season of at least 200 innings.
The Marlins aren’t the only team that refuses to hand out no-trades. However, teams sometimes make up for that by writing relocation bonuses in the event of a trade into player contracts.
Thet Marlins did guarantee Carlos Delgado a contract adjustment in the event of a trade after he signed a four-year, $52 million deal in 2005. That adjustment, negotiated by veteran agent David Sloane of Coral Springs, included offset language to make up for the difference in state income tax should Delgado be dealt.
The slugging first baseman was traded to the Mets after one 33-homer season at a total cost of $11 million, including $7 million the Marlins sent along to the Mets to help cover his remaining obligation.
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