Uggla Contract Negotiations

[lou]

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Dan Uggla has asked the Marlins for a five-year contract extension in the range of $58 million.
The Marlins, on the other hand, would prefer to give him a three-year contract in the range of $8 million per season. Uggla, who will be a free agent after the 2011 season, made $7.8 million in arbitration this year and projects to make even more this winter. There's always the possibility that he will be traded, but extension talks are set to resume in October.
Source: Miami Herald, copied from Rotoworld because I'm lazy

It's actually exactly what I would ask for if I was Uggla's agent and I would settle for 4 years at a good clip. No problem shooting for the moon in the first exchange.

This gets done at 4/$44 range. Marlins initial counter of 3/$24 is pathetic. But hey, they did that with JJ also and went up to 4/$39. Same philosophy with Uggla I see.

We shall see.
--------------------
Sidenote, 4.6 WAR right now

[Metes]

He's really dreamy

[emkayseven]

8 mil a year is laughable, I sure hope that's just their bargaining technique. 4/44 is perfect, I'm a little worried about the last year and actually wouldn't mind even frontloading the contract a little.

[Ralph]

it's gon happen

[lou]

8 mil a year is laughable, I sure hope that's just their bargaining technique. 4/44 is perfect, I'm a little worried about the last year and actually wouldn't mind even frontloading the contract a little.

Front loading 2012 is a smart idea. They need to keep him low, like $8-10 million, in 2011 based on a $50 million cap (so you know, we can sign a veteran catcher and keep Ohman/loogy), but it would be really smart to jack him to $16-18 in 2012 based on, we will be a median payroll and half the team is club controlled so we can take a big hit that one year.

$8-16-10-10 = $44. I think something like that would be really smart. Really really smart.

[emkayseven]

that's something I could get behind for sure. the 10 in the 4th year wouldn't be impossible to deal with i dont think

[Party]

Both sides are posturing. Anything close to lou's numbers are great. Uggla is the most popular player on this team right now, and while it isn't something that shouldn't be factored into all extensions, ownership need to continue to build goodwill amongst the fan base. (Plus, he's been pretty freakin' good.)

[SFiercex4]

Lou, I figured more or less a similar number for AAV for an Uggla extension. What's your estimate on an arbitration tender if the team goes that route? I'd like to see how that compares with a first year of a new deal. I would have said $11-12M off the top of my head.

[HUGG]

$8-16-10-10 = $44. I think something like that would be really smart. Really really smart.

That's genius really.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Does Florida Marlins slugger Dan Uggla deserve a Hanley Ramirez contract?

That’s the question apparently being debated by the Marlins and Uggla’s agent in their negotiations for a multi-year contract.

In the latest development, there are indications the Marlins may be willing to increase their initial three-year offer by adding a fourth year. Both sides still remain far apart.

Uggla reportedly wants a five-year contract worth at least $50 million. Florida’s initial three-year offer was for a total of $24 million.

The Marlins are not commenting (per their policy). And Terry Bross, Uggla’s representative from Gaylord Sports Management, would say only that he has had discussions with the Marlins this week and there has been “movement” in the negotiations.

Bross wouldn’t elaborate but said he was “hopeful” that Uggla would get the deal he wants from the Marlins.

That “movement” could be a reference to the Marlins being open to adding a fourth year. But even that might not be enough. There’s no indication that Uggla will reduce his demand for a deal anything less than five years.

The Marlins might be reluctant to offer that many years because Uggla will turn 31 on March 11.
Alfonso Soriano was 31 in 2007 when the Cubs signed him to an eight-year extension worth $136 million.

Uggla hasn’t performed like a player past his prime. He had his best offensive season in 2010, setting personal highs by hitting .287 with 33 home runs, 105 RBI, and 100 runs scored. He became the first second baseman in baseball history to post four straight 30-homer seasons.

But he also made a career-high 18 errors, raising questions about whether he’ll ever be a solid defensive player.

Uggla made $7.8 million in 2010 and he’s about to enter his last year of arbitration.

If the Marlins don’t reach a deal in the next two weeks, they could listen to trade offers for Uggla at the general managers’ meetings in Orlando Nov. 16-17.

That way, they Marlins could fully explore the trade market for him this winter rather than pay him a one-year contract of $10 million in 2011, his final year before free agency.

If they really want to keep Uggla, it’s looking like the Marlins will ultimately have to decide if he’s worthy of a deal similar to the one they gave Ramirez in May 2008 — a six-year, $70 million extension.

On Tuesday, Marlins president David Samson said: “We definitely are having discussions and it’s our hope that a deal gets done with Dan… We are being aggressive, in my opinion, in our approach and we’ll see what happens.’’

But if the Marlins don’t sign Uggla to a long-term deal, Samson would guarantee that the slugger would be in the opening day lineup in April.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,’’ he said, “but right now we are still hopeful of completing negotiations.’’

Does Florida Marlins slugger Dan Uggla deserve a Hanley Ramirez contract?

[Mainge]

I am not particularly MLB savvy, but did the Cubs really sign Soriano through age 39?

[Metes]

38 I believe. They are not known for wise long-term decision-making.

[emkayseven]

they had discussions!

also, gaylord.

ehe.

[Swifty]

If he's cool with $10 mil per, I'm pretty confident something will get done.

[wanks1212]

#marlins are offering dan uggla, the only 2b to have 4 30-hr seasons, a 4-yr deal, starting w/ $8 mil in '11. he seeks 5 yrs

jon heyman's twitter