When Giancarlo Stanton signed his new megadeal, there were some questions on how the Marlins would surround him with talent and stay competitive. After all, they haven’t been known to spend big, and when they have, it’s been short-lived.
But the fact that Stanton’s contract is so back-loaded may help Miami in the short-term, and it looks like we’re starting to get some clues on how they plan to build around the slugger.
The Miami Herald says the Marlins have offered first baseman Adam LaRoche a 2-year, $20 million deal. LaRoche, a player the Marlins know well after all those years of him playing in the NL East, would be an upgrade over current first baseman Garrett Jones while also adding some left-handed thump to the lineup.
It’s not yet known what the market for LaRoche is, or if $10 million a year would be enough to get him to sign. A couple of teams looking for upgrades at first base have already filled their holes, with the Brewers trading for Adam Lind and the A’s signing Billy Butler to play some first base while also serving as DH.
The Marlins’ two-year offer is interesting, considering the structure of Stanton’s deal. Giancarlo will only make $6.5 million this upcoming season and $9 million the year after, below-market rates that could allow the historically stingy Marlins to spend more freely. Miami’s also been connected to free agent starting pitchers Jason Hammel and Justin Masterson, who could probably be had on similar short-term deals.
Miami is under some extra pressure from the media to win now after giving out the largest contract in North American sports. But with Stanton being able to opt out halfway through the deal and hit the market again at age 30, they also need to prove to him that they’re serious about winning during those first six years if they want him to stick around for the full length of the contract.
Signing LaRoche would be a step in that direction, at least for the next couple years. With the Phillies a mess and the Braves tearing down, the Marlins could quickly find themselves on the edges of playoff contention.
