January 25, 2005
Who's Your 1B?
To the six people who thought there was a chance Carlos Delgado would offer the Jays a discount and become Toronto's first 500 homer man: the dream is dead.
Slick New York art dealer and Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, the same man whose tight fists held the last nail that baseball drove into the Montreal Expos' coffin, has sold seven Mondrians and a DeKooning and brought Carlos to Miami. Five years, $64 million.
The good news: the Marlins beat out the Mets, whose rebuilding effort looks a little like the New York Rangers' plan and has contributed mightily to the fact that baseball executives dished out well over $1 billion to free agents this offseason. Also left in the cold were Blue Jays division rivals the Baltimore Orioles.
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If Josh Beckett can stay healthy, along with Dontrelle Willis, Al Leiter and a lineup now centered around Delgado, the Marlins could take home their second world series in three years.
What a smart move bringing in Delgado. With Pierre, Castillo and Cabrera likely the three in front of him, Carlos will have a good opportunity to record upwards of 150 RBI's.
64million for 5 years?? i thought it was 52 for 4? is that an option for a fifth?
Delgado's contract has a fifth year club option. Interestingly: according to Tyler Kepner at the Times, Delgado turned down the Mets' offer even though it included a no-trade clause and several extraordinarily cushy perks (like what amounted to a private locker room at Shea). He also took a very backloaded contract from the Marlins -one which will pay him only four million next season- allowing the Fish to pay him a pittance and then trade him before the real money contract kicks in. It's clear from the deal that he had no intention whatsoever of playing for the Mets. Who would, when they've just spent $52 million on a starter whose labrum is 75% torn?