UPDATE: Commissioner Selig and Major League Baseball have approved the trade between the Marlins and the Blue Jays
Unless there’s a dramatic turn of events, the likelihood that the blockbuster trade that sees the likes of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and others going from the Miami Marlins to the Toronto Blue Jays is going to go through.

If you were looking at just this deal and nothing else, it might raise high interest, but not ire, the latter of which has been in high doses regarding the Marlins since news of the deal got out last Tuesday. The reason is the history of Jeffrey Loria and David Samson in Major League Baseball.

Today on Baseball Prospectus, I go over it from top to bottom (see Marlins Ownership and a History Lesson in Greed). Some of the story has been told before, but I personally recount a discuss a meeting with David Samson that speaks a lot to how the club functions. From the article:

Loria was the luckiest guy on the planet shortly after this situation unfolded. Following the purchase, the Marlins won the 2003 World Series. Prior to Loria—and really before Henry, when Wayne Huizenga had owned the club—the cries for a new, baseball-only ballpark had been sought. In 2005, Samson began what some called the “Great Relocation Tour,” going to places like San Antonio and Portland where there had been interest in relocating the Expos when they were up for relocation. I was part of Portland’s effort to land a team, and on a cold, rainy winter day, baseball boosters in the city and I hosted Samson in early January of 2006.

The club had begun dismantling the team that had won the 2003 World Series—yet again—citing the need for a new ballpark to allow them to retain players. Unable to sign Ugueth Urbina and Iván Rodríguez, they left in free agency. They traded Derrek Lee to the Cubs for Hee-Seop Choi and pitcher Mike Nannini. They did sign Mike Lowell to a four-year deal, but it had a provision within it where Lowell could opt out of the final two years of the deal if no new ballpark was built for the Marlins. As I walked over to Samson, who was sporting his gaudy new World Series ring, I mentioned (naively, it seems in retrospect given recent moves by the club) how the retention of talent must be difficult without their own ballpark. It was also here that I realized just how scary the Marlins’ brain-trust really was (and still is). Samson broadsided me, not by speaking of the Marlins directly but by disparaging a fellow club.

“Can you believe those [effing] Brewers?” Samson said, not hiding his disgust. “They're giving away tickets to the last game of the season because they finished over .500. How [effing] stupid is that? Giving away tickets for being ‘average.’ I tell you, we’ll build it up and tear it down year after year if that’s what it takes to win a World Series.”

I was stunned. First off, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio was doing something positive for the fans after not being above .500 for years under Selig’s tenure. It was a smart move that, as we’ve seen, has endeared him to the community, which in turn has allowed the Brewers to draw attendance totals over 3 million more than once now (2008: 3,068,458; 2009: 3,037,451; 2011: 3,071,373) and has helped them be competitive. In terms of the tearing down and building back up of the Marlins’ roster, it was then that I realized that only quick fixes would ever do for the organization. That the ballpark was not going to really be part of it. That what Wayne Huizenga had done with his fire sale after the 1997 World Series was not limited to just Wayne Huizenga. This was something that seemed to be embraced by Loria and Samson as well. But that was 2003. It was possible that if and when a new stadium did come about, things might change.

Of course, they didn’t.

Make sure and read the whole story here on Baseball Prospectus.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He writes for Baseball Prospectus and is a contributor to Forbes. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).

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Set for the 2013 season, the new videoboard  at Safeco Field will be the largest in MLB

The escalation of video display sizes has grown over the last few years, and with Safeco Field’s display falling behind since opening in July of 1999, it’s time for a change… a BIG change.

The Mariners today announced on Thursday that a new high definition video display system will be installed at Safeco Field for the 2013 baseball season, replacing the main scoreboard in centerfield. When completed (at least for now) it will be the largest in Major League Baseball and among the largest in all of sports.

The new video screen replaces the scoreboard that was built in 1999, the inaugural season of Safeco Field. Measuring 56.7-feet high by 201.5-feet wide and covering 11,425 square feet, the new video screen fills the same location and space as the old scoreboard, but because the entire thing is a high definition screen, the video space itself is nearly 10 times the size of the current video screen.

So, just how big is it? To put it in perspective the Mariners say that the viewing area will be equal to about 2,182 42-inch flat screen TVs.

“Northwest sports fans have never seen anything like this. From the high-resolution imagery to the dynamic presentation, this new video screen provides the flexibility to present real-time game information in a way we’ve never been able to do until now,” said Kevin Martinez, Seattle Mariners Vice President of Marketing.

“The Mariners are committed to building a winner on the field and providing fans with a great experience at the ballpark. After 13-plus seasons, fans have been asking, ‘When are we going to replace the scoreboard?’ It’s time,” said Martinez.

The new Panasonic HD video screen will combine 1080p x 3840 screen resolution and Surface Mount LED technology, which uses more pixels and therefore produces higher quality images. Paired with the latest ANC Sports VisionSOFT operating system, Safeco Field’s new video screen will have image quality that is superior to broadcast HD signals. VisionSOFT is the first 64-bit operating system in large format live event display. ANC Sports is a long-time Mariners partner for signage operations and integration at Safeco Field.

“1080p live sports is an experience unavailable in ballparks or to home viewers until now. It’s like the difference between normal HD programming and a Blu-ray disc, except displayed on an enormous scale. You’ll be able to see details like blades of grass and the texture of the infield dirt. Fans will be amazed when they see it,” said Dave Curry, Seattle Mariners Vice President of Technology.

The entire board can be programmed for live action or video replays or split into sectors for graphics, animation and statistical data. “There is a growing desire among fans to delve more deeply into individual player statistics and the new board will let us present the stats, along with everything else, in a way that we think will improve the game experience,” said Martinez.

Although the new video screen will be state-of-the-art, “We’ve made a conscious effort to design the graphics to fit the overall design and architecture of Safeco Field. The presentation will be crisp and clean and will even incorporate some classic ballpark elements seen not only at Safeco Field, but in some of the game’s classic ballparks,” said Martinez.

This is the third of three steps to replace the old scoreboard system at Safeco Field. The LED Out-of-Town scoreboard was installed in left field before the 2010 season, and in 2011, LED ribbon boards were installed on the Terrace Club fascia. The in-house production, broadcast and entertainment systems are also being upgraded to high definition.

The video screen and production upgrades are part of an estimated $15 million maintenance and capital improvement plan for Safeco Field to be completed before the 2013 season. The Mariners, who are responsible for maintenance, capital improvements and operations of Safeco Field, have invested over $80 million in the ballpark since 1999. All current improvements to Safeco Field are scheduled to be completed in time for the home opener on April 8 vs. the Houston Astros.

Current CF Scoreboard
ProStar Video Display 26'x46'
SunSpot incandescent matrix board 34'x76'
Total scoreboard dimensions 56'x200'

New Centerfield Video Screen Specifications
Dimension: 56.7' high x 201.5' wide
Total Viewing Area: 11,425 sq. ft.
Resolution: 1080 x 3840
Total Pixels: 4,147,200
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Operating System: ANC Sports VisionSOFT

Comparison to MLB Video Screens

• Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners: 56.7' x 201.5' - 11,425 sq. ft.
• Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Royals: 105 x 84' - 8,820 sq. ft.
• Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies: 76' x 97' - 7,372 sq. ft.
• Minute Maid Park, Houston Astros: 124' x 54' - 6,696 sq. ft.
• Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers: 94' x 65' - 6,110 sq. ft.
• Bonus stat (Cowboys Stadium, Ft. Worth, Texas: 160' x 72' - 11,520 sq. ft.)

Source: Seattle Mariners

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He writes for Baseball Prospectus and is a contributor to Forbes. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).

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Marlins owner, Jeffery Loria

There are some articles where you just don’t know where to begin. The roots of this one stretch back to the Montreal Expos, touch on the Baltimore Orioles (he nearly owned them), and have their roots in ripping people off. I’m talking about Jeffery Loria, along with David Samson, and the Miami Marlins. They aren’t a dumb lot, these guys. They have been able to get a ballpark built on the public’s dime that will wind up when it’s all said and done with interest costing $2.4 billion. And, when season ticket money rolled in, they spent it like they meant it. Yes, it was as if they were a drunk sitting a slot machine, simply plugging money into the free agency machine, but then, that plays into the master plan. At the Winter Meetings, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, was signed and it seemed any high-powered FA with a pulse, was being courted. After all, they can always fall back and say that they “tried.”

I said it then, and I’ll say it now, when you throw all your chips in and let the free agency market dictate your decision making process, you’ve already failed. But then, it all backfired and in the midst of the Marlins losing, they're going to be coming out ahead while the fans are made to look like chumps.

Yes, Max Bialystock in The Producers may have best summed up the Marlins best when he said, “How did it begin? He walked into my office with his cockamamy scheme! You can make more money with a flop than with a hit!”

So, the Marlins, who saw the lowest attended new ballpark opening in the past 12 years, decided that cutting costs will ultimately give them more money, which I’m sure was the plan all along, right?

"The reality is, if you don't have a competitive team, the big stadium that's built publicly and privately becomes another disaster," Samson said in 2008.

Well, glad to see you pushed that whole disaster thing forward on Tuesday.

Yes, while the Marlins took on more than $200 million in total player payroll less than a year ago at the Baseball Winter Meetings, they ended the season moving Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante (Tigers), and Hanley Ramirez (Dodgers). On Tuesday evening they made that look like child’s play by moving Jose Reyes (2013:$10M, 2014:$16M, 2015:$22M, 2016:$22M, 2017:$22M, 2018:$22M club option - $4M buyout), Josh Johnson (2013:$13.75M), Mark Buehrle (2013:$11M, 2014:$18M, 2015:$19M, plus a $4M deferred signing bonus), John Buck (2013:$6M), and Emilio Bonifacio who is arbitration eligible this year and (get this) $4 million in cash to the Blue Jays for Yunel Escobar, Henderson Alvarez, Adeiny Hechavarria, Jeff Mathis, minor league pitchers Justin Nicolino and Anthony Desclafani and minor league outfielder Jake Marisnick. All told, the Marlins stripped $163.75 million off the books and that doesn’t include the option year or buyout on for Reyes, plus what Bonifacio will get in salary arbitration this year.

"The reality is, if you don't have a competitive team, the big stadium that's built publicly and privately becomes another disaster." Well, you said it, David.

Except, that’s not the talk out of Miami on this day. Nope, it’s all going as planned.

"This should be a positive change,” said Larry Beinfest. "After a disappointing 2012 this gives us clarity as we begin our offseason roster improvement."

Clarity. That’s rich.

So, you have to ask yourself when was “lack of clarity” fully consumed in the Marlins front office? Was it when they spent foolishly at the Winter Meetings in Dallas last December, or was it Tuesday night when they went with (another) fire sale?

Because, here’s the thing: the Marlins are still collecting revenue-sharing. The Marlins are no longer having to split revenues with the Dolphins when they were at Sun Life Stadium. The Marlins, while seeing poor attendance for a new stadium, still saw the largest attendance increase of all 30 clubs last season. And finally, the Marlins are enjoying all that sweet suite money they didn’t have before.

Maybe "clarity" works like this for the Marlins:

“Hmm…. You know, we just found out what it’s like to spend like other clubs that are competitive, and we’re not making as much as we did. Maybe we should rethink that. The Red Sox just dumped a ton of money on the Dodgers, and the Astros have been stripping payroll to the core. We can use those two as cover.”

Or, there’s another thought. One that could be far crazier than what’s happened in less than a year with the Marlins… Josh Hamilton (or worse), Alex Rodriguez. Yes, the Marlins could to take that freed-up that money that didn’t work, and use it to be flashy again. That way the Marlins could be the flavor of the week at the Winter Meetings again.

And, if somewhere in the back of your head, you’re thinking Loria is stripping the player payroll down so he can sell, think again. While Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami weren’t exactly the smartest with the deal (OK, it’s one of – if not the – worst stadium deals for the public in history), they did get a “Non-Relocation Agreement” in the mix (see here, in PDF) in which if a controlling interest is sold (more than 50 percent) over the early life of the ballpark, the earlier that controlling interest is sold, the higher percentage of that sale goes to the two.  See below:

A possible sale would be speculation but what is known is this: the Marlins aren’t exactly being held up as the poster child for how a good MLB club should be run. Here’s a small sample via Twitter:

• So Jeffrey Loria threw himself a cheap wedding, collected a ton of gifts, then got the marriage annulled the next day. Got it. – Molly Knight, ESPN the Magazine
• Another consideration for MLB as it reviews this trade: the Marlins will be held up as cautionary tale for cities asked to build ballparks. – Buster Olney, ESPN
• Last year at winter meetings the marlins felt like it was a mirage and this proves it was..is the ballpark still there? – Karl Ravich, ESPN
• Decency would require Marlins to slash ticket prices for the public that helped fund new ballpark for "major league" team, no? – Bill Shaikin, LA Times
• McCourt did well to sell #Dodgers, but too bad he didn't hold out & put Selig on the witness stand. Double standard w Loria is fascinating. – Bill Shaikin, LA Times
• Loria vs. City of Miami. Cage Match. Hacksaw Jim Duggan Special Guest Referee. Book it Vince. #MLB meets #WWE #Marlins #OrganizationOfHeels – Casey Stern, MLB Network Radio
• Huh? - Rickey Nolasco, Marlins starting pitcher
• Alright, I'm pissed off!!! Plain & Simple - Giancarlo "Mike" Stanton, outfielder for the Marlins

So, the Marlins have lost their marbles... if they ever had them to begin with in the Loria tenure.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He writes for Baseball Prospectus and is a contributor to Forbes. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).

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You could say these players batted 1.000. A new system where clubs offer a “qualifying offer” of $13.3 million for the upcoming season to potential free agents got its first test, and with it, all nine players that were made the offers rejected them. In doing so, the clubs will now get a compensatory pick in the upcoming Rule 4 draft, and the players that rejected the offers are now free agents. This doesn’t mean a player can’t re-sign with their former club, it simply means that the player is now a free agent. Of the nine, one has already re-signed with their former club. Designated hitter, David Ortiz rejected the one-year, $13.3 million offer as he and the Red Sox reached a two-year, $26 million deal that with incentives, could push to $30 million.

The following are the nine players that rejected the qualifying offers, thus becoming free agents:

*Reached deal before today's deadline

Source: MLB Players Association

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He writes for Baseball Prospectus and is a contributor to Forbes. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).

Follow Maury Brown on Twitter

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