bristud

awesome news..i know we will have an exiting year...but we have to stay healthy..

awesome news..i know we will have an exiting year...but we have to stay healthy..

Pitcher Josh Johnson confirms to ESPN.com that he's agreed to 4-year, $39 million deal with Florida Marlins. http://twitter.com/jcrasnick Pitcher Josh Johnson reached an agreement on a four-year, guaranteed $39 million contract that will keep him with the Florida Marlins through 2013. The pitcher confirmed the agreement to ESPN.com Thursday. "I'm excited,'' Johnson said. "It sets up me and my family for life. One of the best parts is knowing where I'm going to be the next four years. I won't have to hear about any trade rumors or anything like that. I'm happy to be in South Florida.'' The contract buys out the final two years of salary arbitration eligibility and the first two years of free agency for Johnson, who has a 34-16 record and a 3.40 ERA in parts of five seasons with the Marlins. Johnson's contract is the second biggest ever for a pitcher heading into his second salary arbitration. The only bigger deal was signed by Johan Santana, who agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract with Minnesota in February 2005 after winning the Cy Young Award. Johnson, regarded as one of baseball's best young starters, made the All-Star team in 2009 and has a 22-6 record since his return from Tommy John surgery in July 2008. Johnson's negotiations took several twists this offseason. In November, agent Matt Sosnick said the two sides had reached an "impasse'' and that Johnson would play under a one-year deal in 2010. Johnson and his representatives entered the offseason looking for a deal slightly above Zack Greinke's four-year, $38 million contract with Kansas City, while the Marlins countered with a reported three-year, $23 million offer. It appeared the spread was too much to overcome and that Johnson would sign a one-year contract or go to salary arbitration -- and possibly be traded at midseason or next winter. Johnson said he was confident throughout the process that a deal would get done. "Jeffrey Loria, our owner, came up to me a couple of times during the season and said, 'We'll get something done -- I promise you,'' Johnson said. "Even when the talks broke down, I was confident we would get something done.'' The Marlins dealt arbitration-eligible outfielder Jeremy Hermida to Boston in November and spent much of the winter exploring trades for second baseman Dan Uggla -- seemingly to help free up space in the payroll for a long-term deal for Johnson. The Marlins ranked last among the 30 major league teams with a $36.8 million Opening Day payroll in 2009, but vowed to increase payroll moving forward as they prepare to open a new ballpark in April 2012. The Marlins recently came under scrutiny amid concerns from the players association that they weren't living up to a provision in the basic agreement that requires teams to use revenue sharing receipts to improve performance on the field. Although Marlins president David Samson maintained that the team did not violate the basic agreement, the Marlins issued a joint statement earlier this week promising to "work cooperatively'' with the union and the commissioner's office in the future. "In response to our concerns that revenue sharing proceeds have not been used as required, the Marlins have assured the Union and the Commissioner's Office that they plan to use such proceeds to increase player payroll annually as they move toward the opening of their new ballpark,'' said union executive director Michael Weiner. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4826840

Pitcher Josh Johnson confirms to ESPN.com that he's agreed to 4-year, $39 million deal with Florida Marlins. http://twitter.com/jcrasnick Pitcher Josh Johnson reached an agreement on a four-year, guaranteed $39 million contract that will keep him with the Florida Marlins through 2013. The pitcher confirmed the agreement to ESPN.com Thursday. "I'm excited,'' Johnson said. "It sets up me and my family for life. One of the best parts is knowing where I'm going to be the next four years. I won't have to hear about any trade rumors or anything like that. I'm happy to be in South Florida.'' The contract buys out the final two years of salary arbitration eligibility and the first two years of free agency for Johnson, who has a 34-16 record and a 3.40 ERA in parts of five seasons with the Marlins. Johnson's contract is the second biggest ever for a pitcher heading into his second salary arbitration. The only bigger deal was signed by Johan Santana, who agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract with Minnesota in February 2005 after winning the Cy Young Award. Johnson, regarded as one of baseball's best young starters, made the All-Star team in 2009 and has a 22-6 record since his return from Tommy John surgery in July 2008. Johnson's negotiations took several twists this offseason. In November, agent Matt Sosnick said the two sides had reached an "impasse'' and that Johnson would play under a one-year deal in 2010. Johnson and his representatives entered the offseason looking for a deal slightly above Zack Greinke's four-year, $38 million contract with Kansas City, while the Marlins countered with a reported three-year, $23 million offer. It appeared the spread was too much to overcome and that Johnson would sign a one-year contract or go to salary arbitration -- and possibly be traded at midseason or next winter. Johnson said he was confident throughout the process that a deal would get done. "Jeffrey Loria, our owner, came up to me a couple of times during the season and said, 'We'll get something done -- I promise you,'' Johnson said. "Even when the talks broke down, I was confident we would get something done.'' The Marlins dealt arbitration-eligible outfielder Jeremy Hermida to Boston in November and spent much of the winter exploring trades for second baseman Dan Uggla -- seemingly to help free up space in the payroll for a long-term deal for Johnson. The Marlins ranked last among the 30 major league teams with a $36.8 million Opening Day payroll in 2009, but vowed to increase payroll moving forward as they prepare to open a new ballpark in April 2012. The Marlins recently came under scrutiny amid concerns from the players association that they weren't living up to a provision in the basic agreement that requires teams to use revenue sharing receipts to improve performance on the field. Although Marlins president David Samson maintained that the team did not violate the basic agreement, the Marlins issued a joint statement earlier this week promising to "work cooperatively'' with the union and the commissioner's office in the future. "In response to our concerns that revenue sharing proceeds have not been used as required, the Marlins have assured the Union and the Commissioner's Office that they plan to use such proceeds to increase player payroll annually as they move toward the opening of their new ballpark,'' said union executive director Michael Weiner. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4826840

I went by this morning and took a couple of pics with my cell phone. They're not great but it gives you an idea. nice pics...i can't wait for 2012

i say bring back the sheff.. hitting 500 as a marlins would be aweasome.. he will got the the hall of fame as a marlin too.. sheff had his best year ever as a marlin...1997 world champs

rays remind me 2003 marlins who won world series i have feeling that rays could win series vs phy that most likely will play in world series when the rays win the world series,then ask that question..they haven't won it yet....we won it all twice :cool

i'm burned out folks..i no longer care what happens .i can't take anymore of this :banghead .i love the marlins,but i'm burned out on caring about our new ballbark..what happens,happens... :blink: :confused

is it true that there were 8,000 unsold seats in arizona for game 1 between the dbacks and the rockies..? they're in the national league playofffs and they had 8,000 unsold seats..? that's a breakthrough..especially when i think of the way the wold has criticized our attendance down here...

Best case scenario: 1st-- Canes move to Dolphin Stadium 2nd--Orange Bowl is demolished (or we let it collapse by itself) 3rd--New Marlins Stadium is built at OB site. With the OB gone there will be plenty of parking if they acquire the land that was originally planned 4th--Metro-rail line is expanded to serve the OB site or free shuttles from the station to the stadium can be provided 5th--Tri-rail is connected to the Metro-rail system to service the Broward and PBC fans. (this is already planned at the airport area) However, every change in plans bring delays and new problems to solve. Any new problem is a possible deal breaker. I am very concerned about any changes in the plans for this reason. i'm totaly with you. the orage bowl as it is is a building of the past. 6 or 7 home games doesn't generate enough revenue to warrent renovations for the orange bowl. 81 regular season games will warrent why the marlins will make more and better use of that location over the canes. dolphins stadium is a better faclity for football for the canes anyway. i say do it!!!! :hat

:hat i'm getting pumped.this is great. if bob dupuoy feels this way,we MUST be close.vie the MIAMI MARLINS!!!!!!

think about this. sheffields teams have been: millwaukee brewers san diego padres florida marlins L.A. dodgers atlanta braves new york yankees sheff spent 5 seasons with us. the only world championship he ever had. even if he won a championship in detroit,the first is the most special and he still calls so.florida home. sheff never spent more than 5 seasons anywhere else. so tell me folks,how could scheffield see his way clear to enter into the hall of fame other than a florida marlins?

:hat we'll never forget you joe.2006 was the best marlins team that never went to a post season.thank's for the memories.thanks for telling loria where to stick it.

:hat who in the right mind could take this topic seriously? it's too close to tampa!! the rays organiztion would hate that.they would fight it. perish this thought!

:hat i've conceeded that we're out of the playoff chase. either way,we had a breakthrough season.be happy with that. go marlins in 2007

matt treanor isn't dogging out marlins fans,just the average so.florida sports fans. he is right.cliff floyd,mike lowell,derek lee all said the same thing to the press when they were here. they play in other parks in games that start at 4:00 and the ballparks are packed. i understand their reactions. but i also understand that when the average fans recognize a teams committment to winning,fans will pack our stadiums. treanor saw larger crowds when he was here in o4. i too get mad at the average fan down here.my family is full of banwagoneers. :hat

:hat my problem with miami is that manny diaz quit on us last year.that 's what caused the fire sale and the threat of moving the team out of state. why should the marlins trust manny diaz again?

vive' hialeah!!!! :notworthy :thumbup

and trust me the last thing anyone who works in downtown would want to do is stay downtown for a ballgame...make them drive either closer to home (Dade/Broward line) or get them out of the environment they are in all day.... I have to disagree. Just look at the success downtown stadiums are having. You're telling me you would rather get in a car and drive to the game then get back in the car and drive home, when you could walk over to the stadium after work see the game and drive home. This was Selig's main concern about Hialeah, was the location. Almost every new park built is in a downtown area, Philly, Pittsburgh, Houston, etc. Baseball stadiums need a central location b/c their playing 82 times a year not like football where you have 8 games, most on sun when people don't mind driving. you have a point.but that argument need to go to manny diaz.he and arriolla are the one who backed out of the deal last november.diaz hasn't even tried to better his deal over hialeah.has he? :hat

:hat hialeah is closer than san antonio or portland.i say.lets take what we can get.

:hat the new ballpark in hialeh will mark the brand new beginning.the beginning we should have had in 1993.the rain and the heat will no longer be a factior. as long as there is a winning team on the field,people will come. i spent a couple of hours in hialeah today for the first time.seems like a nice town to me.i may look for a home there if the marlins build there.and i'm a gringo.but i LOVE the marlins!!!!1

:hat after all these years of threats of contraction and relocation,i say,"let's take what we can get." i live in boca raton.i'm willing to relocate to miami so i can go to as many games as possible. anything ,anywhere is better than nothing!!!!!

:hat the stadium will last longer than cabrerra.we have to think beyond cabrerra's time with the marlins.

you read my mind.i'm about to send robaina an e-mail.he's the one who said that MAY IS THE MONTH!! :whistle

i was there.sec 149-14-1 great game. :hat