jonnylons Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Here is an inflammatory article by Berardino: BERARDINO: Key Marlins get the shaft Published March 3, 2004 JUPITER -- In celebration of winning the World Series, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria doled out six-figure bonuses to a number of front-office employees and treated many of those same people to an all-expenses-paid vacation in the Bahamas. Classy moves. Too bad Loria didn't show the same generosity this week to a trio of players who made that celebration possible. Believe it or not, Josh Beckett just went from World Series MVP to a maximum pay cut. No joke. Dontrelle Willis went from National League Rookie of the Year to a token raise. Miguel Cabrera went from midseason savior to an even punier pay increase. "The Marlins just decided they were going to be the 30th highest-paying team and treated everyone like that," said Willis' agent, Matt Sosnick, of a team that actually will rank in the bottom quarter. Because all three players have less than three years of big-league service time, their bargaining power is nonexistent. But that doesn't mean they should be treated like indentured servants. According to the Basic Agreement, the Marlins were allowed to slice Beckett's pay from $1.725 million to $1.509 million. No one really believed they would exercise that right, but they did exactly that. "I'm still overpaid for what my service time is," Beckett said diplomatically. "I don't care about that. That's fine." The larger sin might have been the Marlins' refusal to make any sort of multiyear offer to their 23-year-old ace, even though the Beckett camp made it clear he would be willing to listen. After this season, Beckett will become eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. So the team that just locked up the eminently flawed Alex Gonzalez to play shortstop didn't make a similar effort for the World Series MVP? Strange. By the way, this was the second year in a row the Marlins handed Beckett the maximum cut. Sure, the ace right-hander received a $3.625 million bonus upon signing out of high school in 1999, but this ownership didn't pay a penny of that money. Told Beckett had taken a pay cut, Willis was incredulous. "Did he really?" Willis said. "That's our guy. He's one of the most talented guys I've ever seen. He's our Roy Halladay, our [Mark]Prior, our [Jason] Schmidt. I'm speechless, man." It should be pointed out Willis mistakenly assumed Beckett had some say in the matter, that he was somehow sacrificing himself for the good of the team. Willis, meanwhile, saw his pay climb less than 18 percent after winning 14 games, going to the All-Star Game and making dozens of promotional appearances on behalf of the organization. I mean, the kid made more school visits than McGruff the Crime Dog. After making a pro-rated portion of the $300,000 minimum last year, Willis will be paid $353,000 this year. That's less than, among others, Lenny Harris, Michael Tejera and Ramon Castro. This for a player some (including me) would argue single-handedly revived the franchise upon his mid-May arrival. Or have the Marlins already forgotten those D-Train Flex Packs they sold by the fistful last summer? Cabrera? He drove in 74 runs, including the postseason, and took Roger Clemens deep in the World Series, but he merited only a $20,000 bump from the $300,000 minimum. "We just want to play, dude," Willis said, speaking for his former Carolina Mudcats teammate. "We're getting a chance to be able to do a lot of things at the big-league level. A lot of guys that are our age don't get a lot of opportunities to play, let alone play in the big leagues." Granted, both Willis and Cabrera have less than a full year of service time, but right is right. After Derek Jeter's rookie season, for instance, the New York Yankees jacked up his pay from $130,000 to $550,000 as a goodwill gesture. The St. Louis Cardinals rewarded Albert Pujols after his remarkable 2001 debut by tripling his salary to $600,000. Todd Helton's first full season inspired the Rockies to hand him a four-year, $12 million deal. The Marlins? They showed their commitment to small ball extends beyond the white lines. Not that any of this will affect Willis' attitude or enthusiasm. "Why?" he said. "Why should it affect what I do? I love the team. I love my teammates. I love the Marlins, regardless. Why should it affect me? I'm excited to be here. I'm excited for another season. I'm one of the fortunate few that get to put on a big-league uniform." There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in Willis' words. "We're given a lot of responsibility to play," he said. "They're counting on us. That's a reward within itself." How could the Marlins stiff a kid like that? Even if the system gives you that right, that doesn't make it any less wrong. Mike Berardino can be reached at [email protected]. He sure can pick his causes, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geemoney Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 He's really getting out of hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramp Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 man he is being a real ass here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 It's trying to make a bad situation out of nothing. Willis and Beckett have openly said they don't care and yet Beradino tries to make the Marlins look bad and make it seem like they are screwing over these guys. None of them will go hungry and none of them seem to care about it or feel disrespected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramp Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 I got this from another board Typical journalism: "So, you just took a pay cut, Josh, huh? That must really make you mad. What do you have to say about it, huh? Don't you feel you deserve more, especially for being World Series MVP? C'mon, Josh, how much are you hurting about this?" "Actually, it doesn't bother me." "Seriously, though. Don't you feel angry at being treated like this? Look at how other teams treated their young stars. You should have gotten a big raise; not a cut. Aren't you seething inside?" "No. I told you, it doesn't bother me." "I'm glad to hear you say this, just to be a real team player. But inside ... this must be tearing you up. Give us the real story, Josh. Are you going to fire your agent? Don't you feel used?" "Look, I've told you already that I'm okay with this. So (*^$ off!" NEXT MORNING'S PAPER: Marlins' owner Jeffrey Loria's move to cut World Series MVP Josh Beckett's salary has left the young right-hander testy and frustrated. priceless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Das Texan Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 great article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishin2004 Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 the Beckett, Willis, and Cabrera situation is an unfortunate side-effect of baseball's monetary system. i'm sure that the Marlins would have loved to properly reward those three guys, but the simple fact is that the ONLY advantage that a small-market team can get is through amassing young, talented players and underpaying them as long as the league allows them to do so. this is a short-sighted, idiotic article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hot4beckett Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 What an article!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaGreatOne Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Damn I hate this guy. At every opportunity he gets he blasts the Marlins. How does this filth get published on the Sun- Sentinel. And I thought the Miami Herald was bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beinfest4Prez Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Why don't we mass email the Sun-Sentinel calling for Bernandino's head. The guy is worse than Dan Le Betard... Michael Russo doesn't call for Dud's head or Alan Cohen's head even when they do shave off payroll. He understands the buisness and Bernandino is just pissed over the Marlins not favoring him anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnylons Posted March 3, 2004 Author Share Posted March 3, 2004 I hope people did email Berardino and tell him, poignantly, that he is dead wrong. I think there may be more to this story - but it involves knowledge of a stadium. Who knows? Besides, I think Beckett isnt the kind of guy to worry about money - especially since he has already made $7M at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlins2003 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I don't agree with Berardino most days but on this I happen to agree 100%. This was very short-sighted, very mean-spirited and in the end Marlins fans are not going to be happy with the outcome. I guess you could make a case regarding Beckett but to not throw a few bucks in the direction of Willis and Cabrera was a huge mistake. It confirms every bad thing you've been told (most of it BS and untrue) about Loria and company. Especially when you consider Cabs' agent is Scott Boras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramp Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Keep in mind that players with less than 3 years service time have absolutely no negotiating power when it comes to contract renewals. If anything, the Marlins are being generous with their second year players. Tomo Ohka had 2 full years experience going into 2003, and was coming off a very strong 2002, and he got $340,000 last year. Brad Wilkerson had a very good 2002, and what did it get him last year? $315,000 - just $15,000 above the minimum. The Marlins are probably more generous than most teams are with players with less than 3 years service time. If Beckett is fine with it, Im fine with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Card Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I support Berardino, but this is trash. ANY other organization would probably do the same. We're not the Yankees. We can't triple players salaries (Jeter) if not necissary. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnylons Posted March 4, 2004 Author Share Posted March 4, 2004 I don't agree with Berardino most days but on this I happen to agree 100%. This was very short-sighted, very mean-spirited and in the end Marlins fans are not going to be happy with the outcome. I guess you could make a case regarding Beckett but to not throw a few bucks in the direction of Willis and Cabrera was a huge mistake. It confirms every bad thing you've been told (most of it BS and untrue) about Loria and company. Especially when you consider Cabs' agent is Scott Boras. I cant believe you fell for this. So easily too. It is ashame. Sure, it would be nice to see these guys get paid, but you can make a RATIONAL argument in either case. To just claim that Loria and the Marlins are being cheap is just mean-spirited. To believe something like that is just gullible. This team IS losing money each year. This team has to be able to SURVIVE financially. If the Marlins cant take advantage of their assets, then what good does it do them to try and cultivate them? Remember, Cabs got a BIG signing bonus too - you must have forgot like Berardino forgot. Willis, if anything, you should feel sorry for. But considering he was never going to get out of the Cubs farm system, the fact he got traded to the Marlins in the first place (and discovered by them) will be enough for him to retire at an early age. Please, dont make this out to be something it is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlins2003 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I don't agree with Berardino most days but on this I happen to agree 100%. This was very short-sighted, very mean-spirited and in the end Marlins fans are not going to be happy with the outcome. I guess you could make a case regarding Beckett but to not throw a few bucks in the direction of Willis and Cabrera was a huge mistake. It confirms every bad thing you've been told (most of it BS and untrue) about Loria and company. Especially when you consider Cabs' agent is Scott Boras. I cant believe you fell for this. So easily too. It is ashame. Sure, it would be nice to see these guys get paid, but you can make a RATIONAL argument in either case. To just claim that Loria and the Marlins are being cheap is just mean-spirited. To believe something like that is just gullible. This team IS losing money each year. This team has to be able to SURVIVE financially. If the Marlins cant take advantage of their assets, then what good does it do them to try and cultivate them? Remember, Cabs got a BIG signing bonus too - you must have forgot like Berardino forgot. Willis, if anything, you should feel sorry for. But considering he was never going to get out of the Cubs farm system, the fact he got traded to the Marlins in the first place (and discovered by them) will be enough for him to retire at an early age. Please, dont make this out to be something it is not. Let's agree to disagree, I have no argument with anyone who doesn't share my viewpoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreshFish Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Common guys, we are not asking to double or triple their salaries. This is a perfect case of 200K or 300K going a long way towards keeping goodwill within the club house. Beckect may be saying "I'm OK with it", and thinking "Wait till I hit free agency", same with Willis and Cabrera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlins2003 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 A little good news on this - Cabs has fired Scott Boras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreshFish Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 A little good news on this - Cabs has fired Scott Boras. Best news of the day, so far :hat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotcorner Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 so sorry Boras. :boo-woo cabs for president. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnylons Posted March 4, 2004 Author Share Posted March 4, 2004 Thank God Cabs fired Boras. The point is here that these guys are going to get paid. I dont think they really worry about it like most of us here, surprisingly, make it out to be. If there is some animosity over 200K, then that is just ridiculous and greedy. I dont think that is the case. And winning goes a long way in player's minds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaq-Man Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 A little good news on this - Cabs has fired Scott Boras. i think it's safe to say that cabs wasn't pleased with his $320k contract then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catchoftheday Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 A little good news on this - Cabs has fired Scott Boras. i think it's safe to say that cabs wasn't pleased with his $320k contract then OK I was happy when I heard that he fired Boras ... but once you said that maybe he fired him because he was angry got me to think otherwise... hmmm maybe your right. hmmm i wonder :mischief2 But yeah, i dont agree with the whole pay-cut to small-raise deals although i would have hoped that the marlins would have signed Beckett longterm now.... Maybe they will do so during the year, and evade FA... they need to. About Cabs and Willis yeah, they got a small raises but what the h*ll, they won the WS, they are both heavily advertised, they are enoying it as no other rookie would. I mean they are first year service guys we do whatever we want, this is the time to exploit this type of players, its business afterall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlins2003 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I'm concerned about Cabs and Willis in a way I'm not about Beckett. Seeing these guys at a hundred signings and opening every Jack in the Box from here to Orlando bothers the hell out of me. I'd rather they concentrate on playing baseball not on signing baseballs. A couple of hundred thousand between the two wouldn't have hurt the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreshFish Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I'm concerned about Cabs and Willis in a way I'm not about Beckett. Seeing these guys at a hundred signings and opening every Jack in the Box from here to Orlando bothers the hell out of me. I'd rather they concentrate on playing baseball not on signing baseballs. A couple of hundred thousand between the two wouldn't have hurt the club. Good point. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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