Money well spent?!

 

It's no secret the Marlins are going into 2025 with the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball. That's been well publicized, following a 2023-2024 Off-Season during which they signed exactly 1 Free-Agent (Tim Anderson, 1 yr/$5 Million Dollars), along with just this past Winter where they soley Inked Cal Quantrill to a 1 Year/$3.5 Million Dollar Contract.

We've hinted on the Fish Front Office shedding almost every Player whom is making (either now or in the near future) more than the MLB minimum. We've also touched on ⬇️ reasoning ⤵️ behind the why that very well could be.

 

Former Cy Young Winner Sandy Alcántara is the leader on the Field and in Player Payroll heading into the new Season. After signing a 5 Year $56 Million Dollar Extension following the 2021 Campaign, Sandy has 3 Seasons of Club control left, with a Team Option for 2027. Alcántara is slated for a $17.3 Million Dollar salary in 2025. That's a jump of $8 Million Dollars from 2024 based on the structuring of the Right Handed Pitcher's Contract.

Second on the Roster is Jesus Sanchez and the $4.5 Million Dollar agreed upon Salary for the 2nd Year Arbitration Outfielder. Yesterday, news broke of Sanchez's oblique injury, and him missing at least a month. 

The Sanchez news comes 2 days after Righty Edward Cabrera exited a Spring outing due to blister issues. No word yet on when Cabrera, who is in first time Arbitration eligibility under $1.950 Million, will return to the mound.

Before Spring Training even began, it was announced Southpaw Braxton Garrett woud be out for 2025 with yet another major surgery to the 27 year old's left elbow. Garrett went through Arbitration for the first time as a Super-2 this Off-Season as well, and will be under a $1.5 Million Dollar '25 Contract.

Alcántara, Sanchez, Quantrill,  Cabrera, Nick Fortes ($1.8 Million ..((Yes, Catcher Nick Fortes is the 5th highest paid Marlin on the Club in 2025)), and Garrett are the six most lucrative Contracts for the '25 Fish. Half are currently Injured, while one (Garrett) we know will miss the entire Season.

What you don't read about, is that Sandy Alcántara isn't the only person who will receive (and he might not get all of it from the Fish if he gets Traded in Season) $17 Million Dollars from the Marlins this year. That's right, Avisail Garcia is still owed $17 Million from Bruce Sherman & Co. for 2025, under a $12 Million Dollar guarantee and $5 Million Dollar buyout at Season's end. It's all under Garcia's original 4 year/$53 Million Dollar debacle of a Contract that began in 2022, the richest for an Outfielder in Franchise history. Avi was released by the Organization last June.

The over $24 Million Dollars overall the Fish will have to hand out to Garcia to not suit up for the Marlins, still falls short of the $30 Million Dollars the Ballclub will eventually send to the New York Yankees over the next 3 Seasons for 1 Giancarlo Stanton. 

When Sherman & Derek Jeter bought the Franchise in the fall of 2017, the most unpopular of myriad Trades at the time, was the Stanton deal that sent the reigning MVP to the Bronx. Part of the agreement was that if Stanton opted in to the final 7 years of his orginal 13 yr/$325 Million Dollar Contract, the Marlins would have to send New York $10 Million Dollars per year beginning in 2026 through 2028.

So yes, one could make the legit argument that the Fish are paying more mula to Players not to play, along with "things you don't necessarily see", then they are on the Active MLB Roster.