Marlins fans are understandably upset over the way the offseason has evolved. In the midst of a playoff drought bested in length only by those cheering for the Mariners, they thought they already had the seeds planted for a turnaround. Among other things, they had reigning National League Most Valuable Player Giancarlo Stanton spearheading a Top Five offense. And so they figured the natural progression would be for new ownership to get star power on the mound.
The hope is, to be sure, predicated on a flawed premise. Whether or not majority stake in the franchise changed hands, the Marlins were due for another rebuild. For all the promise they showed, their bloated payroll precluded them from improving their pitching rotation. And so a reboot was in the offing yet again, beginning with unpopular firings of off-the-field staff and continuing with fire sales for players with high market worth, Stanton included.
That the move could not be avoided is clear. That it could have been better implemented is also clear. For instance, the Marlins negotiated a Stanton trade with the Giants and Cardinals as if they had control over the process. In fact, the home run king did, and, evidently, he made clear from the outset that he would waive his no-trade clause for a transfer to the Dodgers and Yankees. For fans expecting goods news, the departure of one of the few bright spots of their 2017 experience was, needless to say, a major blow. Parenthetically, it may well have been softened by a concerted effort to inject transparency to the process. Could the powers that be not have publicly explained every step by way of soliciting support?
Instead, the front office went about its business as if fans didn’t matter, and it’s now paying for its transgression. Which means the Marlins will again be the subject of brickbats throughout yet another fruitless campaign, with those supposedly standing by them also against them. It’s too bad, really. Jeffrey Loria’s departure was thought to usher in positive vibes. Unfortunately, only the faces seem to have changed, and everybody else couldn’t care less about the same old, same old.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
