So the Marlins want to get into a bidding war for Jose Reyes, eh?
“I’ve been hearing from people today who say the Marlins feel there is no need to guarantee a sixth year to Jose Reyes, because they’re confident they can go toe-to-toe with the Mets in a money game.” –Matt Cerrone
Yeah, let that sink in. The Miami Marlins, they of the twenty years of lousy attendance, confident they can go toe-to-toe with the Mets in a money game. The same franchise that traded Mike Piazza, Paul Lo Duca, Al Leiter, and Carlos Delgado for pennies on the dollar, are now ready to go toe-to-toe with the Mets. It’s like the bully who got tagged with a right cross (in the Mets’ case, it was a Bernie Madoff uppercut) and now everybody is smelling blood and coming in for the kill because the bully’s reputation of invincibility has been tarnished for good.
But there is one thing that the Marlins can go toe-to-toe with the Mets on when it comes to the money department: legal problems!
Federal authorities have opened a wide-ranging investigation into the Miami Marlins’ controversial ballpark deal with Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami, demanding financial information underpinning nearly $500 million in bond sales as well as records of campaign contributions from the Marlins to local and state elected leaders. (…)
The financing agreement to build the controversial new stadium in Little Havana left the county and city on the hook for almost 80 percent of the overall $634 million tab, which critics considered a giveaway to the Marlins. The deal was a contributing factor in the recall of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, who championed it.
The subpoenas focus heavily on the Marlins, requesting communications to and from team executives, documentation that might show the team’s ability to pay for or contribute to the financing of the stadium, and information on any meetings involving not only Loria and Selig, but also team President David Samson and former Major League Baseball president and chief operating officer Robert DuPuy. DuPuy was instrumental at the latter end of the hard-fought deal.
Both governments have said in the past, however, that they do not possess the Marlins’ financial information. And the Marlins have not received a subpoena, according to Samson. Asked to comment, the team president told The Herald: “Appreciate the info.”
Good, because why should the Mets hog all of the investigations and the intervening events? That’ll make it really sting when the Mets’ money problems force them to lose a player to a team that also have money problems. And it wouldn’t be the first time it happened either, as the Mets let Chris Capuano free because they didn’t want to give him a second year … so he goes and signs with the Dodgers … the Dodgers … on a two year deal. I don’t know what makes me more upset: Is it the fact that the Mets were so willing to sign Capuano after pitching a total of 66 innings in three seasons but willing to let him go because of one extra year after the good season that they desperately hoped and dreamed of? Or is it because this pretty much ensures we’re doomed to watch Mike Pelfrey give up finger lickin’ bombs for another season?
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