Hanley Ramirez is a Marlin for now. Saturday, the Marlins signed him to a 6yr. $70 dollar deal
But Leading Off-
The 2006 Rookie of the Year is batting .338 with 8 HRs and 21 RBIs. To go with that, he has 13 SBs and 33 runs scored. The Marlins have posted a record of 23-14, leading the division over the Mets by 3 games. So, not a bad idea to sign the guy long term... And this is a very big surprise coming from the Marlins history of unloading young stars. Most of these guys have became household names around the league, including Edgar Renteria, Josh Beckett, A.J Burnett, Dontrelle Willis, and Miguel Cabrera. And somehow, they win World Series' and unload again. So, they must be doin something right. But, Ramirez will not become one of the guys on this list. Anyway, back to his deal and the Marlins hopeful new home.
Back to the Story-
Hanley Ramirez agreed to a $70 million, six-year contract to remain with the Marlins, a person familiar with the negotiations said Saturday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press because the deal hadn't been completed. It's expected to be announced next weekend when the team returns home from a seven-game trip.
In February, the Marlins reached an agreement to build a long-sought, retractable-roof stadium near downtown, which is expected to substantially increase revenue for a franchise with a history of poor attendance and tight budgets(well they need the revenue, seeing that they have one of the lowest payrolls in the league).
Now it's likely Ramirez will still be with the Marlins when they move into the new ballpark in 2011. His deal would be the most lucrative in franchise history, topping the $61 million, six-year contract Gary Sheffield signed in 1997.
Ramirez's contract would average $11.7 million a year. The Marlins' best-paid player this season is closer Kevin Gregg at $2.5 million(WOW!!!).
The 24-year-old Ramirez, who will make $439,000 in 2008, would be eligible for arbitration after this season. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2006 and had a breakout season in 2007, when he hit .332 with 29 home runs, 81 RBI and 51 stolen bases.
So, the Marlins may begin to stock up on some youngsters, including Andrew Miller, Scott Olsen, and Dan Uggla. But, I gotta sy congrats to Hanley Ramirez, his family, the whole Marlins organization, and Marlin fans. The future looks very bright for this organization.
