17
2012
Marlins Lied To Reyes
An article by 
Jose leaves Miami less than one year after signing his mega deal. Are you kidding me?
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com is now reporting that the Miami Marlins made verbal promises to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle that they would not be traded. They were apparently told that they were players to be counted on and not to worry about being dealt. The promises made were only verbal, as Miami has a club policy of not giving players no-trade clauses in their contracts. Those promises lasted less than one full year, as both players were dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12-player blockbuster deal on Tuesday.
The Miami Marlins franchise is freakin a joke.
They go out last offseason prior to opening a new ballpark and spend big to bring in notable free agents, and then less then one year later they trade all of them away.
They traded the face of the team in Hanley Ramirez for next to nothing in an effort to shed his salary. I’m sure they would have loved to keep him around, but they needed him to be a leader, and he was far from that. I guess I could understand that trade to a certain point, but they still should have got more in return for the supremely talented Ramirez. So let’s call it what it really is, a salary dump.
Miami has now had a three fire sales since 1997, with the last one in 2005 netting the Mets Carlos Delgado and Paul Lo Duca.
What the heck are they doing down in Florida?
I understand that they had a very dismal season that ended in a 69-93 disaster. I get that things did not work they way they wanted them to this season. But does that mean you trade away your entire team?
No.
You trade away certain pieces that you feel are not working, not every talented player you have.
I just find it ridiculous that players have continued to go there knowing that this team is good for a fire sale every five years. I’m not saying Reyes would have been any better off with the Mets, because apparently we never made a “formal” offer, and he is probably better off in Toronto.
Did you realize that he was supposedly in Dubai vacationing when the deal went down, and was not even aware or informed because he could not be reached?
The Marlins lied to Reyes, Buehrle, and probably Health Bell as well. The Marlins can deny it or put whatever spin on it they want. The facts are the facts.
The Marlins increased their payroll in 2012 to over $100 million, but in less than one year have reduced that by 75 percent. Jeffrey Loria is padding his bank accounts as he runs a team with a $25 million dollar payroll, all while the other teams put revenue sharing money in his pocket.
I kind of feel bad for Reyes. I know he got his money, and some people might say he deserves this, but I disagree. He wanted to be a Met, and the sad reality he might have signed with us, maybe even for a little less money, if he knew that Miami would trade him a year later.
We lost a fan favorite, and maybe the most all around talented player we ever had to a joke of a franchise. One who made empty promises, and signed him to a lucrative contract they never intended on honoring.
Jeffrey Loria is bad for baseball and he needs to go. I know Miami is a rival, but I am a baseball fan and I hate seeing this kind of stuff happen to such a great game. Loria deceived Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell last offseason. I find it disrespectful to the game, to the players who play it, and to the fans who watch it and pay their hard earned money go to games.
Loria should lose his franchise, end of story.
About the Author: Dan Valis
I am a staff writer for Mets Merized Online. I am a Mets team analyst with a focus on the minor league system, as well as the major league club. I am a lifelong New Yorker who was born and raised to be a Mets fan. The ups and downs of being a Mets fan is what makes following this team so much fun, but at times so frustrating. You can follow me on Twitter @BgAppleMetsTalk.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 28 | .600 | - |
| Nationals | 34 | 35 | .493 | 7.5 |
| Phillies | 34 | 37 | .479 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 40 | .385 | 14.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 47 | .319 | 19.5 |
Last updated: 06/18/2013
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Good article dan… Again, to a certain point it’s reyes’ fault.. Look i love the guy, and just like every ballplayer (Including the almighty one david wright) his greed backfire to a point.. He had no other offered and took the money, good for him, but his agents should’ve prevented all of that by having a no trade clause in his contract instead of a verbal one just in case..
Good for him, he went to toronto who might be the most excitng team overall in terms of talent and roster and they might be fun to watch. we’ll see how it plays out, but for now the marlins are pegged to be cellar dwellar for years to come unless they overtake 4th place from us…
Thing is Alex, they were never going to give him a NTC, I think he knew he would eventually be traded just not after one year to Toronto.
Alex…..”but his agents should’ve prevented all of that by having a no trade clause in his contract instead of a verbal one just in case”
And with no other offers on the table what if the Marlins said this is it, take it or leave it???
Don’t you think his agent tried to get the no trade?
He still got paid, i get that.. But come on, if he didn’t wanna be traded and verbally agreed to it, then why no have it on paper?? Kinda like “I love you babe, but let’s get a prenup just in case” Situation…
It was the classic “buyer beware”
You are correct. If its not on paper, it doesnt exist. Everyone knows this. It is what is in the contract.
I doubt Reyes was surprised by this. The slap aside the head was when they traded Hanley. He was one of the reason Reyes went to Miami.
As for the lack of a no trade clause, that is what happens when there is only one team in the bidding. Fans want to latch onto this garbage about the Mets didnt make an offer. Guess what? 28 other teams didnt either. $100M was and is absurd price for Reyes but the Marlins wanted him. His agents were in a bid in that the Mets were out of the bidding so they couldnt play the “this is what they offered” game.
Reyes took the money, which I cannot blame him which meant no trade protection. Pujols wasnt about to jump at that hence he got his money and a no trade clause.
Seriously, if none of us are surprised by the – as many predicted Reyes would never finish out that contract in Miami, then I can’t believe Reyes didn’t see this as a possibility as well. Since he and his agent probably did, it’s a chance Jose decided to take.
I haven’t seen any quotes from Reyes’ camp on how he feels about this trade but maybe he’s fine with it. Maybe he’s happy to be traded from that Circus that calls itself the Miami Marlins.
‘Jeffrey Loria is bad for baseball and he needs to go’
Couldn’t agree more. You have to wonder after the Montreal Expos debacle and now this, just what Loria has on Selig….
If this is what Buehrle and Reyes believed then they both need to get themselves new agents. How ignorant could they both be?
“Don’t worry we won’t trade you.”
followed by
“Oh no sorry we won’t give you no trade protection.”
Are you kidding me?
And you do realize that if they can actually prove he said that Loria would be legally bound to honor that verbal commitment because it’s just as binding as anything they had in writing.
Problem is how do they prove it unless they recorded the conversation.
Hi Metsie,
Are you sure about a verbal agreement being recorded but not agreed to in writing would stand up in court? I remember after the 1973 world series manager Dick Willliams made it clear he wanted out of his contract with Oakland with one year to go and on national television in the locker-room celebration Charles Finlay said he would not step in his way. Then, when Williams was signed by the Yankees the deal had to be voided because Finlay refused to honor his word. At the time, if I recall properly, there was talk that the Yankees and Williams were pursuing using that taped conversation in court but found it probably would not hold up as legally binding.
Difference is Finlay said it to TV cameras not to Williams himself as part of a negotiation.
You have to prove it was a direct conversation you had with the other party involved.
Loria ranks right up there with Alderson and Ricciardi as the the worst liars in baseball. Neither of them have a problem with it and they all acknowledges that it’s okay to lie. Why players or fans believe anything they say is mind boggling, how ignorant can you be? Alderson in particular honed his lying when he was in Oakland, but now he’s a master at it.
By the way, I dont feel sorry for Reyes, after what he went through with Alderson lies, character assassination and distortions, he shoukld of been on high alert when the Marlins came-a-calling.
If Reyes and the other Marlins didn’t factor the possibility of being traded without there consent into their decision to sign with Miami they were at fault. The Marlins track record was clear as day and it comes down to the fact that they assumed that risk to get a higher compensation package. Everyone employeed by another person makes a similar decision when they change jobs. By the way, Reyes isn’t better off in Toronto than NY. NY was a unique fit for his personality and ability. I don’t see Toronto fns embracing Jose the way NY fans would have had he decided to be a life long Mets. It would have been Jeteresque for him. He clearly could have signed in NY for alot of money, but he tried to leverage his free agency to the maximum extent possible and is now in Toronto. Taking an extra year and 10 – 15 million dollars is his payoff for where he is now playing. We all make this decision when choosing where to work. No tears for Jose, every company has “policies” for a reason and not allowing no trade clauses is there for this reason.
Hey good to see you fellow NC Mets fan. I agree with most of this. I too think that too much blame gets placed on the Mets for Jose not being here. It was his choice too.
It’s like the relationship between my dad and hs brother, he refuses to call or go see him because his brother hasn’t called or came to see him, lol.
We as fans look at professional sports and mistyakenlt think that talented sports men and women making millions of dollars a year are smart. Most are not and that is why they need agents. If you look at interviews most of them can’t even express a cogent thought or put a sentence together without 50 “you knows and like man.” Most pro football and basketball players left before graduation to enter the draft and the ones that graduated have soft degrees in recreation or something like that. In the case of baseball some have college degrees but most have just HS diplomas and a lot of players from Latin America have less than HS educations and naturally struggle with english. I am not being prejudiced, just stating facts so when we read that this happened or that happened we immediately blame the owners. They threw millions and millions at these players and all the players wanted was “Mo Money.” Well they got their Mo Money and now it’s time to pay the piper. In the words of Eva Peron “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.”
Which probably translate to if the professional players don’t realize, their agents certainly do.
No matter what Loria & his band of thieves verbally promised Reyes, his agent should have known better and probably did.
If he didn’t point it out to Reyes, Jose should be looking for another agent.
If he did discuss it with him and Reyes decided to take his chances and sign in Miami anyway, that’s life.
It’s not just about ‘greedy ball players’ as some have pointed out. It includes these agents getting a nice little cut for themselves with these high priced contracts as well.
sadly…FL with their penchant for drafting and scouting well…will probably be in better shape than the mets
in the past 6 months they got back
Nate Eovaldi
Yunel Escobar
Jake Marisnick
Adeiny Hechavarria
Justin Nicolino
Anthony DeSclafani
Brian Flynn
Rob Brantly
Jacob Turner
2013 compensation draft pick round B.
Gorkys Hernandez
2013 compensation draft pick round
there are more than a few top 100 baseball america picks there…
not to mention the ones they already had in their system
Jose Fernandez
They don’t have Zack Wheeler…..
very true…but they won’t sustain it because they will eventually trade them all again
Imagine if the Marlins still get back into the post season in like 2 years or so before the Mets? LOL
Lmao… Forget that, what if the marlins pull an Oakland A’s and DO make the postseason in 2013!??!? My ohhhh My….
Too bad you can’t detect sarcasm….
You have quite an imagination. But the Marlins do have three solid top prospects on the horizon and I’d actually prefer Fernandez over Wheeler if I had my choice between one or the other. In two years he’s miles ahead of where Wheeler was and is two years younger.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=fernan009jos
Anyone that goes to Florida should know Lorias history. Fans knew that Reyes would not last contract there and if his agent could not get a no trade clause, that had to be a BIG hint. Most of us thought he would end up with Yankees after two years or after Jeter retired. Like they say, The grass is not always greener somewhere else, It’s Synthetic.
Reyes was too blinded by the $100 million to see through the lies. Let him freeze his ass off in Canada and lets see how those legs hold up on astroturf and in that cold air.
Well, guess you can say the same thing about wright and the counter offer they made after a deal was offered to him right? ohh, wait.. He’s the Golden boy, and he’s not greedy nor like the other players who are all about the money.. Nope.. Only guys like reyes are like that.. Even though he didn’t get any offer from the mets FO we should still be holding a grudge against him and not sandy and co…
I wish I could be blinded by $100 million. Another fool who refuses to accept the front office had no desire to make Reyes a decent offer, never made him one, never wanted him back in the first place.
Didn’t Omar Minaya give Reyes a lesser contract than he did with Wright, the last contract they both signed?
Yes,
Omar gave Reyes a four-year $23 million contract and Wright a six-year $55 million deal.
I remember on talk radio how some hosts were saying how Jose should have gotten a better contract but the point is Omar gave out 2 very good contracts to 2 young rising stars at the time. I believe they now call it “under team control”. Kind of like Sandy signing Niese but when Sandy does it it’s a revelation, magical, brand-new, incredible, unbelievable genius, etc.
But when Omar does it, it’s ignored and people talk about Castillo, Perez, & Bay. Sandy is not too dissimilar with a good contract for Niese and pretty much bombing out with the rest of his spending so far
oops my bad,
Should say the Wilpons gave out all these contracts and made all these decisions because that’s what a lot of people like to believe here.
I’ll put it this way, any bad contract is Omar’s fault and any good contract is an incredibly smart move by Alderson. That’s the way the goons look at things. Good contracts by Omar can be explained away and bad contracts by Sandy are the Wilpon’s fault.
Before Jose even announced he was going to sign with Miami it was already being reported that other general managers had dropped out of the race not wanting to compete with Loria’s ridiculous offer. I think it was reported that Loria said scaring off the rest of the competition was his way of assuring he could get Reyes.
Reported but wrong….
Reyes got an invite to go to see the Brewers after the GM Meetings and as a result Miami upped thier offer to 106 MIl on a take it or leave it basis.
Reyes canceled and took the 106 M Miami offer.
There was someone else interested in talking but I don’t remember who it was and they were never considered very serious in trumping the original 100M Marlin offer.
Yet and still the Marlins have won 2 world series, just as many as our Mets, and more than the Mets have since 1986 …………….. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
How Loria is allowed to own a team is hard to understand. I know new owners have to go through a long and exhausting vetting process, so why cant they review current owners to ensure they are meeting those same standards?
Hi Dan,
I don’t think the owners want others telling them how to conduct their businesses short of it being illegal. Integrity doesn’t count for anything with most of them and the commissioner’s office – as we saw when the Mets wanted to wear special caps in memory of those we lost on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. We also saw a few years back the ownership in Pittsburgh making a $51 million profit by simply pocketing the revenue sharing his team got.
No, baby, it’s different this time. I know all those things you heard from the others. But I’ve changed. things are different now. You aren’t like the rest. I’m totally with you for the long haul.
the two of them get as much sympathy as Chris Humphries.