Payday

The Marlins rocked the baseball world with Monday's announcement of a record-setting contract with Giancarlo Stanton. The numbers are eye-popping -- $325-million over 13 years -- for the young superstar who ranks with Mike Trout in the discussion of the game's best young players. And while the deal contains an opt-out clause that could allow Stanton to become a free agent six years from now, it also contains a no-trade clause, the first ever given by the Miami organization.
OK, we could get into the debate whether any player deserves this kind of money -- especially guaranteed in advance. But that's how the market is set today. And clubs have come to realize -- take note of the massive $82-million deal Russell Martin just received -- that there is no cheap route to hold onto or bring aboard top veteran talent. Pay up or watch them go elsewhere.

Thus, the normally fiscally risk-averse -- dare I say, cheap -- Marlins are making a statement that they want to build around Stanton and will give their plan time. And it's a signal to South Florida fans, who since the 2003 World Series championship, and several fire sales, have become baseball averse. This could be the time major league baseball finally comes of age in what should be one of its strongest markets.