Epic Trade

[mweir145]

The problem with the Marlins is that they don't seem to have any plan as to what they are doing. They spent too recklessly last year and now they are going into a complete firesale. I'll be honest, shedding Buehrle is definitely a good move for a rebuilding team. Trading Reyes is also a good idea although he should have some decent value. Trading Johnson was probably the only way that they were getting anything back of decent value. Miami didn't get any stud prospects back but I like the talent they got.

I think this deal (and the Dodgers) is another sign that salary inflation will take off and you won't be able to spend money in FA even if you have a lot of it.

I'm not sure it's that bad a baseball deal for Miami either despite the critics. Sure, I guess they reneged on all of their BS promises from last offseason, but if they weren't going to win any time soon and weren't going to re-sign JJ, they might as get rid of those two contracts before they become unmovable and actually get some value out of JJ before he left.

When the Marlins decide to slash payroll and rebuild, they cut no corners and really don't seem to care at all about public perception.

[Tavish]

Buehrle and Reyes are probably not too happy about being moved less than a year after being able to sign a big FA contract and for the first time in their career have control over the city they're playing in, but they're probably happier than Giancarlo Stanton. Maybe they should have included a no trade clause when joining a team owned by such a sleazeball.

The Marlins have a strict policy against no-trade clauses. If a big-time free agent goes there without expecting to be traded at the team's earliest convenience they either have no idea how the Marlins really operate or they are just deluding themselves.

[mweir145]

Buehrle and Reyes are probably not too happy about being moved less than a year after being able to sign a big FA contract and for the first time in their career have control over the city they're playing in, but they're probably happier than Giancarlo Stanton. Maybe they should have included a no trade clause when joining a team owned by such a sleazeball.

The Marlins have a strict policy against no-trade clauses. If a big-time free agent goes there without expecting to be traded at the team's earliest convenience they either have no idea how the Marlins really operate or they are just deluding themselves.

Yep. Same thing happened to Carlos Delgado one year after he signed his big contract there. Nobody (and especially the players that sign up to play there) should be surprised at moves like this...they've been at it for a long time.

[Skin Blues]

Thought the income tax issue was kind of interesting so I had a look at effective tax rates per baseball city, based on the location of each of their games (half home, half road). The data is from a Baseball Prospectus article from 2011. Aside from the 5 teams that play in cities with no income tax and the two teams in NYC, there is very little difference between the rest of them. Another takeaway from that list is that nobody in the AL West isn't gonna be paying much tax next year when the Astros join the party. 3 of the 5 no-tax teams in one division. But 2 California teams to balance it out.

New York Yankees 7.6%
New York Mets 7.5%
Toronto Blue Jays 6.6%
Baltimore Orioles 6.5%
Minnesota Twins 5.7%
Philadelphia Phillies 5.7%
Los Angeles Dodgers 5.7%
San Francisco Giants 5.7%
Los Angeles Angels 5.6%
Washington Nationals 5.6%
San Diego Padres 5.6%
Milwaukee Brewers 5.4%
Boston Red Sox 5.4%
Cincinnati Reds 5.4%
Oakland Athletics 5.3%
Detroit Tigers 5.3%
Cleveland Indians 5.3%
Chicago White Sox 5.2%
Kansas City Royals 5.1%
Colorado Rockies 5.0%
Chicago Cubs 4.9%
St. Louis Cardinals 4.9%
Atlanta Braves 4.7%
Arizona Diamondbacks 4.7%
Pittsburgh Pirates 4.5%
Tampa Bay Rays 2.9%
Florida Marlins 2.7%
Seattle Mariners 2.6%
Texas Rangers 2.5%
Houston Astros 2.4%

[StlSluggers]

[ayebatter]

Toronto Blue Jays 6.6%
Florida Marlins 2.7%

Looks like a 4% tax increase to me............that's $40,000 per million and you have to live in Canada during the spring & summer when the Miami beaches/bitches are rockin'.

[bigh0rt]

Poor Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. They thought they would thought they would be playing in Miami, now they need to pack away their shorts and convertibles and invest in barn jackets and front wheel drive SUVs.

my buddy lives down the road from buehrle and his brother
he chatted with buehrle's brother last night, and mark is apparently none too happy about playing in toronto
says he's hoping he'll get flipped to another team

Buerhle probably thinks Toronto is some kind of cold tundra 365 days a year like most of the people I've ever met from Missouri. But this is an example of why you can't simply say the Jays could have signed such players last offseason. It is not too easy to sell a FA on the idea of playing in Canada and for a Jays organization that hasn't been relevant in a long, long time.

I have no idea what Toronto's like, but I can confidently say it ain't Miami.

[kellythemick]

Another reason Buehrle is upset:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/poor-hound-mark-buehrle-dog-not-welcome-toronto-150208507--mlb.html

[mweir145]

my buddy lives down the road from buehrle and his brother
he chatted with buehrle's brother last night, and mark is apparently none too happy about playing in toronto
says he's hoping he'll get flipped to another team

Buerhle probably thinks Toronto is some kind of cold tundra 365 days a year like most of the people I've ever met from Missouri. But this is an example of why you can't simply say the Jays could have signed such players last offseason. It is not too easy to sell a FA on the idea of playing in Canada and for a Jays organization that hasn't been relevant in a long, long time.

I have no idea what Toronto's like, but I can confidently say it ain't Miami.

Jason Whitlock says Toronto is like "White Vegas."

http://blogs.thescore.com/tbj/2010/11/1 ... ite-vegas/

[mweir145]

Another reason Buehrle is upset:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/poor-hound-mark-buehrle-dog-not-welcome-toronto-150208507--mlb.html

Forgot about that stupid law.