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| Subject: Marlins glad to have JJ's future secured Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:31 pm | |
| Marlins glad to have JJ's future secured Florida officially signs top pitcher to rare four-year contract
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
01/21/10 3:30 PM EST
MIAMI -- Standing on a small marking in the gravel in downtown Miami on Thursday, towering right-hander Josh Johnson symbolically threw a pitch that represented the Marlins' fortunes of now and into the future.
Where Johnson stood was the exact location of where the pitching mound will be in the Marlins' new ballpark, which will open in 2012. On the receiving end of Johnson's soft toss was his agent, Matt Sosnick, who made a barehanded grab.
The first pitch, which took place at 11:57 a.m. ET, closed out another benchmark moment in Marlins history.
Johnson, the 6-foot-7 All-Star, officially signed his four-year, $39 million contract, which will keep him in Miami through 2013.
It was the first multiyear contract for a Marlins pitcher since Jeffrey Loria became owner in 2002. It's also the most lucrative contract for a hurler in team history.
Locking up Johnson to a long-term deal is another reason why the Marlins are upbeat about where the franchise is headed. The club has two more seasons to play at Sun Life Stadium, also home of the Miami Dolphins and University of Miami football team.
Johnson is currently the front-runner to throw out the first pitch in the Marlins' new ballpark. Now that he is signed for four years, he joins All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez as the cornerstones of the franchise.
Johnson reached agreement on his contract on Jan. 14, but it took a week for the official announcement. The deal became complete after he passed his physical, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"When Jeffrey guaranteed the fourth year, we were able to move quickly and get this deal done," said Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest.
"We think we have some of the best young talent in the game. Josh headlines that, along with Hanley. We can look at the 2010 Marlins, and we're real excited."
Johnson posted a 15-5 record and a 3.23 ERA in 2009, his first All-Star season.
A fourth-round pick by Florida in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Johnson made it clear that he wanted to remain a Marlin. Even though negotiations stalled late in November, both sides were able to work together to keep the right-hander under contract for at least four more years.
"They've been great to me from Day 1," Johnson said. "They were gracious when I signed in 2002; everything was easy back then. For me, it was easy this time. I don't know if it was easy for them.
"I want to thank my agent, Matt Sosnick. We did what we wanted to do and we got a deal done, which was the ultimate goal for both sides."
As a remembrance of Thursday's signing, Sosnick was given the ball Johnson tossed just before noon.
Johnson's deal includes a base salary of $3.75 million in 2010. In '11, his salary rises to $7.75 million, and he will earn $13.5 million in '12 and '13.
Signing Johnson put to rest the notion the Marlins are opposed to multiyear contracts for pitchers.
The next multiyear deal the club may end up offering could go to right-hander Ricky Nolasco, projected to pitch the second game of this season. The Marlins spoke with Sosnick, who also represents Nolasco, about possibly signing a multiyear contract once the 2010 season is completed. Nolasco is signed for $3.8 million this year.
"We don't have a set policy [on pitchers], other than they need to meet some set criteria," Beinfest said. "When we put the player to the test, [we look at] the type of makeup and the type of teammate that he is; the physical well-being of the player now and into the future and how he may fit the ballclub now and into the future.
"Also, we look at how the player will fit into future payrolls. Certainly Josh passed all those tests, and there was recognition by the organization that this was something we wanted to pursue."
The Marlins made it clear to Johnson in the middle of the 2009 season that they wanted to pursue a multiyear deal. On a couple of occasions, Loria approached the right-hander, speaking privately about signing him long-term.
A holdup in the negotiations was guaranteeing the fourth year. Marlins president David Samson noted on Thursday that he advised against it.
"When Larry and [general manager Mike Hill] basically said it was going to take a fourth year or we're just going to have to go year to year, Jeffrey called me and said, 'David, I appreciate your advice, and I don't accept it,'" Samson said. "Jeffrey said, 'Josh is going to be on this team for well over a decade. We'd like for him to go into the Hall of Fame as a Marlin.'
"Jeffrey really was and is always the person who makes the final decisions. I said this to Larry and Mike, and now to Josh, I was not in favor of the fourth year, because from a risk standpoint, for us, it's always about, 'What is the risk/reward?'"
Now that the deal is signed, Samson told Johnson that he is glad to have the ace anchoring the rotation.
"As far as I'm concerned, there is no hard policy on contracts, but four years is a long time," Samson said. "The thought of Josh pitching here until 2013 and beyond is something that makes me happy. I'm glad Jeffrey went the way he did, and I'm very happy today."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. | |
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