Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla is seeking a five-year extension in the $55-60MM range, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. As Rosenthal notes, such a deal would cover his last arbitration year as well as four free agent seasons.
Back on August 7th, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald suggested the Marlins were willing to do a three-year deal in the $30MM range. Uggla, who switched from Beverly Hills Sports Council to Gaylord Sports Management this summer, said in July that a Marlins extension "would make me a very happy man." He'll certainly have to drop his demands if he's to remain with the Fish beyond the 2011 season.
In Uggla's defense, there's no perfect comparable for a second baseman who will have over 150 home runs over his first five seasons and signs one year away from free agency. If Uggla's agent thinks his client is in the discussion with Robinson Cano and Chase Utley, those players will get $14-15MM per free agent year. Brandon Phillips, Aaron Hill, and Ian Kinsler will make less, but all five had less service time than the five years Uggla will and signed contracts covering different portions of their careers.
10 million a year for a guy who averages 30 Homeruns a year at second base, with average-ish defense?
Sounds like a good deal.
Jim thome can give you 30 HR’s at 2nd base as well…doesnt mean he’s a second baseman
If he played third base, would you complain about giving him $10M/year for 30 home runs? Adrian Beltre did it.
-wtk
Adrian Beltre is an elite defender. Uggla is a butcher at second and has never played thrid at the big league level.
And Adrian Beltre has only hit 30 home runs once (48, 2004).
That said, I think that it is a big mistake in the development of Hanley Ramirez to not have Dan Uggla in that locker room. Not even bringing up production on the field, Uggla grounds Hanley quite a bit and I think that the solid veterans like Dan Uggla and Wes Helms are necessary to keep that team moving in the right direction.
-wtk
I wish I could get paid millions of dollars to help some other player “develop.” Hanley should just grow up.
kind of random but interesting crap regarding “development” did you know the dodgers signed adrian beltre out of the DR when he weighed 130 lbs? huh
Yeah. He was 15. I remember the fuss.
-wtk
It’s also worth stating that I think a pact of $40M-$42M over four years seems like a reasonable agreement. Worst case scenario, that gets shipped to the Mets for whomever their top six prospects are in 2013.
-wtk
hwould you complain about a 1st basemen that can hit 30 hrs? no think this ugla screams 2st base and will probably get moved there sooner than later….and what about this a left fielder that CANT FIELD AT ALL that will hit 30 hrs a season gets 10-20 mill a season, look at manny and dunn, or the DH’s in the past that got 10+ mill a season. the fact that uggla can hit that many home runs, hit for a decent average and has ok speed and plays mediocre D at 2nd is a premium.
problem is those players are signed for over 10mil a year to anchor a lineup, Uggla isnt that type of player. When Manny signed for 20 mil he had just single handedly led the Dodgers to the Playoffs. Uggla has has been Robin while Cabrera and Hanley have been Batmen but has never led the team. If he was a free agent I don’t think he comes close to this in the open market. Would be smart to sign a 3 year deal if offered
-5 to -10 runs a year is not a butcher. Adam Dunn (-15 to -30) is a butcher. Derek Jeter has been worse than Uggla historically.
Uggla probably shouldn’t get this deal, but he’s easily worth 4 years/$40-$45 million.
beltre?? defense?? hmmm where has that been all year?
The last I checked beltre has 16 errors and counting on the year – thats average at best, but more likely below average – in fact, that is the worst for all third basemen in the league outside of tejada and reynolds (who only have 17) – i dont think anyone would be calling either of them elite defenders, so let stop with the heaping praise for beltre’s glove work.
Errors are really a mediocre way at judging overall defense.
crazy if someone gives him that deal.
Why? Of major league second basemen over the last 3 years Uggla’s been second only to Utley in OPS and has lead in home runs and RBIs. His demands sound perfectly reasonable.
Why? He’s so under appreciated. He’s not a whiz at 2nd but decent enough and his bat is about as good as anyone in bigs. I doubt the Marlins give in but anyone with a vacancy at 2nd will.
the second he becomes a free agent if this happens or if they try to trade him because they cant lock him up the marlins will get calls from literally every team in the bigs with exception to maybe the bosox and phillies…
Add Yankees and Reds to that list lol
As much as I hate him because he plays for the Marlins, I wouldn’t mind seeing him patrol second base in Citi Field.
Uggla seems like the guy that is great to have in your lineup, does great things with his bat, average things with his glove, etc., but for some reason, doesn’t look like anybody that somebody is ever to going to back a dump truck full of cash on to. Not sure why, but just seems that way.
My thoughts exactly. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t have the body-type or glove of a proto-typical second baseman or something, but as a fan, he ISN’T a guy you’d get all excited about your favorite team signing.
The Rockies have been rumored to have interest for next year. Maybe they want to give him some time at 1B against LHP so they can rest Helton more. I heard that Uggla wants to stay at 2B, but maybe if he got some occasional time at 1B, he would learn to be OK with it.
Welcome to San Francisco Dan! Because the Marlins are sure as hell aren’t going to give you that type of cash.
neither are the giants lol. they already have Sanchez unless of course he gets flipped to another team needing MI help like STL, DET, ANA, etc
Too many years for Uggla. 3 years max for a guy whose range is declining at 2nd base. The reason why he didnt garner much trade attention this off-season is that he is a very tough player to gauge. Teams don’t view him as an 11-13 million dollar lineup anchor even wtih this 30 HR’s and you can’t just move him to 3rd. Fish are in a tough spot here. I personally trade him and start the year with Coughlan at 2nd. Huge mistake to go over 3 years.
His range numbers are actually much better now than they were a few years ago:
FANGRAPHS RngR
2007: -14.3
2008: 1.7
2009: -5.8
2010: -1.1
He really only had the one really awful year in terms of range. He’s probably still slightly below average (very slightly, averaging about -1.7 runs annually over the last three years), but he’s not deteriorating by any stretch.
omar minaya is salivating!!
I would have to see him play more often then I do now to suggest this, because I NEVER watch Marlins games, but if he was willing to switch to 1st base or the outfield he might get that sort of cash, but certainly not from the Marlins… anyway… maybe if he could play ‘some’ 3rd base, he makes sense for a team like the Yankees, who have been getting average defense at 3rd from ARod and would hapilly move him to the DH spot and play Uggla at 3rd… but I really don’t know if this makes any sense to him.
i thought 3 years $30mil was more than fair and reasonable for both sides.
If his contract time-horizon shrinks to only three years, be prepared for Uggla to want $36-40M over that period. His age 31-33 seasons should be expected to be his last truly prime seasons, so he should definitely expect to be paid at a premium for those seasons as opposed to the 34-35 seasons he’d be letting go.
If the Marlins think that’s too much, then they’d better not offer him arb this winter; he’s gonna walk away with $12-13M if he goes. (Unless he submits a ridiculous figure, ‘course; the only 2B comp out there signed a $12+M/yr deal four years ago, so the Fish would have a tough time arguing the Uggster was worth less than that number plus some substantial allowance for salary inflation.)
I’d love this guy to be on the Rockies, but I think Eric Young Jr and Jonathan Herrera have pretty much solidified the 2B spot. IF Uggla could play the corners I’d still throw cash at him, but its an unknown. If the Marlins were smart they’d test him out at those spots some this year and see if it increases his trade value.
I commented above along similar lines to your thoughts before I read your post, but I think you’re right on the mark here.
IF Uggla was willing to play 1B a couple times a week to let Helton rest, AND sprinkle in at 3B against tough LHP in place of Stewart, he would be a valuable piece to the puzzle. Over the course of the year, Uggla could start half the games at 2B, with EY2 starting the other half. That way, EY2 would be free-up to get a good portion of the remaining time in LF when Tracy doesn’t want to play Smith or Spilly out there.
Helton may not even make it to Opening Day 2011. If Uggla is sent off to Denver, it’ll be to take over at 1B. (Although he would be available as a fallback if EY2 can’t hang in full-time at 2B; as much as the Rox are moving back to the speed/defense model, though, I suspect he’d have to be Steve Sax c. 1983 before the club would move him back to the OF in favor of Cap’n Ugg.)
If Helton retires after this season, do you think it will be “voluntarily”, or “due to injury”?? If the Rockies don’t have to pay him the money left on his contract after this year, that will really give them a boost when looking for a free agent IF or SP.
Guys, if he moves to LF/RF or DHing, his value is shot. He plays decent enough at a premium position to warrant this contract. I don’t agree with the length but the money is fair relatively to where he plays right now(or 3B, as some have said).
I don’t understand where most of you guys are coming from with the knock on his glove. Lets take a look at FLD%:Joe Morgan: Career .981 FLD%Jackie Robinson: Career .983 FLD%Eddie Collins: Career .970 FLD%Rogers Hornsby: Career .965 FLD%Chase Utley: Career .981 FLD%Ian Kinsley: Career .978 FLD%Dan Uggla: Career .980 FLD%
watching him play. Limited range, rock hard hands….not the type of player i want commited to play in the MI in his 30’s.
Fielding Percentage to measure defense? Really?
I guess Mike Bordick was a better fielder in his career than Ozzie Smith too.
get your defense up uggla and that would be agreat deal.
He’s such a tough guy to gage. He mixes in his 4+ WAR seasons with a bunch of seasons sitting at 2.5 WAR. The difference is huge.
He could easily be a consistent $8-10m/year type player OR a $15m/year type player. This year – he is definitely a $15m+ type player.
3 years and an option for the 4th…do it
I find it difficult to picture the Marlins giving Uggla a deal like this. When you look at their track record, they’ve been… well… cheap. They didn’t even committ that much money to Josh Johnson, and he’s one of the best pitchers in the game right now. I find it hard to imagine them giving Uggla, a guy who’s been on the trade block for what seems like years, a 5 year, 55/60MM dollar contract. Somebody may give it to him, but it won’t be the Marlins. Premium second baseman are hard to come by. Somebody will bite.
Realisticaly though, I think the Marlins are content with moving into their new ball park without Dan Uggla. If Logan Morrison can play a somewhat respectable LF, I don’t see why the Marlins wouldn’t be content with going with Morrison and Mike Stanton in the corners in the outfield, and Chris Coghlan at 2nd.
This guy should not get an extension higher than Ian Kinsler’s. His demands double what Kinsler signed for. Granted there is a discrepancy in service time between the two.
Kinsler is being paid at a bargain though. not the greatest comparison if i were an agent because that could get him less money
I think the MArlins would do better to move Coghlan to 2B and Uggla to 3B. But that is just me. Coghlan did come up as a 2B.
*chokes on cereal*
Wasn’t he the guy that the marlins got from the D’backs in the Rule 5 Draft? I mean yeah he can be a good hitter, but he also whiffs alot, and mishandles probably the easiest position in baseball, in my opinon.