According to a major league source who had seen the terms, Stanton’s salaries over those first three seasons will be only $6.5 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016 and $14.5 million in 2017, far less than he could have earned through arbitration in 2015-16 and then via free agency. He would then earn $77 million over the next three seasons, and could opt out of the contract after 2020, following his age 30 season.
So the Marlins would be on the hook for only $107 million of the deal over the first six seasons, which computes to an average annual value of just $17.83 million per season before Stanton would have the right to exercise the opt-out clause.
This certainly changes the view of this deal. And if for some reason this deal turns sour on the Marlins, it turns really sour, with the final seven years coming in at over $31 million a year all while Stanton has a full no-trade clause. One big injury or some inexplicable Dale Murphy-style falloff and it’s uglyville.
In the meantime, though: a bargain for the Marlins and flexibility for them to go get other pieces to complement Stanton. Now: will they do it?
