A new season of major league baseball is upon us. Jose Fernandez is the pitching ace for the Miami Marlins. He missed the majority of the 2015 season as he returned from Tommy John surgery. Fernandez’s agent is Scott Boras, who is known for negotiating high-dollar contracts for his clients.
There are talks of Boras and Fernandez eyeing $30 million for a new contract. That is a lot of money to pay for a pitcher, especially one coming off of Tommy John surgery. One thing Fernandez has going for him is his age — Fernandez will turn 24 years old in July. He is already one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. There will be a long line of suitors ready to either trade for the right-handed pitcher or sign him as a free agent.
This leaves the Marlins in a difficult situation. They would love to keep him on the team. But if the asking price becomes too expensive, it would be better for the Marlins to get something back for Fernandez in a trade. Trading Fernandez two years before free agency hits would return a larger haul of players. It benefits the team acquiring Fernandez to have him under their control longer.
The Marlins recently signed their best player, Giancarlo Stanton, to a record-setting $275 million 10-year contract. So the Marlins obviously will spend to keep their star players. The question remains: will they do the same for Jose Fernandez?
