Marlins ownership surely had visions of turning their new stadium in downtown Florida into "The House The Machine Built," but it just wasn't meant to be. It may never have even been a consideration for Pujols and agent Dan Lozano.
It doesn't matter. The Marlins, who have apparently committed themselves to spending money to bring talent to South Beach, came away with a couple of nice parting gifts.
They signed shortstop Jose Reyes, who, if they can convince Hanley Ramirez to stay, will make up half of the best left side of an infield in baseball. They inked Heath Bell, someone who will shore up the back end of their bullpen and is coming off three 40-plus save seasons. And perhaps most importantly, they signed Mark Buehrle to a four-year deal, giving them another top-of-the-rotation starter alongside Josh Johnson.
Even without Pujols, the Marlins have had themselves an offseason already. If they can pick up a few complementary pieces, they'll be even better. Where not signing Pujols will really pay off, however, will be down the road.
You could make a strong case for Pujols as the best player in the game right now. You could make a case he'll still be the best player in the game in three or four years. After that? It gets a little murky. Had Miami signed Pujols, it sounded like it was going to be a 10-year deal worth almost a quarter of a billion dollars. That's a lot of money to be tied up with for the next decade, especially when the player in question will be "32" on Opening Day.
There's a reason teams try to stay away from those long-term deals. They're great early on, as you get a player in his prime, but that prime often times quickly fizzles, and you could be left paying an over-the-hill player more than $20 million per season. You can't discount the type of burden those long-term, big-money contracts can place upon a team. Look at teams like the Mets and Dodgers. They spent the better part of the last decade doing just that, and look where it's got them — broke and beat down.
The Marlins won't have to worry about that now, though. Instead, they can go about their way progressively building their way back toward being a championship contender. They've done enough, even without Pujols, to prove that they're willing to win. More importantly, they've done enough to sell a ton of tickets.
They should be competitive next season. Those pickups mentioned earlier will certainly help, as will having Ramirez still in the fold and a healthy Johnson. Let's not forget the Marlins also have Mike Stanton, one of the best young players in the game. Gaby Sanchez may not be Albert Pujols, but he's still a very strong, young first baseman whose best days are ahead of him. Logan Morrison is another one of the Marlins' good young players. Overseeing the revamped squad is Ozzie Guillen, a man who has a World Series title to his credit already.
At some point, the Marlins are going to have to pay those guys. They should be able to do so with money to spare with what they saved on not signing Pujols. If we're operating under the assumption that they're better right now — and they are — and are going to contend in the coming years, they'll become an even more appealing option for free agents. Miami has proven it's willing to spend, and future free agents won't forget that. Just as importantly, the Marlins should have the money to spend moving forward.
The Marlins are on their way up. For the first time in a long time, fans in South Florida have plenty to be excited about. They've got a new stadium and a good team to play in that stadium. They may not have Albert Pujols, but they're now better set up for long-term success going forward.
They're still built to be better now, and they've left themselves open to getting a lot better very soon. Isn't that all you can ask for?
