The Miami Marlins have sent Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees, and may resemble a AAA team next year. But that does not mean they are the modern day Kansas City Athletics…yet.
It is easy to understand why one would be frustrated with the Miami Marlins trade of Giancarlo Stanton. After all, the New York Yankees just received the reigning National League MVP for two mid tier prospects, and Starlin Castro, who is seemingly unlikely to ever play a game in a Marlins uniform. Add in how Derek Jeter is a Yankees legend, and this deal is a conspiracy theorists dream.
This is the second trade between the Marlins and Yankees since the end of the 2017 season. On November 20, the Marlins had sent money towards the international signing bonus pool for Caleb Smith and Garrett Cooper. Although the pursuit ultimately failed, this was seen as Jeter helping his former franchise in their attempts to land Shohei Otani.
These moves, seemingly geared towards helping the Yankees become a juggernaut once again, bring to mind another era. Back in the 1950s, the Kansas City Athletics were essentially another farm team for the Yankees. Arnold Johnson, who bought the team from the Mack family, had been a business associate of Yankees ownership, and had even owned Yankee Stadium prior to purchasing the Athletics. Ties to the Yankees? Sounds familiar…
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For whatever the motivation, the Athletics sent quite a few talented players to New York, keeping the Yankees dynasty alive. In the six years that he owned the A’s, players like Roger Maris, Bobby Shantz, Ralph Terry, and Clete Boyer were sent to New York. The A’s typically got cash or younger players in return, although once those young players were productive, they would be back on their way to the Yankees once again.
Given the ties between Jeter and the Yankees, and the two moves that had been made thus far, it is fair to ask if history is repeating itself. The Yankees were making moves to win, while the Marlins are beginning to look more and more like a minor league franchise.
However, the Marlins are not yet the old Athletics teams. While virtually every move the Marlins have made since Jeter and company took over has been a public relations disaster, the fact remains that the Marlins finances were a disaster. Even though burning the roster down immediately upon taking control of a franchise is not a good way to build goodwill, it could help the Marlins in future years. Given the success that the Astros had with a similar move, it is not a surprise that other teams would follow in those footsteps.
Next: Mariners acquire Gordon from Marlins
For now, the Miami Marlins are not a farm team of the New York Yankees. At least, not yet.