Miami Marlins sign Cameron Maybin, dredge up unpleasant past
Signing Cameron Maybin gives the Miami Marlins some veteran depth in the outfield…as well as a glaring reminder of how dangerous trading a superstar can be.
That the Miami Marlins decided to add some outfield depth is not surprising. What is flat-out staggering is which veteran outfielder they picked for the job.
As first reported by the Sun Sentinel’s Tim Healey, Cameron Maybin is back with the Fish.
On the surface, inking a career .255 hitter seems about right for a rebuilding club. Maybin does offer some streaky upside- there are about two weeks a season where he seems to carry fantasy teams – and he comes cheap at just over $3 million. If he falls off a cliff, or if a prospect heats up, the Marlins can easily walk away. And since it’s just a one year deal, he’s easily flippable for a spare prospect if he has a strong first half.
The reason this move is so surprising is because of what Cameron Maybin specifically represents to this particular franchise.
Many Miami Marlins fans have been extremely critical of the recent trades. Particularly the Giancarlo Stanton one- a move that seemed to be entirely about money. But it’s still entirely within the realm of possibility many of those moves work out. Maybe this will be like 1998. Maybe this will be like 2006. The Marlins front office is preaching patience, pointing to the success of the Astros and the Cubs. Trading stars really hurts, but these new prospects will make the team great again someday.
The thing is, that was the same song, and dance Miami Marlins fans heard eleven years ago when they made what actually does hold the current title of the worst trade in franchise history. And the centerpiece of that deal…was Cameron Maybin.
Along with fellow blue-chipper Andrew Miller (yea, that Andrew Miller) and four other guys, the Tigers sent six prospects to Miami in exchange for superstar Miguel Cabrera and face of the franchise Dontrelle Willis. Cabrera was due for a big payday, one the franchise couldn’t afford because they didn’t have their own stadium. Willis was admittedly showing severe signs of decline. So off they went as the last members of the 2003 World Champions.
Maybin Represents Some Rough Memories For Miami Marlins
Willis went on to show just how right the Marlins did not pay him big money, appearing in only forty-three more games before finding himself out of baseball. Cabrera, of course, went on to cement his legacy as arguably the greatest player to come along this century.
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The trade was a catastrophe in every respect. Miller was a starting pitcher then, a role he struggled with. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t make fans forget the D-Train by winning his own Rookie of the Year Award. The problem was that he couldn’t even challenge Ricky Nolasco or career journeyman Mark Hendrickson regarding consistent performance.
The pain of hindsight, which no one in the Marlins organization bothered to see if he could be a relief pitcher, is just icing on the cake. Maybin never played above the level of a replacement outfielder, unable to hold off the Cody Rosses and Chris Coghlans of the world for serious playing time.
And those were the success stories.
So it is a little curious that the man who for all intents and purposes is Giancarlo Stanton’s replacement is the same guy who is walking proof for Miami Marlins fans that trading known stars for prospects don’t always work out.
At best, it’s a somewhat refreshing attempt to separate the past from the present. At worst though, it’s yet another chapter in this new Marlins ownership doing things that don’t quite add up given their circumstances. If you want proof of just how hard making that past/present separation is, look no further than the Marlins own trade of Miller. It’s not like he got a big raise in 2011. It was just clear he needed a fresh start in a place where he wasn’t “the guy that replaced Miguel Cabrera.”
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Marlins fans know their history, and you can count on that 2007 trade coming up more than once during Marlins broadcasts this season. Hard to see how that will help sell the party line to trust the rebuilding process.