Shots Across the Bow: North of the border

Tuesday, 13 November 2012 20:56

Written by Bill Brink

The operative number here is $19 million.

That's about how much money the Miami Marlins have committed to their 2013 payroll after agreeing to trade Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, John Buck and Emilio Bonifacio to the Toronto Blue Jays, according to multiple reports. Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal first reported the trade, as best as I can tell.

This trade will anger a lot of people, CBS Sports' Scott Miller among them. As Miller writes, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria tore apart the roster he built last offseason with rampant free-agent spending after tax dollars paid for a large portion of the Marlins' new $515 million stadium.

The Marlins cleared about $160 million in payroll with the trade, according to the Miami Herald's Clark Spencer. In return, they receive, among others, Adeiny Hechavarria and Jacob Marisnick, solid prospects who can help the club in the future. What it could also do is repel free agents from signing in Miami, anger the fans and even the remaining players. Just ask Giancarlo Stanton how he's feeling.

As for the Blue Jays, it immediately makes them a contender in the tough AL East and also an attractive destination for any managerial candidates out there considering the opening. Adding those starting pitchers to a staff that had talent but suffered injuries this season, and adding Reyes and Bonifacio to a lineup with Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, makes them dangerous.