The Marlins Front Office Isn't Going Anywhere

There are going to be a lot of questions swirling around the Florida Marlins after their season ends at Shea Stadium today. There will be no shortage of trade rumors involving Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis as the team continues its never-ending quest to save money at every available turn. There won't be any uncertainty about who will be fielding potential trade offers, though. The Marlins have resigned their top four front office executives until 2015.

Before Saturday's game the Marlins announced contract extensions for General Manager Larry Beinfest, Assistant General Manager Michael Hill, Vice President of Player Personnel Dan Jennings and Vice President of Player Development and Scouting Jim Fleming through the 2015 season.
"They're spectacular executives. We've had great success with them and I want to continue it," owner Jeffrey Loria said. "It's a commitment to excellence."

The Marlins are guaranteed a last place finish in the NL East this season despite going 81-81 last year and unanimous predictions of Washington's inferiority. That seems like an odd backdrop for statements like "spectacular executives" and "commitment to excellence" but Loria's group has done a fine job for the most part. Beinfest and his staff put together the 2003 World Champions and acquired players like Willis, Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla through savvy personnel moves.

Having job security for most of the next decade will assure that they continue to build through the farm system instead of making the kind of quick fix moves that a lack of job security breeds. The foursome had to agree to forego opportunities with other franchises but that's an easier move to make when you know that one bad season, like this one, won't result in your dismissal.

The big problem with the Marlins remains their team President David Samson. His job security need no such extension, he's married to Loria's daughter, and as long as he's at the reins on the business end the team will continue to rely on young, cheap talent. Beinfest and Co. can continue to develop young stud after young stud but if the team isn't willing to keep them in South Florida it will be nearly impossible to build a long-term winner. Samson made his feelings about paying star players known when he assailed the Seattle Mariners for giving Ichiro a contract extension and at the same time he made his feelings about the Marlins fans clear as day.

Nobody goes to watch the Marlins, even when the team isn't finishing in last place, and no new stadium is going to change that until the team shows the same commitment to their roster that they show to their front office. As long as Samson is signing the checks it doesn't really matter who is picking the players because the Marlins will be doomed to the same cycle of watching their best players leave as soon as they begin to cost serious coin.