Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez reportedly turned down a long-term deal with the team Monday, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
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Fernandez Rejects Long-Term Deal with Marlins
Contract specifics to the contract Fernandez turned down were not disclosed.
The 23-year-old righty is arbitration-eligible, and 2016 will be his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. He went 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA in 11 starts in 2015, never exceeding seven innings and only once throwing more than 100 pitches in an outing.
Jackson reported (via Rotoworld) that because of the righty’s high potential, he’s in no rush to ink a long-term deal:
That news comes as no surprise. Fernandez is a Scott Boras client and Boras clients rarely accept pre-arbitration extensions. Plus, the 23-year-old right-hander is coming off a season in which he made just 11 starts (due in large part to his 2014 Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery). He wasn't going to sign a big deal with his value so low. Look for Fernandez to return to full-on ace status in 2016.
Marlins president David Samson indicated, per Jackson, that the team won’t pursue high-price free agents this offseason, such as David Price.
The Marlins had the third-lowest payroll in 2015 at $62.34 million, per Spotrac, despite signing superstar Giancarlo Stanton to a 13-year, $325 million deal last November.
Fernandez remains a key cog to their plans of contending in what’s been a weak National League East, the New York Mets notwithstanding. But they’ll need quality starters to keep pace with the pennant champions in the coming years, as the Mets have a trio of high-velocity aces in Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom that's going nowhere.
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