2012 Contract Issues: Florida Marlins

The Marlins are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series.

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

• Javier Vazquez's lost 2010 season with the Yankees allowed the Marlins to get him on a one-year deal.  Can he re-establish himself?
• Omar Infante was a key component to the Dan Uggla deal.  A strong season could cement him as a regular and result in the best contract of his career.
• Bench players Wes Helms and Greg Dobbs also project as free agents.

Contract Options (0)

Arbitration Eligible (9)

• First time: Chris Coghlan, Donnie Murphy, Brian Sanches, John Baker
• Second time: Clay Hensley, Edward Mujica, Burke Badenhop
• Third time: Anibal Sanchez, Leo Nunez

Not all of these players will make it to the point of being tendered a contract.  Coghlan and Hensley will still be affordable.  With Vazquez up for free agency, Sanchez will probably be retained even in the $6MM range.  Nunez might be a tough sell for the Marlins at a price exceeding $5MM.

2012 Payroll Obligation

The Marlins' 2012 payroll obligation is $45.75MM, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts, with Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, and Ricky Nolasco leading the way.  With the new stadium the team's payroll could rise to $70MM, but arbitration eligible players could account for more than $15MM, leaving the team with less than $10MM to work with.  Of course $70MM is just one reporter's speculation, and trading or non-tendering Sanchez and/or Nunez would free up money.