Miami Marlins Secure Their Future By Locking Up Dee Gordon

The Miami Marlins are already (proud) owners of the largest contract in sports history, with a total of $325 million committed to Giancarlo Stanton, but apparently that is not preventing them from locking up other key players for the long term. On Wednesday, Miami extended the contract of second baseman Dee Gordon, a great move by the Marlins that will keep Gordon in Miami for at least the next five years.

The Marlins acquired Gordon last offseason after a breakout 2014 campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Gordon exceeded even the highest hopes Miami had for him. In 2015, Gordon was a batting champion, a Silver Slugger Award winner and a Gold Glove Award winner. After being an All-Star in each of the past two seasons, Gordon has quickly become one of the preeminent second basemen in all of baseball. With Miami set to pay him $50 million over the next five seasons, Gordon’s new contract may end up being a huge bargain for the Marlins if he continues to produce at the level he has the past two seasons.

At age 27, Gordon is just now entering his prime, so there should be no reason to expect a decline in his production any time soon. In fact, the best from Gordon may be yet to come, and signing him to an extension ensures that the Marlins will be the benefactors of his best years at a reasonable price. With the extension, Gordon won’t hit the free agent market until he’s 32 or 33, at which point an undersized player who relies on his speed is likely to decline. However, in the meantime, the Marlins will be able to take advantage of having Gordon for the best years of his career.

With Gordon’s future in Miami secure, the Marlins know they will have one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball for years to come, as well as a formidable middle infield if Adeiny Hechavarria can live up to his talent and potential. Now that the Marlins have decided not to trade Marcell Ozuna, Miami also has a young and talented outfield comprised of Ozuna, Stanton and Christian Yelich. Gordon will be the perfect table setter for what has the potential to be a potent lineup. Ensuring that his future will be in Miami, and at such a reasonable cost, is a good step in the right direction for the Marlins.