The Miami Marlins just reeled in Jose Reyes, baseball’s best base stealer. Reyes signed a six year deal worth $106 million – with a club option for a 7th year that could net the new fish $120 million. The 28-year old shortstop batted .337 this year to lead the National League in hitting – with 39 stolen bases. Not bad for a guy who played in only 126 games. Reyes stole 60 bases in 2005, 64 in 2006 and 78 in 2007.
The 4-time All-Star will no doubt be a spark for the Marlins, but there are questions about his endurance. Reyes did not play more than 133 games in the last three years – and in fact just 36 games in 2009 – primarily because he’s frequently been hobbled with hamstring injuries.
Still it’s a big loss for the New York Mets, who dropped below .500 for the third-straight year in 2011, with a dismal 77-85 record. Attendance is down for the Mets by 7% – their lowest numbers since 2004, when they played at the swirling vortex of wind known as Shea Stadium. No wonder the Mets are moving in the fences:
Reyes will certainly light up the basepaths for the Marlins, who could be accused of pulling off a double steal. It seems the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the bond deal that’s helping to finance Miami’s new stadium.
Marlins New Ballpark
The Marlins had claimed poverty in asking for taxpayer funding for the $634 million state-of-the-art ballpark. All this – while the team was actually showing a profit, according to documents posted online. The team later admitted it made money by conserving capital for the new ballpark.
SEC Investigates Marlins Stadium Financing
