Over a week has passed since the Miami Marlins agreed to a massive trade that sent most of their top players to the Toronto Blue Jays, and the team’s fans are still fuming.
The Miami Herald spoke to 400 Major League Baseball fans — 90 percent of whom were self-described Marlins fans — for a poll, and they learned that the majority of the fans are really upset with the team and owner.
83 percent of those polled by the Herald had an unfavorable opinion of team owner Jeffrey Loria. Of the six percent who had a favorable opinion of him, six say they know him personally.
95 percent of those polled viewed the Blue Jays trade as a fire sale, while only four percent believed the trade was made to make the team better.
10 percent of fans say they are no longer fans of the team following the trade.
Fans described Loria as a “greedy crook,” a “leech,” and “lousy.”
That sounds about right. We somewhat mocked Marlins fans for only having five fans show up at a protest, but we acknowledged they had the right idea in mind.
There were so many questionable aspects of the Marlins’ trade.
While the deal could make them a better team in the future, it’s impossible to get past how unethical and deceitful it was. The team backloaded the contracts for the players they signed so they wouldn’t have to pay them the big annual salaries. They also shed the payroll as soon as their agreement to be reviewed by MLB expired, ostensibly so they can pocket their revenue sharing money rather than spend it on the on-field product. Lastly, and perhaps most egregiously, they had the city fund the stadium based on a promise that they would be competitive. It’s impossible to get around that point.
Forearm bash to Hardball Talk
