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Marlins (finally) toss their hat into offseason by signing Wei-Yin Chen

By Matt Whitener

Aug 16, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (16) pitches during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 16, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (16) pitches during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Marlins agree to five year deal with former Oriole Wei-Yin Chen

The Miami Marlins and pitcher Wei-Yin Chen have come to terms on a five year deal that will bring the top remaining arm on the free agent market to South Beach.

The 30-year-old lefty will undoubtedly improve a Marlins pitching staff that until now could claim baseball’s journeyman supreme, Edwin Jackson, as its top coup of the offseason. Chen will slide in behind Jose Fernandez in the starting rotation for the foreseeable future, while providing a clear uptick from the cast of Jackson, Jared Cosart, Tom Koehler and miscellaneous.

Sizable investments by the Marlins should always be taken with a grain of salt, such as all things involved with the Marlins should, due to everything being at the whim of petulant owner Jeffrey Loria’s mood of the moment. But at face value, the acquisition of Chen is solid, and even measured, baseball move.

Chen entered the offseason with goals of being one of the highest paid second-tier starters on the market, with his agent Scott Boras said to be pushing for a guarantee in the range of $100 million. In the end, Chen fell predictably lower than that, and especially so in landing in Miami. His deal is guaranteed to pay out $80 million over five years, and could ramp up to $96 million in total if he activates his option for a sixth year.

In addition, there is an opt-out clause that Chen holds that comes into play after the second year of the deal, a smart route to take with anybody signing on with the ever-aimless Marlins long-term and likely a make-or-break part of the negotiations.

At face value, it is deal that could pull them apart from the Proletariat v. Bourgeois current makeup of the National League East. But at best, it likely solidifies their seat on the equator of the division to continue. Until the team can find a way to stop its owner from beefing with its young stars, as well as make its headline acquisitions still have service time on the field and also to keep its top dollar superstar on the field for five consecutive months, more of the same mediocrity is likely in South Beach.

But as most things are in regards to the Marlins, here on day one of the Chen era, it certainly looks good—on paper.

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