Marlins Rumors: Adeiny Hechavarria declines contract extension

Interesting news from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on Saturday night, as Adeiny Hechavarria has apparently turned down a contract extension offer from the Marlins:

Talks have stalled between the Marlins and left fielder on a long-term deal — a significant gap remains –– and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria also has declined the Marlins’ initial multiyear offer. Yelich isn’t a free agent until after 2019, Hechavarria after 2018. Both were interested in multiyear contracts but not at the money offered.

We discussed the Yelich situation earlier this morning, and now this Hechavarria development has me scratching my head. Why? Because, you see, Adeiny Hechavarria is just not good. He is replacement-level on a good day, and was literally the worst hitter in baseball in 2013.

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How does he have any leverage in contract negotiations? He is a singles-hitter with unspectacular speed, absolutely no power, he never walks, and he has almost no value defensively despite the “baseball people” who laud him for his “range.”

I just don’t get it.

And the best part is Hechavarria already makes more money than he’s worth. The Toronto Blue Jays signed him to a four-year, $10 million contract in 2010 out of the international signing pool. Thanks to his age and defection status, he was able to sign a deal worth guaranteed money in lieu of a minor league deal where he would have made five figures and then league-minimum once called up to MLB.

He made $2.75 million in that abysmal 2013 season I mentioned earlier, and $2.2 million last year, a season in which, sure, he raised his average, on-base and slugging but it’s almost impossible not to improve on the worst slash line in baseball from 2013. Last year, Hechavarria hit .276/.308/.356 with a .290 w0BA and 82 wRC+. That looks MVP-worthy compared to his dreadful .227/.267/.298/56 OPS+ from 2013.

2016 will be Hechavarria’s first year of arbitration. Who knows how much he will make if we get to that point. But, knowing the Marlins’ absurd infatuation with the 25 year-old, he could be signed long-term by then. I just hope the front office, which has made some very smart moves this offseason, doesn’t break down and settle on too much more than he’s worth.

For some perspective, Hechavarria made more money than the following Marlins in 2014:

• Jose Fernandez ($635,000)
• Henderson Alvarez ($525,400)
• A.J. Ramos ($510,000)
• Christian Yelich ($505,000)
• Marcell Ozuna ($505,000)

And they aren’t even close!

Now, granted, all those players were pre-arbitration and club-controlled; it just blows my mind that a 0.4 WAR player not only took up $2.2 million of payroll, but now he’s haggling? Where will the madness end?

The Marlins have expressed the desire to extend their young core recently, and Adeiny Hechavarria is included in that group. The problem is he looks like a prototypical bust, and maybe the Marlins finally realize that. The team acquired Miguel Rojas in a trade last month, and while he won’t be a starter anytime soon, he could at least make the shortstop situation interesting one day.

The fact that a deal isn’t done might be a hint that the Marlins see the writing on the wall. We don’t know the dollar amount that was offered, but maybe the Marlins are saying “You don’t like our offer? Well, you won’t be getting paid then.” If the two sides can’t reach agreeable terms, the arbitration process will hopefully provide due diligence.

If I were Adeiny Hechavarria, I’d take the money and run.

Next: Marlins, Christian Yelich Extension Talks Stall