Jose Fernandez almost traded before killing himself

[black francis]

▪ He said the Marlins nearly traded Jose Fernandez to Arizona before the 2016 season, less than a year before he died in a boating accident, because he had turned down an extension that winter and ownership had no confidence he would sign with the Marlins when he became a free agent after the 2018 season.

He said the Marlins’ 2015 contract offer to Fernandez topped $30 million, the largest ever for a pre-arbitration pitcher. Samson couldn’t recall the exact terms.

The proposed 5-for-1 trade with Arizona would have sent pitcher Patrick Corbin, third baseman Brandon Drury and center fielder AJ Pollock, among others, to the Marlins.

“Arizona turned it down,” Samson told me. “We thought it was going to happen but we never had any agreement.”

Former Marlins president opens up about Stanton, near trade of Jose Fernandez and more

 

[black francis]

He said Jeter wanted to be the team’s control person “but that was not a deal that was going to happen. Control people need to put up more money” than Jeter, who according to documents, contributed $38 million of the $1.1 billion cost to buy the team.

“That’s what Jeb Bush wanted; that’s why Jeb and Derek Jeter broke up,” Samson said.

Samson said he told Jeter “that I would not submit a bid for approval by the ownership of the other 29 teams — with Derek as control person and the reason was I did not have the votes.”

On Le Batard’s show, Samson cracked: “I am very thankful that Bruce Sherman enjoys Derek Jeter so much” because the sale wouldn’t have happened without Sherman’s money.

Samson joked that Sherman paid the money “to have ability to get [Jeter’s] cell number.”

 

[black francis]

Samson offered several colorful comments on some former Marlins.

“Heath Bell made AJ Burnett look like a great guy, and think about how hard that is,” Samson said. “Jeffrey said, hey, we’re signing Heath Bell. When you sign a free agent who says they don’t need to meet with you first, it says you overpaid. We offered the third year and $7 million a year. He said of course I’ll take it because I stink.”

Samson said in Milwaukee, he once “caught” then-Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco “eating pizza in 3 in the morning the night before a start. He tried to run away, like a five year old away from his father. I’m like, ‘Ricky, go to bed.’ He got shellacked by the Brewers the next day. You have four nights to go out and you get hammered the night before you’re pitching? You run away like I’m not going to see you?”

 

[black francis]

if he had been traded, he would still be alive

Good job, Arizona

assholes

 

[broncosmitty]

Samson gets me lifted.

 

[bksballer89]

if he had been traded, he would still be alive

Good job, Arizona

assholes

I actually agree with this

 

[WindyCityCoug]

if he had been traded, he would still be alive

Good job, Arizona

assholes

True, most likely
but, maybe Jose and his entourage would have eventually been Coked up at 2am boating recklessly and carelessly on a Lake Havasu,.... so, stupid and careless might have followed him anywhere.

But if the AZ trade had happened, both franchises and many players lives would be very different.