When Will Dan Uggla Be Loved?

Here's how you know times are tough: Even players that already have a contract are whining about not getting an offer. Dan Uggla is hoping that the Marlins will consider locking him up long term, or at least pretend to consider it.

People would argue that I deserve a long term deal, along with some other guys on our team that probably deserve a long term deal, but by no means are we saying, Oh we are worth just as much as Hanley, or anything like that. It would be nice to have them [the Marlins] -- to even throw out even a crappy deal just to show us they are interested in keeping some of us around.

Keep hoping, Dan. Because it's probably not going to happen. Not even a new stadium would help matters.

Marlins President David Samson reiterated during a media luncheon Monday that the Marlins will not change their philosophy when it comes to multi-year contracts. Increased revenue from the new ballpark will translate into higher payroll, but that doesn't mean they'll start locking up young players left and right.
"Long-term deals are tough," he said. "You have to be right. And you know deals within the arbitration system will not change whether we're in a new ballpark or not. We will never do that. You're never supposed to say never, but I can unequivocally tell you we will never do that. Our view is players should earn what they get paid prior to being a free agent and arbitration is the perfect measure for that."

And arbitration is what Uggla's up for this season, which is why he's not going to be locked up long term. Uggla may say that he would want the Marlins to try to lock him up, but deep down I'm not sure he truly expects it to happen between the bad economy and the Marlins general

~~habit of having firesales every five years~~