All-Star 2B Dan Uggla is headed to arbitration with the Marlins (they’re offering $4.4 million for 2009 ; he’s asking for $5.35 million) and during a chat with ESPN 760’s Mike Goldstein earlier today, wondered why he’s not in line for a long-term pact. From the Sun-Sentinel’s Juan C. Rodriguez :
Are you envious of Hanley Ramirez’s contract? (6 years, $70 million)
Uggla: Well, you can put it a couple different ways; nobody on our team deserves a contract like Hanley except for Hanley, the one that he got.
But some people would argue that point.
Uggla: 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.
Have you even been offered a “crappy” deal?
Uggla: No, not at all.
I would love to be offered a crappy contract in Major League Baseball.
Uggla: I would too; everybody likes the security.