After The Willis And Cabrera Trade, Can The Marlins Explain The Ramirez Deal?

How two-faced can the Florida Marlins organization be?

This offseason, the Marlins traded superstar Miguel Cabrera along with Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers for six prospects, but now they turn around and sign Hanley Ramirez to a six-year, $70 million deal. 

I realize they are in constant rebuilding mode and maintain a payroll of just $22 million. However, if the team was going to keep Ramirez, you'd think they'd try to sign Cabrera and Willis to complement their future star. 

Now I'm not going to completely question their methods. After all, they have won two World Series since coming into the league, while my beloved Cubs have won all of 0 in the past 100 years.

Still, Cabrera is a perennial All-Star and future MVP candidate if he is on a winning team. Declining to offer him a big time contract seems absurd to me, especially now that the team is making Hanley Ramirez the highest-paid player in franchise history (passing Gary Sheffield's six-year, $61 million deal.

Now, I understand that they got six good prospects, but they are unproven. Like I said, Cabrera is a perennial All-Star.  If Dontrelle Willis were to return to his form from 2003 to 2006, he could be one of the best pitchers in the game.  

Why am I re-evaluating this trade six months after it happened?  After all, this trade made a lot of sense to me back in December when they made it.  The trade fell in perfect step with the Marlins' normal operation: take some prospects, groom them to be stars, trade them away for prospects, start over.

If the Marlins had locked up Cabrera, Willis and Ramirez, they would have a solid nucleus of young stars to build around for many years. 

Maybe I'm wrong though. Only time will tell.  After all, if three of the six players the Marlins received from the Tigers turn into All-Stars, then they have gotten their money's worth.  But if all of the players are busts, then this long-term deal for Ramirez and the trade of Cabrera and Willis will be questioned forever.