The 30-year-old third baseman may be lined up to receive a deal worth much more than what many predicted at the beginning of the offseason.
Update: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald is now reporting that the Marlins are currently not engaged in contract negotiations with Headley:
#Marlins are not engaged in any discussions for Chase Headley, according to multiple sources.
— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) December 4, 2014_____________
The Miami Marlins have joined the race for free agent third baseman Chase Headley, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, who notes that Headley could represent a solution to Miami's currently dismal first base situation. Per Heyman, the Marlins may be ready to "make a significant offer" to the 30-year-old.
Headley would seemingly immediately bolster Miami's lineup, as the former Gold Glover would force incumbent Casey McGehee to first base, where he could potentially form a platoon with Garrett Jones, assuming neither is traded. Miami has been looking to upgrade its first base situation all offseason, making a serious run at Adam LaRoche, who spurned the club for the White Sox. The Marlins have also shown interest in trade targets such as Brandon Moss and Allen Craig.
Per Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, Headley's camp has told clubs that he has a four-year offer worth approximately $65 million in hand. The offering team is unknown at this point, though it seems that the fourth year will ultimately be the deciding factor in landing Headley. If Miami is indeed willing to go four years, that may be enough for him to spurn the other clubs that have shown interest in him, such as the Indians, Giants, and Yankees. New York, where Headley spent the latter half of the 2014 season after a mid-season trade from San Diego, has long seemed to be a logical destination, though they are reportedly unwilling to offer more than three years.
Since breaking out with an MVP-caliber 2012 season, Headley has seen his offensive numbers decline, though he is still an above-average contributor, with a combined 109 OPS+ over the past two years, including a 119 mark in 224 plate appearances with the Yankees over the second half of last season. Still, an above-average offensive player coupled with Headley's elite defensive skills (he has a 35.2 UZR over the past three years) is essentially a solid 3-4 WAR player.