Miami Marlins team president David Samson recently went on the record talking about the Marlins' interest in Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes, and his response was quite possibly the best quote ever uttered by a team president. Ever.
"Aggressive right to the point of stupidity, but not quite there," said Samson, characterizing the club's planned pursuit. "We think he's a perfect fit for us, but it has to be sane. [We've] expressing interest, going to visit, making it very clear to his representatives and to him and his family that we think he should not be anywhere other than Miami. As a Cuban and someone in the DR, it makes perfect sense. We have a perfect position for him to play. It would be great." (Juan Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel)
"Aggressive right to the point of stupidity." That quote could sum up the entire offseason for the Marlins. They approached the free agent market like a compulsive shopper on a spree, locking down Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell all to long-term deals. They also made a run at Albert Pujols and traded for Carlos Zambrano, and now they're talking about throwing a bundle of money at a Cuban player that's never played in North America.
But even after throwing around all this money, the Marlins have yet to cross that line into "stupidity". Reyes' deal was actually a relative bargain, considering the contract Carl Crawford received in 2010, and Buehrle and Bell were both high-end free agents that came without an insane sticker price. The Marlins also managed to acquire Carlos Zambrano while taking on very little in payroll, setting their rotation up to be one of the best in the league.
So when the Marlins say they're going to pursue Cespedes to the verge of stupidity, I completely believe them. The only question is, what does that translate to in dollars?