Almost everyone's a winner in Stanton's record-breaking deal

The Miami Marlins have made a record-setting statement. Whether it brings success depends on your stake in the deal.

Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is already winning - he's young, rich and famous. He's also a tremendous baseball player who just signed the most lucrative contract in sports history.

Sure, there's a 13-year, $325 million weight resting heavily on his shoulders, but Stanton's career trajectory suggests he is and will be worth the money. He'll get paid handsomely in the declining years of the contract, but such is the price of buying out a player's prime.

Then there's Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins owner known for building up and tearing down rosters in spectacular fashion. If there's one thing Loria is to be revered for, it's his ability to always put himself in a position to record personal victories.

After all, this is the same guy who essentially swapped the Montreal Expos for the Marlins. He convinced residents of Miami to fund most of the club's $639 million stadium and allegedly pocketed $154 million in revenue sharing profits between 2002-10.

By signing Stanton to the biggest contract ever, Loria brilliantly orchestrated a scenario in which he almost can't lose. 

He secured Miami fans their superstar for six years of his prime at a cost below market value. He got Stanton to back-load his deal until after the opt out and convinced him the savings will go towards building a perennial contender.

He's equipped the front office with at least five years of control over two stars (Stanton and Jose Fernandez) and core pieces that include Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich and Andrew Heaney, to name a few. Loria has empowered Marlins executives and general manager Dan Jennings with the resources to chase titles.

And if the Marlins don't win a championship, Loria's got his escape opt-out clause. Let's not forget he's been down this road before. 

No, he wasn't around to blame for the 1997 fire sale, but Marlins fans certainly were burned. He was front and center for the club's dismantling of its 2003 World Series team, selling off parts for two years after winning the club's second title. 

Loria then promised fans a winner earlier this decade only to purge the roster in 2012 after failing to produce an immediate championship.

For his part, Stanton doesn't have to trust Loria's intentions to win his end of the deal. 

If the Marlins don't contend quickly and ownership proves unwilling to keep that talented core in place, Stanton is free to opt out in the middle of his prime. Provided Dave Cameron's math proves correct, the Marlins right fielder will still be producing seasons worth $30 million per year into the next decade and should have no trouble securing another monster long-term deal prior to his age-31 season.

Loria conceded the 2020 opt-out clause because he knows the back-loaded structure plays just as much in his favor.

He can roll the dice on a talented young roster built around a superstar in his prime playing below market value and abandon it the minute success compromises the bottom line.

The odds of this deal proving successful for Marlins fans is much more uncertain. Would one World Series suffice? Maybe, but preferably more. If there's no winner by 2018, you can bet panic will set in regarding the futures of Scott Boras client Fernandez (2019 free agent) and the rest of the previously noted core (2020 FAs).

But it doesn't have to end like that this time. Whether they win or not, the Marlins could aggressively extend core pieces prior to arbitration and use their next broadcast deal to sign Fernandez to another record-setting contract. With those pieces in place, and Stanton still in a Marlins uniform, Loria could rewrite his legacy. The Marlins could make a run at building a dynasty.

Stanton figures to do his part. He's likely to produce MVP-type seasons at a reasonable cost and in the prime of his career. You can't ask for much more from a high-priced superstar. 

Should his production unexpectedly suffer, Stanton's guaranteed to be one of baseball's richest players through his age-37 season.

Loria, to this point, hasn't proved he has the patience or generosity to build a perennial juggernaut. He's been much more loyal to his profits.

In the end, Loria will do what works best for him. He's come up with a plan that almost assures him of success in some form.

But if winning doesn't come quick enough, it's Marlins fans who stand to lose this deal.