• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Fresh off Ramirez's new contract, Marlins eye series win

May 18, 2008 - 2:10 PM Kansas City (20-22) at Florida (24-18) 1:10 pm EDT

MIAMI (Ticker) -- The Florida Marlins invested in their long-term future by securing Hanley Ramirez to a long-term deal this weekend. They hope their present is just as bright.

The Marlins attempt to remain atop the National League East on Sunday when they close out a three-game interleague series against the Kansas City Royals.

On Saturday, Florida signed Ramirez to a six-year contract worth $70 million, the richest deal in the 16-year history of the team. The deal likely signals a new direction for the usually-frugal Marlins, who entered the season with the lowest payroll in baseball at just under $22 million.

The 2006 NL Rookie of the Year, who is batting .311 with a team-high 35 runs scored, has certainly done his part to lead the Marlins to their surprising rise atop their division, one game ahead of Philadelphia (24-20).

To continue his team's incredible start - as well as his own - Ramirez and his teammates will need to do something very few have been successful at, finding offense against Zack Greinke (4-1, 1.93 ERA).

The righthander, who has yet to allow more than three runs in any of his eight starts, permitted just two over six innings but did not record a decision in Kansas City's 3-2 victory over Detroit on Tuesday.

His pitching counterpart will be rookie Burke Badenhop (1-2, 5.97), whose ERA in May is less than half (4.08) that of his ERA in April (8.36). The 25-year-old righthander did not factor into the decision in Monday's 8-7 loss to Cincinnati despite surrendering four runs - three earned - over six innings.