Hanley Ramirez's stellar play at the plate and in the field earned him a big raise from the Marlins. AP Jon Heyman's Mailbag Got a question or comment for Jon? Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Jon Heyman on Twitter

Marlins Finally Pony Up

The Marlins, who have been consistently ripped in this space for their abject cheapness and their puny payroll that hovers around $20 million, finally opened their purse to pay superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez. So as of next year, no-name reliever Kevin Gregg will no longer be the highest-paid Marlin.

Ramirez's $70-million, six-year contract is the first sign that the Marlins plan to do more than just pocket profits in the future. They will likely get a new stadium on the site of the Orange Bowl, and it appears that they expect to have at least one big-time salary on their roster when they do.

On close inspection though, no matter what happens with the stadium, this Ramirez deal was just too good for the team to pass up. While it's understandable why a player who's being paid only $435,000 might jump at a guaranteed $70 million, a little patience probably would have meant an extra $100 million for Ramirez.

If Ramirez had simply gone to arbitration the next three years he likely would have earned about $30 million over those three seasons, then been in position after the 2011 season to win a contract at least the equal of the $152.3-million deal that former teammate Miguel Cabrera got from the Tigers.

Cabrera, who isn't the player Ramirez is, got his deal with two years to go before free agency, too. So it's not impossible that Ramirez could have gotten $200 million as a free agent.

In other words, the Marlins got themselves a bargain. Rather than new generosity, this deal is simply good business.

AL Power Outage

It's hard to understand what's going on in the American League, which is experiencing an inexplicable power outage. Ten of the top 11 home run hitters so far this year are National Leaguers, and the top nine hitters for average are in the NL, as well. Of the top 25 in slugging percentage, only five (Kevin Youkilis, Carlos Quentin, Eric Hinske, Josh Hamilton and Manny Ramirez) are in the AL.

Alex Rodriguez is hurt, Magglio Ordonez isn't doing what he did last year and David Ortiz got off to a terrible start. But this is still hard to fathom. As is the fact that the NL, the league with the pitchers hitting, has a higher overall slugging percentage (.408 to .394), batting average (.259 to .258) and OPS (.741 to .723).

Around the Majors

• Congratulations to Greg Maddux, who got his 350 victories the old fashioned way. As opposed to Roger Clemens.

• Jim Edmonds was a shell of himself in San Diego, so it's understandable that the Padres cut him. But the Cubs' reported interest in Edmonds via the Chicago Tribune doesn't show much faith in prospect Felix Pie.

• Reds manager Dusty Baker showed again why he's a clubhouse manager, not a detail man, when the Reds batted out of order against the Mets on Sunday. David Ross lined out in what should have been Corey Patterson's turn. After Mets manager Willie Randolph pointed out the error, Patterson was declared out (as if he can't make outs on his own), and Ross batted again. This time, Ross singled.

• MLB executive VP John McHale Jr.'s decision to reduce Kyle Farnsworth's penalty for throwing at Manny Ramirez's head from three games to one makes no sense. If McHale believed Farnsworth's denial that the pitch was intentional, he should have received no penalty. If it was determined that Farnsworth purposely threw at Ramirez, Farnsworth should have gotten at least a week off. My only explanation is that McHale's bow ties are being worn too tight, possibly limiting the circulation to his head.

• More blue days for Blue Jays: Is anyone unluckier than Toronto, which had to place Vernon Wells and Jeremy Accardo on the D.L. this weekend? As if it's bad enough that they have to be in the division with the Red Sox and Yankees, the Blue Jays continually have to do it shorthanded.

• Accardo is said to have a forearm injury, which is in vogue now. No one used to have forearm injuries.

• There are a lot of folks struggling with the bat, but none like Andruw Jones. One problem seems to be a desire to pull everything out of the park. But a scout was quoted in the Los Angeles Times saying that all it takes is a fastball to beat Jones. If that's true, that's bad. Maybe it's time to check his eyesight.

• Eric Gagne made the decision for Brewers manager Ned Yost by saying he didn't deserve the ninth inning anymore. Good call by Gagne, who had five blown saves and a 1.851 WHIP (almost as bad as the 1.875 last year in Boston). Yost swore in spring that Gagne's trouble in Boston last year was all because he wasn't used to not closing. So now Gagne is not closing again.

• Jair Jurrjens (4-2, 2.84) has been a gift for the Braves. "Without him, they're in big trouble,'' one scout said.

• Yes, that's no misprint. The Marlins really do have the best record in baseball today.