ESPN is reporting that Mike Lowell is about to sign with the Marlins pending a physical. Daniel Shamah notices an interesting clause in the contract:

But check out that out-clause: a new stadium deal? It reminds me a lot of the Mike Sweeney deal a couple of years ago, that was contigent on the Royals reaching .500. It seems to me that this is an unintended consequence of the last CBA and a creative solution to the current market correction in player salaries: in an effort to keep salaries down, award other incentives that don't impact the salary threshold. So Lowell gets assurance that the Marlins have a better fiscal outlook (which presumably, would lead to a better team), and the Marlins don't lose an all-star third baseman, and don't take the PR hit losing Lowell would result in. So on the surface, it's a win-win deal, kind of like the way the Sweeney deal was at the time. But now the Royals might be better off without Sweeney: a fluke season triggered the lock-in clause, and as a result they're locked into a long-term contract that they can't really afford. The Royals' competitive timetable indicates that 2005 may be the year they can take a shot, but they're locked into 11 million a year for an aging Sweeney. I could reasonably foresee a similar problem for the Marlins: the core of their team is their young rotation, Cabrera, and Hee Seop Choi. In 2005, they'll be on the verge of being a dynasty, except that they'll have 8 million on the books for an aging, injured third baseman.

I agree that it's a win-win deal. And I agree that Sweeney was win-win also, since it demonstrated a commitment to winning that helps bring fans to the park. The boost in attendance can come after you win the series, as happened to the Twins after they won in 1987. I believe the Marlins are trying not to repeat the mistake of 1997; while they didn't make money that year, there's no telling what would have happened in 1998 if they had kept the team together. By making these moves, the Marlins management is giving the fans of Florida the chance to show that they will support a championship ball club. If not, they don't ask for a new stadium and Lowell is gone in a year.