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MIAMI - Giancarlo Stanton stood on the Miami Marlins field Wednesday and scanned a sea of empty seats, mindful the stands look much the same at games.He had just signed a record $325 million, 13-year contract and conceded he wasnt certain he should have agreed to the deal.There was no 100 per cent sure answer, Stanton said. But the decision is made. Once you make your decision, you go all-in with it.The slugger hit the jackpot, landing the most lucrative contract for an American athlete and the longest in baseball history. Stanton accepted the deal after cost-conscious owner Jeffrey Loria pledged to put together a contending team that will finally transform Miami into a baseball town.Stanton and South Florida have heard such talk before.You cant keep saying, Were going to win this year. Were going to do it this year, Stanton said. Im sick of hearing that. Everyone is sick of hearing that. Its doing something about it.At a news conference, Loria said signing Stanton is part of a long-range plan that began with the Marlins most recent payroll purge two years ago.Our goal was to start fresh, Loria said. It wasnt popular, but we had to do it. We wanted to create a long-term system around young players who would build their entire career with us.General manager Dan Jennings said the team plans to pursue multiyear contracts this off-season with several other young players, including right hander Jose Fernandez, centre fielder Marcell Ozuna, left fielder Christian Yelich and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria.Such deals will be possible for the historically low-payroll franchise only because of the way Stantons contract is structured. He readily agreed to a heavily backloaded agreement, and will make just $6.5 million in 2015, the same as this year. His salary doesnt peak until 2023, when hell make $32 million.The agreement wouldnt have happened without such structuring, team president David Samson said. He said the Marlins anticipate better attendance and a more lucrative TV package will make Stantons contract affordable.Loria wants to be around for the franchise turnaround. His popularity with fans has plummeted in recent years, but he has no plans to sell the team, Samson said.Hes in it with Miami for the long run, because he loves it, Samson said.While Kevin Brown was the first player to break the $100 million barrier in 1998 and Alex Rodriguez became the first to top $200 million just two years later, it took 14 more years to produce baseballs first $300 million man.Stanton did a double take when asked if the amount of deal was embarrassing to him.Embarrassing to me? Not exactly, he said. I know I have a lot of expectations to live up to, which I need to do and am willing to do. This isnt like a lottery ticket. This is the start of new work and a new job. Its a huge responsibility, and one Im willing to take.Stanton took the podium for his news conference wearing a tailored blue suit and a grin, showing no signs of the beaning that ended his season Sept. 11. He hasnt hit a ball since but said hell return to the batting cage beginning in mid-December in his native California.Ill probably take a moment before I get into that box, but itll be good, he said. Im excited for it.The Marlins said theyre not concerned the injuries will have lingering effects.Stanton, who turned 25 on Nov. 8, wasnt due to become eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season. When negotiations on his mega-deal began, Stanton said he was more concerned about the front offices plans for improving the roster than about his financial terms.Despite 154 home runs from Stanton, the Marlins have finished with a losing record in each of his five seasons, including three last-place finishes.They had the contract there, and I put it aside and said, Listen, what are we going to do to make this better? Im financially good for the rest of my life. Great. But Im not coming here to get my butt kicked for 10 hours every day and then going home to a lavish lifestyle. Thats not fun for me.He said he didnt seek advice from players on other teams about whether to accept the Marlins offer.Everyone sees the dollar sign and theyre like, What are you waiting for? No one could relate to how I felt over the years. So I had to do this on my own.Topics of the negotiations included the dimensions at Marlins Park, which Stanton considers too big. The walls are staying where they are in 2015, but the Marlins havent ruled out moving them in eventually.The final hurdle in the discussions was an opt-out clause, which the Marlins accepted and Stanton described as my fail-safe. He can part with the Marlins after making $107 million over the first six years of the deal. It also includes a no-trade clause.In the end, Stanton called the decision to say yes the toughest of his life.This is 13 years, he said. I didnt even go to school for 13 years.He signed the agreement at the start of the news conference, Loria at his side.Im glad to be here for my foreseeable future, Stanton said.The occasion attracted nearly 100 members of the media, a sign interest in the Marlins already is on the rise. Juan Marichal Jersey . -- Kevin Stadler might be playing in the Masters for the first time, but hes already showing his old man a thing or two. Johnny Cueto Jersey . 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Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The Vancouver Canucks aim to stay perfect on their current homestand and extend their longest winning streak of the season on Friday night as they play host to the Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks have taken the first three contests of their five-game residency that wraps on Saturday versus Boston. That success at home has pushed Vancouvers overall winning streak to five in a row, the longest for the club since it took six straight from March 19-28 of last season. The Canucks got solid goaltending in winning games on back-to-back nights earlier this week. Roberto Luongo posted 28 saves in Sundays 3-1 victory over Colorado and backup Eddie Lack followed up with a 31-save shutout the following night to best Carolina 2-0. Lack, a 25-year-old rookie, was making his first career start at home and improved to 4-2-0 with a 2.08 goals against average in eight games (6 starts) following his first NHL shutout. "I was real excited going into tonights game, playing my first home game and everything. Just tried to do whatever I could to make the team come out with a W here," said Lack. "The guys did an unbelievable job." Christopher Tanev scored 3:35 into the game, but the Canucks didnt find the back of the net again until Jannik Hansens empty-net tally with 1:14 to play. The tight score, though, didnt get to Lack and left coach John Tortorella praising his composure. "The thing I like most about Eddie is just his presence. I think he settles the team down," Tortorella said. "Theres not a lot of extra movement in his game. He moves the puck really well. ... He doesnt get rattled." Despite the shutout, Tortorella is expected to go back to Luongo tonight. Vancouvers No. 1 netminder is 24-11-3 with a tie, three shutouts and a 2.37 GAA in 40 career meetings with the Oilers, all but one of those starts. Luongo made 21 saves in a 6-2 home victory over Edmonton on Oct. 5 in the first of five meetings this season between the Pacific Division residents.dddddddddddd The victory was the Canucks eighth in the past 12 meetings overall and 10th in the last 12 encounters in Vancouver. The Oilers kick off a four-game road trip tonight after falling 4-2 to the Boston Bruins on Thursday. The defeat gave Edmonton a 2-2-1 mark on a five- game homestand. It was a rough night for Devan Dubnyk, who gave up the first of three first- period goals to the Bruins on a long shot from the blue line. Dubnyk stopped 15 shots in the frame, but was replaced by Jason LaBarera to start the second and he halted all 12 shots faced in relief. "I dont know if we won a battle in the first period," Oilers coach Dallas Eakins said. "I dont know if we were, Jeez, the Bruins are in town. Theyre one of the top teams in the League. We need to play cautious. You cant play cautious against anybody. Youll get killed if you give them too much time and space. "But even though we werent winning the battles, I didnt think the first period was as bad as the shot clock showed or the score was. I still felt we had a chance if we could get a goal." David Perron got the Oilers back into the game with two goals in the second period, but Edmontons offense was silenced from there and Boston iced the game with an empty-net tally. Perron now has 14 goals and 27 points on the season, getting six goals and nine points in his past seven games. It is unknown if Eakins will go back to Dubnyk tonight or give LaBarbera his first start since Oct. 26. Dubnyk is 5-5-3 with a 2.48 GAA and two shutouts in 14 games (12 starts) versus Vancouver, but was lifted early in the loss on Oct. 5 after allowing five goals on 31 shots faced in just under 34 minutes of work. Like he did last night, LaBarbera stopped all 12 shots faced in relief and is 4-2-1 with a 2.14 GAA in nine games against Vancouver with six starts. ' ' '