Part 4/9:
However, the euphoria of victory was short-lived. Despite winning the championship, owner Wayne Huizenga cited a loss of $34 million and initiated a fire sale to cut costs. In a matter of weeks, key players were traded away, including beloved figures like Moises Alou and Kevin Brown. By spring training of 1998, nine of the 25 players from the championship team had been traded, leading to a drastic reduction in payroll to merely $15 million.
The aftermath was grim, as the Marlins finished the 1998 season with a dismal record of 54-108, marking the worst follow-up season to a World Series in MLB history.