Derek Jeter Reportedly Interested In Purchasing The Miami Marlins
One of the many headlines leading up to the 2017 Major League Baseball season has been the potential sale of the Miami Marlins and the prospective bidders who might be interested in acquiring the two-time World Series winning franchise.
According to a report by Fox Business, Former New York Yankee Shortstop Derek Jeter is among those interested in bidding for the Miami based franchise, citing those with direct knowledge of the matter. Jeter, who retired after the 2014 season, has never been shy about his desire to one day own a team.
“I’ve made it clear ownership aspirations at some point, who knows when that is. Who knows if you get the opportunity — I hope I do. But in terms of coaching or anything, nah, the schedule is bad. It’s a rough schedule. You don’t realize how bad the schedule is until you don’t have to do it. I think I’d pass on that.” Jeter told Fox 5 NY reporters in December following an event for his Turn 2 Foundation.
Jeter, who currently resides in Tampa, had just recently announced that he and his wife, Hannah Davis were expecting their first child.
News of a potential sale of the franchise has picked up in the recent months, this coming after a Forbes report cited a handshake agreement between Marlins president David Samson and a New York City real estate developer worth $1.6 billion. The name of the real estate developer was never disclosed in that report and news regarding that deal has become stagnate since the original report back in February.
The current owner of the Marlins, Jeffrey Loria, has been the sole owner of the franchise dating back to right before the 2002 season, when he purchased the club for $158 million. This, coming after a complex agreement amongst three franchises that saw current Red Sox owner, John W. Henry sell the Marlins to Loria following Loria’s successful sale of the Montreal Expos to Expos Baseball, LP, a partnership that had been formed by Major League Baseball.
Under Loria’s ownership, the Marlins have won the most recent of their two World Series titles, which came in 2003 and coincidentally against Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees. Loria also presided over the 2012 move from Hard Rock Stadium (then Sun Life Stadium) to Marlins Park, a move that coincided with the franchise renaming itself the “Miami Marlins” after being known as the “Florida Marlins” for their first 19 seasons. Marlins Park, now 5-years-old, is also set to host the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Yet, despite winning the World Series a year after purchasing the club, the Marlins have yet to at least qualify for the post season since. In the five years since opening Marlins Park, the club has yet to post a winning season, with the last one coming in 2009.
If Jeter were to be successful in his bid, it would reunite him with former Yankee teammate and current Marlins manager Don Mattingly. The two have a relationship dating back to 1995 when Jeter was in his rookie season and Mattingly was in his last.
When asked about the Fox report, and the possibility of Jeter owning a franchise, current Marlins Manager Don Mattingly praised the former Yankee shortstop, telling the ESPN that Jeter has always aspired to be an owner, preferring that to the life of a coach.
“He’s always talked about it,” Mattingly said.
“I asked if he wanted to coach, and he’s like, ‘Never.'”
Jeter, however, was not alone in the Fox report as sources also told Fox that Jeb Bush is also among the parties interested in bidding for the franchise.
Bush, the former Governor of Florida has reportedly partnered with Citigroup to finance the bid.
[Featured Image by Rich Schultz/Getty Images]
