Report: Derek Jeter Among Bidders For Miami Marlins
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Captain wants to be the owner.
According to Fox Business Network, Yankees great Derek Jeter is interested in buying the Miami Marlins.
Jeter is being represented in talks with the Marlins by former Morgan Stanley brokerage chief Gregory Fleming, who now owns his own investment banking firm, people with direct knowledge of the situation told the network.
Also in contention for the team is a group headed by former Florida Gov. and ex-presidential candidate Jeb Bush. He is partering with Citigroup to finance a possible bid, Fox reported.
A third group consisting of a number of businessmen who have gained financial backing from Goldman Sachs could also be in the running.
Jeffrey Loria, who has owned the Marlins since 2002, has expressed interest in selling the team since late 2016. In February, Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, had a preliminary agreement to buy the Marlins for about $1.6 billion, according to reports, but the deal fell through.
Last year, Forbes valued the Marlins at $675 million, which ranks 29th of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball.
In an interview with CNBC last May, Jeter said he not only wanted to someday own a major-league team, but he also wants to help grow the sport's popularity.
"I think some of the other sports are sort of the sexy sports," said Jeter. "I think kids nowadays, they look at players playing in college and the next year they're in the NFL or the NBA," he said. "Baseball, you sort of get lost because you have to play in the minor leagues for a little bit. Kids in this generation are into instant gratification."
According to Baseball-Reference.com, Jeter, 42, earned more than $265 million over his 20-year big-league career. Just before retiring, he founded "The Players' Tribune," a website featuring content written by professional athletes.
Jeter lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, supermodel Hannah Davis, who is expecting the couple's first child.
Last season, the Marlins finished 79-82 and in third place in the National League East.
