Derek Jeter and Jeb Bush are heading a team that is pushing to buy the Miami Marlins from owner Jeffrey Loria, and it was reported yesterday that they won the auction to purchase the team. This is a huge step for the Marlins franchise. It means they are finally getting rid of Loria, and bringing in one of baseball’s legends.

Jeffrey Loria’s relationship with the Miami Marlins fanbase has been less than stellar over his years as owner. The one bright spot during his tenure was the Marlins improbable World Series victory over the Yankees in ’03. Since then they haven’t sniffed the playoffs, and consistently carry one of the leagues lowest payrolls. The Union even felt the need to step in, because they felt the Marlins were not using the money sharing revenue to build a winning team.

Luckily Jeb Bush and Derek Jeter are willing to bring together 1.3 billion dollars to take this franchise off Loria’s hands. Hopefully if the new ownership group is willing to shell out 1.3 billion to Loria then they won’t mind sending some cash towards the players. With their lacking farm system the Marlins will most likely need to fill their needs through free agency, and frontline starters are not cheap.

The day the Marlins are sold out from underneath Loria and Samson, the state of Florida should declare a holiday. — Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) April 25, 2017

The Marlins haven’t won in a long time. They have glaring needs in their rotation that need to be addressed before they can change that. They’ll also need a competent front office to get them those much needed starters. The Marlins were one of the last teams to get an analytics department, and they seem to get the worst out every deal they make (e.g. the entire 2012 roster). Hopefully through Jeter’s connections in the game they can set up a front office who knows what they’re doing.

Derek Jeter is one of the greatest winners of this generation. Not just in Baseball, but in all of sports. In basketball you have Micheal Jordan, in football you have Tom Brady, and in baseball you have Derek Jeter. The Marlins are in desperate need of winning. When you haven’t been to the playoffs in 14 years it can be tough to get fans out to the park, but the Miami fans have shown signs of life in the past. For instance in 2015 when the late Jose Fernandez took the mound they averaged an extra 4,942 fans per game.

The big difference between the days that Jose would start and every other day is that Marlins were actually likely to win. If Jeter can bring a winning atmosphere to Miami, then maybe the fans can actually start to come to the park, and if they could pull in an extra 4,942 fans every night that would huge. An extra 4,942 fans per home game equates to an extra 400,302 fans per year. That extra 400,302 fans would bring the Marlins abysmal attendance of 1.7 million last year to 2.1 million. Still just below league average, but a big step to recouping a 1.3 billion dollar investment.

Miami has a long way to go before it becomes a respectable franchise, but the addition of Derek Jeter may just set them on the right course.

Sources:

Clarke, Charlie. “Miami Marlins: Jose Fernandez’s Impact on Attendance.” Marlin Maniac. FanSided, 10 Sept. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

Desk, Post Sports. “Derek Jeter, Jeb Bush Nearing Buying the Miami Marlins.” New York Post. N.p., 25 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

“Miami Marlins Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors.” Baseball-Reference.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

Press, Associated. “Marlins Pay Heed, Will Increase Payroll.” ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 12 Jan. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.