Derek Jeter and Jeb Bush unite in bid to buy Miami Marlins, report says
Former New York Yankee Derek Jeter smiles as he is introduced during a ceremony honoring the '96 Yankee championship before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays inning of a game at Yankee Stadium on August 13, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Credit: Getty Images / Rich Schultz
Derek Jeter apparently has acquired an unlikely battery mate in his pitch to own the Miami Marlins.
The Miami Herald first reported Wednesday that the former Yankees shortstop has teamed up with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in an effort to buy the team from Jeffrey Loria, who is considering selling at the end of the season. Both the Herald and The Associated Press cited anonymous sources in confirming the partnership.
The price for the Marlins could be as much as $1.6 billion, according to Fox Business News, which could be a bit steep for Jeter alone: Jeter made $265 million during his playing career, though that doesn’t count his numerous other endorsements and enterprises, including his publishing company. Neither Bush nor Jeter has commented.
During spring training, Joe Girardi told reporters that Jeter would “be a great owner.”
“Derek Jeter’s name probably comes up a lot, and you don’t always know the validity of it, but I know he loves the game,” Girardi said. “If it is the case, I wish him the best of luck. He’ll always be a Yankee to me, no matter what he does.”
Jeter’s path won’t be unencumbered. Though one potential buyer, Joshua Kushner (the brother of Jared Kushner, who is senior adviser to President Donald Trump) has dropped out, the Herald also reported that the shortstop has at least one more potential competitor: Wayne Rothbaum, owner and manager of Quogue Capital, a private investment company.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
