The Miami Marlins were criticized under owner Jeffrey Loria for a lack of spending, but it seems the team’s new ownership may not be all that different.
Citing a potential investor with knowledge of the group’s plans, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the team’s incoming owners, headed by Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter, envisioned a payroll as low as $55 million — possibly higher if the team keeps Giancarlo Stanton in 2018.
The Marlins are set to lose upwards of $50 million this season, with stadium revenues and the team’s television contract among the worst in baseball. With that in mind, the Sherman-Jeter group feels that a high payroll is not feasible.
We have already heard that the team’s new owners are strongly considering trading Stanton, who has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters. While one can understand the financial realities of the situation, the Marlins have surged into the wild card race, and one has to wonder what moving Stanton would do to a fan base that has already struggled to stay interested.
