Miami Marlins turn from All-Star festivities to ownership uncertainty

As the All-Star Game leaves town, three groups are still vying for the right to purchase the Miami Marlins. A new favorite may have pulled to the forefront.

The 2017 All-Star Game drew to a close last night with a 2-1 victory in 10 innings by the American League. By most accounts, the Miami Marlins did a nice job of hosting this year’s event. The Home Run Derby was a blast, and while the game itself didn’t feature much in the way of scoring, there were several genuinely fun moments and baseball’s exciting young stars were on full display.

However, with the Midsummer Classic now in the rearview mirror, the Marlins return to the reality of the impending sale of their franchise. This has been a relatively long, drawn-out saga that stretches back to before the season even began. We’ve seen various potential ownership groups enter and exit the bidding, as well as shuffling among those groups’ members. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred expected a prompt resolution a few months ago, which has yet to happen.

Well, they appear to be getting closer and according to recent reports the process may be coming to a head. Per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, Miami businessman Jorge Mas has bid over $1.17 billion for the Marlins and has emerged as the frontunner to buy the franchise.

Meanwhile, two other rival groups have added some more star power, albeit of varying degrees. The group headed by former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter welcomed the addition of basketball legend Michael Jordan. Jeter was sponsored by Nike’s Jordan brand throughout his playing career and the two have long been friends.

Jordan, who famously dabbled in professional baseball, is already the principal owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. Although Jeter’s group reportedly includes 15 individual investors, Jordan is obviously one of the biggest names in sports and adds some legitimate weight to an ownership team that already had a compelling public face in the Yankee icon.

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Not to be outdone, the group led by Tagg Romney and Wayne Rothbaum has secured its own secret weapon – none other than rapper and Miami native Pitbull. (Please, contain your excitement.) He’s certainly no Jordan, but the chart-topper has strong roots in the community, which could lend the group some more local credibility.

Romney is the son of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, while Rothbaum founded investment fund Quogue Capital. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, once part of Jeter’s team, has also since joined the group.

Nevertheless, Heyman lays out a few reasons why Mas could have the inside track in negotiations. With a net worth of over $2 billion, he is the wealthiest individual involved by a significant margin. He’s also willing to invest that money in his bid to purchase the franchise. On the other hand, the members of Jeter’s group are contributing comparatively smaller amounts ($10-50 million each), which could make for a less stable situation.

While he doesn’t have Jeter’s national name recognition, Mas is a huge figure in Miami, distinguished for his philanthropy in the community. MLB will always like the idea of an owner with strong ties to the franchise city.

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Reports have pegged each group as the favorite at one time or another, so it’s anyone’s guess who ultimately seals the deal. However, the case for Mas does seem to check off many of the key boxes, making Heyman’s report believable. He says a resolution is expected within the next two weeks, although with the way the situation has progressed, another delay wouldn’t be shocking.

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