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Phillies Interested In Christian Yelich; Marlins Waiting To Market Core Players

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The Phillies have strong interest in Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich and would be glad to take some of Miami’s underperforming contracts to facilitate his addition, according to a report from veteran journalist Ken Rosenthal. (With FOXsports.com evidently morphing into a vlog, Rosenthal is writing from his Facebook page during what is sure to be a short-lived foray into free agency.)

From the Phils’ perspective, that would preferably mean taking on some lower-priced contracts that are clogging the Marlins’ books in the near-term. While the Phillies have at least weighed internally the idea of taking on Giancarlo Stanton’s massive contract as part of some swap, Rosenthal makes clear that the team has not expressed interest in doing so and that discussion of that concept never “got started.”

Other organizations, though, have reached out to Miami regarding Stanton. And as Rosenthal suggests, it seems reasonable to expect that there’d be a taker for him at some price point, though the prospect of taking all of his contract remains daunting. That explains all the chatter about possibly packaging Stanton with another player, though Rosenthal says he doesn’t expect that to occur.

While the creative possibilities are endless, it seems the Marlins will be taking a cautious approach at the deadline with regard to its most notable players. Despite an inclination in the baseball operations department to embark upon a rebuild, says Rosenthal, the organization is not willing to deal core players while still orchestrating the sale of the team itself.

That stance also seemingly means that Yelich is off-limits for the Phillies at the moment. There’s little rush to add to the MLB roster in Philadelphia, of course, but the interest (along with the possible trade concepts discussed above) strongly suggests that the team is looking into ways to install pieces for 2018 and beyond. That could conceivably result in any number of interesting scenarios this summer and over the winter to come.

Marlins’ President Hill On Team’s Trade Talks

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The Marlins have been perhaps the most oft-discussed teams in baseball with MLB’s non-waiver trade deadline just three weeks away, but president of baseball operations Michael Hill threw some cold water on rumors surrounding some of the team’s most appealing assets. Speaking to FanRag’s Jon Heyman, Hill stated that the Marlins “aren’t talking about” controllable stars Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto and Marcell Ozuna in trade discussions.

[Related: Taking Inventory — Miami Marlins | Marlins Depth Chart]

Asked specifically about first baseman Justin Bour and right-hander Dan Straily, Hill offered similar sentiments, stating that Bour “goes into the same basket” and that Straily’s status as a successful, pre-arbitration pitcher lands him in that same category. The recently extended Miami president stopped short of suggesting that Giancarlo Stanton was off limits, though Hill does say that the Marlins haven’t put his name out to other teams. And, of course, Stanton has a full no-trade clause and an enormous sum remaining on his 13-year contract, making it tough for another team to take on his contract anyway.

Hill’s comments mesh with yesterday’s report from the New York Post’s Joel Sherman suggesting that Miami’s primary focus is on dealing away its more expensive relievers (e.g. Brad Ziegler, AJ Ramos, David Phelps) and other veterans on the roster, with names like Martin Prado and Edinson Volquez both popping up as of late. Of course, any developments in the apparently ceaseless negotiations of a sale of the Marlins could impact deadline maneuverings. (Heyman has a separate update on the latest developments on that front.) But, it’s nonetheless notable to see Miami’s head of baseball ops firmly suggest that the team’s most appealing assets are likely to remain in house, as things stand.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently reported that the Fish have had talks with three clubs about second baseman Dee Gordon as well, and a Marlins source confirmed to Heyman that his name has at least been mentioned in talks, though there’s nothing in either report to indicate that talks are serious. (I’ll note that I respectfully disagree with Heyman when it comes to Gordon’s contract being a “vast overpay”; the 29-year-old remains a quality defender and one of MLB’s top baserunners in addition to a solid .295/.342/.358 batting line, helping to mask his lack of pop.) Heyman adds that it’s a similar story with Prado, who has been connected to both the Yankees and Red Sox but isn’t high on either club’s list.

Even with the team’s top names unlikely to be marketed, Miami could still fetch varying levels of interest in Ramos, Phelps, Kyle Barraclough, Dustin McGowan, Volquez, Derek Dietrich and Tom Koehler, so there could still be plenty of action for the Marlins on the trade market.

Furthermore, it stands to reason that the Marlins will be more open to parting with larger names once this week’s All-Star festivities have passed. In addition to the fact that the league generally frowns on trades during this time, urging teams not to take focus off the Midsummer Classic and its surrounding festivities, Miami is hosting this year’s event. Embarking on a significant fire sale before the All-Star Game rolls through town isn’t a good look for any franchise’s fans.

Latest On Marlins’ Trade Candidates, Potential Sale

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Here’s the latest from the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson on Jeffrey Loria’s attempts to sell the Marlins, as well as some news on the team’s trade plans…

  • The Marlins have yet to engage in serious talks with any team about Giancarlo Stanton, though they’re open to listening to offers for the star slugger.  Stanton’s availability isn’t really a surprise since Miami is reportedly willing to discuss trading any player on a multi-year deal, though obviously a Stanton trade would be the biggest possible move the Fish could make.  Stanton’s enormous contract, opt-out clause after the 2020 season and his full no-trade protection are significant obstacles in any deal, though potentially not insurmountable ones, as FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal recently outlined.
  • The Marlins would like to keep J.T. Realmuto.  The 26-year-old has emerged as one of baseball’s best catchers over the last two years, and he is controllable through the 2020 season.  Another controllable young star, Justin Bour, is drawing attention from the Yankees but “the Marlins are not going to give away” Bour for anything less than a big price, Jackson writes.  Marcell Ozuna (in his arbitration years) and Christian Yelich (locked up on a long-term extension) are available but only for “a substantial return.”
  • A source connected to one of the ownership groups competing to buy the Marlins doesn’t believe that a fire sale of large salaries would help move a sale along.  A new owner would want a say in such notable player moves, the source said.  Cutting payroll is standard operating procedure for teams selling at the deadline, of course, though MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said that a fire sale would first need to be discussed with the league office.
  • “Things are moving in the right direction” between the Marlins and the ownership group led by Wayne Rothbaum and Tagg Romney, according to a source.  Jackson hears from three sources that the Rothbaum/Romney group hasn’t withdrawn its bid and is willing to buy the team at the right price.  The Marlins turned down the group’s $1.1 billion bid but wants to continue talks, as the Rothbaum/Romney group has the means to meet the club’s initial $1.2 billion asking price.
  • Miami businessman Jorge Mas also doesn’t value the team at the $1.2 billion price, though he could ultimately make an offer close to that number.  Mas and his group are reviewing the Marlins’ financial records and still deciding on how much to bid for the team.  The Marlins turned down Mas’ request for an exclusive negotiating window of 10 days, in order to keep the groups led by Derek Jeter and Rothbaum/Romney involved in talks.
  • Some in the competing groups have been “frustrated” by the Marlins’ patience with Jeter’s group, as the former Yankees superstar has been having difficulty finding investors to make a competitive bid.  Jeter was initially partnered with former Florida governor Jeb Bush, though Bush left the ownership group in May, with one of the issues reportedly stemming from how little of his own money Jeter was investing in the bid.  “There have been no serious discussions” of Jeter and Mas partnering together, Jackson writes.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Stanton, Astros, BoSox, Bucs, Mets

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Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton’s mammoth contract isn’t as immovable as it appears, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). Stanton has a full no-trade clause, but he’ll likely waive it if the up-for-sale Marlins begin tearing things down, which Rosenthal expects to happen. Further, Stanton would even “talk about his 2020 opt-out,” according to Rosenthal, who points out that the Marlins could facilitate a deal by eating some of the $295MM left on his accord or taking back an expensive contract from a potential trading partner. Rosenthal adds that Stanton’s annual $25MM luxury tax number won’t seem nearly as burdensome as it currently does when soon-to-be free agents such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado sign more expensive deals.

More pre-deadline rumblings from Rosenthal:

  • The Astros’ two most untouchable prospects are outfielder Kyle Tucker and right-hander Forrest Whitley, sources told Rosenthal. Houston was unwilling to trade a package including Tucker to the White Sox for Jose Quintana over the winter, and the 20-year-old has since hit .272/.317/.544 in his first 124 plate appearances at the Double-A level. Tucker ranks as Baseball America’s 15th-best prospect, while Whitley, 19, isn’t on the list. The 6-foot-7 Whitley’s only a year removed from going 17th in the draft, though, and he has held his own in Single-A this season with a 2.91 ERA, 13.01 K/9 and 4.08 BB/9 in 46 1/3 innings.
  • With the Red Sox in desperate need of a third baseman, it would make sense for them to pursue Pirates utilityman Josh Harrison, posits Rosenthal. Harrison, controllable at affordable rates through 2020, has recovered from an injury-hampered 2016 to slash .289/.369/.449 with nine homers and 10 steals across 338 PAs this season. If the Red Sox were to acquire Harrison, he’d presumably hold down third for the rest of the year, but it’s unclear what would happen after that. Boston has top third base prospect Rafael Devers on the way, after all, while Harrison’s other positions (second base and the corner outfield) belong to Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi.
  • While the Mets are indeed “open for business” as the deadline nears, some of their top trade chips might not bring back much if the team is unwilling to eat money, notes Rosenthal. Outfielders Curtis Granderson (around $5MM remaining on his contract) and Jay Bruce ($4.3MM), first baseman Lucas Duda ($2.5MM) and infielder Asdrubal Cabrera ($3MM or $5MM, depending on what happens with his $2MM buyout) come with enough money left on their deals to hamper their trade value.

Cafardo’s Latest: Gray, Astros, Stanton, Phils, Cards, BoSox

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The AL West rival Astros and Athletics are mutually interested in making a trade that would involve Oakland right-hander Sonny Gray, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The last-place A’s have been closely monitoring the Astros’ system, per Cafardo, during a period in which Houston’s four best starters (Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh) are on the disabled list. Gray, who would likely slot in third in a healthy Astros rotation, is only running a 4.44 ERA through 52 2/3 innings, but his secondary stats are encouraging and he’s under control via arbitration through 2019. As such, he’d warrant a strong return for the A’s.

More rumblings from Cafardo as the trade deadline approaches:

  • If the Marlins place right fielder Giancarlo Stanton on the trade block in the coming months, the NL East rival Phillies would be a sensible landing spot, opines Cafardo. The cellar-dwelling Phillies are a big-market team with the money and the prospects to swing a deal for Stanton (who’s due nearly $300MM over the final 10 years of his contract), observes Cafardo. Stanton has a full no-trade clause, though, so there’s no guarantee he’d approve a deal to Philadelphia or anywhere else. Further complicating matters, Cafardo has heard that the Phillies would “need” to acquire fellow Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich in a deal involving Stanton. Even though Yelich is under control for reasonable prices through the 2022 campaign, he could end up on the block.
  • Given that they’re five games back in their division and 10.5 out of a wild-card spot, the Cardinals don’t look like surefire buyers at the moment. Nevertheless, a pair of right-handed-hitting right fielders – the Tigers’ J.D. Martinez and the White Sox’s Avisail Garcia – have been frequently linked to the Redbirds this year, relays Cafardo. Martinez, a free agent-to-be who’s on an $11.75MM salary, is hitting a torrid .310/.398/.681 with 11 home runs in 133 plate appearances for the scuffling Tigers. Garcia, who’s much cheaper than Martinez ($3MM) and under control through 2019, is in the midst of a career year (.337/.378/.549 with 10 HRs in 262 PAs) for the soon-to-sell White Sox.
  • The Red Sox have “limited” interest in signing free agent third baseman Jhonny Peralta to a minor league contract, reports Cafardo. Peralta has been available since St. Louis released him Tuesday, which came after more than a year of subpar production from the once-steady veteran. Peralta would give the Red Sox yet another flawed hot corner option, though he is familiar with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who was the general manager in Detroit during Peralta’s run there from 2010-13.
  • Phillies left fielder Howie Kendrick will intrigue both the Red Sox and Yankees if he’s able to play third, writes Cafardo. Kendrick has a bit of experience there (18 games), but the 33-year-old primarily lined up at second base before switching to the outfield. Regardless of whether a move to third is on the horizon, the righty-swinging Kendrick has emerged as a likely trade chip for rebuilding Philadelphia, suggests Cafardo (and as MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk and Jeff Todd have recently noted). Kendrick isn’t cheap ($10MM), but the impending free agent has helped his stock with a .324/.383/.467 line in 115 PAs.

Injury Notes: Stanton, Hernandez, Dozier

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Here are a few notes on developing injury situations throughout the league.

  • Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton left today’s game with what appeared to be a hand or wrist injury after being struck by a 95-MPH fastball by Trevor Williams of the Pirates, Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and other reporters have noted. It appears, however, that Stanton and the Marlins have lucked out, as the team announced after the game that X-rays were negative and that Stanton only has a hand contusion. He is day-to-day.  Losing Stanton would have been a significant blow to the Marlins — he’s in the midst of a healthy and terrific .288/.365/.566 season, and the team, as Healey notes, is already dealing with injuries to lineup regulars Justin Bour, Adeiny Hechavarria and Martin Prado.
  • Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez suffered an oblique or abdominal injury on Friday and appears likely to head to the disabled list, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury writes. Hernandez was not placed on the DL before today’s game, but he was not in the lineup. As Salisbury notes, the Phillies do have a good second base prospect in Scott Kingery who’s batting .304/.379/.621 at Double-A Reading, although Kingery has not yet played at Triple-A, so it’s unclear whether they would see him as a candidate to play second at the big-league level if Hernandez were to miss significant time.
  • The Royals have announced that OF/3B Hunter Dozier has been placed on the minor-league DL with a hamate fracture. Dozier, the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft, currently ranks as the Royals’ top prospect, according to MLB.com. But he’s had a rough 2017 season, missing almost two months to start the season with an oblique strain and now dealing with his hamate issue, which will likely cause him to miss several weeks. Dozier batted .294/.357/.506 for Triple-A Omaha last season.

Marlins Could Consider Offers For Yelich, Ozuna, Realmuto

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At 23-31 and nine games out of a National League wild-card spot, the Marlins are on track for a potentially interesting sale around the trade deadline, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). Barring a turnaround, the Marlins will be “wide open” entering the deadline, says Rosenthal, who reports they’d be willing to listen to offers for outfielders Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna and catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Miami has put Ozuna on the block in the past, but considering proposals for Yelich and/or Realmuto would represent a 180 for the franchise. Back in November, the Marlins weren’t interested in entertaining offers for either player, but the team surely had designs on contending for a playoff spot at the time. Now, with that looking unlikely, dealing from their young core could help the Marlins restock a farm system that ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required and recommended) ranked as the majors’ second worst before the season.

Yelich, in Year 3 of a seven-year, $49.57MM contract that also includes a $15MM club option or $1.25MM buyout for 2018, would surely appeal to all outfield-needy teams as a trade chip. The 25-year-old established himself as one of the game’s top young outfielders from 2013-16, but he hasn’t quite performed to expectations in the first two months of the current campaign. Still, Yelich has hit a decent .270/.349/.410 with seven home runs in 229 plate appearances, posted a 10 percent walk rate in line with his career average (10.4 percent) and logged a personal-best strikeout mark of 17.5 percent (compared to a lifetime 20.6 percent). One of Yelich’s main problems, it seems, has been a .301 batting average on balls in play – down from a career .356. Defensively, the strong work Yelich did in left field from 2013-16 has transferred this year to center, where he has taken over for Ozuna and recorded four Defensive Runs Saved and a 7.5 UZR/150.

Ozuna doesn’t come with as much control as Yelich, on the other hand, but he’s on an affordable salary this year ($3.5MM) and scheduled to go through arbitration two more times. The 26-year-old is enjoying his best season, having slashed .322/.385/.563 with 14 homers and a personal-high 9.5 percent walk rate in 231 trips to the plate. While Ozuna’s .357 BABIP – up from a career .322 – might not last, his .371 expected weighted on-base average (via Baseball Savant) suggests his success hasn’t been a fluke. The defensive switch has paid off, too, as Ozuna has saved six runs and managed a 15.2 UZR/150 a year after logging minus-12 DRS and a minus-3.4 Ultimate Zone Rating in center.

Realmuto, meanwhile, is the cheapest of the three at the moment ($562,500 salary) and slated to go through arbitration for the first time during the upcoming offseason. Given that he’s under control through 2020 and among the majors’ premier catchers, the 26-year-old Realmuto would surely bring back a haul in a trade. Realmuto broke out last year when he racked up 3.5 fWAR and hit .303/.343/428 with 11 homers and 12 steals across 545 PAs. He was a mixed bag defensively, though, registering minus-8 DRS and ranking toward the bottom of the league as a pitch framer, according to both Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner. Realmuto did draw plus marks as a thrower and blocker, however, and that has continued this season. Moreover, he’s in the midst of a major turnaround as a framer, per BP, which has him near the top of the majors in the early going.

While the Marlins won’t have any difficulty moving Yelich, Ozuna or Realmuto if they’re motivated to do so, the same likely won’t be true regarding right fielder Giancarlo Stanton. The slugger could still rake in $295MM over the next 10 years on his current contract, and getting out from under that might make the up-for-sale franchise more palatable to potential buyers. However, the Marlins probably won’t be able to deal Stanton until at least the offseason, suggests Rosenthal, and his full no-trade clause only further complicates matters.

Cafardo’s Latest: Marlins, Royals, Twins, Padres, Dodgers, Red Sox, Braves

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The groups bidding on the Marlins have concerns over whether baseball will ever make it big in Miami, reports the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who adds that it’s possible the team needs a major Latin American star to market itself to a largely Hispanic population. With that in mind, it would make sense for the Marlins to pursue Orioles third baseman and Florida native Manny Machado if he were to hit free agency after the 2018 season, opines Cafardo.  The club’s biggest star at the moment is right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, whose mammoth contract has been a burden in Jeffrey Loria’s attempt to sell the Marlins, according to Cafardo. Stanton is in Year 3 of a 13-year, $325MM deal and also has a full no-trade clause that the Los Angeles native would likely only waive to go to the West Coast, per Cafardo. There’s no indication that any West Coast teams are interested in acquiring the slugger, however.

Plenty more from Cafardo:

  • Royals left-hander Jason Vargas, in the midst of a career year at the age of 34, has seen his value skyrocket and is drawing “considerable interest” as a result, relays Cafardo. Vargas has been quite stingy through 60 1/3 innings, having logged a 2.39 ERA and a strong 3.20 FIP. He has also registered respectable strikeout and walk rates per nine innings (7.61 and 2.24, respectively), though he’s not exactly a high-velocity hurler and his 33.9 percent ground-ball rate sits well below the 44.4 percent league-average mark for starters. Vargas is on an $8MM salary this season as he concludes the four-year, $32MM contract he signed with Kansas City prior to the 2014 campaign.
  • Although the first-place Twins have been one of the majors’ biggest surprises this year, teams expect them to make righty Ervin Santana available before the trade deadline, says Cafardo. Long a decent starter, Santana has turned in a front-line-caliber ERA this year (1.80) through 70 innings, but his strikeout and walk rates (6.43 and 3.47, respectively, per nine), unsustainable batting average on balls in play (.136) and sky-high strand rate (91.5 percent) suggest regression is around the corner. To Santana’s credit, his success has hardly been all luck – hitters have had major difficulty squaring him up, evidenced by a relatively paltry average exit velocity against (84.1 mph). Any team acquiring Santana would land a multiyear rotation piece, as he’s signed through next season at $13.5MM and carries a $14MM club option for 2019.
  • The expectation is that the Padres will deal second baseman/third baseman Yangervis Solarte by the deadline, per Cafardo. Solarte’s name came up in trade rumors last winter on the heels of a career season (.286/.341/.467, 2.8 fWAR in 443 plate appearances), but he hasn’t helped his stock this year. So far in 2017, Solarte has slashed a meek .240/.330/.345 in 197 PAs. While it’s encouraging that his walk and strikeout rates match (10.2 percent), the 29-year-old has shown considerably less power than he did last season, with his ISO having dropped from .180 to .105. He’s quite affordable, though, with a $2.5MM salary this year and $4MM coming his way in 2018. Solarte also has a $5.5MM club option or a $750K buyout for 2019.
  • The Marlins “are actively looking for a taker” for righty Tom Koehler, writes Cafardo. Koehler, whom the Marlins were going to send to the minors before he went on the disabled list May 19 with shoulder bursitis, has drawn interest from both the Dodgers and Red Sox. Los Angeles would use Koehler as a reliever if it were to acquire him, suggests Cafardo, which would be a change of pace for someone who registered 30-plus starts in each of the previous three seasons. Koehler was a fairly stable option over those 97 outings, combining for a 4.07 ERA, 7.08 K/9, 3.74 BB/9 and a 43.7 percent ground-ball rate, but has struggled mightily this season. Across eight starts and 38 1/3 innings, Koehler has pitched to a 7.08 ERA, with 7.26 K/9, 4.46 BB/9 and a 37.1 percent grounder rate. Koehler, 31 in June, is making $5.75MM and will be arbitration eligible for the last time over the winter.
  • Teams in need of relief help are eyeing Braves closer Jim Johnson, according to Cafardo, who notes that some clubs are considering him as a setup man. The 33-year-old has plenty of experience in both roles and is amid his second straight productive season, having logged a 3.48 ERA, 9.58 K/9, 1.74 BB/9 and a 57.4 percent grounder mark in 20 2/3 innings. He’s making $4.5MM this year and is due another $4.5MM next season.

NL East Notes: Marlins, Mets, Ramirez, Fedde

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Though a potential ownership change has many Marlins fans hoping for an increased payroll, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal argues that any new owners should operate in familiar fashion and tear down the organization with an aggressive rebuild. Miami’s farm system is barren, and the team already has as much as $95MM committed to players in 2018. Rosenthal suggests that the Marlins should prepare to deal some relief pitching and market breakout outfielder Marcell Ozuna — while perhaps also beginning to think about what to do with the massive contract of Giancarlo Stanton.

  • Plenty of other National League East competitors are struggling as well, with the Mets in particular playing well shy of expectations. As John Harper of the New York Daily News writes, there’s no easy solution for an organization that has been beset with injuries. The club’s short-term veteran assets are all fairly expensive, and all but Jay Bruce have had their own issues with injury and/or performance downturns. Having dealt from the farm in recent years, the upper ranks are somewhat depleted; and with needs set to arise in the near future, dealing from what’s left (particularly given the poor start) may not be advisable.
  • New Mets reliever Neil Ramirez discussed his recent signing with reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, who tweets a video of the righty’s comments. Ramirez says he feels he was throwing well with the Giants despite some poor earned-run results. When the Blue Jays claimed and then outrighted him, he elected to test the market in search of “an opportunity to stick” with another team. His deal with the Mets came together in very short order.
  • With the Nationals still struggling to find reliable relief arms, the team has moved top pitching prospect Erick Fedde into a bullpen role, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post tweets. While it seems likely that the organization still views Fedde as a starter in the long run, the consensus top-100 prospect may be of greater use in the near term out of the pen. He has impressed thus far at Double-A, throwing 42 2/3 innings of 3.16 ERA ball with 7.4 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9, and could conceivably function as a multi-inning option in the majors. While a deadline deal or two remains all but inevitable for the division-leading Nats, utilizing Fedde in that manner might provide a boost while limiting the need to part with young talent later this summer. Of course, the team tried something similar last year with Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez with less-than-ideal results, though both were still able to return a big piece in Adam Eaton over the winter.

Latest On The Marlins’ Potential Sale

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Here’s the latest surrounding the potential sale of the Miami Marlins…

  • Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who are leading one of the groups bidding for the Marlins, believe the team “has been spreading misinformation including the terms of the bid,” Ken Davidoff and Josh Kosman of the New York Post report.  Jeter and Bush “were exasperated” by apparently inaccurate reports from earlier this week saying they had reached a general agreement to buy the Marlins, as the Jeter/Bush group is still trying to line up investors.  A source tells Davidoff and Kosman that Jeter and Bush may eventually decide to not bid altogether: “These are not guys who can afford a vanity acquisition.  My guess is they will back out,” the source opines.  The Jeter/Bush group has enlisted the help of New York hedge fund financier Anthony Scaramucci as an advisor to bring some new investors into the bid, though Scaramucci himself won’t be joining the ownership group.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post breaks down the economics behind the potential sale, which goes well beyond the $1 billion-plus price tag.  Some in the game say the Marlins are $400MM in debt, and a new ownership faces losses in the range of $150-$200MM over its first few years of operations since the club lags behind in such revenue-generating streams as attendance, sponsorships, and a local TV contract.  “Some creative bookkeeping” will be required to work out the sale price no matter which competing group ends up buying the Marlins, and current owner Jeffrey Loria “will accept the fastest deal that meets his requests and he believes will be approved by the other owners” in order to get out from under this financial burden.
  • Given these costs involved in buying the Marlins, Sherman raises the possibility of another fire sale as a way that a new ownership group could cut costs.  Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe also raises the possibility, particularly in regards to trading Giancarlo Stanton.  The slugger is owed $63MM through the 2019 season, and then, if he doesn’t exercise his opt-out clause following that year, a whopping $244MM through the 2027 season.  Even though Miami would surely have to eat some of this contract in a trade, Cafardo still wonders if a deal could be reached given Stanton’s injury history and less-than-elite production in 2016.
  • Also from Cafardo’s piece, he reports that the ownership group led by Tom Glavine and Tagg Romney appears to have all of the investors arranged behind its $1.1 billion bid.  A source tells Cafardo that it doesn’t appear as though as of Glavine and Romney’s investors would leave the bid to join the Jeter/Bush group.
  • Marlins manager Don Mattingly and catcher A.J. Ellis are no strangers to performing under an ownership change, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times writes, as both were with the Dodgers during that team’s perhaps even more tumultuous sale from Frank McCourt to the Guggenheim Baseball ownership group.  “That uncertainty, at this stage, is definitely hanging,” Ellis said.  “There’s so many guys here who have been with the Marlins their whole life. That’s all they’ve ever known. It could be a huge life change for them.”
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