MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred today continued to downplay reports this week of Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria reaching an agreement in principle to sell the club to a group led by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former MLBer Derek Jeter, calling the reports “premature.” Appearing in Manhattan for the Jackie Robinson Museum groundbreaking, Manfred said the process still involves multiple bidding groups and that there is no signed agreement of any kind yet. “There is no agreement in place. We’re working with more than one group,” Manfred said. “We still have two groups involved in the process.” He added that a timeline toward reaching a deal for the Marlins is “relatively short. It would be measured in days, not months.” But he did not say whether a Marlins sale will be put before owners for approval at either of the next two owners’ meetings.
Manfred, meanwhile, said he is confident MLB “will continue to get outstanding coverage on ESPN” following the company layoffs there that reached several baseball writers and analysts including Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville, and the planned cutback in the frequency of “Baseball Tonight.” Manfred also indicated conversations with Indians Chair & CEO Paul Dolan about phasing out the club’s Chief Wahoo logo are still ongoing. “Those conversations have been productive, and when we come to a definitive timeline, we’ll let you know,” Manfred said.
