The Marlins’ analytics department will have a "different structure in year one of the Derek Jeter era," as the team announced that Dir of Player Personnel Dan Greenlee will "oversee the department," according to Tim Healey of the South Florida SUN SENTINEL. That addition to his responsibilities "isn’t too unusual given his background" as a player development analyst with the Yankees. As opposed to having a "separate analytics department head, the Marlins’ tweaked front-office structure will aim to include that dimension under a more traditional title." Additionally, the Marlins hired Virginia-based Applied Predictive Technologies Lead Database Analyst Myles Lewis as a Senior Analyst and promoted Analyst Michael Lord to Analytics Coordinator. The team is "working to hire an additional developer and analyst" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 1/4).
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: In Miami, Barry Jackson notes Jeter's confidential business model known as Project Wolverine that was circulated to potential investors "indicates the team doesn’t plan to reach" the $115M payroll that former Owner Jeffrey Loria financed last season until '21. Those payroll projections are "based on the Marlins reaching highly ambitious attendance and sponsorship revenue projections." The team’s projected '18 payroll will be $100M. One reason for the projected payroll jump in '21: The Marlins "project local broadcast revenue to jump" from $20.1M in '20 to $51.6M in '21 (MIAMI HERALD, 1/4). In Newark, Joe Giglio notes Jeter thinks he can "convince television networks and fans to consume more Marlins baseball with less to watch" in '18. While the idea of the Marlins becoming a "well-run, cost-effective contender down the line under this premise isn't out of the realm of possibility, we're talking about a team currently projected to win only 71 games" in '18 (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/4). MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds said of Project Wolverine, “We’ve been trying to figure out what it is. I know what it is. It’s to get the blue hairs, and gray old-hair people out to the ballpark. ... We are going to reach the old people and we are going to increase attendance” (“Hot Stove,” MLBN, 1/3).
