The Marlins are “negotiating purchase agreements with groups led by both Jeb Bush and Tagg Romney, fully intending to strike a deal with one of those two groups in the coming weeks,” according to a source cited by Barry Jackson of the MIAMI HERALD. The source said that the Bush/Derek Jeter group is “further along in completing a purchase agreement with the Marlins than the Romney group and Bush/Jeter remain a slight favorite.” But Romney's group, which includes Baseball HOFer Tom Glavine and former MLBer Dave Stewart, “remains in contention.” Both Bush and Romney have “assured the Marlins and MLB that they have enough investors, and enough money from those investors, to meet” the $1.3B asking price. But neither has “completed partnership agreements with those investors -- written agreements that are required by MLB and must be approved by MLB.” Until that happens, there “will be at some least questions about whether each group has the necessary funds.” A source said that MLB is “insisting the winning group has enough capital to operate the team after buying it.” Financier Charles Dean Metropoulos has been “linked to Marlins interest but is not in the running for the team.” An MLB official said that “there was never a bid” by Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross (MIAMIHERALD.com, 5/27).
WAITING ON THEIR MANNY? In Boston, Nick Cafardo cited a source as saying that both bidding groups are “wondering” if MLB can “ever make it big in Miami.” There is a “feeling the team needs a major Latin American star.” It would “make sense for the Marlins to go hard” after Orioles 3B Manny Machado, a free agent after the '18 season who would have “great support in his hometown” (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/28).
