MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred yesterday said he is "convinced" Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria will sell the team and that either Derek Jeter or Tagg Romney is "most likely to end up as the new owner of the team." Appearing on SiriusXM Radio, Manfred said there is an "amazing amount of interest" in the team. Manfred: "People kind of focused on the Jeter group and the Romney group. There are other interested buyers out there. It is by no means just these two. They are the furthest along." Manfred acknowledged having Jeter involved with a team "would be an asset." However, he added, "What we really want is the most stable, well-financed group to take over the Marlins so baseball in South Florida can be a success for the fans" ("SiriusXM Fantasy Baseball," SiriusXM, 6/13). Manfred: "I am hoping we get some clarity well before the deadline" (MIAMI HERALD, 6/14).
SHOW ME THE MONEY: FOX BUSINESS' Gasparino & Schwartz cited sources as saying that Romney and Jeter "remain woefully short of collecting enough cash" to satisfy the more than $1B bid. The sources added that several other investment groups that have enough cash on hand want Loria to "lower his price tag" to around $900M given the "difficult financial affairs of the team." The disarray in the Jeb Bush-Jeter camp put Romney’s team at the "top of the bidding list" with an offer of around $1B. However, baseball execs said that like Jeter, Romney at least for now "remains well short of coming up with the necessary cash to complete the deal unless Loria agrees to a lower price or they attract additional investors" (FOXBUSINESS.com, 6/13).
