Derek Jeter and MasTec co-Founder & Chair Jorge Mas have "made progress in assembling the financing needed to buy the Marlins," while the Wayne Rothbaum/Jeb Bush group has "quietly exited the race," according to sources cited by Barry Jackson of the MIAMI HERALD. The reason for Rothbaum's decision to stop his pursuit of the team was "not immediately clear." But an associate indicated that he "grew impatient with the process" after bidding $1.17B for the team. His remaining investors -- including Bush and Shoney's Chair & CEO David Davoudpour -- could not go on without him because Rothbaum was the "primary money man." The departure leaves Jeter and Mas as the "only remaining bidders for the Marlins." Jeter "added investors to his group in recent days and the Marlins are optimistic about his chances of having the funding necessary to buy the team." But sources said that he was "still looking for money this week." Meanwhile, Mas has "made progress in his attempts to put together an investment group but it’s unclear if he would be willing to outbid Jeter" or meet the $1.2B asking price (MIAMI HERALD, 8/10). The AP's Steven Wine noted MLB owners meet next week in Chicago, where the Marlins situation "may be discussed." At the All-Star Game last month in Miami, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said that the team "soon expected to choose a winning bid" (AP, 8/9). In N.Y., Josh Kosman cites a source as saying that Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria is "expected to choose a preferred bidder" by next Wednesday's owners' meeting (N.Y. POST, 8/10).
