MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred yesterday appeared on ESPN Radio's "The Dan Le Batard Show" and was questioned by host Dan Le Batard about the process surrounding the sale of the Marlins. Below are excerpts from the interview, some of which have been edited for brevity and clarity
Le Batard: Baseball has been really bad to South Florida for many years, and I don’t believe that baseball deserves a single customer in South Florida.
Manfred: Whether people like everything that happened in between (and) after, or not, there’s a lot of markets that would make that trade in terms of having those two World Series champions.
Le Batard: Were you aware of Jeter’s plan to trade players and slash payroll?
Manfred: It’s interesting…
Le Batard: Yes or no, please.
Manfred: I’m happy to do yes or nos…
Le Batard: You can elaborate afterward. I just want to know if you were aware of that plan. Did you approve a plan that had slash payroll again for South Florida?
Manfred: We do not approve operating decisions by anyone -- new owners, current owners. So the answer to that question is no. I’m not going to be deposed like this is some adversary thing.
Le Batard: You’re coming on here and saying that you weren’t aware of Jeter’s plan to trade players and slash payroll? We’re starting with a lie, Rob. You can’t tell me that you’re not aware of that.
Manfred: I’m not going to sit here and have you call me a liar. I explained to you that we do not -- we do not -- get involved in operating-level decisions in the ownership approval process.
Le Batard: Did every plan that ended up on your desk from all the (potential) owners all have payroll slashing in them?
Manfred: The first payroll plan from the new ownership arrived here two days ago.
Le Batard: Are you aware that Jeter has an employment contract that pays him and he doesn’t have to make cash calls.
Manfred: I’m aware that Derek has an employment contract. Every individual provision in that contract, I couldn’t tell you if you’re accurate or not right now. I did see the contract at the time of the approval, but I just can’t recall the provision you’re talking about.
Le Batard: Explain to us how it does work. You’re the commissioner of baseball. One of your jobs is to get ownership solidarity on whether they’re going to approve somebody into your club. They approved Derek Jeter. You know how to get that solidarity, it’s part of your job. So explain to me how it happened without you knowing it.
Manfred: Let’s try to actually get the facts correct, OK? They approved a group headed by Bruce Sherman, number one. We made sure that the governing structure of the partnership was consistent with our rules. And we had interviews with the people who were going to be running the club to get a general understanding of their approach to running the club.
Le Batard: Who is Bruce Sherman? Who is he and why was he approved? Because all the bids came in low on cash.
Manfred: That’s actually not true. I know you keep saying these things on the radio, but you have no idea what the cash was in this deal. The fact of the matter is this club, after the transaction, had the same amount of debt that it had pre-transaction and the largest commitment of equity of any franchise in the history of Major League Baseball.
Le Batard: I know that part. The reason I interrupt you is that I think you care more about the $1.2B asking price than you did about the fans of South Florida.
Manfred: You actually have no idea what I care about and what I don’t care about. The fact of the matter is a competitive club in each one of our 30 markets is my foremost concern ("The Dan Le Batard Show," ESPN Radio, 12/20).
TWITTER REAX: Twitter lit up with reaction during Le Batard's interview with Manfred. ESPN's Bomani Jones: "rob manfred sounded like came on dan's show expecting one of those interviews that ends with papi asking how he proposed to his wife. NOPE." S.F-based KGMZ-FM's Damon Bruce: "The @DanLeBatardShow interview with Rob Manfred is an outstanding listen. Dan’s line of questioning is lazar focused, and hits every target." NBC's Chuck Todd: "MLB Commis. Manfred on Marlins debacle: "We do not get involved in operating-level decisions in the ownership approval process." Here's my Q: "why not"? Isn't that job of Commis. office? Make sure each club operates in BEST INTEREST of league and city?" Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan: "Say what you will about 2017, but it included @LeBatardShow asking the commissioner of baseball if Derek Jeter was being used as a "meat shield" for Marlins owner Bruce Sherman. Irredeemable though this year was, that undoubtedly brightens it. #jeetshield." Miami-based WTVJ-NBC's John Morales: "You can be really mad about the whole #Marlins thing. But you have to treat smart, decent people with respect. I thought @LeBatardShow did a whole lotta grandstanding today and gained little from grilling @MLB Commish Rob Manfred on #Jeter's actions."
