After a league-worst 10,013 average attendance last year, the club saw a 2.6% attendance decline this yearGETTY IMAGES
Marlins CEO Derek Jeter "admitted the team's struggles have been frustrating to watch" this year as the club closes in on "just the third 100-loss season in franchise history," according to Wells Dusenbury of the South Florida SUN SENTINEL. Jeter said, "It can be frustrating, it can be tough to watch, but we have a plan and we're going to stick to it. Looking at the bigger picture, we've made a lot of improvements throughout our organization." Dusenbury noted after the Marlins finished last season with a "league-worst attendance (10,013 average)," the club has "seen a 2.6% decline at 9,752 fans per game" prior to this weekend's series against the Nationals. Jeter said the Marlins "need more fans to come out." Jeter: "Our ownership has invested in fan experience. I'd be lying if we said we don't need to increase attendance." He added, "For us, we're still trying to develop that trust, and that takes time." Meanwhile, Jeter said that discussions regarding the Marlins' TV contract and ballpark naming rights, two "key financial building blocks," are "continuing on both fronts" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 9/21).
WHAT COULD THE OFFSEASON BRING? In Miami, Barry Jackson noted the Marlins' payroll commitments "are about to plunge," from $70M this season, to the $45M range in realistic projections for '20. However, Jeter was "non-committal" on Friday when asked about "whether that money coming off the books would be re-allocated to improve the roster." Some money "certainly will be spent in free agency," but the question Jeter and Marlins Owner Bruce Sherman have to consider is "how much." It would "make sense to energize the fan base and boost this offense by making a legitimate run" at White Sox 1B Jose Abreu, who will be a free agent this winter. The Cuban native "has family in Miami," though "he'll be costly" (MIAMI HERALD, 9/21).
