Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is “receptive to the possibility of selling” the organization, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Loria has at least floated the rather lofty price tag of $1.7B, Mike Ozanian of Forbes reported yesterday, though Jackson says that he dangled a lower asking price (by how much isn’t known) to one prior would-be buyer who checked in.
While the news is notable — as Jackson says, Loria previously has balked at the idea of a sale — it’s important to recognize its limitations. For one thing, the current ownership group has not hired a firm to broker a deal. For another, it has reportedly already failed to progress in talks with several interested suitors in recent months.
As has been rumored, one of the entities to pursue the Marlins was Mitt Romney’s Solomere Capital, which brought an offer of less than $1.7B to the table and was rejected. It’s not immediately clear where the market might land for the Miami organization (along with its stadium-rights agreement and other revenue sources), though Jackson cites one “potential buyer” who says he’d consider paying something in the neighborhood of $1.3B — nearly double Forbes’ $675MM valuation.
Of course, that paper valuation doesn’t necessarily reflect the market situation; MLB organizations are obviously in high demand and can deliver long-term returns to owners that aren’t strictly tied to annual earnings. There may be some untapped potential in the Marlins’ franchise, too, though surely another stadium bonanza won’t occur again for some time. Stadium naming rights and a new TV rights deal (which would go into effect after the 2020 season) certainly hold out the promise for a cash-flow boost. And it’s at least worth wondering if other prospective owners see opportunities to boost attendance, which continues to lag behind most of the league, or otherwise enhance the margin.
Ultimately, whether a serious bidder emerges for the Marlins remains to be seen. And Major League Baseball would certainly need to be involved in approving any sale that ultimately is arranged — which, obviously, has not yet occurred. But it’s interesting to consider that the controversial Loria could seriously weigh a divestiture of his interests in the organization, which he is said to have purchased for $158.5MM back in 2002.
I offer $10
$11
I’ll give $12 and a Chuck E. Cheese coupon.
I’ll give you the dbacks and 17 strippers. (Max budget)..
uhh three crayons and my chocolate milk
Is one of the crayons red? If not then you’re way under.
I’ll double your offer and throw in 10 orders of Poutine at his favorite restaurant in Montreal.
He is not welcome in Montreal.
We pay you to keep me.
Maybe Bud the Spud will adopt him.
First order of business… new damn uniforms!
I’ll buy them
It is remarkable to me that the franchise was purchased for just 158 million dollars in 2002. With baseball revenues skyrocketing since then and TV deals bringing big money to the game, Loria looks like a genius. Needless to say, selling the franchise for north of 1 billion dollars less than 15 years later is a pretty great deal.
He’s a very savvy and cunning business man. He is not however, good for the game.
How much of that is he going to give back to the MIA taxpayers he lured into building a stadium for a team he demolished a year later, starting a rebuild. Still now, they have a few good pieces, but the most expensive player in the game, no pitching staff and one of the worst farm systems in MLB to look to.
The optimistic side of me says they’re currently looking better than 2 other NL East franchises, but the reality states that those 2 others (ATL, PHI) either have a lot of money coming in and/or further along in a rebuild with long-term pieces in place.
he shouldn’t give any back to the Miami taxpayers
Savvy yah right.
He just saw major league baseball and Bud Selig as sucker.
I would be willing to bet he’s gotten more than 158m in free handouts from other owners in the way of revenue sharing, or welfare for useless teams.. Whatever u want to call it.
Instead of folding this and several other teams which have no reason to exist, they throw good money after bad and waste it so some few can attempt to make themselves look good.
You know New York Boston Chicago and los angles need opponents to play. People live outside the big city bubbles!
Man, you have some really bad opinions. Just fold every team that isn’t in NY, Boston, Chicago, or LA. See how they like that revenue stream.
You can thank Bud the Spud for that happening.
Sell the team, fire everyone except Mattingly, trade everyone except Stanton, build a farm system from what you can get for the core of that team, and just completely restart. They are depleted with a mediocre MLB team
why would they trade Yellich? If anything hes the guy to build around should you do a massive reboot like that.
Or plan B – offer $80+ mil for a closer.
Stanton has $309.5 million left on his contract (including the $10MM buyout) that goes until he’s 38. What makes you think any team would give you $0.60 on the dollar of that contract with Stanton averaging only 500 ABs and 27 HR the past 2 seasons?
What team will give you money and more than a bag of balls for his services?
I’d be willing to bet that well over 50% of teams would happily take on Stanton, even with that contract.
“trade everyone except Stanton” I have the same thought process you do, RunDMC
I agree with your point Run. With the new lux tax the way it is, I think an important question is not only what team would, but what teams even can afford to add a contract like that? Also, with harper/machado set to be FA soon, why wouldn’t said team just wait for them and pay possibly a bit more
To be fair, if Jose Fernandez had been alive, adding a couple of mid line pitchers and one of the top 3 closers Loria chased this offseason would have made them a team to be reckoned with.
But he’s not. Pointless conjecture.
With enough conditional scenarios, any team would be a contender.
I think that this was a conditional scenario that one would not traditionally expect. Losing out on Jansen and Chapman, a prospect not materializing, okay, but losing your ace, a potential perennial all star… RIP Jose.
Even the McCourts would be an improvement
2 kilos final offer!
There’s a typo in the third paragraph. Says 1.3MM, should be 1.3B
Serious question. What potential cities could host a successful franchise? Indy? OKC? Seems as though the FLA experiment has not worked out too well from fan support.
If i recall correctly, Montreal was a great baseball town when they won, and was dreadful when they werent good
The exchange rate could be an impediment to any Canadian franchise, Montreal needs a new downtown stadium as well. I think Vancouver is better suited for a MLB franchise but it never gets mentioned.
If you’ve ever watched a Jays game in Seattle I think you know why I say Vancouver, not only that but a second team in Canada would have a better following being in the pacific time zone.
Your right because Montreal fans could see that Bud Selig did not want the franchise to succeed.
Proof in the pudding was having Loria come into picture.
That short season where baseball lock out players Montreal fans believe it was a plan of Selig to do the Expos in.
The excuse was set in place by the issues of players and baseball.
Montreal, OKC, 3rd TX team, Vegas, Memphis, or perhaps Havana?
louisville, nashville, Memphis would be my top 3. 3 of the top 30 population centers in the country with no mlb teams in their states.
Nashville is the largest of the three but still under 2 million in the metro area. Charlotte (2.4 million and growing fast) would probably be better. A team in (Texas) SA or Austin would make sense too. Maybe Vegas. I think Portland voted down a stadium a few years ago.
Nashville or Memphis would never work because St. Louis has that market…a team would die there
just like Baltimore had the Washington market? they have fans in those markets due to their not being a team there, not because the cardinals are so star spangled awesome. nashville makes the most sense, since Memphis is close enough to travel to those games as well, not too mention the main demo is mlb’s biggest fan base.
Charlotte?
cardsfan1988: The same Cardinals with the base territory and assets small enough that they warrant an extra pick?
The only problem with another team being in Texas (at least when it comes to San Antonio and Austin area) is the weather. Unless they were to build a domed stadium there, I say no way of it happening unless they want to make the Ballpark in Arlington look like an icebox in comparison during the summer.
Those would be great baseball towns I think too, I’ve heard MLB talk Mexico too.
There was a study done not too long ago that said the most feasible places to add a team were a 3rd in the NY/NJ area a third in SoCal, and Montreal. Montreal being the only legit location due to territorial rights. In all honestly mlb has saturated the market….all remaining cities dont put them in any better position than the small markets they are in now. Mlb would also like to build a European fan footprint and might see Montreal as that bridge. Mexico isn’t happening….not with that economy. Vegas? Its a service economy. Vancouver? Seattle already has a difficult time building a national fan base due to the 10pm start time of their home games….there’s also nothing other than being an urban area that recommends it.
The only feasible thing that I see happening would be a Ray’s relocation in 10-15 years…maybe 20
Trump is going to block all contact with Cuba again so Havana is out. The NBA and NFL share all TV revenue evenly so small TV markets can compete. In MLB the home team gets more than 70% of its local TV revenue in the new CBA. You can’t put a team in OKC, San Antonio or Austin, Memphis or Las Vegas because they have such a small TV market. Nashville and Indianapolis are about the same size TV market as SD, 27th, 28th and 29th in the US, so you would be putting them at an immediate disadvantage.
What does trump have to do with anything. Hillary lost sorry.
Whether or not his point is correct, it was clear why he referenced Trump. (Supposed change in policy vis-a-vis Cuba.) Not sure what compelled your response.
While baseball is huge in Cuba, do you honestly think there is enough money for the common fan to enjoy major league baseball on a regular basis? Do you really think that there are enough income by the common people of Cuba to provide sufficient revenue for a competitive major league team?
I’m sorry there is no way that given the current situation there that a major league team would be feasible. Hopefully one day it will change, but it probably won’t be for quite some time.
wow…i think a team in Havana would be interesting and would also drum up excitement for MLB
Sacramento. Portland. Charlotte. Tampa would work if the stadium was actually nearer the population center instead of in a terrible location to get to in St Pete.
They’re working on that new location to a much better area to get to. Should make a big difference.
If that doesn’t work, move them to Montreal. That city was robbed by Selig and MLB.
okc would be about like the kc market…
I’ve got $20 and Denny’s gift card. Jeff, Did I mention the senior citizen discounts? Mmmmm…
ROFLOL!
Loria read the new CBA and then reread Giancarlo Stanton’s contract and decided it was time to sell.
tree fiddy
Lurie, still a Creep after all these years !
Roughly $2B for the marlins? A franchise that is suing season ticket holders. Miami hates ownership, buy the team & move to Las Vegas
Unlike the NFL, where all teams evenly share all TV revenues, more than half of most MLB teams revenue is from their local TV contract. Miami is the 17th largest. Las Vegas the 40th largest.
People always mention Vegas, but it’s a service based economy. It’s a AAA town with a plethora of entertainment options to compete.
The NHL doesn’t think so. The L A Kings broke in their new arena with two sold out exhibitions earlier this fall.
Las Vegas would out draw most teams in the majors and a new stadium corporate leanings would be a huge money maker.
Can’t say that about those other “towns”.
No other league has to sell 81 games though.
I don’t understand why Miami fans don’t get together and sue this guy.
He doesn’t have Selig there to protect him.
I wonder if Loria has come to the conclusion free agents don’t want to play for him.
it might have more to do with his potential to make 1 billion+ dollars
He can not even figure out fans in Miami don’t want him either.
Just take a look at the empty seats.
If not for corporate sold seats there be no one in the seats.
And he and Selig had the balls to say Montreal had no fan base so the franchise had to be taken away.
Loria have you found that confession box yet?
Wow, $1.7 billion? That make the Yankees worth what, $5 billion?
It’s sort of like wondering what Mike Trout would fetch in free agency. Yeah, it’s tied to economics, but it’s also a unique prize that is simply never available for purchase.
For most businesses, you place their value at 8-10 times their revenue. The Yankees had $516 million in revenue last year, so a value of $4-5 billion is realistic.
There would also be a premium added to that price for the Yankees. I mean, the freakin’ Clippers sold for 2 billion.
Sad that his only motive for the Marlins was making money. He disgraced the game and city on several occasions and gets to walk away with 10x what he bought the team for.
Please sell, Loria. You’re awful for baseball, and no one is going to miss you.
Loria can’t sell the Marlins, José Fernández wouldn’t want him too
Would possibly be one of the best things that could happen to the Marlins. Loria has damaged ever franchise that he has touched.
This is the best news for that franchise. Loria is a joke.
To art collector Jeffrey Loria, I offer my entire collection of Picassos for the Marlins.
(Vic Picasso, Pablo’s cousin from Hackensack.)
That sculpture in the outfield is worth 1.3 billion alone.
Loria is a piece of work….
Worst owner in all of sports. This guy is a huge joke. No business owning a MLB club. That sculpture is the most hideous thing ever created. Stick to your finger paintings. As a Mets fan I hope he doesn’t sell.
I’m interested!
I also want to buy Trade Rumors.
I wonder how many Miami fans would contribute serious cash to get rid of Loria?
Maybe even pull Green Bay Packers type of deal where residents own a portion of the team. At least it might improve attendance.
Montreal fans would join in the offering.
even at the expense sucking us all in for more money.
They say we all meet our maker and things will even out in the end.
Loria you best find the closest confession box and start repenting.
Not only has marlins fans had to endure this owner, we also have to put up with mocking on these message boards. “The Marlins has fans?” In 3,2,1…. I for one, love my team. We have two World Series wins in a very short life. I like what we have as a core, minus our pitching. Is the asking price ridiculous? Yes. It’s obvious, low hanging fruit. I hope we get a sale done and we can move on. I’m just growing weary of all this.
It’s weird that both TB and MIA have struggled to draw even with some very successful seasons in their short history. Florida is certainly a baseball state but I think the relatively short history combined with the high number of transplants who have their roots elsewhere means a lot of the MLB fans are fans of other teams.
I think Loria’s jackassery turns a lot of people off.
well said my brother
It is sad that you have to deal with this but this owner of yours made his bed and he will be sleeping it till baseball gets rid of this bandit.
It would be interesting if they moved. Charlotte, New Orleans, San Antonio, Nashville, Las Vegas, and Montreal all don’t have teams. They probably wouldn’t leave though, since they just got a stadium built in 2012.
Being from New Orleans, I’d love to see a team there, but honestly, I don’t see a MLB team flourishing there. I’d love to be wrong, but I could easily see Charlotte, Nashville and Montreal being better options.
And being a NYC resident, I’d kill to see another team in Brooklyn, which would be the 2nd largest city in the USA if emancipated from the other 4 boroughs, with a rich history (i.e. Dodgers to draw from). There’s been a resurgence in the borough with sports teams via the Nets and now the Islanders relocating via Barclays Center. Yes, you run the risk of further segregating the largest market in the country, but both NYY and NYM have such established fans that it’d be interesting to appeal to some new fans.
In a vacuum there’s no reason NY (or LA, really) couldn’t support a third team. It might be a bit of a nightmare trying to work out something fair with the NYY and NYM ownership but it’s a possibility.
But that man….. I bet he wants to keep the rights to the stadium.
How about…. Tree fiddy.
god damn you lockness monster
Looks like I need to get a Kickstarter going…
Portland
and Brooklyn.
I don’t think there’s any obvious relocation or expansion cities. Charlotte or somewhere nearby and Portland have been tossed around in the past, and Montreal used to have a team. Other than that most other places are either too small to legitimately support a MLB team, or a relocating team is going to get worked over by existing teams occupying their region.
Most interesting new city to me is Vancouver. I think that might work (or wouldn’t be any worse than TPA and MIA). Canadians need more teams to support so I think there’d be a decent fan base, and being in another country helps with a lot of the media issues that might otherwise arise being so close to Seattle.
It is ironic to see all these comments about a team possibly relocating or going to Montreal in a post about Loria being interested in selling the Marlins. So soon that people forget that Loria was actually one of the main cogs in the Expos leaving Montreal in the first place.
Oh, the irony of the Marlins moving to Montreal would be kind of beautiful.
Selig, Loria, Henry, Werner… peas in a pod.
Don’t forget Bud Selig was in this as well.
One was as bad as the other.
I think Montreal deserves another kick at the can.
Baseball owes Montreal this much and hopefully no miss representation from Toronto.
Montreal fans never forgot who were their friends and who weren’t when Selig and Loria got there hands dirty miss managing the Expo demise.
Maybe Bud Srlig can come back and broker a better than fair value deal for his old brother in arms.
If there ever comes a time when the powers that be in MLB want to expand or relocate, I would guess the Marlins would be that team.
Marlins will not be relocating. Neither will the Rays. Both can be successful franchises with new ownership (Marlins) and new stadium (Rays). The team that should be relocated is the A’s. The Bay Area does not need two teams. Only New York, Chicago, and LA can support two teams.
The headline is too long for the app… it says:
Jeffery Loria Open to Considering Sale
Of Marlins
I saw the first line and almost peed laughing before I realized it wasn’t talking about Chris Sale.
Loria is just laughing at the way he’s taken everyone. First, he should kneel down and kiss Bud Selig ring, for bailing him out of Montreal and extending him an interest free loan for a potion of the purchase price. Then, he should kneel a second time to the taxpayers, who handed him riches in return for nothing. Then a third time to his fellow owners, whose money he takes while refusing to field a competitive team. Loria wants a 10X return on his investment…and for every fan who directs his anger at ostensibly overpaid players–Loria is the whole package of greed–a full five tool player of avarice.
Baseball needs to force this man out only then will they get back some of the respect Bud Selig lost.
The people of southern Florida were wrong to think they are a major league city. Yes they’ve won two world series but they have not developed a fan base that will support a team. I assume they have a long term lease which would cost a fortune to break.
Tampa might be able to support a team in a different stadium location. Otherwise Orlando and Jacksonville are likely better places to support a Florida team.
I’m a Marlins fan. This is the very first ever reported willingness to possibly sell!! That is huge news! Especially with the reports in the past of him turning away potential good owners that want to buy the team, on multiple occasions
If this happens, I don’t know how, but I know I will, and we could all, have a massive celebration party. I don’t know where or what it’ll be, but I’m literally down for whatever has to happen lol. It would be the greatest day in south florida sports history. It arguably might even rival Castro dying, in terms of general south florida history. Yo I might even get arrested for disturbing the peace, if this happens, from celebrating so much lol
I don’t know about anyone else, but when I saw the report, my reaction was pretty much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
reports are saying that at least one perspectin buyer has said he’d buy the team for $1.3 billion, which is close. Forbes valued the team in the $675 million range a few months ago, but there are some possible revenue in fluxes coming in the next few years that could make the team a lot more valuable, which is why people are still interested, despite Loria’s asking price. Honestly, I hate that he’ll make out like he will, but I’ll take that if it means he’ll be gone. I’m sure we’ll hear more in July or August
I feel bad for Miami fans that they got hooked with this guy.
They have Bud the Spud Selig for that after letting him buy the Montreal Expos for peanuts…allowing him to sell of there best players in the system…then help him out by having major league baseball buy back the team for millions more so he could set up in Miami not to mention suckling in the community to build him a stadium using a lot of there money.
This guy has a license to steal.
And to top it off Bud the Spud gets voted into hall of fame.
Go figure.