Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter are still seeking additional investors for their ownership group even after being formally approved as the new owners of the Marlins, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The Sherman/Jeter group is still looking to add about $250MM from outside investors, though Heyman notes that the league is “quite comfortable” with the new ownership group’s current financial state. Interestingly, Heyman has obtained some slides from a “teaser” email sent to potential investors in which the Marlins outline a number of “strategic priorities” for improving revenue. Among the new means of revenue to be explored are a new television contract, selling the naming rights to the stadium, new sponsorship/advertising opportunities and an increased focus on utilizing Marlins Park to host non-baseball events (e.g. concerts).
Elsewhere in the NL East…
- While former Braves president of baseball ops John Hart, current CEO Terry McGuirk and current president John Schuerholz all escaped league-issued punishment in the team’s international free-agent/amateur draft scandal, the entire scenario tarnishes their legacies within the game and within the Braves organization, writes Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required and recommended). That trio’s lack of oversight allowed the guilty parties within the organization to “run wild,” Rosenthal notes, and the uncertainty surrounding the involvement of Braves’ higher-ups will linger. Peter Gammons rhetorically asked, “So who in Braves’ ownership ok’d all the cash to Coppolella?” following the investigation’s completion (Twitter link). That is just one of the many questions surrounding the incident that remains unanswered — a reality that flies in the face of comments made by McGuirk last month when telling Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “I don’t think there will be any questions (unanswered) when we are able to discuss it.”
- In his latest Nationals Inbox piece, MLB.com’s Jamal Collier writes that he doesn’t foresee a reunion between the Nats and first baseman Adam Lind this offseason. Washington’s decision to turn down their half of a $5MM mutual option suggests that they’re not willing to pay him at a rate he may very well be able to find elsewhere on the open market. The Nats will likely utilize Brian Goodwin as a fourth outfielder in 2018, Collier notes, but Lind’s absence will make finding a backup first baseman/corner bat off the bench a priority this winter.
- The Phillies have named 28-year-old Pedro Guerrero, a former Dodgers minor league infielder, as their new assistant hitting coach, per a club announcement. As Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, that suggests that Rick Kranitz, who was the team’s assistant pitching coach in 2017, will be named the team’s new pitching coach for the 2018 season. The Phillies have previously announced that Kranitz would be on the staff next year but haven’t revealed his role with the team. However, they’re only allowed to add two more coaches before reaching the maximum allotment and still need a pitching coach, first base coach and bench coach. As for Guerrero, he’s an outside-the-box hire, to be sure. But, Guerrero has already spent two seasons as a minor league bench coach in the Dodgers organization and has some familiarity with newly minted skipper Gabe Kapler from the pair’s time together in Los Angeles.
Ok enough with the Braves punishment talk we get it I wanna hear bout the plans for us this offseason.
What’s done is done time to move on
Yeah it’s over. They got the hammer dropped on ’em. Keep it moving.
There’s always fallout from something this big. You might not like all the news surrounding the Braves but it’s still going to be talked about for a bit.
Suck it up cupcake
I would agree if it was more news but it’s just the same thing repeated over & over.I really believe this set us back a year and it’s gonna take AA another year to see in the organization he wants to build with and who he doesn’t.
The fallout is gonna be felt for years to come a punishment this bad is gonna change the whole way they go about things for years. Draft picks become more important
So you’re saying you want more Braves talk?
Steelerbravenation, would you feel better to have a twice a day update of where Stanton might go? I am as big a Braves fan as you, but to be honest hearing more detail is nice. It is a huge story in baseball, only 3rd man put on permanent ban list.
I agree a lot of news or ‘updates’ on here are just the same things repeated over and over…Braves punishment, Where Stanton May go, etc…it’s the off season so nothing new to report I guess
Not-so-wild guess: JS knew a lot more than he let on. Liberty gave McGuirk a budget, but he never seemed to be that involved day-to-day. Schuerholz almost certainly had to OK the allocation of some of the international money. He’s not the kind of fellow to surrender that much control to Hart, even though he probably trusted Hart implicitly. And JS was always eager to give interviews, appear on camera, etc.
If he hadn’t gone into the HOF this year he might have stepped aside quietly. He may hang on a couple more years before turning things over to AA.
If there is a buck to be made…
Implement an international draft so it won’t happen again.
It’s not that easy in a union environment to “impose” anything. If the MLBPA doesn’t want it, it has to be bargained for, regardless what anyone thinks.
Any there good reason to dissolve the union
“Any there good reason to dissolve the union”(sic)
And why would the players dissolve their union? Many recognize it as the most successful union ever. Many resent it for that reason. But I’d assume the players are quite happy with their representation.
Surely you weren’t suggesting that the owners should dissolve the players union. There’s a little obstacle to that, commonly known as the National Labor Relations Act. Might wanna read it some time. Cheers.
It is far and away the most successful players union in pro sports. It’s why Marvin Miller should be in the HOF.
Miller should have been in the HoF thirty years ago. It’s mind boggling that an empty suit named Bowie Kuhn is in the HoF and Miller isn’t despite the fact that Miller won each and every encounter. But Mr. Miller made it quite clear in his final years that he was not interested in posthumous induction and we should respect his wishes.
The HoF will always have to explain why the career hits leader isn’t in. It currently has to explain why the career and season HR leader isn’t in, although that may change soon. The HoF should forever have to explain that Marvin Miller isn’t in because they were afraid of what the then 93 year old might say at his induction ceremony. It should be the HoF’s eternal shame that Marvin Miller isn’t in as his absence diminishes them not him.
Are you referring to Bonds when you say HOF needs to explain why he is not in?
See Joe Morgans letter!!
“Are you referring to Bonds . . . ?”
Yes. Who else could I be referring to with the words “career and season HR leader”?
“See Joe Morgans (sic) letter!!”
I read his letter. Writing and sending it was a cowardly move. Morgan has zero credibility on the subject of protecting the HoF as he has consistently advocated for the admission of his friend and teammate, Pete Rose. A mlb manager who gambles on his team’s games is much more dangerous to the structure of ML baseball than an entire team, even an entire league, using PEDs.
Even more to the point, Morgan conveniently ignores and excuses the many players who chose to use amphetamines, including several of his notable teammates and contemporaries. Including perhaps himself, which he doesn’t address.
Morgan’s unstated point appears to be that PED use was so foreign to the game, so unusual, that anyone who took them should be erased from mlb history. Sorry, Joe, but it happened and some of us were both alive and aware of what we were seeing. It’s a bit late in the game to start getting concerned now. There already are PED users in the HoF, a couple more won’t cause any great upheaval.
The HoF has the ability to write its own rules. If the hall wanted to exclude PED users it could have enacted a rule to that effect. Instead, rather than having the integrity to publicly change its rules to cover PED use, the hall sent Morgan out to “suggest” that PED users shouldn’t be voted in. That’s why it’s a cowardly, chicken-crap move. Morgan should be ashamed of himself. His intervention may well be the final straw that gets Bonds and Clemens in, and that would be fitting. See Jeff Passan’s (an actual voter)response as well. Nice work, Joe.
If it’s any cancellation…
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, is giving up his Hall of Fame vote because of Joe Morgan’s letter.
I know it doesn’t help, but I recommend reading the comments section of Jeff Passan’s article explaining his reasons for doing so.
Hint: They’re funny.
The link to the Jeff Passan article I was referring to: sports.yahoo.com/giving-hall-fame-vote-joe-morgans…
The link to comment section of the article:
sports.yahoo.com/giving-hall-fame-vote-joe-morgans…
(Comments assorted by top responses)
Both worth a read
“If it’s any cancellation…”
Or consolation, even. Did you dictate your comment using some voice recognition app?
“Jeff Passan is giving up his Hall of Fame vote because of Joe Morgan’s letter.”
Yes, that’s why I cited him. His letter does a good job of explaining why many don’t give a fig about the HoF, myself included. I definitely recommend reading his letter. Tried to link to it but this site won’t let me.
“ . . . I recommend reading the comments section . . . “
The comments section at Yahoo? Not sure I’m brave enough for that.
“Hint: They’re funny.”
They usually are, if you look at them through the right lens. OK, I gave 10-20 comments (out of nearly 1K) a shot. Sorry, not amused. Still the lowest form of life on the internets short of the alt-right clowns. Cheers, x.
Exactly
It is a good thing the Phillies don’t have too many veteran players because I don’t see too many of them listening to a 28 year-old assistant hitting coach
Ignore the 9-1-1 call from O.J. Different Pedro Guerrero.
Weird that there is a limit on coaches. I didn’t know that. I thought teams were always making up new coach positions and adding them, like fundamentals coaches and conditioning coaches.
I believe the limit is on uniformed coaches, though I could be wrong. There seems to be some leeway on fundamentals and conditioning coaches since they’re not typically in the dugout during regular season games.
Who would invest 250M after the performance Jeter has put on in the front office?
Right conclusion, wrong argument. Who’d put a quarter billion dollars into a team that has never been loved by its home city? Attendance is poor, tv ratings are poor, merchandise sales are low. That doesn’t sound like a great investment to me, no matter who’s in charge.
Miami has loved the Marlins, just not Loria.
Not enough time to judge that yet. Besides, I loved the Cooper trade for the Marlins.
Maybe…..Somebody who wants Stanton to “Stay In Miami”…….LOL
Odd that they’d chose THAT number….
it’s very close to the total payroll they’ll shed if he’s traded……..
Hmmmm….
With the Braves losing their 3rd round pick, if we sign a FA with a QO attached does that mean we lose our 2nd or 4th round pick as compensation? The recent change in the draft system, plus the penalty I’m a little fuzzy on what happens now?
Good question!
Just a guess, but the language used in the QO suggests that it’s the 3rd highest pick, so essentially for the Braves a 4th round pick.
Matt Moore and a prospect to the Phillips for makiel Franco. Who says no first?
whos the prospect?
Not a top prospect someone like Anderson or hinjosa
Phillies walk. Franco has way more upside than Hinojosa and they have a slew of young cheap guys who can be as meh as Moore.
Exactly……Moore has zero value…..especially if you look at his Home/Road splits…….and his stats at Citizens Bank Park.
UGLY!!!
Phillies no doubt. No reason to completely give up on Franco just yet. GIve him one more shot. He’s shown very good power over his career and could still be a very solid major leaguer
The Marlins need more money. Gee, didn’t see that coming. Bad choice of owners. None with enough money to ever make this club work.
They overpaid for the franchise and seem to be scrambling to make ends meet. Trading Stanton will give them some much needed breathing room, so all their energy right now should be focused in that direction.
Although $250 Million would give them the money to Pay Stanton for the next 3 years ($77 Mil), and leave some to add talent and “make a run”……..(but I doubt they actually do that)