Derek Jeter's first move as Marlins owner: Cut payroll
Derek Jeter isn’t doing much to make Miami Marlins fans forget about former owner Jeffrey Loria. Once Jeter takes over as Marlins owner, he’s expected to reduce the team’s payroll, according to the Miami Herald.
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Barry Jackson of the Herald has heard some specific figures from an investor, and they are not pretty. If MVP candidate Giancarlo Stanton is dealt, the team’s payroll could drop as low as $55 million. If Stanton is retained, the team could go down from $115 million to somewhere between $80 million and $85 million.
While most Marlins fans would probably prefer to hold Stanton, the result of that could be even more painful. Keeping Stanton could mean that other promising youngsters, like Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna could be shipped out. Same with Dee Gordon and Martin Prado. Both options are bad.
The Marlins are reportedly on pace to lose $50 million this year, according to the Herald, which is why Jeter’s group is intent on slashing payroll.
Jeter was lauded during his career for being a winner and bringing strong intangibles to the New York Yankees. Those traits are priceless, so maybe he’s hoping he can find similar players at a low cost. On the other hand, Jeter’s Yankees also carried the highest payroll in baseball.
Having money doesn’t guarantee wins, but it’s much harder to build a team with a limited payroll. Jeter was a great player, but he doesn’t have experience scouting and putting a team together.
Things in Miami might get ugly with Jeter in charge initially. If there’s any consolation, at least the team’s fans are used to that by now.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
