In the midst of MLB's self-imposed deadline to finalize a new labor deal with the players' union, Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter stepped down as CEO of the Miami Marlins on Monday, in a move that sent shockwaves across the baseball landscape.
A statement from Jeter was released via social media, and said in part, "the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead." The New York Yankees legend was part of a Bruce Sherman-led group that bought the Marlins for $1.2 billion back in 2017, and in four full seasons, the team went a combined 218-327 with one NL playoff appearance.
"It's a really hard market," former Marlins executive David Samson told the Maggie and Perloff show on Monday. "I think Derek was under the mistake and impression that I'd done everything so wrong, that all he had to do was show up and everyone would flock to games, and they'd get a big TV deal and naming rights deal. It's a different type of hard to run a team than it is to play shortstop at a Hall of Fame level. And I think he realized that over time.
"I think there was something acute that happened between him and Bruce Sherman. It just became obvious they couldn't work together, going forward. For Derek to say he had a disagreement with the vision, that's very unfair to say. The vision was to have a higher payroll by now. But the reason they were going to have a higher payroll is because revenue was supposed to increase. Visions haven't changed, it's the ability to execute visions that's changed."
Jeter's tenure with the Marlins didn't begin with simple tasks and decisions. Right away, a complete teardown was executed, with high-priced superstars Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto, and Marcell Ozuna traded. Miami has improved in player development -- MLB Pipeline ranked five total prospects inside its Top-100 last season -- and in 2022, ESPN ranks them as the fourth-best farm system in the league.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement on Jeter's resignation, saying in part, "I thank Derek for his service to the Marlins, the communities of Miami and the game. Derek is a winner on and off the field." Despite poor results, Jeter did help Kim Ng smash a glass ceiling, as she became the first female general manager in league history in November 2020.
The entire MLB conversation between Samson and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.