Alex Rodriguez is putting to bed all rumors of him purchasing the Miami Marlins. The rumors have been circulating ever since Rodriguez's former teammate Derek Jeter jumped ship on the Marlins in March 2022.
Jeter had been CEO of the franchise since 2017. He joined the Miami Marlins in hopes of turning its abysmal MLB history around. By pumping money into the team and attempting to lure star players to Miami, Jeter believed he could make the team competitive. He almost got Nick Castellanos to become a Marlin this offseason. Alas, Castellanos went to the Philadelphia Phillies, and then everything appeared to come crashing down for Jeter.
He stepped down as Marlins CEO in March 2022. He left behind a franchise that many believed was doomed for failure. The Marlins consistently have one of the league's lowest attendance rates. Star players rarely choose to sign with the team, leaving the Marlins to grow their own talent, which takes years. Young outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and starting pitcher Pablo Lopez are both coming along nicely for Miami. But two players can't save a franchise. Only a rich owner can do that.
MLB analyst shuts down rumors of Alex Rodriguez purchasing the Miami Marlins
When Jeter quit the Marlins, rumors began flying that Alex Rodriguez would purchase the Marlins. There seemed to be a lot of motivation for Rodriguez to do so. He's a Miami native. His nephew Joe Dunand plays shortstop for the Marlins. Rodriguez loves taking on risky buying endeavours, particularly when they involve sports teams. Everything seemed right for Rodriguez to take a chance on the Marlins.
However, the hype is now subsiding. Sports analyst Ron Berkowitz tweeted earlier today that Alex Rodriguez is "100 percent focused on owning the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx," the latter of which is a Women's National Basketball Association team.
"Alex Rodriguez is 100 percent focused on owning the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx. Any report of him having interest in also buying the Miami Marlins or any other MLB team is entirely false." - @ Ron Berkowitz
The tweet shocked baseball fans around the country. Just yesterday, Twitter was running rampant with speculation of Rodriguez going for the Marlins. "New York Post" columnist Jon Heyman wrote a feature piece on why it makes sense for Rodriguez to buy his hometown team.
"Could Jeter’s loss become A-Rod’s gain?" Heyman asked in a Tweet.
Hundreds of users liked and re-tweeted it.
"Could Jeter’s loss become A-Rod’s gain? If the financially strapped Marlins were to become available for sale A-Rod would be interested in taking on the challenge of turning it around. Fish say they aren’t for sale but how long can they keep losing big $?" - @ Jon Heyman
The Alex Rodriguez plus Miami Marlins saga simply wasn't meant to be. Buying the Marlins would mean jumping ship on the Timberwolves for Rodriguez, which he isn't prepared to do. He just became a part owner last year and has to see it through.
What should Miami Marlins fans hope for in the meantime? Two things: survival and a savior. If the Marlins ownership can avoid massive losses in the next couple of years, maybe the team will develop star talent and attract a larger fanbase. Or maybe the team will come close to bankruptcy, at which time Rodriguez will swoop in and take advantage of the cheap price tag.