The Miami Marlins could be in new hands before the end of the upcoming season based on a new report saying owner Jeffrey Loria wants to sell very soon.
When you talk about the most hated sports figure in the city of Miami, some would say it is LeBron James for leaving the Heat after four seasons and two NBA titles. Others might say it’s Nevin Shapiro, the weasel behind the Miami Hurricanes’ latest NCAA investigation. But the winner might have to be Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria for a variety of reasons.
Well, it appears folks in the 305 might not have him to kick around much longer.
A recent article in the Miami Herald brings back the subject of Loria’s desire to sell the franchise after 15 years of ownership. That subject is not new, as he reportedly had a handshake deal to sell the team to Josh Kuschner (the brother of President Trump’s brother in law, Jared) before news came out that Loria is in line for a possible ambassadorship and the Kuschners pulled out.
According to the Herald, a possible sale is likely to happened before the end of the 2017 season as Loria has decided it is time to get out of baseball:
"The Marlins are actively engaged in discussions with four groups and have had additional conversations with two others. MLB is aware of the identity of the Marlins suitors, which include both local and out-of-town investors.The Marlins, as of Friday, had not struck a deal with any of the six suitors but would like to reach an agreement with someone in the coming months, with closing and MLB approval before the end of the year."
After winning the World Series in 2003 over the New York Yankees, Loria never really endeared himself to the Marlins fanbase due to his ‘baseball on a budget’ style of running the franchise – a team that has had just four winning seasons in the 13 campaigns since that World Series title.
Loria also didn’t make many friends in the city of Miami and in Miami-Dade County with the way he manipulated his way into getting a brand new stadium built on the site of the old Orange Bowl stadium – a building that taxpayers will still be paying off for decades after he leaves town with a possible $1 billion profit on his original investment.
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Previous reports in local media say that Loria was hit hard by the loss of Jose Fernandez, the team’s ace pitcher who was killed in a boating accident in late September of 2016. He bought the Marlins in 2002 after previously owning the Montreal Expos for three years -effectively damaging the team so much they were forced to move to Washington D.C., becoming the Nationals.