A group that includes Derek Jeter reaches an agreement to buy the Miami Marlins.
MIAMI — The Miami Marlins told Major League Baseball they intend to sign an agreement to sell the team to a group that includes former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter, a person familiar with the negotiations said on Friday.
Jeter would be a limited partner in the group led by venture capitalist Bruce Sherman, said the person, who confirmed the Marlins’ plans on condition of anonymity because the team had not commented publicly.
The person said MLB was told owner Jeffrey Loria’s sale price will be about $1.2 billion to the group, which includes more than 10 entities.
Among them is Sherman, who would be the controlling owner, the person said. Sherman has spent much of his financial career in New York and has a home in Naples, Florida.
Jeter would be in charge of baseball operations, said the person.
The Sherman-Jeter group beat out two other groups that pursued the team in the final weeks of negotiations. One group was led by South Florida businessman Jorge Mas, and another included former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who recently halted his pursuit of a deal.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said a month ago that all three groups offered about the same amount of money, but there were legal and financing issues that slowed the process. Jeter had trouble raising money as he sought additional investors.
MLB owners meet next week in Chicago. A sale requires approval of at least 75 percent of the major league clubs, and the approval process could take three to six months.
A 14-time All-Star, Jeter lives in Tampa and has long talked of his desire to own a franchise. He has no front office experience.
Sherman is known for his philanthropic work and retired in 2009 as chief executive officer of Naples-based Private Capital Management.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly, who also had a storied playing career with the Yankees, said he knew nothing about Jeter becoming a team owner, but predicted he would do well.
“Derek has been successful at everything he’s tried to do,” Mattingly said before Friday night’s game against the Rockies. “What Derek’s been able to do with his career, who he is as a person, there’s nothing in there that leads you to believe that he’s not going to be successful with really whatever he wants to do.”
Odds and ends
Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras was put on the 10-day disabled list because of a strained right hamstring, and the team expects him to be out four to six weeks.
… Yankees lefthander C.C. Sabathia was put on the 10-day disabled list because of right knee inflammation, and rookie lefthander Jordan Montgomery was recalled from Class AAA Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre to make Sabathia’s start in Sunday night’s series finale against Boston.
… Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia could be headed to the disabled list for the third time this season. Pedroia’s left knee was too inflamed for him to play Friday night at Yankee Stadium, and manager John Farrell said a return to the DL is possible.