Loria nearing sale decision, sues another fan
MIAMI — Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is nearing a decision on who he will sell the team to — for real this time, it seems.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday in a town-hall meeting with fans that the three groups bidding for the team are “prepared to meet theMarlins’ price.”
“All three of those groups are in the process of doing the legal work, the financing work, the diligence work that I referenced,” Manfred said. “And when that's complete theMarlins, Mr. Loria, will have to decide which one of the three groups it's going to be.”
According to a Forbes report Monday night, Jorge Mas, the billionaire South Floridian and cofounder of MasTec, agreed with Loria to buy the team for $1.17 billion. Marlins president David Samson could not be reached for comment but refuted that report to the Miami Herald, saying “there’s no agreement reached with anyone.”
Mas is the third bidder to reportedly reach such an agreement, following a group led by JoshuaKushner ($1.6 billion in February) and a group led by Derek Jeter and Jeb Bush ($1.3 billion in April).
In recent weeks, Mas has been one of three known bidders, alongside Jeter’s group (without Bush) and one led by Wayne Rothbaum and Tagg Romney (which includes Bush).
Manfredsaid it is unfortunate the impending sale of the Marlins has played out so publicly.
“We always prefer a process whereby the buyer and the seller agree on price,” Manfred said. “There’s a period of time when they work through their financing and all the legal documentation, the diligence that needs to be done. And then we have a public announcement. Unfortunately, in this situation the bidders became known.”
The league is loath to see the spotlight stolen from its signature events — one reason there is rarely major non-playoff news in October — so it’s unlikely anything official will come down before All-Star festivities clear out mid-week.
As the sale progresses, the Miami New Times reportedMonday that Loria and the Marlins are suing another fan as part of a years-long legal dispute regarding season-ticket commitments made in 2012.
According to court records obtainedby theNew Times, Loria is seeking to take a $725,000 Oakland Park building owned by a fan named Kenneth Slack. Slack made a multi-year season-ticket commitment in 2012, when the team promised perks like buffets and special parking, buthe didn’t buymore than one year of tickets after the team reneged on those perks.
Slack is at least the ninth fan to end up in this sort of legal drama with the Marlins, the New Times said.
thealey@ sunsentinel.com; @timbhealey