Stewart joins Romney’s bid for team

The competition to buy the Marlins is shaping up as a battle of former All-Stars.

The latest to join the sweepstakes is four-time 20-game winner Dave Stewart, who has signed on with the group headed by Tagg Romney, USA Today reported. The Romney group also includes Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine.

The group headed by the son of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney is one of two front-runners to purchase the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria, along with the partnership headed by longtime Yankees captain Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush.

Another potential suitor surfaced this week as the New York Post reported that billionaire Charles Dean Metropoulos was interested in bidding for the team.

The Palm Beach resident is known for buying and turning around struggling companies, most recently Hostess Brands, maker of Twinkies.

Stewart, 60, won 168 games and had a 4.06 ERA during a 16-year career with several teams, winning World Series titles with three of them. He was the Series MVP in 1989 with the A’s.

The USA Today report indicated that Stewart could take over baseball operations if the Romney group succeeds in its ownership bid.

Stewart has extensive experience in front-office management, most recently as the general manager of the Diamondbacks. He was fired in October after only two seasons in that role.

The process of approving a sale of teams is cumbersome and it is uncertain if a bid will be accepted before Major League Baseball owners are scheduled to meet May 17-18 in New York.