Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Winning takes time, Jeter tells town hall
MIAMI — Upon becoming CEO of the Miami Marlins, Derek Jeter said reconnecting the franchise to South Florida fans was his top priority and that he would listen to their concerns.
The iconic shortstop turned novice executive got an earful from a group of about 200 season-ticket members in a town hallstyle gathering Tuesday at Marlins Park.
Specifically, the fans let him know they aren’t happy about the recent payroll-reducing trades of stars Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Dee Gordon for prospects.
Jeter reiterated that the objective of the new ownership group is to create a cache of young, talented players to build the foundation for sustainable success. He repeated his mantra that it will require patience.
The event, which lasted about 1½ hours, was billed as part of a series of town hall meetings with Marlins fans to listen to their feedback and answer their questions.
He said he was impressed by the passion of the fans who spoke and added that there will be more meetings.
Although they put him on the spot with some pointed questions, Jeter said, “I welcomed all their questions, I welcomed their comments. I’m trying to learn.”
Marlins Man was there, naturally. So was a man in a Marlins “Stanton” jersey. Another wore a Yankees shirt with No. 27 on the back, as Stanton will in New York.
Jeter’s best answer came afterward when addressing local media. Responding to a question about whether the Stanton trade was all about money, he said. “We gave a gift, right? I hope every gift I give returns $265 million. I think if that happens then I’ll be extremely happy.”
But he said, “No question, it gives us financial flexibility to move forward and build.”
There was applause when Jeter strolled in to bouncy jazz playing on a pleasant evening with the outfield windows open. The mood was respectful, but fans made it clear they are disenchanted.
A man who said he was from Chicago pointed out that fans are angry and alienated by previous selloffs of high-salaried players, and said he thinks new ownership is taking the wrong approach.
Another asked why the Marlins didn’t attempt to add pitching to the strong lineup from last season.
“It’s easy to say, go get more pitching. But there’s no guarantees,” Jeter said. “We want to be successful year in and year out. The only way to make that happen is to build up the minor league system.
“All I can tell you is this is the way to build a franchise. I don’t expect you to be happy. I expect you to be frustrated. All I can do is say this is the best way to build a franchise that can be sustainable over time.”
One woman became emotional when she said fans were attached to players such as Stanton and Ozuna, as well as Ichiro Suzuki, who was not resigned.
“I think what you said is key: Winning. We want to win. We haven’t won,” Jeter said. “I wish it was as easy as go get two pitchers and we win the World Series.
“I want to win as soon as possible. In my opinion, this is the way we can do it.”
Jeter said he expects the 2018 team to be competitive, and added, “You’re going to grow to admire the players we have coming.”
He couldn’t predict how long the process of building a contender will take.
A fan base that has witnessed a painful history of repeated roster tear-downs but no sustainable success, despite two World Series championships, has little tolerance for another drawn-out rebuilding process.
Apparently neither do the best players remaining on the roster. Reports surfaced this week that catcher J.T. Realmuto, a rising star, wants to be traded and that center fielder Christian Yelich is unhappy with the direction of the team.
Neither player has leverage to force a deal as both are under team control for the next few seasons. Realmuto is entering the first year of salary arbitration and won’t be eligible for free agency until 2021. Yelich is under contract through 2021 with a club option for 2022.
Jeter sidestepped a question about those two, referring to their discontent as rumors.
The Marlins are reportedly targeting a 2018 payroll of about $90 million, and the trades this offseason have brought them in range of that.
The team hasn’t been to the playoffs since winning the World Series in 2003 against Jeter’s Yankees and hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2009. With the emerging roster makeup, those droughts won’t likely end in the near future.
The recent trades did net some intriguing prospects, including two of the hardest-throwing starting pitchers in the minor leagues, right-handers Sandy Alcantara (from Cardinals in the Ozuna deal) and Jorge Guzman (from Yankees in Stanton trade). Both immediately moved to 1-2, respectively, in the list of Marlins’ top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline.
Speedy outfielder Magneuris Sierra, also acquired in the Ozuna trade, is ranked fifth.
But there is never a guarantee that young players will meet expectations or about how long it will take for them to become productive major-leaguers.
Jeter defended the quality of the prospects that were obtained, as did president of baseball operations Michael Hill.
“We did get good players from every deal that we made going back to [last season],” Hill said. “There are players you don’t know their names yet but you will know.”
There was considerable discussion about improving the fan experience.
One fan asked, “What are you going to do about the home run sculpture?”
“You guys tell me. I see that’s been a sensitive topic,” Jeter said, without offering his opinion.