(WSVN) - Jeb Bush and Derek Jeter’s group have won the auction for the purchase of the Miami Marlins, Bloomberg reports, with a bid of $1.3 billion.
A person with knowledge of the deal requested anonymity because the sale contract hasn’t yet been signed. The buying group includes five investors, according to reports.
Current owner Jeffrey Loria bought the team for $158 million back in 2002.
Any sale of the team would require approval by 75 percent of the other owners in the league.
Marlins President David Samson said, “I have not commented on the process and plan to keep it that way. Thank you.”
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Marlins relief pitcher David Phelps, who used to play with Jeter in New York, said Jeter is all about winning.
“(He’s) just a guy who cares about winning,” Phelps said. “That’s number one in his mind, regardless of what he’s doing. I think it’s going to carry over into whatever his next endeavor is.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he thinks Miami is ready for new Marlins’ owners.
“I think Jeb and Jeter are just fine,” he said. “I think they’ll be great owners, and I believe this community is ready for new ownership of the Miami Marlins.”
Norman Braman, the former Philadelphia Eagles owner gave a strong endorsement for Bush.
“I have great respect for Jeb Bush, who I know personally,” Braman said.
Braman also said the tax payers were still ripped off by the Marlins stadium deal.
“The worst thing is that the public officials that allowed this rape of the tax-payers, county commissioners, are still there,” he said.
The team has the sixth-lowest average home attendance and the lowest TV rights fees in the MLB.
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