Miami Marlins: Bush joins Romney, mystery bidder revealed, Jeter in third

Friday marked significant progress in the sale of the Miami Marlins. Drama, intrigue, and a dose of disappointment, the sale took a step forward. Kinda.

The winding road towards the sale of the Miami Marlins took another turn. To this point, none of the interested parties appeared to have the necessary funds to complete the sale. By joining forces, there has emerged a super-group to complete the sale.

Bloomberg is reporting that Jeb Bush, formerly a part of a joint bid with Derek Jeter, has joined the Romney/Glavine/Rothbaum bid to buy the franchise. Together, they have submitted a bid worth $1.1 billion to complete the sale of the team.

The bid strikes a devastating blow towards the hopes that Derek Jeter will raise the required funds to purchase the team.

Elsewhere, the mystery bidder that emerged earlier this week has been revealed. Prominent business owner and tycoon Jorge Mas has pledged $200 million of his own money towards the sale. The Miami-Herald is reporting that Mas could be willing to contribute more of his own money.

He is currently looking to solidify his bid with outside investors.

Between the formation of a super-group, and the emergence of Jorge Mas and his millions, it appears unlikely Jeter will be able to be part of a winning bid for the team. Certainly not with the type of control he seeks.

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As it stands, Jeter is reportedly well short of the $1.3 billion that Loria is seeking. He is able to contribute $25 million of his own money, and is actively seeking outside backing alongside his business partner Greg Fleming.

Allegedly, his joint bid with Jeb Bush fell apart because of his desire to control both the business and baseball end of operations.

Two steps forward, two steps back

In this instance, news doesn’t equate progress. The Romney/Glavine/Rothbaum/Bush bid, which sounds more like a law firm at this point, will be a formidable opponent. However doubt exists whether Major League Baseball will accept the bid.

They are looking for an ownership group that will be able to operate the team once they have been purchased. The Miami Marlins regularly operate at a loss, and the axiom “it costs money to make money” applies here.

Jorge Mas is willing to contribute the most of his own money, desirable in the sale of a major sports franchise. Following the bankruptcies of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Texas Rangers, Major League Baseball is hesitant to let teams carry too much debt.

Derek Jeter will quickly fade and become an afterthought if he isn’t able to raise a considerable sum. At this point, his hopes rest on joining an already established bid.

It’s Derek Jeter. There isn’t an ownership group in the world that could turn him away if he said he had 25(million) on it. Control is the point of contention.

Next: Miami Marlins sale a soap opera

Derek Jeter remains the best option from a purely baseball standpoint. After a storied baseball career, he is someone that Miami Marlins fans can justifiably get behind. Someone who won’t be satisfied turning a profit at the expense of fielding a losing team.

His chances are slim now that Jeb Bush has joined a competing bid. Jorge Mas puts Jeter firmly in third place. The soap opera continues.

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