Derek Jeter must fix what is wrong with the Marlins

Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter told reporters he wasn’t happy with the team’s progress one day after firing Chip Bowers, the team’s president of business operations.

It’s not hard to look at the current state of the Miami Marlins and see why the team’s CEO Derek Jeter isn’t pleased with the club’s progress so far this season.

A 9-23 record, worst in the team’s history through 32 games. A -71 run differential in their first 32 games, another record they would soon like to forget. One of the worst home run hitting teams in the Majors – a product of decisions the front office has made to jettison powerful bats to mortgage the future.

It’s a plan that we all know would take a few years to develop. This is a team that has re-entered its infancy. Jeter, the mastermind behind the rebirth of an organization that has two World Series trophies to gloat about but no real success since 2009. No playoff berth since 2003 to speak of. And when you look at the roster, the only player worth every-day coverage is your fifth starter in the rotation, Caleb Smith, who is doing his best Jose Fernandez impression with little support behind him.

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For better or worse, the baseball community is married to both Derek Jeter and these Marlins. It would appear the rocky honeymoon is really over because even the “Captain” doesn’t like what he sees.

"“I’m not happy,” Jeter said when he talked to the media on Friday, one day after it was announced he had fired Chip Bowers, the former president of business operations for the organization.“[President of baseball operations] Michael Hill’s not happy. [Don Mattingly’s] not happy. I’m sure the players are not happy. I think everyone knows we’re better than this. There shouldn’t be a person in this building that’s happy with how we’re playing.”"

Happy, no. Aware of how the team got here, yes. The Marlins front office may only have the Marlins front office to blame for this implosion after a spring of hope. Now, it is Jeter’s responsibility to fix it. And there are questions to be answered if other heads in the front office are going to roll. Jeter told the media this had nothing to do with attendance numbers that are still well below 10,000 per home game.

In 2018, the Marlins finished last in attendance.

For all the changes the team made this offseason to improve conditions and concessions at Marlins Park, it is the play on the field that has an impact on whether or not the fans fill seats each homestand. Getting them back is something Derek Jeter knows cannot happen overnight.

"“Yeah, we’d love to see more people here,” Jeter said. “But we’re working hard on gaining the trust of our fan base.”"