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When Derek Jeter stepped down as Marlins CEO and sold his 4% ownership stake on Feb. 28, it came as a shock to those around the league.
Just under five years into his tenure, Jeter exited the organization, alluding to the reason for his departure in his exit statement.
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"The vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead," Jeter said, via PR Newswire.
Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter speaks to the media before the start of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at loanDepot park on October 02, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)
And now, CC Sabathia, former Yankee teammate from 2009-14, said the reason why Jeter left is because he wanted to make a run at free agent outfielder Nick Castellanos. Sabathia told the R2C2 podcast with Ryan Ruocco that the Marlins weren’t willing to pony up the cash for Castellanos’ signature.
Castellanos is one of the big names remaining on the market, coming off a career season in 2021 with the Reds. The 30-year-old had a slash line of .309/.362/.576 with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs.
"[Castellanos] is a beast," Sabathia said, via the New York Post. "I know Jeter wanted him bad. The Marlins are the Marlins. No matter what you try to do to make them better, at the end of the day there’s just always been bad ownership. Jeter did everything he could, he lined everything up for him and this is the year you sign Castellanos.
Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter watches during a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, March 5, 2021, in Jupiter, Fla. Jeter announced a surprise departure from the Miami Marlins Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
"They’ve got a bunch of pitching, Jazz Chisholm is a star, you’ve got Miguel Rojas playing short. Seems good, like really good, he built a really good team. The minor league organization is great, but it’s just time to spend money."
Shortly after Jeter came in, the mass exodus of the Marlins began. The talented outfielder trio of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna were all traded before the 2018 season. Miami became a basement dweller for the next two seasons, before earning its first playoff appearance in 17 years in 2020.
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Derek Jeter, CEO of the Miami Marlins, watches batting practice before a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
But in 2021, Miami bottomed out… again. The Marlins finished 67-95, fourth place in the NL East. It’s clear to everyone that Miami needs to spend to stay relevant in the senior circuit, but it appears that isn’t in the books under chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman.
"I just feel bad for him because I know how much time he put into that and how serious he took that job and I know he’s pissed," Sabathia said. "Yeah, it sucks, but the Marlins are the Marlins."
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