Report: Derek Jeter calls on already fired Marlins president to handle more firings
We’re only days away from Derek Jeter taking over as Marlins’ co-owner and CEO. MLB owners unanimously approved the sale from Jeffrey Loria to a group led by Jeter and businessman Bruce Sherman earlier this week, meaning the only hold up left is the closing of the financial transaction.
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In the meantime, Jeter is reportedly continuing the house-cleaning he started in the Marlins front office last week. According to the Miami Herald, Jeter is said to be again leaning on out-going Marlins president David Samson, who was already informed he would not be retained by Jeter’s regime, to tell team executives they are being let go.
Derek Jeter, who takes over as Marlins’ CEO and co-owner next week, has quietly fired four members of the team’s baseball operations department, in the wake of dismissing five prominent team employees last week, according to sources.
And Jeter, once again, asked outgoing Marlins president David Samson to fire the employees for him, according to a source.
Jeter asked Samson to dismiss vice president of player development Marc DelPiano, assistant general manager Mike Berger, vice president/player personnel Jeff McAvoy and vice president/pitching development Jim Benedict. All were informed by Samson in recent days.
The names aren’t headline grabbers like last week’s batch of firings. In one fell swoop, Jeter canned two Baseball Hall of Famers in Andre Dawson and Tony Perez, along with former manager Jack McKeon, who led the then Florida Marlins to the World Series championship is 2003, and Jeff Conine, who had been one of the franchise’s most popular players. All four men had served as special assistants toSamson and Loria.
This week, Jeter went after core members of Miami’s developmental department. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the firing of DelPiano’s is the most surprising of the group considering the work he’s put in to “change the culture” in the Marlins minor league system.
DelPiano was a priority hire by Loria made before the 2015 season. He was lured over from the Pittsburgh Pirates along with Jim Benedict, who was also fired this week. The Marlins actually traded an active player, pitcher Trevor Williams, as compensation for Benedict’s hiring.
These moves reiterate the message that Jeter and company are going to reconstruct the franchise in their own mold, with people they trust and with people who don’t have an attachment to the Marlins past regime. The only exception might be president of baseball operations Michael Hill, whom Jeter is expected to retain at least for the short term.
It’s still a little troubling that Jeter is tasking Samson with delivering the news knowing that he too won’t have a job. Maybe he figures Samson’s past relationship with those individuals will make it easier in some way. Regardless, this is going to be his team by this time next week, and these are issues he’ll have to take charge of sooner than later.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
