Rumors of the Marlins’ impending sale continue to flourish this spring. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that current owner Jeffrey Loria still wants to sell the team by the end of 2017, though he doesn’t look close to inking a deal with any one investor.
Loria had a “handshake agreement” in place with Joshua Kushner last month, but the arrangement was nixed when White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus reportedly received approval to nominate Loria as ambassador to France. Kushner’s brother, Jared, issued a statement that said the family did not want an “unrelated transaction” like the acquisition of a professional baseball team to complicate matters for Loria, but added that they maintained their interest in the purchase and “would love to buy the Marlins at another time.”
Without Kushner, the Marlins are said to be entertaining offers from as many as six suitors, both local and out-of-state. Jackson adds that the interested buyers’ identities have been revealed to Major League Baseball. No terms of sale have been publicized yet. Loria was said to be seeking a figure around $1.6 billion in February.
