Derek Jeter shocked the baseball world on Monday after announcing he stepped down as the Miami Marlins‘ CEO and part-owner.
The former New York Yankees’ star had been involved with the Fish since August 2017.
He was part of Bruce Sherman’s ownership group that acquired the franchise in the summer of 2017.
Jeter was the leader of daily operations and also owned a four percent stake of the organization.
“The Miami Marlins and Derek Jeter announced today that they have agreed to officially end their relationship,” Sherman said in a statement. “The Marlins thank Derek for his many contributions and wish him luck in his future endeavors.
“We have a deep bench of talent that will oversee both business and baseball decisions while we work to identify a new CEO to lead our franchise. The ownership group is committed to keep investing in the future of the franchise — and we are determined to build a team that will return to the postseason and excite Marlins fans and the local community.”
A Surprising Decision
The decision was extremely surprising given how little time has passed since Jeter and the Marlins’ fates crossed.
But Jeter didn’t want any speculation on why he will no longer be a part of the Marlins, and explained the reasoning behind his departure.
Derek Jeter released a statement on why he is parting ways with the Marlins: pic.twitter.com/iQ0fgFS1Xp
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 28, 2022
“The vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead. Now is the right time for me to step aside as a new season begins,” he said.
The Marlins weren’t very competitive since Jeter took over: they only went to the playoffs in 2020, thanks to the expanded playoffs.
However, the franchise did build an impressive prospects pool and has young talent to be a contender for years to come.
