MIAMI – Count Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez among those fans who are "very pleased" about reports that a group led by former Gov. Jeb Bush and former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter has won a bid to purchase the Miami Marlins.
"If you have to choose two people that sort of represent Miami in a very special way -- Jeb Bush and Derek Jeter, the face of baseball and the face of Miami politics, so that's a very good combination," Suarez told Local 10 News.
Bloomberg first reported the sale. The Miami Herald reported that the sale is for $1.3 billion, pending Major League Baseball approval, and that Bush would be the team's controlling partner.
The excitement comes not only from who would be in charge but also who wouldn't be -- namely current owner Jeffrey Loria.
"There have been a lot of broken promises associated with the Marlins, and having the two of them, they're going to bond better, I think, with the community," Suarez said Wednesday.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred would not confirm the report, nor would team president David Samson.
"I am absolutely certain, know for a fact, that there are multiple groups interested in acquiring the Marlins," Manfred said. "One of these groups is the Bush-Jeter group. I'm not going to go beyond that. There are multiple groups that have made bids for the club. When we have a resolution as to which bid is going to be accepted, we'll announce that publicly."
Loria purchased the team for $158 million in 2002.